Chapter2
1104 Words
9 minutes late.
A waiter hovered nearby. “Would you like to order-“
“Does it look like I’m ready to order anything?”
“Sorry.” He said, walking away.
Then I heard heels clicking on the marble floor louder than necessary. “This place is so beautiful”.
I turned towards the voice.
White satin corset top, pearl straps, hugging her frame like it was custom-sewn for her. High-waisted neon pink shorts cinched with a delicate gold chain belt that jingled unnecessarily. A cropped faux leopard fur jacket hung off one shoulder- not for the weather. And for her feet? Silver stilettos, so high I was genuinely impressed she hasn’t broken a leg yet. And a bag that definitely can’t hold a cell phone.
She sat without asking.
“You are James?” She said, looking around.
“And you are 10 minutes late.”
“I couldn’t decide on shoes, these make my legs look so good.”
“ They make you look late”. I replied.
She smiled like I'd complimented her. I didn’t smile back.
“ You are taller than I imagined,” she said, eyeing me. “We will be such a power couple.”
“Do you even want to get married?” I asked.
“Want? Nope. But I get power, you have power. We post cute pictures. My dad approves. Everyone wins.
I nodded once. “Except me.”
She frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” I said, standing.
“You are leaving?”
“Obviously.”
“But we haven’t-“
“No need.”
She blinked, stunned for the first time.
I walked out of the restaurant and texted my sister:
“ If the next one is like her, do not bother.”
She replied 3 seconds later :
“Relax. The next one is the real thing”.
“So. she was dressed like a tax write-off and talked like a Kardashian?"
Jayden leaned back in his chair, whisky in his hands, grinning like he wasn’t enjoying this.
“I lasted fifteen minutes.”
“You lasted longer than I would’ve.” He let out a sharp laugh. “So your sister is trying to find a wife for you?” he asked after a moment.
“I asked her to.”
This caught him off guard. “Wait, you are being serious? I thought this was another stunt to get your dad off your back.”
“At first, I planned for it to be a stunt, but my dad has been watching me too closely, so it can’t be anything fake. It has to be real.”
Jayden whistled. “Man. You are going to marry a stranger to keep the company?”
“I am not marrying a stranger. I'm marrying someone I can stand”.
“You make it sound like you are hiring a CFO, not looking for a partner".
“Same thing”
“This is the problem, don’t you see it?”
I looked at him for the first time this evening. “No. I do not see any problem here”.
“Of course you don’t”. He laughed.
I woke up earlier than usual, mostly because I didn’t want to lie in bed thinking about the brat from yesterday. I lapped into the kitchen, made coffee strong enough to wake a person from the dead, and sat by the window with my laptop. Emails piled up in less than a few hours like they had nothing better to do.
By the time I finished, it was almost ten. I showered, dressed in a charcoal suit, and left for the office. The driver greeted me with a simple nod. Wise of him. I'm not in the mood for small talk- not that I'm ever in the mood to talk.
Everyone on the streets seems to have somewhere important to be. I wonder if any of them are being forced into marriage by their father. Probably not.
At the office, I walk straight to the lobby of the building. My schedule was already too cramped to stop for small talk. Work, at least, was predictable, unlike my father.
Halfway to my office, I noticed a woman standing at the reception desk outside my office. She was speaking to HR. I've never seen her here before. I assumed she was a new intern. There is something different about her expressions- like she was not about to waste my time.
I had nearly settled into my seat when there was a sharp knock on the door.
“ Yes?” I said, not looking up from my laptop.
The woman from outside stepped in, closing the door behind her without hesitation.
“I’m Joviana Hart.” She said, meeting my eyes.
“Your new secretary. These are the Q3 files, just like you wanted them before noon”. She said and set the folder down on the table.
I finally looked up. She was in a cream blouse tucked into a charcoal pencil skirt, heels that clicked gently on the marble floor, unlike the brat from last night. Everything about her posture said she wasn't here to ask for approval nor did she care about it.
“I did not request a new secretary,” I said.
“You didn't, but now you have one”. She replied without missing a beat.
I arched my brow. “You sound too confident for someone who just stepped into my office for the first time”.
“Confidence saves time. And from what I have heard about you, you hate wasting time”.
The corner of my mouth twitched.” And what makes you think I won’t fire you?”
“Because I'm the best at what I do, and I strike you as someone who keeps the best”. She answered without her gaze wavering.
I flipped through the folder on my table- every page was spotless. Efficient. No mistake.
“Don't get too comfortable”. I said, setting it down.
“Comfort makes people sloppy”. She said, turning towards the door.
I shook my head and forced my attention back to my laptop. I wasn't here to be impressed by some lady with a sharp tongue. Still… she walked in here with so much confidence, no hesitation, sweet talk. Most people don't.
This could be confidence. Or mere stupidity.
I had a feeling that Joviana Hart was going to test my patience. And I don't like being tested.
- Writer
