When Mr Lysander said i would get an unforgettable experience working on the executive floor he meant it.
The real shit began the next day, meeting after meeting, neverending phone calls and email correspondence, problems with the departments that didn't follow through with the deadlines, issues with the vendors who provided meals and beverages for the meetings and the list kept adding up.
It was like a deja Vu, only it was worse. After our last encounter, Mr Lysander and i haven't had a chance to have another social talk, he was either buring his face in his computer screen grunting and growling at someone on the phone or stuck in back to back appointments. We communicated through phone or email and that was good because his presence was still too intimidating for me, hell it's menacing now.
On top of that something inside my head keeps reminding me that im not off the hook yet, he knows about the ghost chilli incident but he hasn't used it against me, the suspense is killing me, I should have apologized in the first place.
Days go by faster than the speed of light and now I've been doing the executive assistant job for almost two weeks, did William mention the temporary position was for a week? a week my ass. Mr Lysander interviewed five candidates who has been through human resources screening but none of them gets hired, only heaven knows the reason. Maybe he forgets that there is a support system called training where employees can upgrade their skills, also i still don't get why he doesn't want a female assistant, it would have made the human resources job ten times easier to find Alex replacement. The waiting makes me anxious because i don't know how much longer i can keep up with this temporary task, this isn't the job for me I should have been on the fourth floor by now.
"You know I'm surprised that Mr Lysander chose a female temporary assistant" chirps Tanya who is now having Breakfast with me in the pantry, we rarely do this because of the workload that sometimes leaves us no choice but to eat at our table.
I raise my eyebrow while scooping my almost empty blueberry yogurt with a spoon "How so? Is he a gynophobia?"
"What phobia?"
"Fear of women"
"oh!" Tanya laughs at my reply "No hell no"
"Then why doesn't he want to have a female assistant?"
"Umm not sure" Tanya bites her lower lip while her eyes twinkle; the look a girl has when she's so close to spilling juicy gossip.
"Too bad I have been so curious about it" I pause my lips while counting inwardly one.. two.. three
"Rumor has it that he got involved with a female secretary who happened to be an assistant to the previous CEO Mr D. Lysander. Things got messy because apparently this girl was also seeing her CEO secretly at the same time! .Then the war began, there was even an office fight between the two because of the girl but we never knew what really actually happened, no one really witnessed the fight"
"Wait Mr D. Lysander is Mr Axton Lysander's father? "
" No" Tanya shakes her head " He is the big brother, Dickson Lysander. As you see Lysander corporation used to be a family business until it went public seven years ago, so when this company joined the Remington Group Mr D Lysander was the CEO replacing his sick father. But it didn't go well he wasn't capable of leading a company, one day he messed up big time and he was forced to step down "
" Oh "
" But we're glad that he stepped down, he isn't a nice man, true to his name Dickson he's a dick"
This is getting juicy,I glance at the clock above the pantry door indicating that i still have ten minutes more for office gossip. Turning around in my seat i face her again " What happened to the girl by the way?"
" Honestly I don't know I have never met her because it happened a few years back before i joined this company,I only heard she resigned after the big catastrophe in the office but Mr Axton was still seeing her for a while, seems like like he was so head over heels for her. After a while the girl was out of the radar,no one knew where she was or what happened to her, especially after Mr Axton Lysander took over the CEO seat ,no one dares to make a speculation about him and the secretary "
" I see " I glance at the camera on the corner of the ceiling " Is that camera on by the way? can it record what we're saying now?"
Tanya follows my eyes "Nah it can only see us no sound recorded besides no one checks our activity in the pantry unless the person has some weird kink"
"Tell me about it" I mumble at the camera surveillance one more time "so the current CEO position is being handed over to Mr Axton Lysander?"
Tanya wrinkles her nose " I don't believe so, Mr Axton Lysander got his position last year from the boards and shareholders votes. I believe they saw his good qualities,I mean look at him he's smart, strong driven, good business instinct and he's reflecting the ruthlessness of his late father, also he knows about the Lysander company from A to Z more than anyone else except Mr Tan "
" Oh ok"
" Hang on there girl, Mr Lysander can be demanding and insufferable sometimes but he's a good man "
" True he's insufferable, you know what I think both their names are cursed " I look around to make sure there's no one else in the pantry before leaning forward continuing with a low tone " If Mr D. Lysander is a dick,than Mr A. Lysander must be an ass "
Tanya who is drinking from her bottle almost spurs the water out of her mouth, she then throws her head backward cackling. " That's a rhyme, he's such an ass sometimes but if you know him closely he can be very nice "
" Well I haven't seen the sweet part of him yet " I put my dirty cutlery back in my breakfast box " And im not gonna wait around to witness it, because I'm going back to the fourth floor soon "
Tanya gather her stuff and bringing them to the sink "Have they found a replacement?"
