Chapter 7: Rules Of The Office
1819 Words
By eight-thirty the next morning, Eliana had already revised Scott Eliot’s schedule three times.
Not because she had made mistakes.
Because Scott kept changing his mind.
The first change came at 7:12 a.m.
The second arrived twelve minutes later.
The third was delivered personally.
“Cancel the ten o’clock meeting.”
Eliana looked up from her computer.
Scott stood in the doorway of his office, jacket unbuttoned, phone in one hand and the other tucked casually into his pocket.
“That meeting is with the finance team.”
“I know.”
“They’ve been preparing for it since Monday.”
“Then they can prepare again.”
Eliana stared at him for a second.
“Is there a reason?”
Scott raised an eyebrow.
“Do I need one?”
“For the finance team? Yes.”
His mouth twitched.
“You’re getting comfortable.”
“I’m doing my job.”
“Your job is to follow instructions.”
“And my job also includes managing your schedule. If I cancel a meeting without a reason, I have to explain why.”
“You don’t.”
“They’ll ask.”
“Tell them I said so.”
Eliana turned back to her screen.
“That’s not exactly professional.”
There was silence.
She could feel his eyes on her.
“You’ve been here less than a week,” he said.
“Six days.”
“And you’ve already decided how this company should be run?”
“No.”
She clicked on the meeting.
“I’ve decided how my part of it should be handled.”
Scott walked closer.
“That sounds dangerously like independence.”
“It usually is.”
He looked at her screen.
“Keep the meeting.”
Eliana glanced at him.
“I thought you wanted it cancelled.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Of course you did.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
“You definitely said something.”
“I said I’ll keep the meeting.”
A faint smile appeared on his face.
“Good.”
He turned and walked away.
Eliana waited until he disappeared into his office before letting out the breath she’d been holding.
She had begun to understand something about Scott.
He wasn’t simply difficult.
He enjoyed being difficult.
And worse, he enjoyed seeing how people reacted to him.
She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
Not today.
By ten o’clock, the finance meeting was underway.
Scott sat at the head of the table, looking completely uninterested.
Eliana stood near the wall with her tablet, taking notes.
The finance director was halfway through a presentation when Scott interrupted.
“Where’s the revised projection?”
The man blinked.
“I sent it yesterday.”
“I asked for the updated version.”
“That is the updated version.”
Scott looked at him.
“No. It’s not.”
The room became uncomfortable.
Eliana checked her tablet.
The director had sent two files.
One had been replaced at 9:48 that morning.
She looked at the screen.
“Mr. Eliot.”
Scott turned.
“The revised projection was uploaded this morning at 9:48.”
The finance director immediately nodded.
“Yes.”
Scott looked between them.
“Why wasn’t I given it?”
Eliana answered before anyone else could.
“Because it was uploaded after the meeting documents had already been printed.”
Scott’s gaze settled on her.
“And whose responsibility is that?”
Eliana paused.
“Normally, mine.”
“Normally?”
She kept her voice even.
“I’m responsible for distributing documents that are available to me. I can’t distribute something that hasn’t been submitted.”
The finance director looked down, suddenly fascinated by his pen.
Scott leaned back.
For a moment, Eliana wondered whether she’d gone too far.
Then he nodded.
“Fair.”
The meeting continued.
It lasted another forty minutes.
When everyone finally left, Scott remained seated.
Eliana gathered the documents.
“You didn’t have to defend me,” the finance director said quietly as he passed her.
“I wasn’t defending you.”
He gave a small smile.
“I know.”
Once the door closed, Scott spoke.
“You corrected me.”
Eliana looked up.
“I corrected the information.”
“You could have waited until after the meeting.”
“That wouldn’t have changed the facts.”
Scott leaned back in his chair.
“You don’t seem afraid of me.”
Eliana gathered the papers into a neat pile.
“Should I be?”
Most people would have stopped there.
Scott didn’t.
“Most people are.”
“Then maybe most people don’t know you very well.”
His expression changed.
It was subtle.
Almost nothing.
But Eliana noticed.
For the first time, she had said something that genuinely caught him off guard.
She turned toward the door.
“Anything else?”
“No.”
She reached for the handle.
“Eliana.”
She looked back.
Scott’s eyes remained on her.
“Don’t make a habit of correcting me.”
She gave him a small nod.
“Then don’t make a habit of being wrong.”
She left before she could see his reaction.
At noon, Scott changed the schedule again.
At one, he moved a meeting from three to two.
At one-fifteen, he moved it back.
At one-thirty, he asked Eliana to arrange lunch for six people.
At one-forty, he informed her there would be eight.
At one-forty-five, there were apparently ten.
Eliana stared at the message on her screen.
