Hate the Cold

Chapter 2: North = Cold

Marie

Saturday

I woke up in a daze, what woke me? My cellphone. Not bothering to open my eyes, I felt for my phone in the sheets with my hands. It was still dark and the bed was warm, puzzling me even more.

I finally found my phone and checked the time. 6:03am. It rang because I received an e-mail. I double-tapped my phone, I'll read it later, and placed it on the bedside drawer. I think I bumped a lamp and I widened my eyes, sitting up.

I didn't have a lamp.

The sheets slipped off, revealing my chest, which was lacking clothes. On reflex, I pulled them up to my neck and tried to jog my memory, massaging my temples.

Right. I accepted Gregory Chang's invitation for dinner. We split the bill then went to another restaurant for drinks. Did I drink too much? No, I'm sure I only had 2 glasses. He offered to take me home and then...

oh yeah, I slept with him.

My head was starting to clear up, remembering that we were in a motel not too far from my place. I slipped my hand between my legs and found no foreign substance; I was about to get up and check the bin, but the stirring beside me turned me to stone.

The lamp on the left turned on.

"Morning,"

It was Gregory. I looked at his direction and saw him stretching. I was then treated to a view of his back. Nice. I titled my head to the side.

He turned around, scratching his head. "Morning?"

I unconsciously blushed. "Oh, yeah, morning,"

He scoffed, settling back to the comforter. "What time is it?"

"Um," I glanced at my phone. "6 something...in the morning."

His eyes were closed and he had one arm over his forehead. "Still early, get back to bed."

I couldn't relax until I knew I was safe. I turned to my left, where he was, and tapped his arm. "Hey, we used a condom, right?"

One eye popped open. Then he grinned. "More like condoms."

"Funny," I breathed a little of relief, and decided to settle back to bed.

I'll leave in 20 minutes.

---

I left feeling more tired than usual. Probably the drinks. Possibly, since I wasn't a heavy drinking at all. Although my body did relax, I was disappointed that my Friday night plans didn't pull through. I decided to move it up the calendar: yes, tonight I was going to have Chinese for dinner and watch some chick flicks.

Yawning, I made sure to remind myself to wash my make-up off and continue on with my routine before sleeping 'til noon.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I unlocked it to see who had messaged.

        FROM: Jackie Chang

        You left waaaaaaay too soon. Nvm, I had plans too.

        Thanks for setting the alarm.

I scrolled down.

        ...til next time!

I laughed. I couldn't help it. I didn't know if it was the nickname he placed himself or the last comment, although I agree he did catch me with my guard down. I decided not to reply, it was not as if we were committed.

It was then that I realized I still haven't read the e-mail I received earlier. The notification was still there and I hurried home: I sped-walked to my apartment, unlocked it and threw my satchel to the bed. I was shocked to see that the sender was MONO Headq. with the subject being "Congratulations". I hesitated.

Was this a prank?  

I read the message:

        MONO Headq.

        Congratulations Ms.Joaquin. You are hired.

        Effective on Monday.

        Please be here before 8:00 o'clock and ask for Naomi at the reception.

        DISCLAIMER:

        This message contains privileged and confidential information and is intended only for         the individual named. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not disseminate,         distribute, store, print, copy or...

I debated in replying. There was a lot of things wrong with this e-mail. First, unlike the update I received about passing before, this message had a sender "MONO Headq." rather than just "MONO". Second, it was vague. That's it? A simple "You're hired, start next week"?

I frowned. Whatever this was, it wasn't funny.

I was going to delete it when I thought for moment: it looks official, it has the credentials and even the disclaimer and although there was an additional "HQ" it had a similar format with the ones I received beforehand.

I sighed. Should I contact them about this?

No, it would be hard to discuss on the phone or e-mail...

a walk-in?

I sighed. Okay, that'll work. I mean they even said to head to the reception first right? I know the only person I knew there was a woman named Michelle but if there's no Naomi person I'm showing the e-mail. I took a screenshot just in case.

I placed my phone on my drawer and went back to the door to triple-lock it (one on the door knob, a deadbolt, and a door chain). I removed my contacts and placed them on their container, removed my shoes and watch then headed to the bathroom to wash my face.

I stared at myself. Uhg-ly.

Since I already showered at the motel, I then changed into my favorite PJs and pulled my hair with a headband. I moved my satchel to my study table and squatted on the bed, phone in my hands, ordering Chinese.

When the food arrived I was already nearing the middle of 50 first dates.  I already watched it before so I let it play as I got up and paid the delivery guy. I set up the food on the kitchen: 2 orders of fried rice, spicy beef stir-fry and milk tea. I placed the milk tea in the fridge and went back for my laptop before settling on the dining table.

I snapped the chopsticks apart, poured soy sauce on the fried rice, and continued watching while stuffing my mouth. It's not as if I hated it but Drew Barrymore ruined Sixth Sense for me in that movie.

