My Way Back to you

Hailey's POV It's another busy day at work for me. Quite typical for a magazine company I work for. A photoshoot has been going on at one of the biggest hotels in New York and I've been running around all day! The only good thing about this day is the weather since it's spring time and I wouldn't be sweating as much as I was supposed to. Being an assistant editor can be so exhausting. Just like how Andy hustles in The Devil wears Prada movie which is one of my favourite. I can totally relate to that movie. It can be totally demanding too. But don't get me wrong I do enjoy my job. I get compensated well enough and I get to travel too. It's just that my boss can turn into a slave driver from time to time and my colleagues often refer to her as crazy and a pain in the ass but I already got passed through that. Although people might disagree but she can be kind and generous too. As soon as I got to the shoot's location I was bombarded by some staff trying to get things sorted out. I just took a deep breath. "Here it goes." I thought to myself.  I walked to our fashion assistant which happens to be my good friend Mandy and I asked, "What's up?" looking at my watch I continued, "Why aren't we starting?" Mandy rolled her eyes,"What do you expect from a diva? She's been making lots of demands and she wants to change the male model too! What a total b***h that one!" "What?!" shocked was beyond me. We're supposed to start at 9AM today and its already 8:30 in the morning. Where on earth am I going to find a replacement? I called Alice right away. It took a while before she finally picks up and when she did I knew she had just woken up. "Hello." she picked up lazily. "Good morning Miss Alice Scott. My name's Hailey Enriquez from Empower magazine." I wasn't allowed to finish and she responded right away. "I told you people that I am not working with that asshole! If you can't find someone else then forget about it!" she replied. "Okay." I said. Keeping myself calm, collected and as patient as possible. "Do you have anyone in mind?" I asked.  "Sean O'Pry? Lucky Blue Smith?"  she stated. I can hear her voice getting excited. And I just rolled my eyes. "Honey you aren't that famous enough to be in the same shoot as them." I thought to myself. But of course I couldn't say any of those. I wouldn't want to cause any further troubles and delays. We're already behind with the said schedule. "Oh! How about Brad Thompson? He's really hot." she said quickly. "Alright, we'll contact him. What time should we expect you to come?" I asked. "In about an hour" she said. "Alright then. See you in an hour." I answered and ended the call. After that I called Brad Thompson's agent. Good thing that he was free and had agreed to the said shoot. I started checking everything from the wardrobe even up to the smallest details needed. Making sure that all's set and ready.  45-minutes later and Brad has arrived. He seemed quite friendly and professional to me. I approached him right away.  "Good morning Mr. Thompson. My name's Hailey." I greeted. "Hi. You can call me Brad. Are you the one who called my agent?" He asked. "Yes. And thank you for coming despite the short notice. We really appreciate it." I said smiling. "A man's got to make a living." He responded with a smile. "Great. Well if there's anything you need feel free to ask me or our assistants." pointing to the sideline where some of our assistants were busy preparing. "We'll be happy to assist you with your needs. And thank you again for coming." I said and offered him to shake my hand which he gladly take. I looked at my watch again and it's already 10:15 in the morning but still no sign of Alice. People are starting to get impatient. I went to Brad to asked if he needed anything and he just give me a knowing smile and said that everything's good. He really seemed nice. By 10:45 the door opened and Alice entered, "Hello people! Sorry for being late." she said smiling looking unapologetic. She sat on her chair and motioned with her hands to the make up stylist. I nodded my head to the staff and they started working on her.  After checking on Brad I approached Mandy. "Everything okay?" she asked with a hint of distaste in her voice. She's asking me the question but her gaze went past me. I looked at where she's staring and it was Alice. "Yeah. Finally I'm seeing progress." I answered while I checked my phone. "The witch must be on your ass." She said while looking at me as I check through my phone's messages. I looked up and she's giving me a knowing look. "Where is she anyway?" "She called me early this morning and told me to come here and supervise. I think she's having a meeting with the president as we speak." I answered. I heard Mandy sigh. She had this dreamy look on her face after I've given her a response. I couldn't blame her. Our company's president, Luke Harris is one of the sought after bachelor in New York City. I've seen the man many times before and he is smart, handsome and charismatic. After three hours of having the delay finally the shoot started. I can see that Alice is enjoying herself. Smiling from ear to ear and being all flirtatious and seductive. Brad doesn't seem to mind and worked with her professionally. I felt Mandy nudging me on the side. "I think she already has her claws on him." she said. "Well, she's very attractive. Any man with eyes can see that." I said as I looked at both of them.  