Scott: Make it twelve.
She typed back.
Eliana: Noted.
Three seconds later:
Scott: And don’t order anything with mushrooms.
She frowned.
Eliana: Understood.
Another message appeared.
Scott: Unless the client wants mushrooms.
She closed her eyes.
“Jesus.”
“Talking to yourself?”
Eliana looked up.
Margaret stood beside her desk, holding a folder.
“I’m trying not to.”
Margaret smiled.
“Mr. Eliot?”
“Who else?”
Margaret lowered her voice.
“He’s testing you.”
“I know.”
“Don’t take it personally.”
“I don’t.”
Margaret glanced toward Scott’s closed office door.
“He does this with everyone.”
“That doesn’t make it normal.”
“No.”
Margaret laughed softly.
“But it does make it predictable.”
Eliana looked back at her computer.
“That’s the problem.”
Margaret handed her the folder.
“You’ll figure him out.”
Eliana accepted it.
“I don’t intend to.”
Margaret’s smile widened.
“That’s what everyone says.”
By six in the evening, most of the executive floor had emptied.
Eliana was still at her desk.
She had finished the day’s reports, updated the following week’s schedule and responded to every email that required immediate attention.
She closed the final file.
Finally.
She reached for her bag.
“Where are you going?”
Scott’s voice came from behind her.
She turned.
He stood outside his office.
“Home.”
His eyebrows lifted.
“Already?”
She glanced at the clock.
“It’s six-thirteen.”
“And?”
“My workday is over.”
Scott looked genuinely amused.
“I have another meeting.”
“You have a meeting tomorrow morning.”
“I moved it.”
“When?”
“Just now.”
Eliana stared at him.
“Of course.”
He walked toward his desk.
“I need the presentation revised before then.”
“I can do it tomorrow morning.”
“I need it tonight.”
She hesitated.
Scott noticed.
“You’re my secretary.”
“Yes.”
“That means when I need something done—”
“It means I manage your schedule and administrative work.”
He stopped.
Eliana set her bag down.
“And I can stay late when there’s an actual emergency. But moving a meeting at six o’clock doesn’t automatically make it one.”
Scott’s expression hardened.
“You’re refusing?”
“I’m setting a boundary.”
Something flickered in his eyes.
He wasn’t used to hearing that word.
“Do you set boundaries with everyone?”
“When necessary.”
“And you think they’re necessary with me?”
“Yes.”
The answer came without hesitation.
Silence settled between them.
Then Scott gave a quiet laugh.
“You really are something.”
Eliana picked up her bag.
“Goodnight, Mr. Eliot.”
She walked past him.
“Eliana.”
She stopped.
“If I ask you to stay?”
She turned.
“I’ll ask whether there’s a reason.”
“And if there isn’t?”
“I’ll go home.”
Scott studied her for several seconds.
Then he nodded.
“Go home.”
She blinked.
“Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Eliana walked toward the elevator.
The doors opened.
She stepped inside.
Just before they closed, she saw Scott still standing in the middle of the executive floor.
Watching her.
The following morning, Eliana arrived at eight.
There was a handwritten note on her desk.
She picked it up.
OFFICE RULES.
Underneath it were three lines.
1. Don’t question my decisions.
2. Don’t leave before I do.
3. Don’t tell me what I can or cannot do.
Eliana stared at the note.
Then she smiled.
Not because it was funny.
Because Scott had just made the mistake of giving her something she could respond to.
She took a pen.
Under his three rules, she added her own.
4. Give instructions clearly.
5. Respect working hours.
6. Don’t change meetings every fifteen minutes.
She placed the note back on his desk.
Then she returned to hers.
Five minutes later, Scott walked out of his office.
He picked up the note.
Read it.
Looked at her.
Eliana continued typing.
“Rule six?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“You think I change meetings too often?”
“Yes.”
He looked at the paper again.
Then at her.
“You’re brave.”
“No.”
She finally looked up.
“I’m organized.”
Scott stared at her.
For some reason, he smiled.
Not the charming smile he used on women.
Not the smug one he wore when he knew he’d won an argument.
Something smaller.
Almost reluctant.
“Fine,” he said.
He folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket.
“Rule six stays.”
Eliana blinked.
“Really?”
“Don’t look so surprised.”
“I am.”
He walked back into his office.
Then stopped at the doorway.
“Oh, and Eliana?”
“Yes?”
“Change my ten o’clock meeting to eleven.”
She stared at him.
“You’re doing this on purpose.”
“Obviously.”
The door closed.
Eliana shook her head.
For the first time since taking the job, she laughed.
Quietly.
To herself.
The man was impossible.
And apparently, she had just agreed to work for him.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD