Chapter 4
1249 Words
“Take it from me,” Daniel said as he walked around the corridors of Nash Enterprises briskly, Ria tugging right behind him. “Working for Mr Nash can be a lot initially but once you get the hang of things, you'll begin to enjoy your job more.”
Ria clutched her notepad tighter. “Hmm–”
Daniel chuckled. “I’ve worked with Nash Enterprises as Senior Financial Analyst for about nine years now.”
“I can tell you for free that Mr Nash is a tremendous leader and an even better human being.”
Cough. Cough. Ria’s hand spiralled to her chest as she pretended to gasp for breath.
Daniel watched her display for a while in silence. When Ria was done, she straightened up and faced Daniel. With a wordless expression that read: ‘You have got to be kidding me’, Ria kept staring.
“Well–” he continued. “Let's start off with a few rules you should adhere to, shall we?
Ria nodded. “Uh-hmm”
“Rule number one– Keep to time.Mr Nash checks in at exactly twenty minutes past eight, no exceptions.”
“Of course he does,” Ria frowned.
The office was starting to get busier. More workers had started trooping in for the day. One by one, their numbers increased as the clock approached 8:00am.
Daniel lowered his voice as he passed a pair of assistants scurrying into their offices, but just enough so Ria could hear him. “If you're one minute late, you're invisible to him. Mr Nash can't stand laxity, so you’d be sure to get punished.”
“Hmm.” Ria replied softly.
Daniel smirked. “Rule number two–his coffee. His coffee must be served every work day, in adherence to all the specifications.”
Prepare Mr. Nash’s morning coffee personally. Specifications:Colombian roast, medium grind. Water boiled to exactly 95°C (not 100). Two teaspoons of raw brown sugar, stirred clockwise, not counterclockwise. No milk. No cream. No exceptions.
A wrinkle appeared between her thick brows. Her brown eyes lit up as she recalled the memorandum that was sent to her.
“Colombian roast, medium grind. Water boiled to exactly 95°C (not 100). Two teaspoons of raw brown sugar, stirred clockwise, not counterclockwise. No milk. No cream.”
“Fast learner, huh?” Daniel questioned. “Good for you. Will definitely come in handy.”
“Thank you.”
“Let me lay a little emphasis on the water though. It must be boiled to 95°C. Miss that, and he'll notice.”
“What? Ninety three degrees? Who even–”
“He does.” Daniel replied, cutting her off.
By the time they reached her office, her nerves were already coiled tight. Ria's eyes scanned the environment until they settled on a metal bar that read: ‘THE CEO.’ A variety of emotions rushed over her immediately.
Her desk sat right outside Mr Nash's office. She couldn't help but notice how luxurious it looked. But what caught her eyes the most was the pile of files that laid on the desk.
7:52am.“Rule number three–workload. If you truly want to stand a chance at Mr Nash's good books, it's simple. Deliver accurate jobs and meet deadlines.”
“Please tell me this is a bad joke.” Ria said, pointing in the direction of the files.
“These files need editing, indexing and updating. He said they should be ready at noon. No excuses.”
A cloud of tears began to form in Ria's eyes, but she wouldn't let her tear bags win–not this time.
“Daniel, this looks like two days' work,” Ria's voice squeaked.
He gave her a sympathetic look. “Then today, you'll discover if you're faster than you think. My advice: don't panic where he can see it.”
“Great.” She laughed in sarcasm. “It's my first day and I'm already in survival mode.”
8:00am.
Daniel smiled heartily at Ria, while she mirrored his gesture. “I'm highly honoured you granted me this opportunity, Miss Ria.”
“Thank you Mr Daniel Cole,” Ria responded.
“My pleasure.”
“One more thing though.”
“Okay?”
“You have a sharp tongue. As much as you can, keep it in check during work hours.
A humorous smile escaped her lips. “During work hours.”
Daniel smiled at her and headed out to continue the work he had started earlier on.
9:55am.
Mr Nash's coffee sat on her desk, ready to be served. One problem though– Mr Nash had not yet arrived.
Ria's hands hurt from all the typing, her eyes burned and her stomach knotted from skipping her break. No food. No water. Just a young newbie accountant trying to prove herself to her overbearing boss.
10:15am. The coffee was getting cold and still no sign of Mr Nash.
10:20am. The coffee had turned cold completely.
The untouched cup mocked her as she shoved another file into the system.
Maybe he's in a meeting. Maybe he's caught up in traffic. All my hardwork…
11:55am. Ria had just wrapped up the last file. Her fingers trembled from all the typing, but she'd done it. She sat back, brushing a loose curl from her sweaty forehead. “Done,” she whispered to herself.
12:10pm. Daniel strolled into Ria's office, with a tucked look on his face.
Daniel hesitated for a bit. “Mr Nash called in.”
“Okay, well is he on his way?”
“No. He's not coming today.”
“What do you mean he's not coming today?”
“He sa…said.” Daniel’s tone was careful, almost apologetic. “He said he had another engagement.
Again, there were the tears. “He knew he couldn't make it to work today right?” Ria sobbed. “So why, tell me why then did he put me through all of this?”
Daniel's voice softened. “He's testing you Ria. That's how he determines who survives around here.”
She laughed bitterly. “Survives? This isn't a workplace. It's a battlefield.”
2:00pm
Ria shoved her bag under her shoulder and scurried out of the Nash Enterprises.
***
Since it was a Friday, she was supposed to spend the night at Chantelle's place.
Then she began to recall the conversation she had with Dariel. As if a light bulb had turned on in her head, she decided to head to Mrs Adeline’s place instead.
I'll call Chantelle later.
By the time Ria reached Mrs Adeline's house, she was in fumes– a rollercoaster of emotions played within her.
She raised her hand to press the doorbell.
The chattering on the other side of the door caught her attention. Mrs Adeline laughed so heartily. And then there was someone else. The masculine voice sounded familiar –raspy but familiar.
As she tried to figure out who it could be, the young man reached for the door.
The door swung open. Tall and embodied in the same pristine suit. Same haircut. Same smile.
Mr Marcus Nash.
His gaze locked with hers–a wave of recognition pooling in. His lips curved slightly, but not in a smile– in a thin-b
lade smirk line.
Ria stood flushed. Her face went pale and her fingers numb.
“You.” Marcus Nash said. His voice, low and deliberate.
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