2 more movies later and it was past 12:00nn. I was tired and decided to finish my wintermelon later. I bundled my food trash and placed it beside the refrigerator. I then started my routine: toner for my face, moisturizer, then I got a face mask from my stock and placed it on my face, timer for 15 minutes. I laid down slowly on the bed while scrolling through my phone. 15 min. up, I threw the mask on the bin, massaged my face and did some light stretching. By this time I was royally exhausted and collapsed on my pillow.

---

Monday

6:03am

The weekend went by in a blur. I was on my phone the whole time and no other message came up except from my sister setting up for Friday. A dinner-update, then I was going to stay with her during the weekend as she stated, her "roommate was out of town".

I still wasn't sure if I was really going to start work today so I headed out earlier than expected. I had my hair in a ponytail, light make up (just concealer, lipstick, sunscreen), a tweed skirt, and white long sleeves, inserted. I wore the same Prada shoes from my cousin (since I still didn't return it and was planning to extend my borrowing if ever this job was legit) but also went with black stockings so it wasn't obvious. In a rush, I brought my laptop bag with some notebooks and pens, just in case.

I double-checked myself in the mirror and nodded firmly. This'll do.

I arrived 6:40-ish and headed straight for the reception for Naomi. I prepared the e-mail on my phone for if they wouldn't believe me.

"Good morning," it wasn't Michelle but a tan-skinned woman. She smiled politely. "Welcome to MONO. How can I help you?"

I smiled back. "Good morning, I was wondering if a Naomi is present? I was instructed to ask for her assistance."

Prim. Polite. Good job.

"Sure thing,"

Oh. So there is  a Naomi.

She turned and was typing something on her computer. "May I have a name?"

"Marie Joaquin. J-O-A--"

"--Q-U-I-N?"

"Yes."

She nodded and returned to face me. "Please wait for a while, she'll be down shortly."

She raised her hand to indicate a set of sofas behind me, then reached out for the telephone. I nodded, understanding.

"Thank you."

I walked towards the lounge and sat at a round cushion, looking like a button. I placed my bag at my side and observed the place. It was early but there weren't few nor plenty of people, they filled the space just right and were walking on their own pace, no rush. Formal looking, firm and business-like, entering and exiting the elevators.

What time did they open? 5am?

And what's the working hours, 6-10? 11?

The elevator directly behind the reception desk opened--something that didn't move whilst I had observed earlier. A petite brunette exited, panic-looking and panting, conversed for a while and bowed a lot to the reception girl and ran up to me. On instinct, I stood up as if welcoming her.

"Ms. Joaquin? Sorry for the wait," She tried to keep composure despite her being out of breath. "I'm Naomi. I'll be directing you to your new job. Nice to meet you."

I smiled at her. "Nice to meet you too."

"Then," She had another gulp of air. "Please follow me?"

I reached for my bag then matched her pace. She had proper posture, I observed, and walked calmly but quickly. She wore something similar to the receptionists, a matching black skirt and blazer, with a pale purple camisole. She was similar to a butterfly, so "on her own pace". Inside the elevator, she slouched, sighing, a hand on the railing.

"Wow, I didn't expect you to be so early," In a quick movement, she got out of her heels and turned to face me, weight on one foot. "Early birdie?"

Surprised from the sudden change, it took me a while to reply. "Er--Not really, no."

I coughed. "I mean--I wasn't sure if I really had the job. I--"

The elevator continued up and she blinked at me with her brown eyes. No rush, no panic.

I sighed. There was something about her that made it difficult for you to lie. "I thought it was a prank."

"Oh?" She leveled just my chest. I noticed her diamond earrings. "But you applied, though?"

"Yes," I struggled to explain. "Just that I was expecting another round for screening, but then I suddenly received an e-mail saying I got accepted. And the position is...out of my tier. I wasn't expecting it."

"I see," She said quietly. "Well, you're here now. I think you'll do a great job, I handled your resume after all."

Just as fast, she slipped her heels back on, stretched, then smiled at me. "Please do your best."

The elevator doors opened and I continued to follow her through the many rooms we passed by. They had a clear glass wall so I could see the inside: connected cubicles filled with computers and hunched-back office workers. It seemed like I was passing by a filter, since the scenes were mostly black and white. Finally, we stopped in front of a glass door which required Naomi to tap her I.D.

"The system isn't a 100% up and running yet, but I like to do it every chance I get," Naomi grinned.

At the end of it was a black door with a gold knob. Naomi opened it and we both stepped in.

"Well, this is where you'll be staying for the next few years...hopefully,"

It was a small space, not much of a room but more of a waiting area. It had a swivel chair, a desk at the side, a laptop on top, and chairs by another black door. I glanced at the air-conditioning unit across the desk and was thankful that it wasn't directed at my place.

