REFINED ROMANCE

Chapter 1 1561 Word Update date:2023-08-11 10:15:18 You know, most people expect the handsome guy who sits neatly in the office chair outside to fall for the sexy handsome CEO .The power suit sitting in the big leather chair with one of those expansive oak desk.A skyline that you can simply become lost in. He is sitting there,eyes sweeping over her office as she moves within like a sleek leopard in her fury coat .And just when that phone rings on his desk, the ID signaling it's her ,all hands become shaky .He prepares himself to hear the husk voice .A voice that can literally make love to someone over the phone .She could ask him to do anything, even polish her shoes ,those killer heels and he'd bend down like a fool and kiss each one after wiping that cloth over those stilettos. That was me . I wasn't a guy ,duh ,but a wide eyed blonde with high ponytail, small glasses and uncomfortable suits ,that was me ,the not so perppy ,just midway college. And here I was working to earn my own money because I was that independent. I liked being like this ,by myself.. I began working for Scandal Fashion Magazine head office close to eight months ago on an internship. Still in university, already in my second year,there was a desperate need for cash because parents can only give you so much. And to have them pay for my tuition plus the buying of handouts ,well it made me feel as if I was really squeezing their pockets unnecessarily. I mean ,they already paid to send me here so I could study.Then the need to work my way up on my own ,which was all i wanted. So what do I do ? I applied for the open position as the CEO's Assistant Secretary. That means I was working for his secretary whose job was the worst ever because he never used his chair ...ever. Ruben never sat down for longer than two minutes because as soon as he did ,the telephone rang .A fax came in .He had to run out in traffic to fetch some envelopes that contains confidential documents or he had to pee .Me ,I just mostly answered the phone ,scanning stuff ,passing around memos that Mr Abbort sent in . I mean ,I was aware of the fact that the boss's name was Liam .But we never called him by his first name in the office because it was like out of line .Everyone, every single employee, close to one hundred of us were scared shitless when we heard that he was coming in for the day . I don't know how ,but ever since I started working there ,there was only one time when I caught a glimpse of him .And that was around December last year when they were wrapping gifts, decorating the office, hanging up decorations. I remembered getting up to use the washroom and when I returned, bending behind my desk to fix my shoes ,I heard the sound of foot steps moving past me ,Believing it was just Ruben ,of course I didn't really lift my head to check to see whoever it was .But upon sitting up fully there he was ,well walking. I managed to catch the back of the taper cut black hair and a killer suit. That's it really. First day on the job, I f****d up big time. Given a simple task to photocopy a memo and pass it around. How bad could that go really? That led to me spilling Coke on the paper and the entire top floor received a smudged document with my hand print on it. Escaping into the washroom that day, I cried because I was nervous as hell. And after shaking for a good half hour in a shiny tiled stall, I dried my eyes and attacked the rest of the day with a vengeance. It would be beneficial to note that I selectively bought one of these cups that you screw close tightly, even when tipped over, not a drop escapes. And that cup became my pride and joy up to this day. It would be alright to say that eight months into the job, I never met him n person. He'd call every single day and Ruben would pick up because that was hisr job, sitting next to the mainline and pulling the majority of the workload. And I kept wondering if I was really needed to begin with. All I did was photocopy documents and race the rush hour to get in front the line so that I could snatch coffee. His office was always empty, the grand oak desk with the large chair behind it like that for days. Everything remained untouched on his desk, and most times when I went in there to turn on his A.C, the flashing red light on his answering machine kept catching my attention. He was literally a neat freak. I could seriously count five stacks of documents upon the surface of his desk. No turned up edges. No creased paper. Just five neat piles that edged my nerves. If you think that's all of it, then there's the lineup of pens. Blue, Black, Green and Red. Two red pencils, and a red crayon. What the hell the red crayon was for, I had no idea. But word had it that he blatantly used his leisure time to draw stick photos of us and laugh maniacally. Maybe it was true. His coffee colored bookcase was stacked with copies of brochures and magazines, a first edition of everything ranging from Oprah Winfrey to Stephen King. Not a speck of dust could be sought out. Not a smudge anywhere. Her red leather chair smelt like Dolce and Gabbana and the plug in air freshener was scented lavender. He was known to be a bully as noted by Ruben. The man who fired his employees on the spot without remorse. Sending them out the door, most of the poor people erupting into tears just next to my desk. But the funny thing was, I had never really seen the man fully. He was never inside the office but apparently showed up after hours. Working from the headquarters in Los Angeles, the boss spoke to everyone through conference calls. I was probably unlucky enough to never really cast eyes upon her. Or maybe it was for a reason. One night I stayed in late. It was Friday night and Thomas, this guy I had met in my Business Policy class asked me to meet him at this new club on Forty Ninth Street. I never liked clubs, and most of my teenage years were spent anywhere else but in that social choice of setting. I preferred the library and this place right on Forty Ninth that had a rooftop view, my kind of place where I frequented every weekend to find some tranquility. So there I was sitting at my desk waiting on his call, eyes glancing every once and awhile at my mobile resting on a stack of papers on the desk. I was slipping on knee high leather boots, zipping up the right side when the low ring of the telephone in front of me jolted my senses awake. Springing up in fright, eyes wide, I glanced around wildly before realizing that it the just the phone, not the alarm, not a bomb ticking to destruction. But it was late. What the hell… Anyway, five rings filled the silence around me and after it ceased, just the dull roar of the traffic on the streets below returned to my ears. There was the honking of a horn as someone probably grew impatient and the humming of the A.C unit. Nothing else stirred inside the large expansive office with the cubicles all around. And I sat there, staring around wildly with my heart racing as I suddenly anticipated the place being burglarized with me inside. Oh sure guards were all around, burly ones with beefy arms and loaded weapons. But still… I was never really a lucky girl. Looking back on it now, it was so funny to begin with, how it all happened. One minute I was checking my nails, frowning at chipped gold nail polish. And then the phone rang again. I snatched it up fast, eyes bulging as my throat became parched. "Hello, you're on to the Scandal Fashion Magazine's Head Office. Sophia speaking, how may I help you?" There was silence for a few seconds. Breathing. Definitely someone there. "Liam speaking…" I stopped breathing when I heard that name. I knew that name. "Hello, Mr Abbort ",I said nervously as I already could feel my hand shaking, "how can I help you?" "I have a dilemma." He wasted no time. "Retrieve a number for me. Daniel Hastings." "Daniel Hastings", I said in a shaky voice, and then my senses caught up with me. Grabbing for the large phone book on Ruben's desk, I nervously flipped through it, my eyes wide. "Um, the number is…" and I gave it to him ,repeating it when I was finished. "The person also has a mobile." "Well obviously I'll need that as well." I gave him that and repeated it. "You sound nervous, Sophie", his voice filling my ear.