Fallen 1: Berlin

Chapter V: The Employer

Sage stepped into the air-conditioned extensively articulated foyer of the building she was expected to work in for the upcoming months and breathed in awe. It took a while for her to register that she was no longer under Robert but someone else who she had yet to meet. That morning, she woke up with a start thinking that she was late for work. She was already sending a message to Charli telling her to tell Robert that she was late because she was in a queue getting him his coffee but then she stopped half-way when she recalled that Mr. Lucian O’Connor had come to ask her to work for them instead.

She was excited but nervous at the same time. She didn’t know what to expect from her new boss. She didn’t know any other boss other than Robert so all she could see in front of her was someone hurling a coffee mug at her for failing to print a document on both sides of the paper. That happened to her on the first day of work when she reported at Robert's company. 

“Stay positive, Sage.” She told herself as she moved towards the large, clean-lined and well designed marbled counter where two ladies looking like models that just stepped out of the runway, sat and spoke to the people who went to them for inquiries. Sage didn’t know where to start so she also joined the short line of people that was heading there.

“Oh goodness, it’s Berlin.” Someone in front of her suddenly said and a small commotion started as people turned to the doors behind Sage and started muttering excitedly. 

Sage was confused for a moment as she swirled around to see exactly who entered the building. The last time she saw such fuss was when a very prominent tech. guru did a surprise appearance in one of Robert's business meetings. Sage came face to face with the Ferrari guy and Lucian O’Connor beside him. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest. She could understand what the commotion was all about because the Ferrari guy stood out like a beacon. His height and build were incredible, his dark eyes almost forbidden and his dark hair wavy but in place. He looked very handsome in his custom-made navy blue suit with a white shirt and no tie. One hand was causally in his pocket while the other moved around as he spoke lightly to Mr. O’Connor, completely oblivious to the reactions of everyone around them. That morning, Mr. O’Connor was in a grey suit with a white shirt and black tie. They looked dashing and very professional in their suits, something that she missed greatly while working for Robert. Though Robert dressed up in suit for work, he didn't stand out as much as these two.

Sage noticed that even the two receptionists reacted. They straightened their postures and big smiles bloomed across their faces while their eyes brightened.

“Good morning, Berlin, Mr. O’Connor.” They greeted the two together.

That brought Berlin and Mr. O’Connor back to reality as they stopped conspiring and turned to the two receptionists.

“Good morning.” Berlin greeted them back and when he smiled, Sage was sure the girls had forgotten how to breathe.

Berlin had a breath-taking smile!

Suddenly he turned her direction and Sage found herself awkwardly looking away, pretending that the scenery in front was better than Berlin and Mr. O'Connor. She cleared her throat and pretended she was studying the high foyer ceiling that had amazing and artistic lights coming around like trickling water. She was not planning on concentrating genuinely at the ceiling but suddenly the light were very peculiarly eye-catching.

“Miss Hillary?” Her name was called and she suddenly jumped and turned to the person calling her.

“Uh—hi, Mr. O’Connor.” Sage nervously tucked a tightly coiled lock behind her ear and looked up at him.

He smiled at her and looked down at his watch. “I can see that you are right on time. Care to join us upstairs for the debriefing of your work?”

Sage nodded and when Berlin made his way towards them, she felt her cheeks deepen with color. He must have thought of her as a clown after their last two encounters. One was where she re-decorated her car and the other was when Robert was about create a new opening somewhere on her face.

“Miss Hillary.” He moved around Mr. O’Connor as held out his hand. “Nice to see you again.”

Sage quickly accepted his hand. “It is nice to see you too, Sir. Thank you very much for the recommendation.” 

Berlin frowned in a confusion for a moment but then his eyes brightened. “Of course.”

“Excuse me, Berlin.” One of the receptionists came over and stood beside them. She eyed Sage for a moment, her eyes starting from the second-hand black pumps she had, to the grey dress she wore to go and see her mother just that weekend to the set of black coils pulled back in a pony on her head. Sage’s earrings were small pearl-studs and around her wrist was a simple gold watch she got from a street vendor.

It was different story from where Sage was standing, looking at the girl. Her nails were manicured into perfection, her deep forest green dress molded her body, her auburn hair pinned up her hand into a very neat by stylish bun and her heels so high, Sage was mesmerized that she could walk so comfortably with them. Sage was sure her her ring, her earrings, her bracelet and watch mounted to a few months’ worth of rent of an apartment at the good side of the city. She looked more like the owner of the building than the receptionist.

