MORE THAN JUST A MOMENT

LATE AT FIRST SIGHT

Chapter Five

The sound of my alarm buzzed faintly in the distance.

Then again.

Then louder.

My eyes flew open.

I reached blindly for my phone, blinking at the screen.

7:46 AM.

I sat up so fast the blanket tangled around my legs. “No. No no no no—”

My first day.

At Famrico.

And I had exactly fourteen minutes before the bus that was supposed to take me to the office pulled away from the curb without me.

I leapt out of bed and raced through my room, tossing on the cream blouse and navy pants I had neatly pressed the night before. There was no time for breakfast. Barely time to brush my teeth. My hair ended up in a hurried bun, not the soft waves I’d planned. Lip gloss? Half on. Earrings? One fell behind the dresser—I left it.

By the time I got out the door, my ID card was dangling from my bag and my heart felt like it was sprinting ahead of me.

I didn’t even make it to the corner before realizing the bus was gone.

No time to panic.

I booked a ride-hailing car with trembling fingers and prayed it wouldn’t stop for fuel, a break, or a roadside blessing.

---

8:54 AM.

Famrico Cosmetics towered ahead—glass and steel, confident and elegant, exactly what I didn’t feel like at the moment.

I jogged through the rotating doors and headed straight for the front desk, trying not to look as panicked as I felt.

“Name?” the receptionist asked, eyes flicking up.

“Rina Whites,” I breathed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Fifth floor,” she said after a beat. “You’re with Mrs. Langston’s team.”

She gave me a quick look. “They’ve already started.”

Of course they had.

The elevator ride felt like an eternity. I kept adjusting my collar and smoothing invisible wrinkles from my blouse. This wasn’t how today was supposed to go. I wanted to arrive early, calm and composed, ready to take in every detail.

Now, I was late, flushed, and barely keeping it together.

---

The conference room was bright and silent when I stepped in.

About ten other new hires sat around a sleek table, notepads out, eyes forward.

At the head of the room stood a tall woman in black—shoulders squared, arms folded, and expression unreadable.

I recognized her instantly.

Mrs. Ava Langston.

Her posture was elegance sharpened into steel. She didn’t look up when I entered, but her voice cut through the silence like a knife.

“Miss Whites,” she said coolly, not even glancing my way, “thank you for joining us.”

I swallowed, my throat dry. “I apologize for—”

“I’m sure you have your reasons,” she said. “But this company moves quickly. We don’t wait for the clock, and we don’t expect the clock to wait for us.”

I gave a quick nod and took the only empty seat I could find, my cheeks burning.

So much for first impressions.

---

The orientation continued. Expectations. Dress code. Task flow. Communication standards. Mrs. Langston spoke with calm authority, her presence commanding the room. She didn’t need to raise her voice—her words carried weight all on their own.

Everything about her was composed, precise.

Intimidating.

But impressive.

When the session ended, we were dismissed one by one and sent off to meet our direct supervisors.

I was just packing up my notepad when a woman from HR appeared beside me.

“Miss Whites?”

“Yes?”

“Mrs. Langston would like a word. Alone.”

---

I followed the woman through the sleek corridor, heels clicking softly against the polished floor. My stomach twisted with nerves.

She stopped in front of a glass-walled office. Inside, Mrs. Langston stood by her desk, flipping through a file. She looked up when I entered.

“Come in,” she said, closing the folder.

I stepped inside.

She studied me carefully. “I requested you because your application stood out. You’re articulate. You handle pressure well. And you think on your feet.”

I stayed quiet, unsure where this was going.

“You were late today, which doesn’t set the tone I expect from someone assigned to my desk. But I also don’t believe in dismissing talent over a rough morning.”

Relief swept over me—but I didn’t show it.

“You’ll be working as my executive secretary. That means early mornings, sharp responses, and an understanding of discretion. Can you manage that?”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said quickly. “I won’t be late again.”

“I hope not,” she said simply. Then she turned and handed me a thick folder. “Here’s your onboarding pack. I suggest you read through it thoroughly.”

As I turned to leave, her voice stopped me again.

“Oh, and Miss Whites?”

I looked back.

“If you want to succeed here, never apologize with your eyes. Walk like you belong, or people will believe you don’t.”

I nodded, holding her gaze. “Understood.”

---

By noon, I was seated just outside her office at my own desk. My inbox was already filling with reminders, calendar events, and color-coded priorities.

It was overwhelming but underneath all of that it was exciting.

I had made it.

I was here.

And even though my morning had started with chaos, I wasn’t going to let that be the story.

This was my beginning.

And nothing not even a late alarm could take it away from me.