The First Day
1361 Words
My phone rang at exactly 8:17 the next morning.
I stared at the unfamiliar number for a second before answering.
“Hello?”
“Good morning. May I speak with Miss Anna Carter?”
“This is she.”
“This is Olivia from Allen Holdings. I’m calling to inform you that Mr. Allen was impressed with your interview yesterday.”
My heart skipped.
“We’d like to officially offer you the position of personal secretary, effective immediately.”
For a moment, I forgot how to speak.
“…Miss Carter?”
“Oh! Yes. Sorry.”
I sat up so fast I nearly dropped my phone.
“I’d love to accept.”
“Wonderful. Please report to the office by nine o’clock tomorrow morning. HR will take care of the necessary paperwork before introducing you to your department.”
“I’ll be there.”
“We look forward to working with you.”
The call ended.
I stared at my phone.
Then I screamed.
“I GOT THE JOB!”
The bedroom door flew open.
Jayden stood there wearing one sock, holding a slice of toast.
“What died?”
“I got the job!”
He blinked.
“…Wait.”
I nodded so hard my neck almost gave up on me.
“I got the job!”
He dropped the toast onto my bed without even noticing.
“I knew it!”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I absolutely did.”
“You literally told me the CEO had the personality of an unpaid electricity bill.”
“I said what I said.”
I laughed.
“But apparently the electricity bill likes you.”
I threw a pillow at him.
He caught it effortlessly.
“So…” he grinned.
“…does this mean you’ll finally stop complaining about being unemployed?”
“I complained twice.”
“In one hour.”
“I was stressed.”
“You were dramatic.”
“I learned from you.”
He placed a hand over his heart.
“I’m so proud.”
⸻
The next morning…
I spent twenty minutes deciding between two identical blazers.
One looked slightly more confident.
The other looked slightly less likely to attract coffee stains.
I eventually chose the first one.
Today was my first day at Allen Holdings.
There would be no second chance at making a first impression.
Again.
The subway ride felt shorter than usual.
Probably because I spent the entire journey reminding myself not to embarrass myself in front of Mr. Allen.
Again.
When I walked through the revolving doors, the receptionist from yesterday recognized me immediately.
“Good morning, Miss Carter.”
“Good morning.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
She handed me a temporary access card.
“HR is expecting you.”
An hour later, I’d signed enough paperwork to last a lifetime.
Tax forms.
Employment forms.
Confidentiality agreements.
By the time everything was finished, my wrist hurt from writing my own name.
The HR manager smiled.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
She led me toward the executive floor.
The elevator doors opened.
Unlike the rest of the building, this floor was almost silent.
Everyone moved with quiet confidence.
Nobody seemed interested in unnecessary conversations.
I suddenly became aware of how loudly my heels clicked against the polished floor.
“This is your desk.”
The HR manager stopped outside a large office with black double doors.
My desk sat directly opposite it.
Simple.
Modern.
Organized.
“Mr. Allen’s office is right there.”
As if I hadn’t noticed.
“He prefers punctuality, honesty, and initiative.”
I nodded carefully, mentally repeating every word.
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
She smiled before leaving.
Just like that…
I was alone.
Well…
Almost.
“You’re the new secretary.”
I turned.
The man walking toward me looked familiar.
Dark hair.
Friendly smile.
Then it clicked.
“Joe?”
He laughed.
“So you do remember me.”
“You were in the waiting area yesterday.”
“Guilty.”
“It’s nice to see a familiar face.”
“You too.”
He glanced toward Mr. Allen’s office before lowering his voice.
“So…”
I frowned.
“So?”
“How exactly did you survive the interview?”
“I answered his questions.”
Joe stared at me.
“No emotional breakdown?”
“No.”
“No crying?”
I laughed.
“No.”
“No resignation letter prepared in advance?”
I shook my head.
“Should I have one?”
He smiled.
“I like you already.”
Before I could reply, the office door opened.
Every conversation on the floor stopped.
Mr. Allen stepped outside.
He wasn’t carrying a laptop.
Or a file.
Just a cup of black coffee.
Several employees greeted him as he walked past.
“Good morning, Mr. Allen.”
He acknowledged them with a nod.
Then his eyes met mine.
For the briefest second…
Everything else seemed to disappear.
“Good morning, Miss Carter.”
“Good morning, Mr. Allen.”
His gaze lingered just long enough for me to notice it.
Again.
There it was.
That strange look.
Like he knew something I didn’t.
He looked away first.
“My office.”
I followed him inside.
The office looked exactly as I remembered.
Bookshelves.
The incredible view.
The oak desk.
Everything somehow looked even bigger in daylight.
“Please, sit.”
I did.
He folded his hands together.
“I don’t believe in lengthy welcome speeches.”
Something told me that wasn’t surprising.
“So I’ll keep this simple.”
I smiled slightly.
“Your job is to make mine easier.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“I know you will.”
The confidence in his voice caught me off guard.
Not I hope you will.
Not We’ll see.
I know you will.
Almost as though…
He already believed in me.
“You’ll make mistakes.”
I nodded.
“I probably will.”
“I expect you to.”
I blinked.
That sounded familiar.
“The important thing is that you learn from them.”
Something about the way he said it made me relax.
Maybe I’d been wrong about him.
Maybe everyone had.
He wasn’t cold.
He was…
Reserved.
“There are only two things I don’t tolerate.”
I straightened automatically.
“Dishonesty.”
I nodded.
“And disloyalty.”
His expression never changed.
But somehow those two words carried more weight than everything else he’d said.
“I understand.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then…
“Welcome to Allen Holdings, Miss Carter.”
This time…
He smiled first.
It wasn’t much.
Just enough to soften the sharp edges of his face.
I found myself smiling back before I could stop myself.
“Thank you, Mr. Allen.”
As I reached the door, his phone rang.
“I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”
He nodded without looking away from the caller ID.
“You may go.”
I stepped into the hallway.
The door hadn’t fully closed before I heard his voice.
“What is it, Adam?”
A pause.
“No.”
Another.
“I saw her.”
My hand froze on the doorknob.
Her?
“I know.”
Silence.
Then…
“I’m certain.”
Every instinct told me to keep walking.
So why couldn’t I?
“I don’t care how impossible it sounds.”
His voice had dropped almost to a whisper.
“It’s her.”
I quickly pulled my hand away from the door and hurried back to my desk before anyone caught me standing there.
A few seconds later, Mr. Allen’s office door opened.
He walked out as though nothing had happened.
Our eyes met briefly.
I forced myself to smile.
He nodded once before disappearing down the hallway.
I slowly sat back in my chair.
Maybe I was imagining things.
Maybe I was reading too much into a private phone call.
But one thought refused to leave my mind.
Why did I have the strange feeling…
…that when Mr. Allen said, “It’s her,”
- Writer
