f**king s**t."
I stumble back from the shed impact, my chest and and stomach start burning up. The first thing I do is pull my soaked shirt away from me body, the white shirt now brown and some steam floating above it.
"Follando idiota, tienes la camisa empapada. ¿Es tan difícil ver a dónde vas? ¡Ahora tengo una reunión en una hora y mi camisa está empapada por ti! Jesucristo, mocosos ricos." I snap angrily, I shrug off my surprisingly clean blazer and hold it my hand still staring at the mess on me.
*F**king idiot, you got my shirt soaked up. Is it so hard to watch where you' re going?! Now I have a meeting in an hour and my shirt is soaked because of you! Jesus Christ, rich brats.*
The guy remains quiet, "You know what? Next time why don't you watch where you're f**king going? Is that too hard?" I snap walking around him.
As I do that I catch a whiff of his cologne, it's far much enticing than the elevator guy's one. It's a mixture of many things, a hint of smoke, expensive whiskey, after-shave, apples and surprisingly actual cologne.
I don't even bother looking back at the guy, or asking about his suit because my mind is no clouded by anger. Although a bigger part of me is telling me to apologize if I smell him later.
My notes are soaked, my shirt is soaked, nothing could get worse than this. I look around the area I'm in, to my far right is what looks like the waiting area, not many people are there. Two or three max.
I look at my watch, I have about fifty minutes or less to figure out my situation. I scan the area for a bathroom, up ahead is a bathroom with a little pink sign on it.
I hurry towards it, as I get in; I toss my mush notes in the bin and place my bag on the counter ruffling inside it.
"Come on Julia, you can't tell me that today of all days you didn't pack extra clothing," I mutter to myself, when no sign of fabric appears I sigh banging my fist against the counter.
I take out my phone and speed dial Lia, she answers at the third ring. "Interviews over already?"
I sigh, "I wish, I ran into an accident. Please tell me you're home," I plead examining my shirt in the mirror.
The silence from her side confirms my thoughts, "what happened?"
"Some douche spilled black coffee on me, I need a new shirt." I mumble running my hand through my hair.
"Really? I thought I packed one in there? That's very unlike me, you know I'm always prepared for emergencies. Ros-"
"I know, and it's not your fault. But is it possible for you to get me a new one?" I ask hesitantly
She stays quiet for a minute, "I'm sorry Amor, I'm on my way to Soho to meet with a sponsor, I can't maybe Jul can help you?"
I sigh shaking my head, Julio is attending some conference and I don't want to bother him. "you know what? It's fine. I'll make a plan," I decide.
I can hear the apology in her voice, "I'm sorry, but I know you'll do great. Good luck, you might just need it."
I answer with a 'thanks' and end the call, going through my bag I take the cookies and cream Lindt chocolate and rip off the cardboard. At this point I don't care I'm in a bathroom, I need all the luck I can get right now.
After munching on one or two blocks, I put it away and unbutton my shirt, leaving me in a black lace bra.
I place the blazer back on and close it, examine myself in the mirror; I frown. It covers my belly button down, but upwards it shows everything, nothing is left to the imagination.
For the next few minutes I play around with what I could do, I tried pinning but that didn't work. I tried with some tape, nothing either.
I tap my nails on the marble counter, everything of mine is spread out on it. Reminding me that I have to sanitize it all, later on.
My bandana reflects onto the marble, I look at it for a minute before unwrapping it from the bag handle.
I unfold it and hold it against my skin, an idea pops into my mind. I lock the door just in case, even though it's a little bit too late for that.
From below my belly button to above my besties is how long the bandana is, when I hold it tightly against my skin, my bra is a bit visible but only if you look hard enough.
Remembering that blazer, buttoned close, covers my belly button down. I decide to fold three out of five of the bandana in, when like that the upper part is darker and the lower part darker.
I hold the fabric against me, the darker part hides my bra a bit better and the lighter part hides the extra skin.
I look at my body sideways, the cloth go all the way close to my bra, so I could pin them together so that it doesn't fall.
I grab one of my many bobby pins and poke it through the cloth and my bra, after a lot more pinning I'm sure that it won't fall down. Even if I just ruined my bra and bandana for this, I don't care.
I do the same for the other side and soon the bandana is acting like a shirt for me, it sits well at my chest and doesn't ruin my outfit.
I place the blazer on and it's not bad, not good but not bad. I glance at my watch and realise that I spent most of my hour in here, quickly packing up my stuff I glance at my outfit one last time and walk out to the waiting area.
Here goes nothing.
