The Grand Mistress

At Primo\'s office

"Sir,  Mairie said that you should come early for dinner today," Florence told his master. He had been in the service of Primo for many years but he had never seen him this bad. 

The man had kept on working nonstop for several days already and had made everyone\'s life hell in the office. Not only that his employees were  forced to render overtime as they couldn\'t leave the office, not when Primo was still around and hissing about many things, they too were all subjected to his untamable temper.  He had not been liking everyone\'s work since the incident of Gabriella Monteria took place. His department then was on fire and not a single work or proposal got approved ever since that day.

Many of his secretaries asked Florence when would this wild mood of Primo would stop because many had not been able to work with ease then. However Florence only told them to be patient and not to mess up because he himself couldn\'t do anything about it. Helpless, he called on Marie for help and the latter delivered him solution only thirty minutes ag. The only problem left was that Primo wasn\'t acknowledging it.

"Where\'s the file of Mr. Montemayor?" Primo hurdled between too many files that had been neatly placed on his table already. "I had been asking for the petition since earlier and nobody is telling me where the fuck is it."

"Sir, I\'m afraid you have to come home—"

"Florence, did you not hear me?" When Primo\'s hard tone clung to his ears, Florence was torn between informing him or giving him what he wanted. "Sir you have read the files just two hours ago and you wanted it to be changed so the team that was assigned to it is still working on the changes at this moment,"

"That slow?" Primo\'s expression didn\'t suit Florence\'s answer. "This petition should have been finished today if they had not missed a very important part of the petition. Now you are telling me they cannot write a simple petition for Christ sake Florence! Have that team fired—"

"Sir Marie said you should be early for dinner today,"

"Florence you\'ve told that to me already a thousand times," Primo\'s expression had turned more deadly, "Say it again and I\'ll send you off to the South with the rebels," 

"Tell Marie I had many things to take care of here," Primo instructed while Florence immediately shut off. Gosh! He couldn\'t even utter Miss Gabriella\'s name. Primo had seriously gone mad this time. 

Just in time, Florence\'s phone rang and seeing that it was Marie who called, he picked it right away, "Marie, I\'m sorry but the master says he had soo many things to care for here. So just tell Miss Gabriella to eat alone and not wait for him—"

Just before he could finish his sentence, Florence\'s phone was already in Primo\'s hands. 

"Maire…." Primo took over the call.

"Primo came home already, do you want Miss Gabriella to eat alone? I invited her for dinner for you and yet you are doing so much foolishness there. Should I just—"

"I\'ll be there in a few. Don\'t make her leave," Primo replied and hurried through the door immediately leaving Florence alone in his office after the young lawyer threw his phone back to him.

Florence who saw him retreating away that fast, heaved a big sigh of relief. Without Primo in the office, he finally had some hard stretches before he went off the door. As soon as he got out, he saw everyone\'s faces at him, all eyebrows raised. They could not believe Primo went home early today and released everyone from their misery. However, they were unsure whether they should head home too. Who knows if their boss would come back and find no one inside. That would only make the situation worse.

"Oh, everyone should go home on time today, the master will surely not come back," Florence announced and just immediately, everyone loosened. Finally after some hellish days, heaven had listened to their prayers.

"Are you sure about this Florence? You aren\'t bluffing right?" One of the senior secretaries asked.

"I\'m sure. The boss is having dinner with Miss Gabriella today and—"

Just when he said Gabriella\'s name, everyone packed up their things, not allowing him to finish anymore. With Gabriella around, they knew their boss would take his time and would not come back so they should just go and celebrate after so many hell days.

"Hey guys!" Florence started calling for everyone\'s attention but no one listened to him and so he could only roll his eyes upon them. However, thinking about how he was free too and that he can come home early to his wife, his eyes blinked with joy. Ah! Finally he can get to sleep with his wife without worrying about Primo\'s tantrums and temper.

Whistling, he walked happily back to his desk and started packing up too with everyone.

In Primo\'s mansion however, Gabriella sat quietly on the big dinner table while cutting with grace her steak. Primo had gone late but Mairie explained to her that the subordinate had a hard time telling him because his mood wasn\'t good these days. That not she care about it, she pretty much doesn\'t care if Pirmo would not come and join her tonight. Thinking about his absence, she almost murdered the meat in her plate.

"Dulzura," Primo\'s call got Gabriella\'s thought hurdled back to reality. She turned to him and acknowledged his presence but didn\'t say anything instead she just continued murdering her already murdered meat. "Don\'t be too harsh on your steak,"

Annoyed, Gabriella put down her utensils and grabbed for the wine sitting beside her plate. "You are late for dinner," She told him.

"I\'m sorry I didn\'t know you were coming home tonight. This won\'t happen again," Primo promised.

"Don\'t make promises you can\'t keep," Gabriella\'s words were hard and unfriendly, Primo almost felt like she wasn\'t his dulzura then.. Inside, he was trembling with for the first time, afraid that she would just leave right away because he made her upset again.