C .01-Five years later
1441 Words
Five Years Later…..
Just like every other morning, Juliette went to her favorite café, just opposite the office. It had become her favorite place, whether it was early in the morning or late evening after work.
The ambitious and high-spirited architecture, always rather a quiet environment to do her work, but there was something about the coffee shop. Maybe it was the ambience of the environment or its workers and customers.
Basically, it was her home away from home.
She always got lost in her work. And each time she went to the shop, it’s a struggle for her to leave.
“Hey girl, it’s been a while.” Beatrice the cashier called out as Juliette waited to collect her usual morning order of a vanilla cappuccino and a vanilla glazed donut with chocolate filling.
Juliette was obsessed with everything vanilla, even her body wash.
“Hey B. wassup girl? How’s Jason and baby Jayden?”
Since Juliette started working at Nord & Stauber Architectural Inc, she had gotten close with Beatrice. Sometimes, they would meet up after hours and hang out or go for drinks after work. But since Beatrice had her baby boy Jayden, they haven’t really hung out much and Juliette understood.
With laughs, they exchanged pleasantries and made plans to meet up soon.
After collecting her order, she thanked her and left the coffee shop with a bright and illuminating smile on her beautiful face.
Looking up and down the busy street, she hastened to the other side of the road.
In the small security booth, the morning guard, Stella, greeted Juliette with a smile and wished her a productive day. Although Nord & Stauber Architectural Inc. is a huge multimillion-dollar company, Juliette always found time to greet her co-workers and wish them well.
Genuity and sophistication were the words her parents always said to her. Being genuine to other people and sophisticated with her work will carry her a long way, and the mantra had never disappointed her.
The thought of her deceased parents made her miss them, but it always left a smile on her face when she thought of them. If only they can see her now, they would be so proud of the woman she had become. The woman that she grew into because of their teaching and kind words.
As a little girl, at fourteen, Juliette lost both her parents in a devastating vehicular accident. They were returning home from their anniversary dinner, when an oncoming truck lost control and slammed into the side, killing her mother on the spot. Sadly, her father died on the way to the hospital.
But, being the strong headed young woman they her raised to be, it didn’t halter Juliette’s plans to make her parents proud. Even at twenty-eight, everything she did was to make them proud.
While the loss of her parents devastated the young woman growing up, she never ceased to remember the memories she shared with them. No matter how short it was.
Now, she held her head high and worked hard.
She stepped in the metal box and pressed the button for the second floor, tapping her foot with the soothing melody while she waited for the elevator to arrive at its destination.
The melody was relaxing.
Finally, when it dinged, and the doors opened, she walked to her office, greeting her co-workers on her way there.
“Good morning, Ms. Stryker.” Stacy, her secretary greeted with a beautiful smile.
“Good morning, Stacy. I trust you had a good night’s rest?”
“Yes, please.” She replied, still smiling from ear to ear.
“Splendid.”
When Juliette hired Stacy to be her secretary, she always found it intriguing how she kept a smile on her face. She was so sweet and caring with her other co-workers, and that’s the integrity she looked for in the people she worked with.
Juliette said her goodbye to Stacy and continued the short distance to her office, closing the door behind her.
She released a breath, removed and hung her coat on the rack, then placed her bag on the black leather couch sitting in the corner. When she took the job, the office had all the furniture, so she didn’t have to worry about all that, other than making herself comfortable as she worked.
“Juliette, sweetheart.” Her boss Mr. Stauber walked in the door dressed in a gray Italian suit. His salt and pepper hair neatly combed and a charismatic smile on his handsome face.
Mr. Stauber was an old man, yet he still had the spirit of a sixteen-year-old. When he had offered her the job, he took her under his wing like a daughter. He treated her with respect and cared for her dearly.
Juliette also thought of him like a father and appreciated his gentle and fatherly love. “Good morning, Sir.” She beamed up at him from the blank computer screen.
He outstretched his arms, and she walked into them, wrapping her smaller ones around his torso. “You look so beautiful, not that you don’t every morning, but to me you look more beautiful every time I see you.”
Juliette couldn’t help hiding the burning red color of her cheeks, “Oh sir, you flatter me too much.”
They broke apart, and he held onto her as he ushered her back to her chair. “Can’t promise I’ll stop anytime soon.”
They both chuckled, and she took her seat as he took a chair.
“So, the reason for my visit is, I would like to notify you that I will be taking on another consultant to work alongside you soon, but I just thought you should know. The details are incomplete. Now, he won’t be taking any of your current clients, but with the expand of the other branch, I figured it’ll be good to have someone to take the position there. And since I couldn’t bear to lose you to another branch, hiring someone else would be a more suited fit.”
Juliette listened tentatively as he spoke and thought about the change of working with someone else. She didn’t mind working with people, but what worried her is to get someone who was as oriented to their job as much as she was to hers.
She knew whatever was decided would be in the best interest of the company and the employees, so she needed not worry.
“What do you think?” He asked, clasping his hands on his thighs, waiting for her to reply.
She thought about the intentions and knew it’s well within his rights to do as he wishes with his company and her opinion wasn’t necessary. She felt the reason he asked, was out of respect.
“Come on Juliette, I know it’s probably not a good idea, but it was that or sending you there, which I wouldn’t do.”
She nodded. “I understand, and I think it’s a good idea.” She answered truthfully.
“Marvelous. They will hold the general meeting two weeks from today to discuss the arrangements.”
She nodded again, silently praying that he wouldn’t hire a jerk who would spend more time trying to get into her pants than actually do his work. Working with men had always been challenging with her and she was happy that the men at Nord & Stauber Architectural Inc., knew their place with her.
She took her job seriously, and she made that clear to anyone who thought she was using her relationship with Mr. Stauber to climb the ladder. Juliette didn’t take lightly to rumors, and there were already enough spreading around the office. Rumors that she was screwing the boss. However far from the truth it was, she didn’t care how it started or why.
She gave him a smile to reassure her answer, and he returned it, standing from the chair and took his leave.
Her mind wandered to the one person who would be perfect for the job, but shook her head immediately at the idea of the both of them working together or even seeing him after all those years.
She opened her calendar and checked her schedule for the day as she prepared for the day ahead.
- Writer