“This came in for you.” She handed Berlin a white envelope and with one last look at Sage, she turned around and went back to her position at the counter.

Berlin.

It was a peculiar name but somehow it suited the Ferrari guy well.

“This way, Miss Hillary.” Mr. O’Connor directed her away from the muttering mouths and prying eyes towards a more private corridor where there very several guards standing watching over the place. They all greeted Mr. O’Connor and Berlin. At the end of the corridor was a private elevator where Mr. O’Connor produced a black card and scanned it over the digital scanner before the doors slid open and the three of them stepped in.

“I hope you have read the contract carefully, Miss Sage. If there are any doubts you have or changes you would like to do then feel free to consult me. We have a very flexible working environment that can accommodate anyone.” Mr. O’Connor assured her and as Sage nodded, she noticed that the elevator only had one button.

Mr. O’Connor pressed it and the elevator began to ascend. Sage swallowed hard and said. “So far, the contract is well understood. I didn’t know an employee could have so many benefits.”

“Sometimes we work under very hostile conditions, so we have to keep our employees happy and satisfied.” Mr. O’Connor suddenly answered.

Sage turned to him and her eyes widened. “Hostile conditions?”

A smile danced on his lips as amusement beamed from his eyes. “We are a security and arms company after all.”

Sage nodded but it didn’t do much for the nervousness she suddenly felt. It made her wonder just what she signed up for. She stole a quick glimpse at Berlin who stood quietly beside her then back towards the digital numbers above the elevator doors that were still ascending. She could tell that his mood had suddenly changed and that white envelope in his hand could be the reason behind it.

When the elevator binged and the doors opened, Sage gasped out loudly. She stepped out but it seemed as if she had stepping into another world. The architecture of the building allowed the right side of it to curve above them with large square windows allowing light inside. Sage saw the light but didn’t feel the intense heat of the morning sun. From where she stood, she could see the city all the way to the large river that divided it into two. She could also see the four magnificent bridges that knitted the two sides together. On the left side was an open planned common area that had intimate sitting places with small round tables to corner sofas and settees that looked like they were printed out from interior design magazines. On the side was the show-stopping buffet area that was serving all sorts of tasty treats and delights. At that moment they were serving breakfast and a few people were loitering around getting coffee, croissants, fruits or just plain old morning gossip.

The place was so well organized that Sage was a little bit jealous of the space, wishing she could take such a design back to her apartment.

“This is our cafeteria/common area. The food is free so after you see your office, you are welcome to get some breakfast.” Mr. O’Connor explained to Sage. “If you find it not to your liking…” he fished out a silver card from his pocket and grinned at her. “We have this little thing that gains us access to several good places in the city. Berlin will issue one to you. Just don’t mention it to the others. It’s quite exclusive—” Suddenly Mr. O’Connor’s phone chimed and he said. “Well, I have urgent business to take care of this morning. I hope you will be comfortable here. Berlin will show you to your office and will pick up where I left off. Take care.” He excused himself as he left Sage with Berlin while answering his phone.

Berlin sighed and turned to Sage with his hands in his pockets. “Well, I have never had a personal assistant before so I really don’t know what you have to do.”

Sage jerked back in surprise. “But I thought I was going to be your employer’s PA?”

Berlin looked around as if he were about to reveal a deep secret to her then leaned in his impressive body, his minty breath fanning Sage’s cheek and whispered. “I am the employer.” Then leaned back and grinned. “Well, a lot of people working here don't know that and I would like to keep it that way.”

Okay, so he did reveal a big secret. All the time that she walked beside him, she thought Lucian had a higher rank than him because Lucian talked more about the background information and all that. How did she miss it? 

“But—but—you’re so young.” Sage suddenly blurted as she followed him and Berlin chuckled softly.

“Being young and being successful have no connections. It’s all in the work and hours you put into your passion.” He assured her as he took her around the corner where Sage was greeted by a different design. It was more intimate with darker shades and woods, a carpeted floor and dimly light hallway lights. It was beautiful and as they arrived to yet another impressive counter, the girl behind it beamed up at Berlin.

“Good morning, Berlin.” She reached for a bunch of envelopes and ledgers and handed them to him.

