FOUR
1315 Words
"You were told to prepare the meeting room? Isn't that a mistake by Mr. Charming Boss?" Ariel asked excitedly when I said I was going to the meeting room to ensure it was ready for use, check the cleanliness, and prepare the projector if needed later. If it's not tidy, I'll ask the clerk to clean it up first.
I shrugged.
"Is Maya really busy?"
"Not really, I did ask Maya after leaving the CEO's office. But Maya said she was actually quite relaxed today. Not much to do."
"Wow, that's a mystery!" Ariel squinted at me. "Have you ever made a mistake? Is the boss upset with you?"
I don't think I've made any mistakes since Eric became our boss. Only on his first day at work did I offer to have lunch with him. Since that day, I haven't dared to approach him again. Is Eric upset with me over what happened on his first day, and now he's getting back at me? But really? That was quite a while ago, almost a month ago. Besides, didn't Eric tell me not to mix personal matters with work?
"No way! I haven't even interacted with him."
"I'm confused. Suddenly, he asks you to organize, while his secretary is just sitting around."
"I don't know."
Before heading to the meeting room by the elevator, I asked Lily something that had been bothering me since I left Eric's office a few minutes ago.
"Ly?"
"What?" Lily asked without turning.
"Do you think there's anything wrong with what I'm wearing?"
Remembering Eric's words, I feel there's nothing wrong with my appearance. I'm used to going to the office wearing a shirt with a pencil skirt as the bottom or a dress layered with a collared outer. I rarely wear pants. This look also supports my role as a senior business development officer.
Lily turned and looked at my appearance from top to bottom.
"Nothing's wrong. You look great as always. Why do you ask?"
"Just asking." I grinned. "But Ly, have you ever been scolded by the boss?"
"Which boss?"
"Mr. Eric."
"Oh, Mr. Charming Boss. Never. Why? Did he scold you?"
"No."
So Eric only commented on my way of dressing, not Lily's. Even though Lily's look is much more 'wow' than mine. Her skirt sometimes goes several inches above the knee. She often wears sexy dresses that are not only above the knee but also have slits. I wonder if she's here to work or just to show off.
So far, there have been no reprimands from our previous CEO about what we wear to the office. What's important is that the work gets done smoothly, professionally, and with a good attitude. Lily often dresses sexily to the office, but she once said that her intention was not to seduce men. She just feels happy with what she's wearing.
***
Mr. Hendry met a client not far from the office, so he could be at the office before 10 AM.
This is the second time I've attended a meeting with Eric this month since he became the new CEO. The first was a meeting with all divisions, though only a few key people were present. Each division was represented by three people. From my division, I attended with Mr. Hendry and Lily. That meeting was also the moment Eric personally introduced himself. Of course, all the women present in the room were captivated by his looks and charisma.
"We should have meetings with the boss like this more often. It's some nice eye candy," said Ariel, who was sitting right next to me.
I rolled my eyes.
Eric cleared his throat from the end of the table, his eyes sharply directed at me. Just for a moment, then he turned his gaze elsewhere.
"Oh my God, An, he just looked at me! I'm not dreaming, am I?" Ariel gently shook my arm.
"We're in a meeting, Ariel. We're in a meeting," I reminded her without looking at her.
Ariel is the noisiest in our division. She's the most excited when it comes to Eric. Not that the others aren't, everyone is. But Ariel is the worst. Her confidence isn't much different from Lily's. It's just that Lily wins because she's prettier than Ariel. Ariel looks ordinary, but is helped by a touch of makeup.
The meeting started with Eric asking Mr. Hendry about our division's performance and the marketing plan, followed by a discussion on the target market we use.
Mr. Hendry opened a slide presentation about the marketing plan and explained it in detail to Eric. Eric seemed to nod in understanding, occasionally asking questions that Mr. Hendry answered smoothly. Our division head, who is also the marketing manager, is indeed smart. At 35 years old, Mr. Hendry is agile in various situations. I often meet clients with him. I've learned a lot from him over time. He's the type of leader who isn't stingy with knowledge and is also known for being friendly. He's also an idol to many women. Unfortunately, he already has a wife and a child.
Eric and all of us applauded after Mr. Hendry finished his presentation.
"I trust Mr. Hendry. There's no doubt about his quality," Eric praised. "But, can I ask one of your subordinates to present, like you did, the marketing plan just now? I also want to know how your team convinces clients out there."
"Oh, of course, you can, Sir," Mr. Hendry quickly replied. Then he turned to me. "Anita, why don't you give it a try!"
"M...me, Sir?"
"Yes."
I suddenly got nervous. I'm used to speaking at length in front of clients, presenting a proposal, and so on. But, in front of Eric? Can I do it? Just seeing his intense gaze, I immediately felt intimidated.
Despite my doubts, I stood up anyway after connecting the slide presentation on my laptop to the projector.
"Anita is the best from our team, Sir," said Mr. Hendry to Eric.
"Oh, really? I'm curious to see how she presents."
Even though I was a bit nervous at first, I was grateful for smoothly explaining each slide of the presentation projected on the screen. I was able to answer several questions from Eric well. However, at the end of the presentation, there was a question from Eric that was a bit challenging for me. I was still able to answer it, but a bit hesitantly.
I could clearly see the disdainful look Eric shot my way. As if mocking me for not being worthy of Mr. Hendry's praise.
"How was it, Sir?" Mr. Hendry asked Eric after I sat back down.
"Not bad, but it could use some improvement for the future." Eric turned to me. "Did you make those slides yourself?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Overall, the content of your presentation is good. But I think the slide design isn't appealing. You weren't very creative with the background and some of the designs."
"I apologize, Sir. I'll improve it later."
Eric gave a cynical smile. "Have you ever used this for a client presentation?"
I nodded.
"Embarrassing," he mocked, leaving everyone there surprised by Eric's words.
I tried to hold back from crying in this place. I'm pretty sensitive and easily moved to tears when something makes me sad.
"The important thing is, the content is good, right, Sir? And I can also convince clients to be interested in joining us." I dared to respond.
"Maybe the clients are interested not because of your presentation, but because of your looks."
Oh God. Why is Eric being so harsh? He never used to say things like that.
Eric gave my appearance another once-over. What does he mean?
I feel like I don't recognize this Eric. Where did the old Eric go?
What made Eric turn so cold and seem arrogant to me?
- Writer
