Mending The Broken Pieces

Chapter 3: Anticipating A Dreadful Arrival

CHAPTER 3

For the past five days since she had gotten the job at Cornell Enterprises, things hadn't worked out as she had planned or expected. Ethan Cornell had only been a name on the lips of many and a face that she had never seen. He was the mysterious coldhearted CEO whose face she had never laid my eyes on even though I was his personal assistant.

The only thing she did at my desk was to compile several meeting minutes into documents which Miss Tessa had said would be later on given to the boss at the end of the week. Out of curiosity, Ava finally decided to enquire about the boss’ whereabouts.

“He's away for a business trip. He'll be back by the next week and then you'll get to meet him personally,” Tessa had responded.

“For now, just focus on doing your job. You're not here for the boss’ face, are you?” She added, a slight pitch of annoyance in her tone.

For the rest of week, Ava continued doing her work as Miss Tessa had instructed. And for the whole time, the lady whose desk was next to her, Leila, prepared her for the boss’ return. Even as much as Ava found it quite hard to admit, Leila had been very helpful teaching her most things even Miss Tessa had not been too concerned to tell her about the boss and the workplace.

“I learnt that the boss doesn't like his tea hot. You should take note of this,” She once said.

“He likes it cold?!” Ava poked her head forward, almost alarmingly wondering who on Earth wouldn't like their tea served hot.

“Not cold, but warm,” She hurriedly responded, her tone aiming to hush Ava down.

With an even lower tone, she said, “He's just too much of a pain in the neck.”

“You got to be smart to work with the boss. He likes people who are sharp and quick to learn,” Another voice that belonged to neither of the two ladies chipped in - it was a rather masculine one. A man who dressed in a classical suit had stopped by Leila's desk to submit a couple of paper work.

“And you have got to have an eye for detail too. He likes when his closest workers are observation. Anything short of his expectations, you lost your job. High pay, high expectations,” The man shrugged.

“I'm Connor, by the way,” He added.

“Nice to meet you Connor,” Ava replied.

During the time she was yet to meet with the boss, she made sure to note as much of him as she could. She didn't want to think of even losing a job she had just gotten simply because she had failed to make his tea warm or had failed to notice a missing letter in a meeting minute.

On the start of the new week, she was dressed in a usual neat suit, auburn hair tied up in a bun, well-framed glasses over her eyes, and heels that clicked musically against the floor with every step. Even when she got to her desk in the open-space office, she bit her lower lip every now and then, with her hands fumbling carelessly with documents.

The thought of the boss’ arrival haunted her. Despite having prepared herself so much for this day, it was sudden begin to feel like she had barely done something. Constant sighs escaped her lips, and her eyes reached for the glass door of the office each time the bell jingled to signify that someone had walked in.

Hours passed, and still there was no sign of Ethan Cornell. Well, at least, there was no scary looking man around whose presence commanded fear and respect from the workers. She didn't even bother asking Leila questions that day because she believed that it would all be useless at the end of it all, especially now that the boss’ arrival was not definite. She couldn't ask Miss Tessa either since the woman had a way of being sarcastic even when she would ask the most harmless questions - something Ava tried so hard to put up with.

After documenting the minute from the previous meeting that had taken place last week Friday, she picked up the files and headed for Miss Tessa's office which was on the eighteenth floor.

“I'm so late today. I wonder what that woman will say today,” She bit her lower lip and hastened her pace after reading the time as 1:30PM on her wristwatch. Soon, her heels took to running. The elevator was situated at the other end of the long lobby and as such, walking wouldn't be enough to get her there fast enough.

“I should have done this last night…but I was so tired. I pray she doesn't scream her head off at me. Her sarcastic tone is already enough to land me in the hospital…”

Different possible scenarios ran through her head as she picked up her pace when suddenly, she bumped into a tall figure whose face she had not even bothered to acknowledge due to how much of a hurry she was in. The coffee the person had been holding spilled across the floor and a brown blotch appeared on the front of his white long sleeve.

“I'm so sorry,” Ava barely did anything to salvaged the situation and her legs were already springing forward like those of a kangaroo, relieved that she had finally reached the elevator.

Miss Tessa's reaction to her late submission of the files had occupied every corner of her mind, that she didn't pay any attention to the angry voice of the man she had spilled coffee over.

“Hey!”

“Hey!”

But before he knew it, she had disappeared behind the elevator.

.

.

.

“What sort of humans are working here now?” The young man kissed his teeth, angered by the blotch of his shirt that refused to go away despite his clenched teeth and cursing done under his breath, actions that would usually make people disappear from his presence. It was then that he heard someone coming behind him, walking at first then switching to a panicked run.

“Sire!”

A man who appeared to be in his late forties now stood beside the young man, staring wide-eyed at the brown colour on his sleeve as though it were blood.

“Sire, how did this happ…”

“Get that cleaned up immediately,” The young man grunted and walked off in the opposite direction, leaving the man in his forties with mouth opened, unable to close.