Meeting Mr. Mogul(16)

Alexandra was quick on her feet and allowed William to take the  company's position as CEO under her guidance. William took it as an  opportunity and strived hard to prove something to someone who was  already dead. Although he was known for his rude and unapproachable  aura, he was still famous with the ladies. Since he had the name, the  money, and the face, no one with tits could resist his charm. He was  also known as a player who only sleeps with women rather than get into a  relationship with them. The last relationship he had was in college to a  now-famous supermodel.

I absorbed the information Ally told me about the man who might have my  life crushed with one phone call. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I  thought of some defense so he couldn't hurt me, but I found none. The  man owned more than half of the city's businesses and real estate  properties, with local and international branches. He was the worst kind  of enemy. And I had the worst kind of luck. I just had to be one of the  few people that could piss him off.

I sighed in defeat when Ally finished. I was definitely screwed. I  didn't know how to face him on my first day at work. I could only pray  that I don't cross paths with him at all …  But then I remembered  something that made me want to jump off a bridge: since Alexandra's  office is right beside his, then my desk was located right outside of  it!

After finishing our drinks and bagels, we headed back to our apartment  and said our goodbyes. I quickly locked the door and headed towards the  bedroom. I plopped onto the bed and curled into a ball, not bothering to  change into my pajamas. I sighed hopelessly and thought, ‘How the hell  was I going to deal with Mr. Mogul?!'

The next day, I woke up with a bit of a headache. I didn't mind the pain  and rolled out of bed. When I finished taking a bath and dressed in my  usual outfit, I skipped breakfast and went to the hospital right away.

One of the perks of my new place was the short bus ride to and from the  hospital my father stayed in, which helped me save time. As I got there,  he had just finished eating his breakfast. He was shocked to see me  this early. I started telling him about what happened yesterday after he  put away his dish. I skipped the part when Mr. Famous and Serious took  me home. I don't know why I skipped that, but I felt like I had to.

By lunch, I'd already covered most of the details, even having coffee  with Ally. My father's eyebrows scrunched together when I started  telling him about William Maxwell. I mentally smirked at his reaction.  Maybe it was a response to the way I was narrating the story, but what  can I say? A person can only tell a story from their point of view.

When afternoon came, Terry visited with Andrew. It was the first time my  father met Terry's boyfriend. He wasn't judgmental and was very  carefree the entire time they stayed for a chat. I also told them about  my night at the most talked about party. Andrew was taken aback when he  knew I was going to work for Alexandra Maxwell. He almost lost his  ability to breathe from the shock. He started questioning me about  everything. I got uncomfortable at one point, which made Terry cut him  off and lie smoothly about leaving for work early. In reply, I smiled to  him in thanks.

I left a few minutes after Terry left because my father insisted that I  head home. I didn't want to go since I wouldn't be seeing him until the  next weekend. My new job was quite time consuming. I'm not complaining,  though, since I had a higher paying salary and a free apartment. Money  can sometimes change the way you think.

Monday arrived and I reluctantly got up from bed at five thirty in the  morning. I may be a morning person, but five thirty is just too early  for anyone to be up. However, I wanted to get to work before it started.  I needed to be ahead of his game or he'll take advantage of me again. I  can't allow him to weaken my resolve.   





 

Once I finished showering, I stood in front of the closet to decide what  I was going to wear. I found at least ten different kinds of skirt and  pantsuits, all lined up neatly. I haven't really checked it since all my  clothes fit in one drawer beside my bed. I'm surprised Alexandra  included clothes along with all the free stuff she had given me.

With careful hands, I caressed the soft fabric of each suit and felt its  silky texture under my fingertips. I couldn't help the huge grin  creeping on my lips. For a few minutes, I stood there, contemplating on  what to wear for my first day at work. I couldn't look too uptight or  too sexy. I just needed a balance of the two to look killer. As the  saying goes, you have to look the part to play the part.

I grabbed the grey pantsuit and the satin emerald blouse to go  underneath it. I stood in front of the full-length mirror beside the  drawer as I assessed my appearance. I picked a pair of black, closed  wedge shoes that came with the suits (there were five pairs of black and  brown pumps and wedge heels). For a second, I was stunned by my  reflection. The last time I wore something this formal was for my mock  job interview in college. Even during my real job interview, I never  looked this sophisticated.

Then, I fixed my face and hair. I couldn't do much to them since I  didn't own any cosmetic products, except for a blow drier and the face  powder that I had already applied. I left my hair messy, wavy, and  undone. With a final glance at the mirror, I tore my eyes away from my  reflection and walked out of the apartment. I didn't want to linger any  longer since it would only heighten my uneasiness.

Maxwell Enterprises was located on the first avenue in the heart of the  city, a one-bus ride from my apartment. The building was on the same  street as the real estate offices, telecommunication buildings, hotels,  and other top-notch businesses. When the bus stopped just a few blocks  away from the building, I absent-mindedly walked towards it with wide  eyes. I noticed some people were giving me strange looks. They must have  thought I was a tourist, especially with how mesmerized I was by the  beauty of the buildings.

The main Maxwell building was made of tinted glass and thick steel, and  it towered at almost fifty floors. The high glass walls created an  illusion of vastness and space, making the lobby appear even larger. On  the far right corner were couches filled with people wearing suits.  There was also an identical set of couches on the left side. I was so  overwhelmed with my surroundings that I didn't notice someone walking in  front of me. Like hitting a wall, I staggered backwards from the force.  But I didn't fall down flat on the floor because an arm wrapped around  my waist.

"Watch where you're going," a deep voice, with a British accent, hissed.

I looked up, stunned to hear the familiar tone.

"You've got to be kidding me," I mumbled in frustration.

"Pardon me?" William asked, then looked at me pointedly. He realized  that it was me, and in effect, his eyes hardened and his jaw clenched.

"Ms. Peterson. You're late," he stated after a few seconds of glaring at each other.

"What do you mean late?" I glanced down on my second-hand watch. "It's  still seven forty five in the morning!" I retorted angrily.

His eyes hardened from my little outburst. I stiffened at his reaction and mentally cursed myself for losing composure.

"Secretaries are asked to come an hour before work starts. I thought  Alex already briefed you on that," he stated in reply, his voice low  from his obvious restraint.

I took a deep breath, calming myself down just like he did. "I'm sorry,  Mr. Maxwell. Ms. Maxwell hasn't briefed me about the office hours. I  will come early tomorrow."

"Good," he nodded and stepped away from me. "Get up to the top floor and  ask Maggie to help you out with the schedule and the reports to be  filed," he added as he walked away from me towards the exit.

Before I could ask him anything, he was already out of the door and  towards a waiting black SUV. I watched as the car drove away on the busy  street. With a frustrated sigh, I walked up to the reception desk in  the lobby, asked which floor Alexandra's office was located, and told  her who I was with my head slightly bowed down in embarrassment. She  gave me an I.D. pass since everything had a computerized access key.   





 

I finally reached the office after making a few wrong turns and was  greeted by a huge open space with two opposite desks on the far corner  of the room. A dark-haired woman with fair skin, wearing a white printed  shirt and black skirt, occupied one of the desks. She was talking to  someone on the phone.

I silently made my way towards the desk opposite hers, which I guessed  was mine. She looked up when she saw me and gave me a warm smile. I  smiled back in reply before taking a seat on my new desk. When she  finished her call, I stood up from my chair to introduce myself.

"Hi. I'm Andy, Ms. Maxwell's new assistant. You must be... Maggie."

She took my hand and gave it a little shake before she replied. "It's  Margarette. Mr. Maxwell is the one who calls me that. But if you prefer,  you can also call me Maggie."