by Mel Ryle
I grabbed the grey pantsuit and the satin emerald blouse to go underneath it. I stood in front of the full-length mirror beside the drawer as I assessed my appearance. I picked a pair of black, closed wedge shoes that came with the suits (there were five pairs of black and brown pumps and wedge heels). For a second, I was stunned by my reflection. The last time I wore something this formal was for my mock job interview in college. Even during my real job interview, I never looked this sophisticated.
Then, I fixed my face and hair. I couldn’t do much to them since I didn’t own any cosmetic products, except for a blow drier and the face powder that I had already applied. I left my hair messy, wavy, and undone. With a final glance at the mirror, I tore my eyes away from my reflection and walked out of the apartment. I didn’t want to linger any longer since it would only heighten my uneasiness.
Maxwell Enterprises was located on the first avenue in the heart of the city, a one-bus ride from my apartment. The building was on the same street as the real estate offices, telecommunication buildings, hotels, and other top-notch businesses. When the bus stopped just a few blocks away from the building, I absent-mindedly walked towards it with wide eyes. I noticed some people were giving me strange looks. They must have thought I was a tourist, especially with how mesmerized I was by the beauty of the buildings.
The main Maxwell building was made of tinted glass and thick steel, and it towered at almost fifty floors. The high glass walls created an illusion of vastness and space, making the lobby appear even larger. On the far right corner were couches filled with people wearing suits. There was also an identical set of couches on the left side. I was so overwhelmed with my surroundings that I didn’t notice someone walking in front of me. Like hitting a wall, I staggered backwards from the force. But I didn’t fall down flat on the floor because an arm wrapped around my waist.
“Watch where you’re going,” a deep voice, with a British accent, hissed.
I looked up, stunned to hear the familiar tone.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumbled in frustration.
“Pardon me?” William asked, then looked at me pointedly. He realized that it was me, and in effect, his eyes hardened and his jaw clenched.
“Ms. Peterson. You’re late,” he stated after a few seconds of glaring at each other.
“What do you mean late?” I glanced down on my second-hand watch. “It’s still seven forty five in the morning!” I retorted angrily.
His eyes hardened from my little outburst. I stiffened at his reaction and mentally cursed myself for losing composure.
“Secretaries are asked to come an hour before work starts. I thought Alex already briefed you on that,” he stated in reply, his voice low from his obvious restraint.
I took a deep breath, calming myself down just like he did. “I’m sorry, Mr. Maxwell. Ms. Maxwell hasn’t briefed me about the office hours. I will come early tomorrow.”
“Good,” he nodded and stepped away from me. “Get up to the top floor and ask Maggie to help you out with the schedule and the reports to be filed,” he added as he walked away from me towards the exit.
Before I could ask him anything, he was already out of the door and towards a waiting black SUV. I watched as the car drove away on the busy street. With a frustrated sigh, I walked up to the reception desk in the lobby, asked which floor Alexandra’s office was located, and told her who I was with my head slightly bowed down in embarrassment. She gave me an I.D. pass since everything had a computerized access key.
I finally reached the office after making a few wrong turns and was greeted by a huge open space with two opposite desks on the far corner of the room. A dark-haired woman with fair skin, wearing a white printed shirt and black skirt, occupied one of the desks. She was talking to someone on the phone.
I silently made my way towards the desk opposite hers, which I guessed was mine. She looked up when she saw me and gave me a warm smile. I smiled back in reply before taking a seat on my new desk. When she finished her call, I stood up from my chair to introduce myself.
“Hi. I’m Andy, Ms. Maxwell’s new assistant. You must be... Maggie.”
She took my hand and gave it a little shake before she replied. “It’s Margarette. Mr. Maxwell is the one who calls me that. But if you prefer, you can also call me Maggie.”
“Oh. Okay. If it’s alright with you,” I gave her a shy smile as she beamed at me. “Mr. Maxwell actually told me to ask you about work and schedule thing. I’m sorry if I’m going to be bothering you for a while until I get the hang of this,” I continued.
“No. It’s all right. You can ask me anything, dear,” she offered cheerfully.
“Is Mr. Maxwell always this early?” I asked when I got comfortable with her warm personality. I have to admit that her smile got to me.
“Yes. He is always early for work,” she replied softly as she stood up from her desk.
“Ally was right. The man doesn’t sleep,” I mumbled to myself as Maggie walked away from her desk.
She turned around from the cabinet and stood in front of her desk with an amused smirk. “True. I can confirm that,” she stated with a wink.
I chuckled at her easy and carefree personality. I just met the woman yet I’m already starting to like her. But, how the hell can she be enthusiastic when she works for the most frustrating man in the world? I should stick to this woman and warm up to her before I can ask her the secret on working with Mr. Mogul.
Eleven
It didn’t take long for me to get the information out of Mr. Mogul’s sweet secretary. She was willing to give me tips on how to work for one of the richest men in the country. Maggie had an easy, carefree personality, which made it possible to approach her even if you’re shy.