Then suddenly Brad glance at us and smiled. I smiled back politely. I felt Mandy nudging me on the side again. A bit stronger this time that made me look at her. Eyes questioning "What?" I asked. "My oh my! What was that about?" she asked in a high pitched tone that caught other people's attention even Alice and scowled at us. "Quiet it down a little will you? I whispered. She gave me a silly smile instead. "What's that smile for? You look silly." She grinned bigger this time. I rolled my eyes at her. "The glance? The smile exchange?" she stated. "I don't know what you're talking about. He smiled and I just smiled back to be polite." "Uh-uh!" she answered and then laugh. "You're crazy." was the only response I could think of. "Hailey it's okay you know. Eyeing and flirting with men isn't a sin." she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm not flirting with him. I just wanted to be polite. He took the job on a short notice. I just feel grateful towards him. He saved our day." I stated. "Alright. Relax! Breath! I'm just saying you know. Try to be open for other options instead of playing the waiting game with... What's his name again?" she asked. "Tristan." I answered right away without even thinking. "Yeah, that Tristan guy. You've been waiting for a long time girl. You have to make a move. A man like that won't stay single for too long." she said and I just sighed and checked on my phone for any messages but there's none. "Do you want me to set you up on a date? But wait, I don't think we have to look that far. Brad here looks interested."  Alice and Brad looked at our way again. Brad looked amused while Alice looked pissed. "What are you girls? 12?" she yelled. I apologised right away and walked away. Mandy being her persistent self followed me. "Girl, I am serious. You want me to set you up on a date?"  I looked at her and she looked serious this time. I just shake my head. "How old are you?" "Twenty three." I said. "How many guys have you dated?" she asked. I looked at her and as if she's in deep thoughts. "One." I stated. "Just one?!" disbelief was written all over her face.  "I can't believe this! How far did you two go?" she continuously ask. "Not far enough. I was in high school and you know I just want to try it out. He's a nice guy." I said. "A nice guy..." she turned her head to me quickly and asked, "Wait. You are not a virgin, are you?!" I feel my face heating up so I just looked away and find something else to do. "Wait, you are! she shrieked. I covered her mouth right away to muffle the sound. She tap my hand and I remove it right away.  "You don't have to announce that to every people in this room." I whispered. "So how far did you guys go? First base? Second? Did you even give the guy a blowjob?" she fires her question all at the same time. I'm starting to feel exasperated now. This isn't the proper place to talk about my life and experiences. "No." was the only response I've given her.  "Whoa! We have a serious matter here. We need to work on that. You definitely have to start DATING for real." she said matter of factly. I just sighed. What a way to start my day I thought to myself. Mandy and I have been friends since I started working for the magazine. And she's a really nice woman. Always perky with a great sense of humor but she can really be a handful at times. She looked at me as if I am some kind of an alien, "You really are the epitome of a modern virgin Mary. You're kind to everyone, you great almost everyone at work even the security and maintenance staff. You even know their names! And to be working under the great shark Allyson Morgan I must sign you up for the next saint. Hold up, are you catholic or christian?" I inhaled deeply to calm myself up. PATIENCE, I reminded myself. "Catholic." I pause before I continue on further. "Look Mandy, I really appreciate your concern about my love life or s*x life for that matter but this isn't the time and place to talk about that. And to be honest, I don't have the time to date right now. You know how demanding Ally can get." She looked at me knowingly and apologised. I thought things will end at that but she fired away again. "Is it really about the job or is it about that Tristan guy. You know I get it, I've seen the man a couple of times and boy! He's a catch. With that face and body I'll totally dig him! So I understand why you are so in love with him." My thoughts slipped and I suddenly find myself thinking about Tristan.  I met him when me and my mom moved to New York, I was fourteen then. Both our moms work as a seamstress. I was waiting for my mom and he showed up.  I was waiting outside the building, sitting on a bench. I saw him walking and like those commercial you see on tv everything seemed to be in a slow motion. The sun was about to set and some streaks of light touched his hair. It made his face glow a little.  He walked past me and I can't help following his direction. He stopped at the door, saw him talking to the security guard and he entered. I felt my heart bit so fast. A couple of minutes later he walked out with his mom and my mom.  My mom, Ysabel introduced me to them. "Helen, this is my daughter Hailey." "Hello ma'am" I said with a small smile that I can master.  "Oh! It's very nice meeting you dear. I heard so much about you. You look lovelier in person" Helen reached out to me and gave me a hug. "By the way this is my son Tristan." "Hi. It's nice to meet you Hailey." he said as he extended his hand to me. I looked at it for a while my heart felt like it's going to jump out of my chest. He looked at his extended hand and I accepted it right away. "Likewise" was all the response that I came up with before I let go of his hand. "Why don't you join us for dinner?" Helen suggested. My mom was hesitant but Helen kept on insisting. We ended up in their home and later on met her husband Frank who was a police lieutenant. Like Helen he's also kind. Love is evident within the household which made me a little envious. And though Tristan was four years older than I am, I was smitten by him. And since he is also an only child and his mom crave for a daughter she would often invite me to their home. My mom also trust him and he was welcome to hang out from time to time. We became friends and he sometimes showed up in school just to pick me up. He was the captain of their football team and a quarterback which made him famous among girls. He is not only good looking but also smart. I often watched his games together with my best friend Blaire. I cheered for him like I'm his own private cheerleader.  