The CEO's Secret

1: The Interview

April 2009

C H A P T E R O N E:

T H E I N T E R V I E W

The cramped yet slender gardens zoomed past her as she looked out the window of the train, the many memories of her interview only an hour ago, whizzing in and out of her mind also. This would be her commute now, she thought about it for a moment and smiled to herself.

The morning had been a very strange one. She had woken up jobless, penniless and on her way to another interview which would only bring her more grief and misfortune. But this one was different from all the others, this day was different and she was loving it.

Right when everything seemed to be going wrong in her life, she got the call to come in for an interview which surprised her quite a bit. The meeting had gone better than expected, although Katie still felt the need to have her doubts- she had walked out with a job which sounded way too good to be true.

Views from outside the window swooshing before her eyes had become too much. Instead, she turned her head to face the seat in front of her and closed her eyes. She was surprised to find a pair of deep blue eyes that met her instead of darkness. Their stare was too powerful, her imagination playing tricks on her. She could not cope with the intensity of the reminiscence so instead, she opened her eyes again and blinked away the fresh memories.

Katie couldn't get her soon-to-be boss out of her mind and it was irritating. She would not make the same mistakes as she had last time. This job would be a serious one, she needed it badly and so, focusing solely on work was the only thing that should have been occupying her mind. But still, he lingered in her brain.

"I have just one question for you Ms. Briggs," Mr. Anderson paused for a moment, he had yet to look up from her resumé. "Why apply for this job?" His strange and unexpected question took her by surprise, causing her to let out a laugh full of pure anxiety.

"Well, I guess it's always been my lifelong dream to be a PA." he could sense the humour behind her answer, it made a ghost of a smile tug onto his lips. "I reckon I would be good for the job Sir. I'm a very hard worker and once I put my mind to something, I will always do it." This time, she answered a little more seriously but it only made him sigh from across his desk at her, his eyes still glued to the piece of paper containing all her details in front of him.

"No... I mean why are you here? You're clearly over qualified for any job of this kind." This time after Mr. Anderson spoke he looked up and straight at Katie, his oceanic orbs searched hers for some indication of what she would say next. He noticed how she looked anywhere but at him then and sensed her obvious discomfort.

"I need the job." Katie said bluntly but then hesitated to say anything else.

"I-"

"I may be over qualified but I thought I would give it a shot. Every job I've went for that need my credentials have turned me down so I decided I'd try something else. Everyone starts somewhere don't they?" she blinked at him then, managing to keep eye contact. He seemed to be weighing things up, mulling over the interview in his mind for a moment while she sat in silence in the chair across from him.

"I admire your honesty Ms. Briggs." He nodded, clearly pleased with her answer. It made her feel something that she couldn't quite put her finger on, but it felt good. All Katie could do was nod slightly at him before giving him a small, shy smile in return for his friendly one.

They spoke for another while, Katie trying desperately to answer all of his questions correctly but she was weary and unsure of herself. He could sense it yet said nothing at all, only watched her body language and listened carefully to her answers. She was definitely not the best interviewer that day, but there was something about her that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He always liked to take chances and so, he decided she would become his next one.

"I'm sorry, Carrie, the woman you'll be working alongside couldn't make it in today to join me for the interview. But I'm sure she will be happy with my decision. She'll be teaching you all you need to know over the next couple of weeks." It surprised her how casual this man had been about accepting her job offer, it was quite strange.

"I'm sorry?" She didn't know what to say, she was shocked and confused. Did what he was saying mean she had gotten the job? It all sounded too easy.

"Don't be sorry." Mr, Anderson cracked a smile then chuckled. "You have next to no experience but I'm sure you will do just fine in this job.

"For real?" Katie almost winced at her use of casual language around her now-boss but she could not hide her content. "I mean- Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure, do you want me to change my mind?"

"No, no of course not."

"Congratulations." He stood up and reached out his hand to shake hers. Katie soon copied his actions and smiled at him. "We will be in contact later this evening about all the details, when can you start?"

"As soon as you need me. I'd be happy to start whenever." She said as he led her to the door.

"Great. Carrie returns to work tomorrow but she may need to settle back in for a day or two so Wednesday seems like it would be a perfect day for you to start. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me now while I'm here."

"None at all."

"Well if you think of anything, make sure you mention it later."

"Thank you so much Mr. Anderson." Katie stopped and turned to him once they reached the door. Katie could almost see the confidence oozing from his exterior. He stood straight and tall, his shoulders back and his head held high.

"Please, Colin is just fine." He nodded and sent her a wicked grin.

Colin.

She could not get his name out of her head, she wanted so badly to let it fall from her lips. Her foolishness shocked her just then, what was she thinking? Katie needed to give her head a shake, was she happy because she had met this amazing man that morning or because she had finally gotten a job? She wondered why exactly he had this pull towards him, it made him unforgettable despite the fact that Katie had only met him once and for such a brief time too.