One of the tips she gave me was to be prepared. Well, that was obvious, but she was specific on what to prepare. She told me to always be updated on the company’s daily progresses and reports, the stock market rates, and everything else. She also told me to be versatile since William made people do two things at the same time, especially during meetings. And, most importantly, don’t talk when he is talking. It took a while for me to instill that in my head. My bluntness and opinionated nature was one of the reasons why he fired me from my other job. I had to adapt and change that if I wanted to survive this job.
By afternoon, I’ve learned almost every manner and reaction that I should expect from him, but I never got to test my newfound knowledge since William didn’t return to the office. As the sky turned dark, it was time for me to go home. I sighed in relief that I made it through my first day of work without getting myself fired.
I said my farewell to Maggie when the clock on my desk turned seven-thirty. Even though work ends at six, all department heads and their respective secretaries were required to go home later than that to conduct last minute checkups.
When I arrived at the lobby, I was whistling because I was in a good mood for my successful first day. However, fate had a twisted sense of humor when it came to my life. Before I could reach the glass door, a familiar man in a grey suit was in front of me, blocking my exit. I looked up at him and was not surprised in the least. I knew who it was. I’ve been a good person, I’ve worked so hard, and I’ve never done anything evil today. So, why did my day have to end like this?
“Good evening, Mr. Maxwell,” I greeted calmly before sidestepping past him.
“You’re already going home?” he asked, stopping in his tracks as I passed by.
I turned back to look at him, keeping my cool in check. “Yes. My work is done for the day.”
He looked at me dead in the eyes before raising an eyebrow. “Did you already file the reports for Alex’s meeting tomorrow?” he asked.
“Yes. Maggie helped me with it. We are ready.”
Do not let him tick you off, Andy. Don’t let him. Don’t let him—
“Did you know that Alex isn’t going to be here the three months you would be working?” he asked after a short pause, but
this time he said it in annoyance.
“Yes. I did,” I replied, no longer in the mood to talk to him. “If we are done here, Mr. Maxwell, I need to go. I have some other place I need to be,” I added as he continued to stare at me like a predator eyeing his prey.
“You do know you are going to be under my guidance since Alex isn’t here, right?” he asked in a threatening tone as he ignored what I said.
I let out a huge breath, slightly aggravated by his words. From the way the end of his lips tugged into a small smirk, I knew this was the reaction he was trying to get out of me.
Screw it. I really couldn’t hold it back anymore. The man was asking for it.
“You have no authority over me, Mr. Maxwell. Ms. Maxwell was the one who hired me. Thus, she is the one only one who can fire me. You may give me orders, but they will not be my top priority, especially when I'm at work. And in spite of everything, I really don’t care whether or not you drop dead in front of me,” I said with clenched teeth. I had no idea how I kept the formality in my voice because I was already past my boiling point.
“I see to what extent that hatred of yours can go. I’m glad I got to see the wicked side of you before things got out of hand for me,” he hissed back, his voice low and muffled.
I wasn’t thinking straight at that moment, so I made the smartest decision I had ever made since I met him. I walked away. For the first time, I walked away without having the last words. The thought alone knocked me off my feet.
But I still wanted to punch something.
As I rode the bus back to my apartment, I stopped by the grocery store to buy some food since my refrigerator was empty. After shopping for half an hour, I decided to walk the rest of the way home. Fifteen minutes later, I passed by a liquor store. I stopped by the window as I stared at the bottles in front of me for a second. The last time I drank was back at home, when my father’s illness was still in its early stage and undiagnosed. Not over-thinking it, I went inside and bought a case of beer for later. I didn’t want to think how much I really needed that drink tonight. When I got home, I placed my groceries in the fridge and snapped open one can of beer once I finished unpacking. I sat down in the living room, staring mindlessly at the dark room. I was too lazy to turn on the light (plus I was trying to conserve energy).
I drank the first can fast enough as if I were drinking water. The effect of the sudden buzz in my system made me remember how things were before. I lost my train of thought as I got to the fridge then brought the whole case with me to the living room. I sat back on the couch, this time turning on the television. I didn’t know why I did it though, since I wasn't really watching it. Clearly, my mind was busy elsewhere. To distract myself from my thoughts, I listened to the soft murmur of the person talking on the screen.
I only realized that I fell asleep when a buzzing sound ripped throughout the silent room, jolting me awake. I slowly rolled myself onto my back only to fall down on the floor and land on my behind. I grunted in pain as I let out a strained breath and sat up. I lazily put my arm on the couch to search for the ringing phone. The ringtone was starting to annoy me as my head throbbed. My hand pushed away a can before it finally reached my purse. I grabbed it, brought it down on the floor with me, and was able to answer the call before it went to voice mail.
“What is it?” I asked in annoyance.
“Hey! To celebrate your first day, I must treat you out for a drink!” a deep man’s voice shrieked through the other end of the phone, making me cringe. It was only Terry.
“I’m not in the mood, could you please shut up for a second!” I hissed.
“Andy? Are you okay? Are you drunk?” he asked.
“Yes, I’m okay now that I’m wasted… I don’t even know why I’m wasted. God!” I replied grimly as I sat up and scanned the dark room. I felt muddled and disoriented as I tried to remember what I did. I couldn’t even remember how I’d gotten back home. I let out a soft whimper as I slowly stood up, my knees slightly buckling from numbness.