*~*~*~*
"Rosaleigh Clarkson?" The rough, hoarse voice disrupts my mental repititon of my notes, I get up from the uncomfortable sofa and into the office.
It's dark, as in dark dark, the only source of light comes from the halfway closed blinds. But what hits me the most is the strong scent wafting around the room, it's got me frozen in my spot.
Oh no.
If I'd known my chances depend on him, I wouldn't have snapped at him. Actually I shouldn't have snapped at him either way, with shaky legs I walk to the seat in ront of the large desk and sit down.
I can feel a pair of eyes on me, no I think that's what I'm staring at right now. They are glaring back at my nervous ones, like if I coukd just die right here and now, I would've solved sixty of their problems.
"I apologize for my reaction earlier." I blurt out suddenly, the eyes narrow just the slightest at me.
"Too late to apologize Signora Clarkson." He says, I nod my head slightly.
"I understand but I am still sorry." I reply softly, my heart beat increases when he ignores me and starts shuffling through my papers.
"Tell me about yourself Signora."
"I am a hardworking individual, trust worthy, a quick thinker, good organizer, I have adequate communication skills and people skis along with good negotiation skills.
I have a bachelor's degree in business, two years experience as a receptionist and five and a half years as a personal assistant for the CEO of a good company." I smile slightly.
Al he does is hum, hum, not even a nice little comment. No a hum, that hum doesn't make me feel any better than I was before. I'm already as nervous.
"Why do you want to leave your current job?"
I suck in a soft breath, "Well Mr Grey, I quit my job around three months ago because I was tired of my boss pimping me off to some of his major clients to get contracts." He is silent for a few seconds.
"Why do you want this job?"
"I want this job because I am tired of being unemployed, I would like to get more experience in business and because I need the money." I admit, his eyes still glaring at mine.
He straightens his already perfect posture, "Last question. Why don't you have a spare shirt Signora Clarkson? Preparation is needed here." I blush in embarrassment, I didn't think he'd notice in this darkness.
"Honestly speaking Mr Grey, I thought I'd packed extra until I was in need of one My fault really." I explain.
He says nothing...for the next five minutes he's silent. No sound except the sound of pen against paper, only when the door behind me bursts open and a little girl comes running in squealing does he make a sound.
The little girl jumps into Mr Grey's arms, I almost get scared for her until she yells 'Daddy!' hugging him tightly.
I sit there shocked, Xander Grey has a baby girl? Unknown to the public or am I just behind? "I think you might want to close your mouth." The same deep strong voice from the elevator speaks up behind me.
I close my mouth and look up at him, "Nicholas Rimini," he introduces. I look back into his blue eyes, still enticed.
"Vice President of Grey Enterprises. Rosaleigh Clarkson." I take his hand in mine, instead of a firm shake he brings the hand to his lips leaving a warm buzzing kiss.
I blush slightly pulling back my hand, "My personal assistant," my...boss? Says behind me.
My heart leaps out of its place, I smile brightly turning back to him. "Thank you so much Mr Grey, you won't regret this."
The little girl in his arms looks at me with curiosity, she can't be any older than five. I go down slightly, "hi I'm Rosaleigh but you can call me Leigh, what's your name?" I ask softly.
I've always had a soft spot for babies, considering that I have five other siblings, it's a shocker.
Honestly she is so frickin' cute, red hair, freckles across the bridge of her nose and cheeks, cute red almost pouting lips and hazel-ish eyes just like her father. The only thing she's gotten from him actually.
"Noelle but daddy calls me Nono," she smiles, I smile back at her.
"My mother's name was Noelle, she was just as beautiful as you, but of course you're prettier." I compliment, her chubby cheeks turn a pink shade then she frowns.
"Is your mommy dead? Don't worry my mommy is-"
"I suggest you go on your lunch break now, I need you back by twelve on the dot. Don't be late, come by the sixty second floor." I nod checking my watch. Twenty-five minute break.
I look back at the small girl, "It was nice meeting you princess, have a magical day." I wink sitting up, acknowledging the two males. I leave for my sudden lunch break.
*~*~*~*
The first person I call is Julia to let her know I got the job but the call goes to voicemail. My finger hovers over Julio's name, after two minutes of hesitation I finally press the number.
Same Lia's it goes to voicemail, "Hey it's Julio, I'm busy right now so please leave a message."
"Uhm, hey. I just wanted to tell you that you were right. I...got the job. Yeah, I'll see you when I get home." I end the call.
"You don't sound as happy as you were inside." My heart skips a scared beat, I look up at Mr Rimini.
