The Secretary Who Talked Too Much
1352 Words
By eight o’clock sharp, Rodriguez Corporation was already silent.
Not normal silence.
Fearful silence.
The kind of silence that made employees walk carefully and type softly like their keyboards owed someone money.
Nobody laughed loudly on the executive floor.
Nobody gossiped.
Nobody even breathed with confidence.
Because Jordan Rodriguez was in the building.
Cold.
Unreadable.
Mercilessly strict.
The CEO had the emotional warmth of a refrigerator.
People avoided eye contact with him the way civilians avoided explosions in action movies.
One manager once stuttered during a presentation and Jordan had simply stared at him for six seconds before saying—
“Continue.”
The man nearly resigned on the spot.
So naturally, everyone froze when the elevator doors opened and a female voice said—
“Why does this office feel like a prison with Wi-Fi?”
Heads turned immediately.
Maureen Green stepped out holding a coffee cup and a small handbag, looking completely unbothered by the tension in the air.
She paused in the middle of the lobby.
Looked around.
Then whispered dramatically—
“Oh wow. Smiles are illegal here.”
A few employees nearly laughed.
Nearly.
“Miss Green.”
The deep voice came from behind her.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
Maureen turned.
Jordan Rodriguez stood there in a dark suit, expression cold and sharp enough to cut glass.
Tall.
Composed.
Emotionless.
His face looked permanently annoyed by human existence.
Maureen blinked once.
Then twice.
Unfortunately, her mouth moved before her brain.
“Wow,” she muttered softly. “He looks like he personally fires people for fun.”
Silence.
One employee slowly covered his face.
Jordan stared at her without expression.
“You’re late.”
Maureen checked the clock on the wall.
“It’s two minutes past eight.”
“You’re late.”
She smiled lightly.
“That’s such a warm welcome.”
Jordan’s expression didn’t change.
Not even slightly.
“You’re the new executive secretary?”
“Yes.”
“You were recommended for your efficiency.”
“That’s true.”
“I expected professionalism.”
Maureen nodded thoughtfully.
“And I expected at least one friendly face in this building. Looks like both of us are disappointed.”
A dangerous silence followed.
Jordan stared at her.
Cold. Steady. Unmoving.
Most people would’ve looked away by now.
Maureen didn’t.
Not because she was fearless.
Mostly because her brain enjoyed making bad decisions.
Jordan finally spoke.
“My office.”
Maureen sighed softly.
“Well. If I disappear, tell my family I fought bravely.”
Nobody laughed.
Mostly because Jordan was still standing there looking like winter in human form.
Jordan’s office was massive.
Dark walls.
Clean lines.
Perfectly organized.
Not a single unnecessary item anywhere.
It looked less like an office and more like a place where emotions went to die.
Maureen sat carefully across from him.
Jordan opened a file.
“You’ve worked for three companies.”
“Yes.”
“Your former employers described you as competent.”
She smiled proudly.
“Aww.”
“They also described you as disruptive.”
Her smile faded slightly.
“…That sounds less beautiful.”
“You joke too much.”
“I make conversations less depressing.”
“I’m not interested in entertainment.”
Maureen nodded slowly.
“Yes. I noticed joy is banned here.”
Jordan ignored that.
“You’ll manage schedules, meetings, reports, and communication.”
“Understood.”
“You will maintain professionalism at all times.”
“Of course.”
“You will not create unnecessary distractions.”
Maureen sat up straighter.
“I would never.”
Jordan looked at her silently.
She cleared her throat.
“Okay, maybe occasionally.”
Silence.
Cold silence.
The man didn’t react at all.
No irritation.
No amusement.
Nothing.
Honestly, it was unsettling.
Maureen leaned forward slightly.
“Sir, do you ever smile?”
“No.”
She blinked.
“That was fast.”
“I don’t have time for pointless conversations.”
“And yet we’re currently having one.”
Jordan closed the file.
“You start immediately.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.”
Maureen frowned.
“You’re not even curious about my personality?”
“No.”
“That feels rude.”
“I don’t hire personalities. I hire competence.”
Ouch.
That one landed.
Maureen leaned back in her chair dramatically.
“Wow. You really are cold.”
Jordan’s expression remained unchanged.
“I prefer efficient.”
“No, sir. Refrigerators are efficient. You are terrifying.”
Nothing.
Not even the smallest reaction.
Maureen narrowed her eyes slightly.
Interesting.
The man truly did not budge.
An hour later, Maureen followed Jordan into a conference meeting with investors.
Everyone in the room sat perfectly straight the moment Jordan entered.
It was honestly frightening.
Maureen placed documents neatly in front of each guest.
One investor smiled politely at her.
“You’re new here?”
“Yes,” Maureen replied quietly. “Please keep me in your prayers.”
The man laughed softly.
Jordan didn’t even glance up.
The meeting began immediately.
Numbers.
Reports.
Profit margins.
Jordan spoke calmly and clearly, his voice low and controlled.
No wasted words.
No unnecessary expressions.
Even the investors seemed careful around him.
Halfway through the meeting, Maureen reached for a file beside Jordan.
At the same moment, one investor moved his coffee cup.
The cup tipped.
Coffee spilled across the table.
“Oh no—”
Maureen grabbed tissues quickly, trying to help.
In the process, her elbow lightly hit Jordan’s pen.
The pen rolled directly onto an important document, dragging coffee across the page.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Maureen froze.
The investors froze.
Jordan slowly looked down at the ruined document.
Then at her.
Cold eyes.
Blank face.
No shouting.
Which somehow felt worse.
Maureen swallowed carefully.
“…I can explain.”
“Can you?”
“No,” she admitted quietly.
One investor coughed to hide laughter.
Jordan picked up another document calmly.
“We’ll continue.”
That was it.
No anger.
No frustration.
No emotional reaction whatsoever.
Maureen stared at him in disbelief.
Most people would’ve exploded.
This man looked emotionally unavailable even to rage.
The meeting continued.
And somehow that terrified her more.
Later that afternoon, Maureen entered Jordan’s office again with fresh files in her arms.
She placed them carefully on his desk.
“Your schedule for tomorrow.”
Jordan nodded once.
Maureen hesitated.
Then spoke carefully.
“Are you secretly a robot?”
Jordan looked up slowly.
“No.”
“Because normal humans react to things.”
“I reacted.”
“You looked at the coffee stain like it offended you spiritually.”
Jordan returned his attention to the files.
“You’re talking again.”
“Yes,” she sighed sadly. “It’s one of my many flaws.”
Silence.
Maureen watched him for a moment.
The man worked without distraction.
Focused.
Calm.
Controlled.
Honestly, it was impressive.
Also annoying.
She tilted her head slightly.
“You know, most people would’ve yelled earlier.”
“I don’t yell.”
“I noticed. You do this terrifying silence thing instead.”
Jordan signed a document.
“Is there a reason you’re still standing there?”
“I’m trying to understand you.”
“There’s nothing to understand.”
“That cannot possibly be true.”
Jordan finally looked at her directly.
Cold eyes.
Sharp expression.
“Miss Green, I come here to work. Nothing else.”
Maureen held up her hands immediately.
“Okay. Message received. Loud and emotionally freezing.”
Jordan returned to his work.
She turned to leave—
Then paused near the door.
“For the record…”
Jordan didn’t respond.
“You’d probably look less intimidating if you smiled once every six business days.”
Silence.
Maureen waited.
Nothing.
Not even a tiny reaction.
She sighed dramatically.
“Alright. Tough crowd.”
Then she left the office.
Jordan continued reading the document in front of him.
Expression unchanged.
Cold as ice.
But after a few seconds…
His eyes shifted briefly toward the closed door.
And for the first time that day—
The office felt slightly less quiet.
- Writer