Katie could not allow her mind to wander off into silly fantasies with this job, the last one had been hell because of it. She chanted to herself, hoping this would be effective, how she would keep her head focused and succeed in her new job as she got off the train and made her way back home again.

"So how did it go?" she heard her flatmate, Emily, call from the living room in their cramped yet homely apartment. Katie shut the door behind her and plopped herself down on the sofa beside Emily before letting out a deep sigh of relief.

"Great actually. A little too good to be true."

"So you got the job?"

"What? No, of course not." Katie replied dryly, her words practically dripping with sarcasm that made Emily roll her eyes before focusing them again on the small TV in front of them.

"Sweet, I'm glad because you don't deserve to have a job. Screw you." Emily replied before hiring up the volume. Her friend made Katie laugh aloud then before she settled in on the sofa.

In no time, the two were chiming along together singing "Jerry, Jerry!" while two women gave it their best shot at ripping each other's hair out.

"I'd like to think that maybe one day that could be us, getting famous from the Jerry Springer show seems like the easiest way to climb up the ladder of fame don't you think?" Katie nudged the girl beside her.

"That's what we'll both look like next month if you don't pay your share of the rent. Whether Jerry is present or not." They both chuckled.

"So who did you meet at the interview? Anyone interesting?" Emily asked, as if reading Katie's mind.

"Only my boss. The woman who I'll be spending most of my time with at work couldn't make it so he interviewed me on his own instead."

"So it's a he huh?" Emily wiggled her eyebrows.

"Yeah, Colin Anderson. He seemed okay, hopefully he's not as bad as my last boss." Katie looked a little anxious although she brought up the situation from her last job casually.

"Trust me, no one could get any worse. Your nightmare of a job is over with now, let's focus on the new one. I'm sure everything will be fine this time 'round."

"I certainly hope so."

"When do you start?"

"Wednesday." Katie sighed as she played with one of the cushions on the sofa, remembering every last horrific detail from her job at a publishing house a few months back. "I'm glad it's sooner rather than later, I really need this job. I can't afford anymore f**k ups this time."

"You'll do great Kate, just don't doubt yourself like you usually do. Hey, what did you say your boss's name was again?"

"Colin, Colin Anderson I think." Katie replied, beginning to doubt herself of her new boss's name.

"That sounds kind of familiar." Emily scratched the back of her head for a moment, trying to recollect her memories of the name. "Let me look him up. See if I can find anything online about him- Wow, he's hot." She spent no time waiting around and had quickly taken out her phone to scroll through her google search of him.

"I suppose he is yes..." Katie didn't want to let her true feelings show, she bit her lip as she tried desperately to think of an easy conversation changer.

"Oh c'mon, you can't deny it. He hasn't got any social media accounts but there's tonnes of pictures of him on all of these gossip sites. Oh my god, he used to date Dahlia Stephens. Look Kate, look." Emily waved her phone in the other girl's face, desperately needing her to be as interested in the subject as she was.

"Yes, I can see. Great." Katie nodded, clearly not as absorbed in the fresh gossip news as her friend.

"Maybe I can quit working at the hospital and just get a new job with you. I bet he's way better looking in person. If that's even possible."

"It would not surprise me if you did that Emily." She laughed softly before smiling.

"You have it so so good right now do you even realise it? You're going to be working for this guy while I wipe sick people's asses at the hospital. I don't know how many more nightshifts I can take before I lose my goddamn mind."

Emily was a nurse at the local hospital which wasn't too far from where they were both living. Although she loved her job, it could be difficult and challenging at the best of times. The hours were tough and the pay wasn't exactly ideal but it would do for now, she thought.

The two women met each other while both attending different colleges that were close to each other. Katie admired Emily's dedication to follow her dreams and found her to be a little crazy. She was not afraid of boundaries at all. Emily ran away from her prestigious lifestyle and family who wanted her to follow their dreams through their daughter. They wanted her to become a lawyer but Emily was not having it. With help from her very supportive and filthy rich grandparents, she went to medical school instead to be a nurse.

Katie, on the other hand, went to college on a strict scholarship which helped her along the way. Without it, she would still be jumping from cashier and waitress jobs back in her hometown. She was not from a wealthy background, she did not talk as eloquently as her friend and she certainly would not have gotten her degree if it weren't for her grades that were extremely difficult to keep up. But despite coming from completely different backgrounds, the two girls made the best of friends.

Who would have thought the two would cross paths a couple years ago, on a night out in the city? Even after they met and became friends, Katie never thought she would be sharing a dingy apartment with her while they both tried to make a living together. And she most definitely did not expect to be lounging around on a cheap, stained IKEA sofa with Emily watching The Jerry Springer Show every afternoon before she got ready for work. It was crazy how life had worked out for Katie, but she would not change a thing.

*******

"Son, I don't think you really thought this one through. Are you crazy? The girl is clearly educated but not qualified for this job."