I used to be a part time waitress at a diner and he would sometimes show up with his teammates. When he wasn't busy we would sometimes hang out and watch movies together. Like his dad it was his dream to be a police officer so I cried my eyes out when he decided to train after graduating from the university in Georgia.  After finishing with his training he chose to work in California. And just came to visit his parents during the holidays.  "Hello?? Are you even listening?" Mandy brought me back from my trip down to memory lane. I just missed him so bad. It is going to be his birthday soon and I'm looking forward to see him for he usually comes home to celebrate with his family. "Sorry. I was thinking about some of the things that I need to do this afternoon." I lied. I looked at my watch and it is past lunch time. "I'm hungry. I think we should take a break. Do you want to go out and eat?" I changed the topic.  "Thanks for the offer but I've been eating a lot lately and I need to watch my diet." I looked at her and trying to search for any clues wherein she gained weight and I see nothing. "You look perfectly fine." "I have a date tonight" she winked at me. That figures. "Alright... I'll be going then. I have to go back to the office anyway. If there's any more trouble call me right away." "Yes ma'am!" Was her response and I just rolled my eyes at her and she laughed in return.  I coordinated with our staff to see if there's any food available for everyone. After I checked everything, I left some last minute instructions to the other staff. I then informed Mandy I was leaving and she just dismissed me by waving her hand. I head out of the hall and to the elevator. As an assistant editor I have to constantly checked on my phone for any messages and answer them as soon as I can. It's always been my dream to be a writer but I pushed it aside when I got hired as an editor's assistant.  Working with Ally helped me oversee things within the company and how it operates. It also allowed me to meet various people that I didn't think I'll get the chance to meet. It was difficult at first since I'm a beginner and some people think I didn't deserve the position I was hired into but Ally saw my potential. She's been training me ever since and I'm grateful for the opportunity. She's stern but very focus. She knows what stories will sell and what not. I've been waiting for an elevator for a while now when my phone starts ringing. I looked at the screen and saw Ally's name. I took a deep breath before answering. And when one elevator door opens I hurriedly get in. "Miss I..." I heard the man inside the elevator say but I cut him off right away and said, "Lobby please.Thank you" I'm really tired and it's only half of my day. I started listening to the person on the other line as she fires away her questions. "How's the shoot going?" she asked sternly. "Well we started late but things have been sorted out already. Alice demanded to change the male model for some reasons. Luckily, we found a replacement based on her list of request if you want me to put it that way. It's past lunch time so I told them to take a break." My head starts to ache I proceed to massage my temple to ease my discomfort. "That b***h! I knew she would cause trouble! Of all the models out there why does it have to be her?!" she shouts. I had to distance myself from my phone a bit until her voice softens a little.  "Well apparently she has tons of followers on social media. And the client wants her to endorse the product,. What can we do?" I said closing my eyes. I started to massage my head again and breath deeply. "Who's the replacement?" she asked. "Brad Thompson." I replied shortly. "I consulted with the client first and negotiated  with the contract and he showed up." "Why do we have to change the male model to begin with?" her voice sounded really annoyed. "Well, from what I've heard they had a thing..." searching for the right words I stopped. I don't want to sound inappropriate when there are other people around listening to our conversation. "When you say "a thing", you mean they were f*****g behind stage. I wonder why they turned sour. Maybe he lacks in the eating department or she sucks pretty bad." she replied with a hint of intrigue in her voice "Ally!" I shrieked! Feeling her cheeks getting red. I can feel that the other people in the elevator were staring at me.  "Ehem"  I heard someone made a sound.  "I have to go. See you at the office." I said abruptly before ending the call. This is the side of my boss that other people don't get to see. Her quirky sides sometimes gets me off rail. Feeling extremely embarrassed and not knowing what exactly to do I slowly turn around. "I'm sorry. It was my boss and she was asking for some updates" I started saying. "I didn't know that employees can talk to their boss that way. If I was your boss I'll fire you." the man from behind me stated. I looked at him and was stunned. He had a serious look on his face. He looks enigmatic and I feel like I'm being caught in a trance. I felt like time had stopped. He's gorgeous. I often cross paths with male models but this man made me ran out of words to describe him. I just kept staring. "In other countries, it is considered impolite to stare."  He then took his hands out from his pocket and put them across his chest. He looks intimidating and bored when his eyes finally met mine.  "I've got to get a hold of myself. I must be going crazy." I thought but I can't seem to look away. He is like a magnet. I wasn't even aware that the door had finally opened until he said, "Aren't you getting off? his voice sounded irritated. I felt like a bucket full of ice washed over me. I shook my head and I was back to reality. "Ahh yes, sorry."was all that I can say before walking away as quickly as possible. Begging for the ground to open up and swallow me alive! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Seth's POV Today isn't such a good day. Workers in one of the malls I own were out on the streets protesting. Whoever causes this mess will be dealt with accordingly. I was in a hurry together with James my assistant when the elevator halts and opens. A woman gets in right away, her phones ringing. I looked at James impatiently. "Good Lord can't I have a moment of silence"I thought. He looks at me apologetically and started to say,"Miss I..." but he was cut off right away. "Lobby please. Thank you." she said without looking. She took a deep breathe before answering her phone. He then looks back at me again and I just raised one finger to silence him. I started observing the woman in front of me. She looks and sounds tired. It isn't exactly in my nature to be kind when I'm having a bad day. I am ruthless most of the time but I'll just let her pass. Just because we're both having a bad day I presume. I was trying to keep my mind free but I can hear her conversation. It's not like I'm invading anyone's privacy when the information was being given to me for free. I can see her reflection through the door. And based on the way she talks I know that she's the passive type. She has blonde hair and is wearing eyeglasses. She's wearing a black turtleneck topped with a khaki cardigan, a pair of jeans and sneakers. And surprisingly, she's barely had anything on her face except for her lips.  I wonder if they were natural. I give her a quick once over. She's cute I'd give her. I looked away but she suddenly shriek making me look at her reflection again. And I saw her face turn red. She looked flustered at something she had heard. James couldn't helped making a sound and that made her to immediately end the call. And I can't help but smile. Her back went stiff. She looks like she doesn't know what to do.  She turned around slowly and said, "I'm sorry. It was my boss and she was asking for some updates"  Feeling a bit amused I couldn't help myself and respond, "I didn't know that employees can talk to their boss that way. If I was your boss I'll fire you."  Before she can even look my way I was back to my normal expression. She looks at James first apologetically and then to me. And then she just kept on staring. I'm used to being looked at but as I stared back at those gorgeous big green eyes. I got lost for a moment. She looks at me as if she was seeing right through me.  I was taken a back for a moment. I felt like drowning looking into her eyes. I frowned. I don't have any time for this. I felt uncomfortable so take my hands out of my pocket and put it across my chest. "In other countries, it is considered impolite to stare." I stated but she didn't move, she looked deep in thoughts. The door opened but she still didn't move. I started to feel impatient. Time is ticking and I don't have anymore time to spare. "Aren't you getting off?" I asked irritated. I know I sounded like a jerk but I didn't care for she made me feel uneasy. She then responded and quickly moves out without looking back. "You scared that one right away." James quipped my executive assistant. "I didn't even have to try."I responded and he just laughed it off. "I think we have to find you a diversion after dealing with this. Aren't you going to Paris?" he asked as we got off the elevator.  "I have to sort this thing out first, make sure that this won't happen again." I suddenly thought about Sophia, my girlfriend. We've been together for five years now and I've thought about marriage and she is definitely the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. She knows me better than anyone else. But she's currently based in France working as an artist. She's been away for more than a year and having this long distance relationship can be really tough. I want her to stay beside me.  "By the way your grandmother called. She asking when will you be free to visit her."  "I'll call her myself after we settle this matter." It's been months since I've last seen her. She must be getting bored I thought. As we got to the basement Simon, my driver was already waiting. "Good day sir." Simon greeted. "We have a long day ahead. Bear with me" I stated. He nodded right away. He's been with me for almost 10 years now so he knows how grumpy I can be from time to time. He opened the door to my SUV and closed it after I got in. "Any updates? I asked James since he's been checking on his phone for a while now. "Well they are demanding for less workload since they are not being compensated enough and the benefits that they are supposed to get are not being met by the management." he responded. "How is that even possible?" I retorted. He then proceeded to show me a clip of a news report being held outside the mall. "What the hell! Call the management. I want every department and all reports ready by the time I arrived!" I said furiously. A halt in operation would cost me thousands of dollars if not millions. I have to solve this right away. Those responsible for this will be definitely be dealt with. I'll fire them if needed. I won't stand incompetence within my company! "Got it sir. It's going to be a long day." he said as I put on my sunglasses before looking out the window. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Author's Note: Hello guys! I wrote this story in late 2019 but I work got me so busy and I totally forgot about this one. So today I've made some revisions and I hope you like it. I'm not a professional writer so expect grammatical errors here and there. I'd appreciate it if you would like and leave a comment. Let me know what you think. Thank you and see you in the next episodes!