Chapter 8
1506 Words
Jenna’s POV
It’s been two weeks now, and things are slowly falling back into place.
Ryan Markfields has somehow reduced his attempts to rekindle our situationship.
Apart from his occasional attempts to talk to me whenever it’s just the two of us in his office, it’s nothing I can’t handle.
With Cindy, Patrick, and Darius’s part concluded on the Walthorne contract, I am left alone to finish the remaining crucial part.
However, Mr. Walthorne insisted that I should work at his company for the time being with his programmers so that the update can be completed early, seeing that this is a five-month contract, according to him.
With a bit of protest here and there, Ryan agreed to the condition.
After all, this very project was going to make him richer.
I started packing a few important and personal belongings from my office, and Cindy helped me take them upfront as I waited for someone from Walthorne scheduled to pick me up.
“This place won’t be the same without smarty pants.”
“Oh please, it’s just five months I’ll be working there, and besides,I will be dropping by sometimes. You’re acting like I’ll be gone forever.”
“What did Ryan say?”
“Nothing, just wished me all the best, blah blah, and tried to hug me. Can you imagine?” I said as we both laughed.
A few moments later, an SUV pulled up in front of us with the Walthorne Tech Industries logo on the side.
“Good afternoon, ladies. I am Modrich, and I am taking Ms. Jensen to Walthorne Tech Industries,” he said as he gestured to lift my things into the back of the car.
“Thank you,” I said.
He nodded.
I hugged Cindy and jumped into the SUV as Modrich proceeded to close the door for me.
I looked out the window at the tall building ahead.
I had seen it before, but I never stopped being amazed.
I took a deep breath.
Knowing Dean Walthorne, I just hoped he had matured and would treat me professionally, seeing that we were no longer high school kids but adults.
Working here would surely give me other opportunities.
I totally had to seize this chance.
“We are here, Ms. Jensen. I’ll take your things to your designated office. Mr. Walthorne requested to meet you in his office when we arrive. His assistant Lucas will take you there after the receptionist informs him of your arrival. You may excuse me,” Modrich said as he left me by the reception chairs.
After a few minutes, Lucas came in.
“A pleasure to see you again, Ms. Jensen. Right this way, please."
He guided me to the elevator.
“You can go in. Mr. Walthorne is expecting you.”
With that, Lucas left me, and I proceeded to open the doors as I swallowed the lump I didn’t quite realise I was holding in my throat.
“G-good afternoon, Mr. Walthorne.”
“Good afternoon, Ms. Jensen. Have a seat,” Dean said as he continued to flip through some documents without sparing me a glance.
He placed the documents aside and opened a particular file that had my name on it.
“Completed high school a 4.2 GPA in honours — that we both know because of my family’s funding. Completed first degree in computer science with a 4.0 GPA. Currently working at Fantasy Corporative Games, F.C.G. Impressive, Ms. Jensen, but I need you to know that none of that matters here.”
My heart tightened.
“What matters is successfully finishing on the scheduled date — if not earlier, that would be better.”
His voice was cold.
“I hate incompetence, repeating myself, and people who can’t take accountability for things they have been put in charge of.”
He leaned back slightly.
“Now, I understand that at Game Land, you worked as a team, which you will do here as well, but as team leader, you made the program, so you will guide its upgrades.”
“Five months, Ms. Jensen, to finish this project, with monthly meetings where I expect to see progress at each one.”
“I will leave Lucas to help you get acquainted with your team.”
“He will also show you your office.”
“Am I clear, Ms. Jensen?”
“Yes, Mr. Walthorne.”
“Great. Please take this as a friendly chat. I don’t accept slacking off here.”
I nodded and exited his office.
Immediately, he went back to looking at the documents he had set aside, with no regard to even dismissing me.
Jeez.
I mean, at least he was treating me professionally.
I couldn’t ask for more.
I opened the door and found Lucas eavesdropping, and as soon as he saw me, he quickly stood upright and adjusted himself.
Great.
Another Stella.
“Right this way, Ms. Jensen.”
“Thank you,” I said as I followed behind him.
“I know, Mr. Walthorne can be a piece of s**t sometimes, but like everyone else here, you’ll get used to his mood swings. It becomes the norm of the day.”
“Thanks for the heads up, Lucas. I kind of noticed,” I said with a smile.
He smiled back.
“I’ll show you around before I take you to your office. The main places, of course, because this place can be a f*****g maze.”
He pointed ahead.
“Here we have the cafeteria, coffee machine right there, ice cream place, and food court at the centre.”
“One thing about Walthorne — he sure knows how to treat his employees. Besides his rude demeanour, the guy knows that to keep up with him, food is a necessity.”
“This is my favourite place, by the way.”
I laughed softly.
“And here we have the other boardroom. There’s like one on each floor,I guess .”
“The marketing department — ps, this is where you find the bitches, the snitches, the gossips, the social climbers, and the gold diggers ,I mean it gies with the job right.”
I almost choked on my laugh.
“The IT department with your people — the programmers and the other nerdy people. No offence.”
“None taken.”
For a man, Lucas could really talk.
I mean, nonstop.
“Hey, let’s go in. I’m supposed to introduce you to your team as Mr. Walthorne requested.”
“Hey everyone, this is Ms. Jenna Jensen, your new team leader on the project Mr. Walthorne and you discussed earlier.”
“Pleasure to see you again, Ms. Jensen,” Linda Fox said as she reached out to greet me.
I accepted with a smile.
“I’ll take it from here, Lucas.”
“Whatever, Linda,” Lucas said as he took a seat on one of the chairs at the front of the small boardroom.
“We will be the four of us, with you as our leader. Mr. Walthorne told us about the agreement earlier before your arrival.”
“This is Samuel and Craig. We will work together to finish the required upgrades with you.”
Linda gestured toward them.
I greeted Samuel and Craig.
“Well, Jenna, I guess you have your hands full with your tour guide here, so we can meet tomorrow and start working on the project.”
With that, Lucas and I left the IT department.
“Now this is the cybersecurity department. It has its own wing here because it’s kind of a different company as well. I don’t know how to explain it, but anyway, Mr. Watson is in charge of it.”
“By Watson, you mean Brad Watson?”
“Yes, the undoubtedly handsome blondie.”
“Yes, that one.”
“Yes, him and Mr. Walthorne go way back.”
“I can imagine.”
“You know him?”
“No, not really.”
“Well, we haven’t explored everything, but at least these places should help you navigate the maze.”
“I’ll leave you to organise your office.”
“Good day, Ms. Jensen.”
“Good day, Lucas, and thank you.”
I opened my office with the keys Lucas gave me.
They had my name and 16 on the tag attached to them.
I walked into what was supposed to be my office and was completely taken aback.
This office was beautiful.
The décor…
I must say, not even Ryan’s office looked this good, and he was the CEO at F.C.G.
Was Lucas sure this was my office?
Or Dean’s spare office?
Because the view — everything — was just high-end décor.
I finished unpacking and decided to head home early because the next day, real work would begin.
As I walked out, I grabbed my phone to call Cindy and tell her about my first day at Walthorne Tech Industries as I tried to catch a taxi.
- Writer