“Hey. Are you okay? Do you want me to come over?” Terry asked, his voice filled with concern.
“I think I need help. I think I’m having a damn amnesia,” I cursed as I rolled myself back to the couch, grunting slightly from the sudden movement.
“I didn’t know you’re rude when you’re drunk,” Terry chuckled.
“Get off the phone and get your ass over here. I need help!”
“Yes. Please keep yourself away from anything sharp or a phone. I don’t want you cursing at other people.”
“Wait. That is a good idea. I could call Mr. Mogul and say rude things to him,” I suggested with an evil laugh.
“No! You don’t want to do that at all... Now, stay!” he interjected, chuckling at first but then went back to being serious.
“Aye. Aye. Sir!” I gave a salute as Terry laughed and ended the call.
I lay there for as long as I can, suppressing the urge to call William at bay. I didn’t want to regret my actions tomorrow morning, even though I was drunk enough to use that as an excuse.
It didn’t take long for Terry to show up in my doorstep. I was so happy to see him that I literally jumped and wrapped my hands around his waist. He found my enthusiasm amusing as he half-carried me to my room. When he tucked me in bed, only taking off my shoes and blazer, it was the last thing I remembered for the rest of the night.
When I woke up the next morning, I had a sudden head rush once I sat up, which automatically made me roll back to bed. As I squinted my eyes at the bright light from the window, I wasn’t entirely aware of my surroundings. I stretched myself in bed and inadvertently hit something slightly hard, which was followed by a grunt.
“What the…?” I almost jumped out of bed in surprise.
“One more minute, please,” a masculine, deep voice begged as my sheets suddenly moved.
I used my foot and kicked the sheets away to reveal the sleeping face of my ex-roommate. I let out a sigh of relief and thanked the heavens that I still hadn’t made any terrible mistake in my life.
“Terry, hey. Wake up!” I hissed silently, nudging his legs.
He finally opened his eyes from the sound of my voice. In his surprise, he fell out of the bed as he jumped backwards.
“Ouch!” he hissed in pain as he rubbed his behind. Terry was half naked, which I finally noticed. I sometimes forget how fit he was, which I found mouth-watering even though I knew he wasn’t straight.
“Why are you sleeping in my bed?” I asked to distract myself.
“I don’t like sleeping on the couch. Besides, you wouldn’t do anything to me since you were knocked out cold,” he remarked with a grin.
“Yeah. True,” I agreed then let out a chuckle.
“So, do you mind telling me why you drank yourself to sleep last night?” he asked, all humor gone from his voice.
“Yeah. That,” I muttered, not in the mood to talk about it just yet.
As my mind swirled around yesterday’s happenings, I regretted that I even drank last night since I wasn’t drunk enough to forget. With a defeated sigh, I got myself out of bed.
“We can talk about it after I shower. I smell like a drunk,” I said as I walked towards the bathroom on the left side of my bedroom.
“I thought I’d never get to hear you say that,” Terry shouted in amusement as I closed the door behind me.
When I finished showering and dressing up for work, I offered Terry to get himself clean. It was weird to ask him that, like we did the deed or something, but I didn’t really let that bother my conscience. I cooked breakfast for us both and waited for him to finish before I ate. While we ate, I narrated to him about my frustrating meeting with William Maxwell.
When we were done and ready to go, a thought crossed my mind: What would people think if I walked out of this door with Terry? Mind you, he spent the night with me. Though, it would be awkward if people think that we were together.
“Are you alright?” he asked as he stopped beside me.<
br />
“People would think that you stayed the night and...” I said but trailed off since I couldn’t say the words.
Terry smirked and shook his head. “You worry too much sometimes,” he said as he opened the door for me.
I hesitated for a bit as he gave me an encouraging smile. I took a deep breath and walked out, mentally telling myself they wouldn’t notice. But the moment I thought that, the door across mine suddenly opened.
“Oh. Good morning, Andy. How are you?” Ally greeted with a strained smile as she glanced between Terry and me. Well, there goes the ‘they wouldn’t notice’ mentality.
“Morning. I’m good. How about you?” I asked out of courtesy, my voice almost as soft as a whisper.
“Good,” she replied softly, looking anywhere but us. “Are you guys going down?” she asked after a short pause.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “Are you off to work?” I asked to drown out the awkwardness.
I asked some really standard questions, keeping the conversation light and flowing as we descended to the lobby. Terry kept his mouth shut throughout the conversation and didn’t bother to introduce himself. I actually wanted to punch him for it since that would add more fuel to the fire.
As Ally walked out ahead of us, I stopped in the middle of the lobby, watching her as she jumped into a silver car, which I suspect was driven by her boyfriend. I waited until she was gone before turning to Terry, my eyebrow crunched in frustration. Although I wasn’t pissed that Terry didn’t bother to correct Ally’s assumption, I pretended to be pissed because of his indifference.
“Why didn’t you help me resolve the situation? You could have just pointed outright that we were not an item.”
“She didn’t say that she thinks we were together.”
