HIS HUMAN MATE

CHAPTER TWO

Present day

Clara's POV:

Clara stepped out of the elevator, beginning her journey down the hall to the office of the CEO where she was to get her very first order of service from him.

She couldn't get the weird interaction between herself and her boss, Mr Victor Hughes, out of her mind all weekend. She was someone that believes that the universe favors those who lived pure and did good but the events of her hiring was something of a fever dream.

She walked out of the building last Wednesday thinking she was going to get told of the elaborate prank that was her hiring and that surprisingly never happened.

Hey, if the universe saw her fit to be blessed with a high paying job she had no faith she was getting, she was not going to complain.

She stopped in front of the office next to what she guessed was the desk assigned to the personal assistant to Mr Hughes if the name plaque on said desk was any indication.

"Good morning" the lady, Vivian Page as the name plaque read, said with a very wide smile, the first she received today. It warmed Clara as she realized Vivian probably had a

nice personality. Maybe they could be friends, she thought to herself.

"Good morning, I'm here to see Mr Hughes." she said punctuating her words with a huge smile of her own.

"You must be the new secretary, I'm Vivian"

"Nice to meet you Vivian, I'm Clara" she said and watched as Vivian picked up the phone to announce her arrival to the other end.

"Mr Hughes will see you now, just walk right in" Vivian said, hanging up the phone "If you're not too busy settling in later, we should meet up for lunch"

"Oh we definitely should, that would be wonderful" Clara said, giddy with the thought of already having made a new friend as she stepped into Mr Hughes' office.

Right away, she noticed the impeccable interior design. The sleek black leather chairs, glass cabinets and drawers and deep blue silk curtains etc, made the room resemble one out of a magazine for rich minimalists.

The room had a colour gradient that screamed high class but for Clara was simply ...ugly.

Obviously the office was not ugly in the literal sense of the word but in the way that it lacked brightness and life. It was another black furniture away from being gloomy and depressing and sat right in the middle was a man who's aura more than matched the vibe of the room.

Once again, she was drawn to him. This was their second meeting -if you could even call the first one that and there was something in the way he looked at her.

Objectively, Mr Victor Hughes was an attractive man but what she felt that made goosebumps rise out of her skin when their eyes met was not just attraction. She did not know what it was. She attributed it to nerves the first time they met but she sees it now still, something so fiery.

"I would appreciate if you didn't spend the day staring. Please shut the door and come forward" he said, snapping her out of her thoughts. "How has your first day been so far?" he asked.

"Uhh I just got here sir"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sorry?" she replied, confused.

"You said 'uhh' as though you were unsure"

"No I'm sure, I just got here" she said. This had to be one of the weirdest interactions she has had in a while.

"It's 9:08, Miss Reyes. I know HR told you to resume by 9am but that is for regular employees. As my secretary, I expect you to be in the office whenever I am in the office everyday, by 7:45 am. Do not be late next time" he said sternly but without raising his voice.

"Yes, sir"

"This folder contains the minutes for the last meeting I had" he said barely allowing her respond while sliding over a grey folder "study the template before Thursday when we will be attending another meeting with some investors, go down to IT to get the necessary computer training and access to all approved accounts and report back to me before lunch time today" he rattled off. Clara wondered how he was not out of breath. "Also I'm sure you met Miss Page, she's a shared assistant between myself and the CFO and she was temporarily placed in front of my office while I searched for a new secretary, you. So while she goes back to her station on the 4th floor, you are to occupy that desk space outside. Meet her and learn the filing system of my previous secretaries. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir" she replied, quietly hoping she would remember everything he said "Is there anything else you'd like me to do?" she added as he turned on his laptop probably to continue his work.

"Close the door on your way out" he said without looking up "Oh and tell Vivian to come in".

"Yes, sir" she said and walked out of the office. "Vivian, Mr Hughes would like to see you" she said, prompting the redhead to hurriedly get of her feet and into the office.

She was not one to snoop but something on

Vivian's desk caught her eye. It was a picture of Vivian, Mr Hughes and an oddly familiar looking man who looked slightly older than Mr Hughes. They were all holding a bottle of beer and sporting wild grins.

It seemed Vivian and her boss were close because he did not seem like the type to take pictures of that nature with employees but then, Clara barely knew the man. His frosty nature could be due to the fact that he was a new employee.

It could take days, weeks or even months for some people to warm up to others but Clara was the most lovable person she knew. He definitely will be more smiley with her at the end of the month!

With that thought, she wandered down the halls to the IT office, spirit as high as ever but with the picture frame lingering in her mind.