Crossroads of Ambition and Affection

‘Never stand in front of a girl and her dreams,’ Helen, Kristen’s foster mother, often said. Of course, that was every Friday night before her favorite sitcom came on. Kristen flew out of the yellow cab and raced into the imposing building on Fifth Avenue. It was her first day at work and she was so nervous. She didn’t want to be late, she had heard tales of her new boss and he had quite a reputation. Besides, she needed this job if she was going to find her family. She had just turned eight when she was first taunted for being adopted. For the people she grew up with, adoption was synonymous with being abandoned. That was why she had journeyed to America: to find the parents that abandoned her. Her heels clicked on the tiles as she ran towards the elevator and flew in before it closed. Bingo! She clutched her chest and sighed in relief. It was some seconds before she realized she was not alone. She jumped. He was a tall man in a tan suit, and he didn’t look a day over forty. He was quite handsome, and his well-tailored suit looked like it cost thousands of dollars. His demeanor alone screamed power and wealth. She was not surprised. This was Fifth Avenue, after all. A lot of billionaires lived and worked here. “First day?” he asked with a warm voice, and she swiveled to him in surprise. “Am I that obvious?” “You’re ripping your buttons off,” he shrugged, and she looked down at her fingers. “Oh.” “You’ll be fine,” he assured her, and she felt herself smiling. Everything he said in that booming voice sounded true. “I hope so. I've heard such terrible stories about my new boss.” He shrugged. “Don’t worry too much. Sometimes, they're just stories.” “Oh, they aren’t.” She shook her head. “Everyone says he’s a jerk!” “Hmm…” “They say he is mean even to himself.” “Really? And what’s his name?” “Mr. Philip Lodge.” She turned to him. “You know him?” He was silent for a while before saying, “I might.” His voice sounded different, but Kristen thought nothing of it. The elevator doors opened to reveal the top floor and they stepped out. Kristen turned to wave but he was gone. She hesitated, then turned to follow the signs on the wall to her new company, and soon she found herself in a room filled with busy employees. A kind lady in round glasses led her to her office – a small space with a window that offered a glimpse of the city. It was the first office she had ever owned. Kristen jumped up with excitement the second the door closed. This was so surreal! She was still dancing around when her phone buzzed. She froze and picked it up slowly. It was a summons from the boss. ‘Already?’ She wondered. Kristen closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was about to meet the boss she had read so much about, the stern boss that was hard on everyone. It was time to face her fears. Kristen smoothed her hair and walked down a long corridor to his office. She raised her hand to knock, then dropped it again, a sweat rolling down her forehead. A few seconds later, she tried again and this time her knuckles did not retreat. “Come in,” a stern voice answered and she shivered. She turned the handle slowly and walked in. The man at the table was hard at work, but he dropped his pen and lifted his head slowly. Kristen felt her feet turn to water. ‘Oh no…’ She gasped. She could recognize that tan suit anywhere! Sitting behind the large oak desk was the man from the elevator. His gaze was as sharp as a two-edged knife, so she knew she was in hot water. “Kristen,” he nodded. “Welcome to Fifth Avenue Holdings. I am Mr. Lodge, your new boss.” There was no smile on his face. “You've heard stories about me,” he continued and she gulped. “…about how demanding I can be. I assure you those are false. I happen to be worse.” Kristen blinked in shock, but outwardly she only smiled wilder. “You don’t have to be confident, just pretend to be and you’ll be fine…” Helen often said, and she was a good learner. “I understand,” Kristen nodded. An extra crease appeared on his forehead and she wondered if her reply had annoyed him. “Your work phone is on your desk,” he continued. “As an... asshole, I took the liberty of informing the IT team to fit it with everything you need including my contact details. Which must only be used solely for work-related issues.” Kristen almost rolled her eyes at that last instruction. ‘Why would I want to speak to him outside of work anyway?!’ She wondered. But she kept her smile. “No need to emphasize that, Mr. Lodge. I am a professional.” “Good,” his gaze was stuck on her. “Never be tardy. Fail in any way and you’re out!” Even with her sizzling anger, Kristen was fully intimidated. Her boss had stern eyes that dug into her and seemed to read her soul. His voice was deep and heavy, and you could tell he was used to being in control. Still, she knew cowering would only make things worse. She had to show that she deserved this job, and it seemed impressing him, not cowering like a worm, was the way to do it. She nodded and walked out, still smiling. She was barely at her table when her desk phone rang. She grabbed the receiver. “Hello?” “Get me the November report.” “Th-The November report?” She stuttered, confused. “Hello?” she added foolishly when she heard the dial tone. “He hung up!” she whispered in surprise. She turned slowly to the shelves, still holding the receiver, and her eyes roamed the large files. ‘Damn it!’ Obviously, Mr. Lodge wasn’t interested in providing guidance or mentorship. Kristen bit down a curse and grabbed a stool. Its legs were sturdy but its base wasn’t so she fell off twice but she tried again and again until she could stand still for a few seconds. At last, she found her balance. It took her ten minutes to figure out the filing system and it took another five to find the aggrieved file. She was sweating like a canned drink stuck in ice when she knocked on his door. “I found the file,” she wheezed. Mr. Lodge did not look up. “Mr. Lodge?” “Twenty minutes is a lot of time to be spent on one file, don’t you think?” Kristen frowned. “The filing system…” “Besides,” he continued. “I found other means to get the information I needed. Get me the File for Customs.” “Customs?” Kristen’s frustration was through the roof now. Her boss looked up at her slowly and the question died in her throat. “Sure,” she added with a wide smile. Philip had hot toast and Coffee for breakfast and he enjoyed every bit of it. He loved Mondays but this Monday was supposed to be different. He was close to purchasing a rich oil rig he had always wanted. If he played his cards right, he would be a lot richer this week. His Mercedes sputtered into the parking lot so he made a mental note to have it serviced. Even with that, he was still in high spirits when she walked into the elevator. He had given her a run over and decided he liked what he saw. She had a good height on her and was stunning. Her hair looked like silk and her skin seemed to glow underneath her fitted top. It was some seconds before he noticed her shaky hands. Maybe he should never have asked because in just a few words, that strange dame had managed to wreck his mood. ‘Me, a jerk? Mean even to myself?’ he had wondered as he matched his office. Right now, he slammed his laptop shut and grabbed a file. He knew he would never win boss of the year but that was because he never encouraged tardiness. Work was sacred. If you needed money, you had to earn it. People did not want to work anymore. They wanted an easy environment where they could laze about and still get paid. So of course he was a jerk. But, oh, he was quite good at being one. Philip grabbed the receiver for the fifth time that morning. “Schedule a meeting with Mr. Wheeler,” he barked the second she answered. Of course she didn’t know who that was. A boss who wasn’t a jerk would explain further but he was one so he hung up. The next time he grabbed the receiver, it was to heap a bunch of paperwork on his new Secretary. By this time, it was past lunch time already so he knew she would be aggravated. Actually, he was banking on it. Besides, he was too choked to leave for lunch either and had to order in. A bright idea lit in his head. He grabbed the receiver again and summoned her to his office one last time to instruct her on some emails but that was just a ruse. He really wanted her to see him slurp up the Chinese he ordered. The door opened and he grabbed his take-out. He was already pulling out the chopsticks when he saw the burger in her hand. “I see you had time to order a burger,” he muttered. “Yes,” she beamed. “You called?” Philip felt his anger rise but he swallowed it down. He was beginning to overdo it, he realized so he simply instructed her on the emails and dismissed her, feeling very unsatisfied. Evening approached and his other staff began to leave. Philip grabbed the receiver again and dialed his favorite employee. “Kristen. Are all the emails sent?” There was a pause at the other end of the line which he recognized. He knew that in a different country, with lesser laws, he would be hacked to death. “Yes,” the answer came at last. His smile lessened. “All of them??” he asked, surprised. He had saddled her with a lot of correspondence but Miss Kristen seemed to be beating him at his game. “Yes,” she repeated. Philip thought hard. He still had a ton of paperwork to get to. He could saddle her with a few and… He stopped himself. Again, he was going too far. “You are free to go,” he forced himself to say. “Thank you, Mr. Lodge.” He could tell she was still fake-smiling even over the phone. “And boss?” “What?” he growled. “You are actually much kinder than I expected,” Kristen said and hung up. Philip replaced the receiver slowly, his ears burning. “Wow,” he whispered alone in his office.