A Third Chance In Love

CHAPTER 6 - First Day As Chairman's Executive Assistant

It was the first day of her work at the Black Hotels Corporation. Aloida felt excited yet a bit nervous. She will be meeting her boss today, and she could not contain herself from being anxious.

She went to the Human Resources Department for her briefing as advised by the receptionist. After filling up some documents as required for a new employee, Aloida was taken by the Human Resources Supervisor to her assigned working area, which was just outside the Chairman’s office. She was thereafter introduced to the whole staff from the first floor to the top floor before she was advised to return to her desk.

Sitting in her executive chair, Aloida looked at the closed door of the Chairman. She had not been introduced by the Human Resources Supervisor to her boss when she left her a while ago.

“What would I do? Should I just sit here and wait for me to be called inside his room?” Aloida thought, somewhat confused. Unable to bear not doing anything while sitting in her executive chair, she dialed the local number of their Human Resources Supervisor.

“Good morning, Ms. Mila, Aloida here. Ahm, I just would like to know if the Chairman is inside his office. I’m afraid that I am using the company’s time without doing anything. I really wanted to know my work assignments so that I can make my time in the office worthwhile,” she said after the Human Resources Supervisor picked up her call.

"Oh, don't worry, Ms. Jeansen, the Chairman is not yet in. He is currently out of town and might arrive in the afternoon. I will now send you the sss link to our company's rules and regulations, and you may read it again to familiarize yourself more," Ms. Mila replied in a jolly tone.

Aloida thanked Ms. Mila when the latter bade goodbye after sending to her company's email the link to the company's rules and regulations. She opened the link, and although she already read its contents a while ago during orientation, she decided to reread and familiarize herself more about it.

She had her lunch at the company’s canteen, where they can eat a good meal for only half the price of those meals in the nearby restaurants. After lunch, Aloida opened the Black Hotels company website and familiarized herself more about the company.

It was around three o’clock in the afternoon when she heard whispering from her colleagues sitting nearby, especially women.

“OMG, I could not really help to admire our Chairman. When heaven showered handsomeness, wealth, intelligence, and all luck in this world, he seemed to absorb them all.” Shirley, one of their staff in the Sales Department said, and even sighed thereafter.

“Shhh, he might hear you, he is coming now, and look, he is like a walking Demi - God,” Michelle, another sales staff member, whispered back, giggling.

Hearing a bit of those whispering, Aloida’s head immediately turned to the direction of the man, who just entered the door to the Management and Sales department on the eighth floor of the building.

For a second, Aloida held her breath as she mentally praised the appearance of the man who looked like her one greatest love, Alexus.

“How could he look so similar to Alexus, if he is not Alexus at all? Could he be Alexus’ twin brother?” Aloida thought, truly wondering this time, while her eyes were fixed on the man who, after glancing at her a bit, continued to walk to his office.

Aloida’s eyes followed the back of her boss until the latter closed the door of his office. She wanted to greet him or say something as he passed her by, but it was like her tongue suddenly was tied to her lower gum.

The ringing of her local phone made Aloida almost jump to her feet. She immediately picked up the phone, with her shaking hands.

“Hello, this is Aloida of Chairman Montaro’s office. How may I help you?

Aloida said after a second of composing herself to relax.

“Come here now.” That was the message she heard from a male baritone voice, which seemed familiar to her, and thereafter the dial tone of the phone, signaling that whoever called had already put down the phone.

Aloida, who was not yet completely relaxed at that time, looked at the phone with her a bit chinky eyes getting rounder and rounder after realizing who had just called on her local landline phone.

Taking a deep breath and glancing at the small round mirror on her desk, got her notebook and pen, and composed herself before walking to the door of the Chairman’s office. While knocking, she could also hear the beating of her heart louder than the sound of her knocks.

“Come in, it is not locked,” the baritone voice of the man inside the Chairman’s office said, which made Aloida’s heart beat even faster.

Aloida slowly turned the doorknob and entered the Chairman’s office with almost jelly feet. She even mentally reprimanded herself for feeling and acting like a teenager in front of her secret love. She was like this before when she first met Alexus.

“Ms. Aloida, I was asking you if you know how to brew coffee,” the irritated tone of the Chairman awakened the wandering mind of Aloida.

“Oh, sorry, Sir. Yes, yes, of course, I know how to brew coffee,” she replied, with her cheeks getting red. She felt like a fool for not listening to what her boss was telling her a while ago.

“Then, go and brew for me. I want black coffee with one sugar cube,” he then said, while looking at her with a void expression. Aloida could not fathom what was inside his head while he looked at her and spoke out about what kind of coffee he wanted.

“Yes, Sir.” Aloida bowed and was about to turn her back when she was stopped by his next words.

“If you want to stay working here, better not try to act like a meek woman or try to seduce me by acting like one. I know your background, Ms. Jeansen.” His voice was somewhat sarcastic which made Aloida stiffen.

Hearing those words, she felt offended and, she could not contain herself not to retort in a sharp manner. “I was not acting, Sir. I just felt a bit nervous about meeting my new boss for the first time. I know my place and I have no intention of being involved with you in any way, except being your Executive Assistant.”

This time, it was the Chairman who suddenly fell silent while his eyes started to squint slowly.