"Derek…I…" Nick stuttered, the coffee in his hand shaking and sloshing.
The man in the black suit was staring at Nick again. It was for only a second that he had looked at Alisa but she still felt weak in the knees. Her mind suddenly pointed out to her how strong his hands looked and how broad his shoulders were and she wanted to mentally slap herself.
"I must say Nick, I was slightly worried about you leaving but now I am sure excited for a fresh change." He said with a smile so cocky and dangerous that even Alisa began to worry about Nick. "Have you found us a new secretary yet?" He continued as he ran his fingers through his messy hair which messed it up even more but somehow managed to come out looking even better.
"Not yet, sir. So many applicants are leaving by themselves when they hear about…about the job." Nick said as apologetically as he possibly could. Alisa's mind sparked at that. A job vacancy? She had promised herself that she wouldn't be a secretary anymore but for the sake of her sick mother, she was ready to do even that. Moreover, a secretary job in this nice office probably wouldn't be so bad. 'Right?' She thought.
"Am I supposed to search for a candidate myself? You can do at least one thing right before leaving can't you?"
"Yes, sir. I'll get right to it…"
"I can do this job well!" Alisa yelped suddenly in a loud voice. She wanted to curse herself for yelling in such a way which caused both Nick and Derek to shift their focus to her in an instant. Nick's lips were agape and his eyes were wide as if to say, 'Shut up!'
Derek, on the other hand, tilted his head to consider her. He looked at her face as if reading her mind but Alisa felt as if he were raking his eyes all over her body. She cleared her throat to diffuse the tension.
"I meant that, if you are yet to find a secretary, maybe I can apply for it."
Nick snapped his head towards her and Derek before raising his hand. "I apologise, sir. She shouldn't have spoken so rudely…I'll make sure to show her the exit."
Derek yawned with his hand over his mouth before speaking, completely dismissing what Nick had just said, "Can you sit for an interview now, uh?"
"Alisa Goldfield and yes! I'll be at your office in five." She confirmed with a nod. Her mind sang with thrill. This was a job she knew everything about and was sure her skills were impressive. Normally the very thought of an interview made her nervous but sitting in an office with Derek alone, made every fibre of her being burn with excitement.
Derek exited with a curt nod too leaving in his wake an awkward silence filled with Nick sighing loudly. He turned to look at her, his expression wasn't angry but rather quite amused.
"I hope for my sake that you do end up getting the job. I can't wait to be out of here." He gave a dry chuckle.
"But why are you leaving? Does he hate you that much?"
"He hates everyone, Alisa. If I were you, I'd steer clear of this godforsaken company. I cannot believe I spent five years of my life slaving here and this is how my boss reacts when I am about to leave…"
"Yeah…I'll decide after the interview I guess. I just…really need a job for now."
"His office is down the hall and to the right. The biggest door that you'll see. Best of luck!" Nick gave her a sad smile and then trotted back down the hall, relieved to get away.
Alisa took a deep breath and steadied her gaze. 'It's just an interview, no need to worry.' She firmly told herself but despite herself she knew it wouldn't be easy. She imagined looking straight into Derek's steely eyes and a shudder passed down her spine. Her feet set off towards the path Nick had pointed towards and before long she stood before a big yet simple mahogany door. She knocked on the door, two swift raps, and the same intoxicating voice answered from within, "Come in."
She opened the door and stepped inside. The office was very spacious and relatively simple. Derek had a nice polished desk with a state of the art desktop perched on top. On the opposite side, the wall showed off a floor to ceiling glass window. They were so high up that most of the view was hidden by fog. The far corner of the office had a beautiful set of couches big enough to be beds.
Derek sat comfortably in his chair as he studied Alisa again before saying, "Have a seat, Miss Goldfield."
She sat down as instructed, not being able to take her eyes off him even though she was scared.
"Why do you want this job?" His breath smelled like chocolate and oranges, she noted dully.
"I have been a secretary for the most part of my adult life. That was the first job I got and I only just left it last year. It was Pine Grove Real Estate company. I know I have what it takes to do this job well." She answered honestly. Something about the thought of lying to Derek didn't sit right with her.
"This job would be rather different from any other you have had. My brothers can be rather tough to handle and I have been known as a sort of…demanding boss, if I do say so myself."
'Brothers?' Alisa wondered quietly. Was she supposed to manage more than two cocky, angry CEOs all at once? What did she get herself into?
To her relief, Derek began explaining himself without her asking. Maybe he could read her mind after all.
"Adam is the eldest. Even though he is the most level-headed of us three, he can be rather stubborn. Our younger brother, Kai, is a conniving little sneak though. A messy womaniser and a terrible productivity. Eitherways, those two will require most of your help. As for me, you have to deliver my papers each day and stay away from my office and we'll be fine." He said in a matter-of-fact way. She remembered with a pang that she had already caught a glimpse of Kai earlier, the Chinese man with the pretty lady in his office.
"Does this mean I got the job?" Alisa asked, incredulously. Her heart wouldn't stop racing. Three CEOs, one worse than the other. She had no idea what it would be like, but a tiny part of her wanted to give it a fair shot.
"Give her the job, Der. I like her." Came a light, almost buttery, voice from the door. A man stood there, leaning against the doorframe, with a soft smile on his lips. He wore a simple white shirt rolled up to his elbows and a pair of tight, black jeans. Alisa's eyes were drawn to the splash of blue paint that was on the side of his neck. His eyes were honey brown and his black hair was piled neatly to one side.
"Right on time, Adam. Meet our new secretary, Alisa Goldfield." Derek spoke, clearing his throat. He didn't look particularly pleased at his brother's arrival, almost annoyed at being interrupted.
Alisa swung her neck, looking between Derek and Adam. She didn't know whether she should smile with joy or run away as fast as she could. Sitting in the middle of these two gentlemen sent a tingle down her spine. She could feel them staring at her like ice cubes on her skin. Adam walked towards her and pulled up a chair beside her. When he sat, his knees grazed against her thigh. She wasn't so sure if that was an accident though.
"Hi, Alisa. I am Adam. I can't tell you how excited I am to work with you." He spoke lightly but still his voice was clear and musical. He placed a large warm hand on top of hers, only for a brief second before withdrawing it but that very moment was enough to make her feel as if she were on fire.
"Hey, I am happy to be here too." Alisa managed to say despite her racing mind.
"Okay so, Miss Goldfield, you can start from tomorrow." Derek said and motioned at the door. Catching the hint, she stood up in a hurry but the edge of her mini skirt got caught on the armrest of her chair. Derek immediately extended his hand but Adam got to it first, unhooking the cloth and placing it down against her leg.
"Uh…thank you, sir." She stuttered.
"Not sir. Adam will do just fine."
When Alisa had left the room and closed the door behind her, Derek chuckled mockingly.
"She just joined us. Must you flirt with her so much given that she hasn't even started yet?"
Adam rubbed a finger under his chin, "Let's just say that it is a very refreshing change after five years of staring at old Nick's face. Can I really be blamed? The girl's smoking hot."