"No, I am." I smile, he looks at the empty seat across me so I nod for him to sit.
"I see you aren't that busy so I was wondering if I could give you the tour of the company?" I nod, considering that I've been sitting in this cafe for the last ten minutes and all I've had was a cup of coffee.
"I thought a VP like you could be too busy to show the new girl around." I joke as he opens the door for me.
"I am, it's just I know Xander and he wouldn't bother sending someone to help you which is part of the reason why his personal assistants never last."
For the next ten minutes he shows me the places I will need to know the most, with five minutes left he shows me my office, which is just across my boss's on the very last floor.
"There is a phone in the bottom left drawer, it has all the major contacts you'll need. Just fill in your email account and you'll be set. Everything has already been prepared for you." Mr Rimini explains, I smile at him.
"Thank you sir," he nods before disappearing out of my door. My office door.
At my last job I had a small little table in the same room as my boss for five perverted years. A shudder runs down my spine, to get my mind off that I open up the computer and set everything up.
When twelve hits I walk across the hall to Mr Grey and knock on his door. "Come in!" His reply comes, I enter.
The office is still as dark, "Signora Clarkson, in the corner there's two drawers. Set everything in alphabetical order from oldest to newest, anything before 2014 send it to archives on the second floor."
"Yes sir," I manage to spot the drawers through the darkness but it isn't as easy sorting everything out when you can't see.
All the files are spread out on the floor, I stand up and head to his desk, "Mr Grey?" Silence.
"Would you mind if I opened the blinds or switched on the lights?" The lamp on his table lights up, along with the ceiling lights.
With the lights on I catch a better live view of my boss, I suck in a soft breath that doesn't go unnoticed.
The cameras give him no justice, our eyes connect.
A warm dark chocolate brown yet they couldn't get any colder, "When you are done there, set up a meeting with Jonathan Bates." He commands before going back to his scribbling.
"Y-yes sir." I stutter going back to the pile of files on the floor, taking off my shoes I go down on my knees and start working. Out of the corner of my eyes I catch my boss put on some glasses, distracting me for a minute.
*~*~*~*
I stretch my aching back, three hours on the floor sorting out a pile of unorganised file is worse than sorting out the library back in highschool detention, at least back then I had someone to talk to.
I look at my always scribbling boss, of all the two hours I've been on this floor he's only ever scribbled notes, not one sound nor any small movements.
I put my shoes back on and grab half of the large pile of archives, "Signora Clarkson?"
I look back at my employer, "Yes sir?"
"Come back with a cup of black coffee." He commands, no please?
I sigh, "yes sir." Before heading down to the second floor I pass by my office, open up the bottom left drawer and grab the work phone I was graced with.
An iPhone13 pro.
I take a minute to admire the expensive phone in my hand, it's a beauty compared to my Samsung Galaxy S4.
Before anything else, a.k.a the camera quality, I go through the set in contacts and find Jonathan Bates number. I call him on the office phone and set up a meeting with him for eight o'clock tomorrow.
After the second round from up and down the second floor I find myself in my boss's office once more.
"I need you to set up an appointment with my tailor for this Wednesday, assist the event organizer with the Grey Gala, draw up a speech for me; main concepts being expanding the company, financial state, more success and so on.
Set out interviews for a new financial advisor, and set up a private dinner date with Killigan tomorrow when I'm available." I take down the last of my notes then look up at my employer confused.
"Sir, isn't the Grey Gala, four months from now?" I ask, I don't have to look him in the eye to know that he's staring daggers at me.
"Precisely, now Friday we are flying to Spain, have your documents ready." He announces, my heart stops right then and there.
A part of me is screaming and squealing, jumping up and down in excitement but another part of me is nervous about it being the first time I'd be flying out.
"I-I don't have a passport." I speak up, he looks at me. Correction he glares at me, a glare that should leave me buried six feet under.
"Just be ready." I quickly nod my head and get out of there before I freeze to death.
*~*~*~*
I've set up the dinner date with Killigan tomorrow, arranged the fitting with the tailor, asked someone to create a website for the new of a new financial advisor, the meeting being next Friday when the day doesn't seem very busy.
Now I'm working on a speech that is due four months from now, and it's horrible. I know nothing about the financial state of the business, which I assume is already beyond comparison and the expanding part-
The telephone rings; cutting my thoughts out, I pick it up. "My office now!"
My eyes involuntarily widen at his tone my heart rate increasing by a million beats per second, not even six hours spent here and I can feel that I'm going to be fired.
Shuffling on my feet I hurry across the hall to my boss, "yes sir?" I ask immediately, I can feel him standing right besides me.