“I’ll get those.” Sage quickly took them from the girl who suddenly frowned at her. Sage read well the notes that Charli had made for her and she knew her biggest job description was to make sure she knew every tiny detail of her boss’ schedule because she was the connector between him and the rest of the work world.

“Nellie, this is Sage, my new PA.” Berlin made the introduction as he moved closer to Sage and started looking through the stuff she took from Nellie.

Sage smiled up at the surprised Nellie. “Nice to meet you, Nellie.”

“Likewise.” She said as a tight smile appeared on her face.

Berlin pulled one big brown envelope from the pile and looked down at Sage. “I’ll start with this today.”

Sage nodded as she followed him behind. She had to do a little jogging to keep up with his large strides. “And I will categorize the rest into groups so that you know which ones are urgent and which ones have close deadlines—”

Berlin suddenly stopped and Sage ended up bumping into him. She noticed that he was very warm to touch, even in his suit. “So, that’s what a PA does?”

“It’s much more than that.” She assured him, hoping that he would not make up his mind and kick her out. If he did that, it meant she had to go back to the newspapers and websites to start searching for a job. One thing was for sure, she was never going back to Robert.

Also...they had free breakfast, for crying out loud!

“Mhhh…” Berlin started walking again to the office that was quite isolated from the rest. Sage loved how the semi-transparent glass used on it was alternated with black wooden panels. It was such a creative design that was both elegant and functional. It gave the office maximum privacy but at the same time it allowed the user to see the people moving about the other side. He opened the door and stepped aside to let her enter first.

It was the first time anyone ever did that for her. She was surprised but she quickly recovered and walked in. “This is my office.” He stated and Sage was completely blown away by the view that he had.

“This is amazing!” She said as she walked across the large office to the glass wall behind Berlin’s table. “An office with a view like this must cost a fortune!”

“Not if you own the building.” Berlin muttered softly.

Sage kept on getting surprised as she turned to the man in front of her and saw him in a different light. She should not have expected anything less from him since he was cruising the streets in a Ferrari. “Are there any more surprises, Sir?”

Berlin cringed lightly as he opened the door adjacent to his office on the left side. “This is your office. I was using it as a meeting room but our designer will come this evening and change it to your office meaning, that door.” He pointed to his incredible door. “Will no longer be there. That way, anyone who needs to see me, will have to pass through you first.”

Sage left like a king. She was being given responsibilities that made her feel important. She swallowed hard again and stepped into the office. It was a good side though at the moment it had a large conference table in the middle. It also had the best view which made her wonder if she was going to be able to concentrate on her work without turning around every five seconds.

“It’s perfect.” She blurted out even though she wasn’t asked and ended up smacking her hand over her mouth.

A smile appeared on Berlin’s face because of the action before he took her back to his office. “In the meantime, make yourself comfortable anywhere in my office. I usually don’t use it much since I work mostly in the laboratories and training rooms.” He explained.

Sage nodded and studied Berlin's office. It gave off masculinity and power with the dark colors, the leather chairs and the large book shelves on the side. His desk was the main feature of the office and it went well with his personality. The glass block with Berlin’s name on it was placed in front of the desk and it made Sage frown in confusion as she looked up at him.

“Excuse me, sir…” Sage noticed him cringing again and noted that he was uncomfortable with the ‘sir’ name. “How should I address you? I don’t even know your last name.”

“My name is Berlin Guardian, but please address me as Berlin.” He said.

“Of course Mr. Berlin—”

“Without the Mister. Just plain old Berlin.” He said.

Sage nodded and pursed her lips feeling a little uneasy calling him by his first name. “Alright, uhm—uh—Ber…lin.”

“Perfect.” He said then handed her back the brown envelope and moved around his computer. “I know you will need access to my entire schedule of works and meetings.” He typed something on his computer then reached for the tablet beside it and also typed something else on it. “This is my password...” He showed it her from the tablet, "and this is my access card.” He handed her a black card that looked exactly like the one Mr. O’Connor used to open the elevator door. “It will give you access to almost every room on this floor especially the archives. I will get yours made together with your identity card by tomorrow. That is the company phone and my speed dial number is one. If you need any more information than what I have given you, call me. I’ll be in the laboratories.” He pointed to the slick black landline beside his computer. 

Sage nodded and took the card and the tablet with shaky fingers. “I hope I will not disappoint you, Mr. Berlin.”