"Oh Dad... she'll do fine. Don't worry about it."

"You're wasting this company's money by employing a woman who is obviously incompetent in this particular area."

"Carrie will teach her everything she needs to know. Everything will work out now stop stressing."

Colin rolled his eyes at his father who was noticeably getting more frustrated by the minute. He could not understand the reason behind his hang up. Ms. Briggs wasn't even going to be Colin's PA, she would be the extra help Carrie needed and definitely nothing to do with his father.

"I'm giving her a week- if she doesn't perform up to my standard she can go." Jeffrey Anderson spoke with great finality in his tone as he looked at his foolish son who stood before him. Colin held back from saying much else, he knew he was not fully in charge of the family company yet and although his title was CEO, his father had all the power when it came to decision making.

"Sure Dad. Whatever you say." Colin spoke nonchalantly before finding his coat and sliding his arms into it. "Now I'm afraid I have to run. I have a very important meeting to catch."

"You're going out with David, it's not a meeting if it's in a bar with your friend." Jeffrey refrained from narrowing his eyes at his son. Something he had grown accustomed to since the very day his son could open his mouth to speak. He had always been a pain, but he loved him just as much as any other father could love their son. Colin was a difficult child and over the last couple of years, Jeffrey had learned he was a difficult adult too.

"How do you know that?" He challenged his father.

"Carrie told me."

"Carrie! God damn it I told you not to tell." Colin called in to his PA next door, not being fully serious. He knew he would feel her wrath if he actually talked to her that way all the time.

Carrie was a short and frail fifty-something year old who worked as Colin's personal assistant and secretary for quite some time at the company. She helped him with everything one could possibly need help with. Colin was clearly not as organised or brilliant at his job as his father and so, Carrie practically ended up running the company for his son.

"I'm sorry! I let it slip by accident this time." She called back.

"If you weren't so goddamn sexy Carrie, I'd fire you right now on the spot." Colin joked with the older woman who rolled her eyes from inside her office. Although Colin could not see this, he knew she was doing it. He grinned at his father who gave him a look of pure disapproval.

"Colin how inappropriate?" Jeffrey spoke with dissatisfaction although he knew his scolding would not work, it never did on Colin. He looked at his watch and felt the need to speak again before Colin headed out of earshot. "And it's only three thirty son! What the hell are you finishing up work almost two hours early for?"

"Sorry Dad, I need a break after that long lunch. I'm really tired." He said from outside in reception area then.

"Get back here now." Jeffrey almost yelled while his son made a beeline for the elevator.

"I can't hear you." He called childishly before entering the elevator and pressing the ground floor button as quickly as he possibly could.

He took a cab to the bar nearby and soon enough he was waiting inside for David. Colin was always bad at time keeping, but it made him feel just a little bit better knowing his friend was far worse. He waited for over ten minutes before David showed up and sat down beside him.

"I ordered for you." Colin said to his friend before nodding to the drink than sat next to his on the table. "What took you so long?" he asked before taking another mouthful of his drink.

"Stacy man, she won't leave me the f**k alone about Puerto Rico." David took a big gulp of his drink, both men knowing he would soon catch up with Colin.

"What did you say to her that night? Did you tell her the truth?"

"I don't even know, I was so out of it I can't remember. But I said something and now she won't stop until she gets answers. She turned up at my apartment right as I was about to leave, I've never seen her that angry."

"You can't really complain David, she has every right to be angry at you. You cheated on her with some random girl when we went away a couple weeks ago. You two have been dating for a while now of course she's going to be mad." Colin rolled his eyes at his friend's foolish whining.

"What are you trying to say?" David was clearly offended then.

"I'm saying it sucks to be you right now, I wouldn't want to trade places but you're better off just telling her everything."

"What she doesn't know won't hurt her right?"

"But she does know, you told her but you just can't remember." Colin said, matter of factly. His friend shot him a look of dissatisfaction which led him to add "I'm just saying." As he held his hands up in surrender.

"Maybe I can still get out of telling her the truth."

"I don't think so man-" Just then, David's phone began ringing.

As soon as he looked at the screen his facial expression changed dramatically. He looked like he was going to throw his phone across the room, his face burning red with fury.

"Stacy?" Colin quirked an eyebrow as he asked although he already knew the answer to the question.

"Of course it's Stacy. f*****g hell." The other man muttered to himself before declining the call only for her to call again.

"You're screwed you know that right?" He laughed at David.

"Whatever." David grumbled. "You know what? I'm just going to turn it off. I'll figure something out later... So? How's that new little PA of yours getting on?"

"She doesn't start until tomorrow. My Dad's been lecturing me already about it." Colin let out a deep sigh then.

"Well I'll be sure to drop by during the week and see if she really is anything special."

"Of course you'd do that." He rolled his eyes at David, he was barely out of a relationship yet but wanted to jump into bed with someone new already.