"Not yet but today several candidates are set for an interview,I have a good feeling about this"
well to be truthful,I don't but a girl can hope can't she?
After pondering for days,I finally texted James and we agreed to meet for lunch which is today. He looked genuinely happy when we bumped into each other a couple of weeks ago, maybe just maybe it's time for us to put all the uni drama behind us,we are now adults and should be able to act civilly toward each other, and in all honesty I'm curious how he ended up in this city.
Suit 'N Beans is packed as always but luckily I can secure a spot for us. James suggested we have a proper lunch at the well known Mexican restaurant around the corner of the city but i refused the idea,I haven't seen him for more than eight years and I'm not sure i want to meet him in an exclusive place like that. A coffee shop feels more casual, lighter and easy to escape if things go awkward, luckily it doesn't.
The conversation flows easily like two good friends reuniting after being separated by fate, only we weren't just good friends and what separated us wasn't fate or maybe it was I'm still indecisive about this part. We keep the topic rolling around work, our new social circles or sometimes updates about our mutual friends from university.
Even after almost decade, James is still the same guy I knew back then, except for the lighter skin that looks like a line around his left ring finger
"So are you uh married?"
James glances at his own hand that has been resting on the table "Yeah" he reflexively withdraws his hand as if he wants to hide it from my sight.
I never expected he would stay single after he left but learning that he's married why im still single with no prospective boyfriend gives a quite a punch in the face,I heard people tend to compete with their exes life progress and now I know that is true.
"Oh wow congratulations! I didn't know,I mean you're not on Facebook or Instagram anymore so i didn't get the happy news at all "
" I know " James mumbles and smile " I don't think those activities on social media benefit my future or maybe i just don't have time for that "
" I would imagine so" I take a sip of my tiramisu flavored latte while my eyes still linger on his hand " Where is your wedding ring?" I know I sound like a curious cat but i just can't help it
" It's uh...I left it home " he answers with a dismissal tone,a sign he doesn't want to talk about it,I nod deciding to drop it, it's not my business anyway but I'm curious capital C curious, detaching my eyes from his finger,I stir my nearly empty drink.
" What about you? have you met someone special?"
I pause my lips " A few yes but none of them worked, you know how I am with relationships " I laugh trying to break the small tension between us
"Why don't i believe you?" he chuckles "You are great Emmie and still one and I don't think time will ever change that I'm sure whoever the guy is,he needs to work so hard to deserve you"
Then why did you leave? why didn't you want to be the guy who deserved me?
"Thanks" I mumble "So do you have kids?"
James shakes his head "Nope"
"Career first then family huh? still the ambitious James i know" I retort earning a smile from him not a heart warming smile but it's more of a 'no comment ' smile.
James was always a private guy,it was one of the reasons why we often had arguments when we were still together it seems like he hasn't changed by keeping his life hidden. On the other hand, what happened eight years ago has gradually changed me and forced me to be more careful in sharing information with others, people say sometimes we just need a hard smack in the face to learn and that's how i learn things in life well I have to for Khloe.
Right Khloe, James must have been under the impression I gave up my baby seven years ago,at least that's what he learned before he disappeared from my life.
There is a brief silence between us before i drop the bomb
"I kept the baby" I have no idea why I told him that but it's late to take it back.
James freezes it takes him several seconds to finally move again "I thought you would give it up for adoption"
I shake my head "I couldn't do it,I fell in love with my baby"
James rubs his face before running his fingers through his jet black hair "I'm uh...you...damn you have me speechless now Emm"
"I know it doesn't sound like me huh? I never wanted kids" a surge of warmth fills my heart when my heart jumps to Khloe "Now here I am I can't imagine how my life would be without her"
James lips curl up into a smile,a genuine smile "And a daughter! she must look alot like you;mini Emmie, how adorable"
Khloe pellucid green eyes and her wavy chestnut hair flashes in my mind
"You would be surprised".