Berlin chuckled. “Disappointments are a part of life. Just promise me, you will do your best and that you'll drop the Mister.”

Sage smiled back and gave him a nod. “I promise.”

“Good. See you at lunch time.” He touched her shoulder and made his way out but before he left, he turned around and said. “Oh, and by the way, your new apartment is being furnished. It’s the company’s protocol to make everyone comfortable. I hope you'll like the choice of furnishing. It will be done by the end of the week.”

Sage nodded. “Thank you very much.”

Berlin saluted her and walked out.

                                                                                 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“So, what do you think about working with her?” Lucian asked Berlin when he went to visit him at his office.

Berlin sat on one of the chairs opposite Lucian and frowned pensively. There was something that he was missing about Sage. When he shook her hand downstairs when they met her at the foyer, Berlin felt the guardian within him react, almost surfacing in front of all those people. He felt the fiery veins crawl up his skin. Luckily enough, no one caught the action. The same bizarre reaction occurred when she accidentally bumped onto him as they were heading to the office and when he patted her shoulder after talking to her.

The guardian within him only reacted to people who were desperate for his aid. Though it occurred once or twice in the past, it was never that intense which meant Sage was either in terrible danger or desperately in need of his guidance.

“I still can’t tell what it is about her that is making my guardian react so violently but with her close by, we will figure it out. In the meantime, how is the team at the professor’s seminar? Any arising issues?”

Lucian sighed and shook his head. “So far so good. No burning issues. And because he is not needed at the seminar today, he is at the laboratory.”

“I was on my way to see the him in the laboratory but I need for you to do something about this first.” He handed Lucian the white envelope he received from the receptionist at the foyer.

Lucian frowned as he accepted the envelope and opened it. His face brightened and a large grin appeared on his face. “Elise is inviting you to a romantic getaway next weekend! What is so bad about that?”

Berlin gave Lucian the are-you-f*****g-kidding-me look. He didn’t expect his relationship with Elise to become so complicated. They were dating but the details of their relationship were simple; bed mate when the need arose but it seemed to Berlin that Elise wanted more than that. This was not the first invitation she sent him. There was a time when she wanted him to accompany her for a dinner party. Berlin knew Elise must have told her closest friends about him. That didn’t bother Berlin but what bothered him was that she was diverting from what they agreed on.

May be it was time to let her go.

“Come on, Berlin. It’s not that bad to divert from routine every once in a while. Elise clearly loves you—why are you playing so hard to get? Women are supposed to do that, not you.” Lucian said.

“Because she is not the one, Lucian.” Berlin said in frustration.

“You keep talking about not finding the one, which one are you actually looking for?”

Berlin got up from his chair and made his way to the door. “You wouldn’t understand even if I try to explain it to you. Take care of Elise, would you? Send her flowers or something—just tell her it’s over.”

“No, lover boy. This time, you clean up your own mess. I am done breaking up with your girlfriends for you. I will invite her for dinner, but you need to break it off with her yourself for once.” Lucian shot back angrily.

Berlin turned to Lucian, feeling his guardian re-surface on his skin. “Are you refusing my command, human?” He growled.

Lucian rolled his eyes although Berlin caught the slight shiver of dread on his fingers. “Oh, don’t threaten me, Berlin. The Power is looking out for me, you can’t do jack s**t to me.”

One side of Berlin’s mouth quirked before he said. “I see you’re balls are growing too big for you. It’s time we cut them off.” With that he gave Lucian a dark smile and walked out.

He knew that Lucian wasn’t going to sleep well that night because of his warning. Lucian was a little different from the other human assistants that he has had in the past. The previous ones never let their guard down around him. They were always polite and did what they were asked to the point it got boring for Berlin. Lucian, however, was corky, sulky, whiney and sometimes fatherly and it was something Berlin enjoyed about the boy. He was afraid to express himself but he did anyway and waited for Berlin’s wrath.

Berlin also enjoyed teasing him, keeping him on the edge but he never truly unleashed his powers on him. Berlin passed by his office once more to find Sage buried deep in her work. She was so concentrated on what she was doing that she didn’t sense him standing out there watching her. Berlin noticed that she was wearing the same dress she wore to her conference last Saturday. It upset him that she didn’t make enough to get some good clothes for work. He needed to do something about that before the stakeholders meeting that coming Saturday where she was going to be introduced to the rest of the company. With one last look, Berlin went on his way.