"That's connects to where the Boss stays," Naomi explained, gesturing towards the door. "Mr. Ian Northcott. I was under him before, so don't worry about it, he's a good guy. A workaholic, not one of those perverted manager types. But you'll be meeting him later anyway, he's in a meeting but will be back...around lunch? Hopefully. I'll be here to introduce you, no sweat."

"So, what do you think?"

I placed my bag on the desk and looked around. "I don't know, I'm thankful but...it still seems too good to be true. I like the space though, private and small."

She smiled. "Great! Why don't you sit down?"

I settled at the chair stiffly. Naomi laughed.

"Chill, it's not work hours yet. You officially start...was it next week? I forgot. Today's like...first day of class? It's introductory, just to get you used to it."

"Sure." I stared at the MacBook on my desk. "Is this...?"

"Oh, yeah, that's for you! No charge. But strictly for work only," she winked. "He's a proper guy, likes the techy stuff. You also have a tablet in your drawer." I opened it and loh behold, a tablet was indeed there.

I got uncomfortable. It would be an understatement to say that this was my first time being near 2 expensive gadgets at the same time.

Workaholic? More like Money-holic.

How much does this guy earn?

"Seriously?"

She shrugged. "Sure, for work. He's that kind of person, likes efficiency. I should have been more specific, I was working under him as a part-time secretary s***h editor, can't say much except what I already said, good guy. We went for drinks a couple of times."

I smiled at her, as if saying I'll take your word for it.

"Um, does he mind me bringing some of my things here?"

"Go ahead!--oops," She put a hand on her mouth and hid a timid smile. "I'm sure he'll be fine with it, but if it makes you uncomfortable, it's better to ask. I'm not your boss. Add a potted plant and some of your frames, no boyband posters please."

I laughed and, without realizing, we got into a continuous conversation--it was topic after topic. I learned she was 32 years old (but honestly looked way younger), single, and loves spicy food. Naomi currently works in a different department and was recently promoted Managing Editor, therefore Mr.Northcott had to hire an official secretary. She had also known Ian personally, because she was acquainted with his brother, Timothy. Naomi didn't elaborate much on that matter. I discovered we liked the same Korean skin care brands and ordered frequently at the same take out. She shared her hatred towards her height and commented how she envied mine although I was younger than her. She also gave me a quick tour on the tablet and the laptop, which she synced.

"Woah would you look at the time," Naomi stared down at her watch.

It was half past 10:00am.

She grinned. "Want to have an early lunch in case the boss comes back on time?"

The food court was 2 floors below us. They had a buffet so I went with eggs and ham and a handful of rolls with butter since I didn't have breakfast. We sat at a table near the windows, which was almost like a glass wall, for the view. Naomi slid her tray which consisted of a full English breakfast. I sat myself but she remained standing.

"Coffee?"

"Sure." I was touched by her kindness. "Thank you."

Naomi and I ate at a leisurely pace, surprising myself of how easy it was to talk with her. I wasn't exactly the friendly type, and with my resting-b***h-face, I'm not usually the go-to person to talk to. We finished uneventfully, and was in no time on the elevator going back up. I already re-touched my make-up and even borrowed some powder for my nose. I didn't want to admit, but I was nervous meeting the person to be my boss. First impressions last.

When Naomi opened the black door a second time, I was startled stepping in. It was as if there was a heavy atmosphere but if I were to describe the feeling it gave, definitely goosebumps--like a blizzard. My eyes went to a tall figure, dark hair covering his eyes. His head was bent down, looking at something on the desk. A second in, I realized it was the laptop bag I left behind, since I had only brought my wallet. I gulped. Was that rude of me?  He was like a statue, fingertips barely touching the polyester.

"Um--" My voice was small, surprising myself, but he snapped to attention anyway and we made contact. You could hear a pin drop, it was that kind of moment--honestly I felt that you could. I wanted to break the silence but it was as if no words would come out. Instead of blushing, my cheekbones felt heavy.

Like a chill.

Luckily, Naomi swooped in.

"Sir, good morning," She stepped forward and I transferred my attention to her, trying to ignore the gaze I could feel still on me. "You arrived early. How was the meeting?"

I was forced to look at him this time, settling at a spot at his chest. Yes, he was good-looking enough.

It was only for a moment but: fair skin, green eyes, wavy black hair--something to describe was maybe "sinfully handsome", I read that in an old Mills & Boon pocketbook.

"It was fine," Baritone.

In one swift movement he slipped his hands inside his pockets and shrugged to face us. "This is...?"

Cool. Calm. Somehow, he was different from how I imagined him from Naomi's descriptions but at the same time also similar. One thing was true, he looked it: efficient.

"Marie Joaquin. Your new secretary," I stopped dazing and also took a step forward, extending my hand.

"Nice to meet you,"

His eyes dropped to my hand and went back to kept eye contact. Not missing a beat, his hands clasped mine in a mutual shake, surprising me of how warm it was.

"Pleasure."

Suddenly the room wasn't so cold anymore.