"Oh. Okay. If it's alright with you," I gave her a shy smile as she beamed at me. "Mr. Maxwell actually told me to ask you about work and schedule thing. I'm sorry if I'm going to be bothering you for a while until I get the hang of this," I continued.
"No. It's all right. You can ask me anything, dear," she offered cheerfully.
"Is Mr. Maxwell always this early?" I asked when I got comfortable with her warm personality. I have to admit that her smile got to me.
"Yes. He is always early for work," she replied softly as she stood up from her desk.
"Ally was right. The man doesn't sleep," I mumbled to myself as Maggie walked away from her desk.
She turned around from the cabinet and stood in front of her desk with an amused smirk. "True. I can confirm that," she stated with a wink.
I chuckled at her easy and carefree personality. I just met the woman yet I'm already starting to like her. But, how the hell can she be enthusiastic when she works for the most frustrating man in the world? I should stick to this woman and warm up to her before I can ask her the secret on working with Mr. Mogul.
Eleven
It didn't take long for me to get the information out of Mr. Mogul's sweet secretary. She was willing to give me tips on how to work for one of the richest men in the country. Maggie had an easy, carefree personality, which made it possible to approach her even if you're shy.
One of the tips she gave me was to be prepared. Well, that was obvious, but she was specific on what to prepare. She told me to always be updated on the company's daily progresses and reports, the stock market rates, and everything else. She also told me to be versatile since William made people do two things at the same time, especially during meetings. And, most importantly, don't talk when he is talking. It took a while for me to instill that in my head. My bluntness and opinionated nature was one of the reasons why he fired me from my other job. I had to adapt and change that if I wanted to survive this job.
By afternoon, I've learned almost every manner and reaction that I should expect from him, but I never got to test my newfound knowledge since William didn't return to the office. As the sky turned dark, it was time for me to go home. I sighed in relief that I made it through my first day of work without getting myself fired.
I said my farewell to Maggie when the clock on my desk turned seven-thirty. Even though work ends at six, all department heads and their respective secretaries were required to go home later than that to conduct last minute checkups.
When I arrived at the lobby, I was whistling because I was in a good mood for my successful first day. However, fate had a twisted sense of humor when it came to my life. Before I could reach the glass door, a familiar man in a grey suit was in front of me, blocking my exit. I looked up at him and was not surprised in the least. I knew who it was. I've been a good person, I've worked so hard, and I've never done anything evil today. So, why did my day have to end like this?
"Good evening, Mr. Maxwell," I greeted calmly before sidestepping past him.
"You're already going home?" he asked, stopping in his tracks as I passed by.
I turned back to look at him, keeping my cool in check. "Yes. My work is done for the day."
He looked at me dead in the eyes before raising an eyebrow. "Did you already file the reports for Alex's meeting tomorrow?" he asked.
"Yes. Maggie helped me with it. We are ready."
Do not let him tick you off, Andy. Don't let him. Don't let him-
"Did you know that Alex isn't going to be here the three months you would be working?" he asked after a short pause, but this time he said it in annoyance.
"Yes. I did," I replied, no longer in the mood to talk to him. "If we are done here, Mr. Maxwell, I need to go. I have some other place I need to be," I added as he continued to stare at me like a predator eyeing his prey.
"You do know you are going to be under my guidance since Alex isn't here, right?" he asked in a threatening tone as he ignored what I said.
I let out a huge breath, slightly aggravated by his words. From the way the end of his lips tugged into a small smirk, I knew this was the reaction he was trying to get out of me.
Screw it. I really couldn't hold it back anymore. The man was asking for it.
"You have no authority over me, Mr. Maxwell. Ms. Maxwell was the one who hired me. Thus, she is the one only one who can fire me. You may give me orders, but they will not be my top priority, especially when I'm at work. And in spite of everything, I really don't care whether or not you drop dead in front of me," I said with clenched teeth. I had no idea how I kept the formality in my voice because I was already past my boiling point.
"I see to what extent that hatred of yours can go. I'm glad I got to see the wicked side of you before things got out of hand for me," he hissed back, his voice low and muffled.
I wasn't thinking straight at that moment, so I made the smartest decision I had ever made since I met him. I walked away. For the first time, I walked away without having the last words. The thought alone knocked me off my feet.
But I still wanted to punch something.
As I rode the bus back to my apartment, I stopped by the grocery store to buy some food since my refrigerator was empty. After shopping for half an hour, I decided to walk the rest of the way home. Fifteen minutes later, I passed by a liquor store. I stopped by the window as I stared at the bottles in front of me for a second. The last time I drank was back at home, when my father's illness was still in its early stage and undiagnosed. Not over-thinking it, I went inside and bought a case of beer for later. I didn't want to think how much I really needed that drink tonight. When I got home, I placed my groceries in the fridge and snapped open one can of beer once I finished unpacking. I sat down in the living room, staring mindlessly at the dark room. I was too lazy to turn on the light (plus I was trying to conserve energy).
I drank the first can fast enough as if I were drinking water. The effect of the sudden buzz in my system made me remember how things were before. I lost my train of thought as I got to the fridge then brought the whole case with me to the living room. I sat back on the couch, this time turning on the television. I didn't know why I did it though, since I wasn't really watching it. Clearly, my mind was busy elsewhere. To distract myself from my thoughts, I listened to the soft murmur of the person talking on the screen.
I only realized that I fell asleep when a buzzing sound ripped throughout the silent room, jolting me awake. I slowly rolled myself onto my back only to fall down on the floor and land on my behind. I grunted in pain as I let out a strained breath and sat up. I lazily put my arm on the couch to search for the ringing phone. The ringtone was starting to annoy me as my head throbbed. My hand pushed away a can before it finally reached my purse. I grabbed it, brought it down on the floor with me, and was able to answer the call before it went to voice mail.
"What is it?" I asked in annoyance.
"Hey! To celebrate your first day, I must treat you out for a drink!" a deep man's voice shrieked through the other end of the phone, making me cringe. It was only Terry.
"I'm not in the mood, could you please shut up for a second!" I hissed.
"Andy? Are you okay? Are you drunk?" he asked.
"Yes, I'm okay now that I'm wasted … I don't even know why I'm wasted. God!" I replied grimly as I sat up and scanned the dark room. I felt muddled and disoriented as I tried to remember what I did. I couldn't even remember how I'd gotten back home. I let out a soft whimper as I slowly stood up, my knees slightly buckling from numbness.
"Hey. Are you okay? Do you want me to come over?" Terry asked, his voice filled with concern.
"I think I need help. I think I'm having a damn amnesia," I cursed as I rolled myself back to the couch, grunting slightly from the sudden movement.
"I didn't know you're rude when you're drunk," Terry chuckled.
"Get off the phone and get your ass over here. I need help!"
"Yes. Please keep yourself away from anything sharp or a phone. I don't want you cursing at other people."
"Wait. That is a good idea. I could call Mr. Mogul and say rude things to him," I suggested with an evil laugh.
"No! You don't want to do that at all... Now, stay!" he interjected, chuckling at first but then went back to being serious.
"Aye. Aye. Sir!" I gave a salute as Terry laughed and ended the call.
I lay there for as long as I can, suppressing the urge to call William at bay. I didn't want to regret my actions tomorrow morning, even though I was drunk enough to use that as an excuse.
It didn't take long for Terry to show up in my doorstep. I was so happy to see him that I literally jumped and wrapped my hands around his waist. He found my enthusiasm amusing as he half-carried me to my room. When he tucked me in bed, only taking off my shoes and blazer, it was the last thing I remembered for the rest of the night.