I look up at him, he roughly shuts the drawer close the sound echoing through the room. "I asked for this to be sorted from newest to oldest not the other way around! Do you have a hearing problem?! And where is the file I asked you to leave out?!"
I frown slightly a bit confused, "Sir I don't remember you asking for any file and I clear-" the look on his face makes me shut up, well the same look he's had the whole time I've seen him. Heck his face didn't even change when he daughter jumped into his arms.
I sigh, "I apologize My Grey, and if you wouldn't mind telling me. Which file is it that you are looking for?" I ask as politely as I can.
"Talaki file." My eye slightly twitches, a 2014 file. I smile slightly, what's another thirty minutes on the floor? "Yes sir."
*~*~*~*
"Here is the Talaki file, Killigan has agreed to meet you tomorrow at seven thirty, and your tailor will see you Wednesday at nine in the morning." I ramble handing my boss his needed file.
He simply hums and places it on his desk, "If you don't mind me asking, until when are we staying in Spain?"
"Next Wednesday so reschedule any meetings till after then." I nod my head about to exit the room, "Signora Clarkson?"
I hum raising an eyebrow at him, "You may leave after rescheduling, it's getting late."
I glance at my watch, it's nearly seven, my eyes widen a fraction. So much time has passed already? Although most may disagree with me, I take Mr Grey an inch nicer than my old boss who kept me at work for no absolute reason.
"Thank you sir," I exit the room and head to my office where it takes me another hour of calling and rescheduling the meetings that were set between the period we'd be gone for.
At quarter to eight, I find myself nearly dozing off in the desk but the beloved telephone rings, waking my senses up. I pick it up, yawning silently.
"Be here by seven am tomorrow, that's all for today." I nod my head like he could see me before answering a 'yes'.
I grab my phones, stuff them in my bag along with my heels and switch off my light before leaving my office. As I look around, every light is off except for the faint light in Mr Grey's office, so I pass by him to bid him a good night.
When I enter, the room is just as dark as I first walked in except for the small lit lamp, but what shocks me is that my boss isn't working like was for the past eight hours. He's gone.
Not gone gone but passed out on the couch, eyes closed. I walk silently closer to him, he looks so peaceful compared to his hateful face. I grab the blanket next to him and throw it over him, "good night s-"
"Yo Grey!" I jump slightly and rush to the door to shut the person up, Mr Rimini stick his head through the door, I motion for him to keep quiet.
Boss or not, sleep is important, something I should be getting right now. I grab my bag from the floor and lock the door from the inside.
"He's sleeping," I tell Mr Rimini, he smiles a dimpled smile. He is way less intense than when I first so him in the elevator.
"Finally, he's been up for the last three days." He explains, my eyes widen, I remember reading somewhere that he was an insomniac but I didn't think it was real.
"He developed it when he was sixteen," he informs me as we get in the elevator.
"What happens if he just passes out in a meeting?"
"You move on with the meeting, it doesn't happen often so if he does pass out at work just reschedule anything you think you can't handle or you call me. You are actually the first assistant to see him like that,"
This is something I would've liked to know in the beginning.
The elevator dings, as we stop at the first floor, I smile at my other employer. "Goodnight Mr Rimini," he stops me by grabbing my elbow.
"It's eight at night, do you really think I'm going to let you catch a cab at this time in LA?"
"It's fine really, it shouldn't be too hard." He shakes his head muttering some things under his breath.
"I insist," we get back in the elevator and go to the underground parking. He leads me to a matt black Porche, I gape at the car.
Mr Rimini closes my mouth, and chuckles. "I know," he answers for me, we get into the car and speed out into the semi busy LA streets.
In under fifteen minutes we arrive, the lights to the apartment are off meaning they're either asleep or not home yet.
"Here we are, thank you for the ride Mr Rimini." I get out of the car and say good night to him.
When I unlock the door, I first notice Julio sitting on the couch. I lock the door behind me and go sit next to him.
"How was your first day of work?" He asks, I sigh taking off my shoes and jacket leaving me in my make belief shirt.
He looks at me weirdly, "I'm not gonna ask."
"It was, long, tiring and-" grlsigrhilggglirl
"Hungry day?" He laughs, I nod my head. "There's pizza in the fridge, we were hoping to celebrate with you but you never answered our calls,"
"I'm so sorry, I would've made a plan to come home earlier." He smiles at me pulling me into a one arm hug.
"It's okay, we're just happy for you. Goodnight," he kisses my head before leaving me alone to eat cold pizza and watch one episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S alone.