"Oh no, what have I done?" Venus gasped as she stepped out of the CEO's office, her heels clicking softly against the sleek tiled floor of the 11th-floor hallway.
Her heart was racing, her chest rising and falling like she'd just run a marathon.
She pushed open the door to her office at the far end of the floor and closed it gently behind her. Then, placing her hand on her chest, she exhaled deeply.
"I have been flirting with my boss without even knowing," she muttered to herself, eyes wide with a mix of amusement and panic. "Will this not land me in serious trouble?"
Venus shook her head, still in disbelief. She let out a chuckle at her own foolishness. Her office was modest but warm, just like her.
There were potted plants on the windowsill, sticky notes on the wall, and her favourite quote framed on her desk: "Stay rooted, but reach for the skies."
She grabbed her phone and immediately dialled her grandmother.
"Grandma?" she said, pacing the room.
"Yes, sweetheart? Is everything okay?"
"You won't believe what I'm about to tell you," Venus said, rubbing her temples. "The gas station man—the one I flirted with without knowing—and the man I met at the bar when I went to celebrate are the same person."
"And guess what, Grandma? He's also my boss. The CEO. Raymond Copeland himself."
There was a beat of silence before her grandmother burst into hearty laughter.
"My darling girl! You always find a way to make life interesting."
Venus laughed nervously. "Grandma, am I in trouble? I mean, I even told with him about bringing him home to meet you—and testing your stew."
"Oh, that? I already told him that when you're tipsy, you talk without thinking. He laughed and said he'd keep that in mind."
"What?! You told him that? Grandma!"
"He was polite. Calm. And his voice is nice. I liked him already."
"I even promised him I'd name my first baby after him. Grandma, can you imagine?" she said, holding her forehead and laughing quietly.
Her grandmother laughed on the other end. "You? Venus? Talking babies already? You must really like this man."
"I was just joking with him, so that he can help me out, and to think that he even remember".
Venus covered her face with her hand and whispered, "Oh Lord, what have I done?"
Her grandmother chuckled again. "Then start picking baby names, my dear."
Venus could only bury her face in her hands.
Venus was still on the call with her grandmother, giggling and blushing at the same time.
Just then, the door to her office flew open.
Rose Williams walked in without knocking, holding a slim notepad, her eyes cold as ever.
Venus's smile faded. She quickly said into the phone, "Grandma, I'll call you back," and ended the call.
She stood straight, looked at Rose with calm confidence, then said firmly, "Please go outside and knock."
Rose blinked. "Excuse me?"
Venus pointed towards the door. "You heard me. Kindly go back out and knock. It's called manners."
Rose looked like she'd swallowed a lemon. Her jaw tightened. "Do you know who I am?"
Venus didn't flinch. She reached for her staff ID on the table, lifted it, and smiled. "Yes, I do. And I also know who I am. A full staff of Raymond & Co." She winked. "Welcome to my office."
Rose stood there for a moment, stunned.
"I'll wait," Venus said with a polite tone, folding her arms.
With a sharp scoff, Rose turned on her heel and walked out. But instead of knocking, she stomped off towards the CEO's office.
At the CEO's office, Rose barged in like she always did. Raymond Copeland looked up from his desk, his brows slightly raised.
"She's not even on her seat!" Rose said.
Raymond paused. "Venus?"
"Yes. She was on a personal call, lounging like she's on holiday. That's not how we run things here," Rose added, clearly upset.
Raymond didn't respond immediately. Instead, he reached for the intercom. With a single dial, the phone on Venus's desk rang.
It rang once.
Venus picked up immediately. "Marketing manager, Venus speaking."
Raymond smiled faintly. "Just checking if you're at your desk."
"Yes, sir. I'm about to go meet my team now," she replied.
"Perfect timing," Raymond said, then ended the call.
He turned to Rose. "So… what happened exactly?"
Rose hesitated. "I… I entered her office without knocking."
"And?"
"She asked me to go out and knock," Rose said in a low tone, almost like it hurt to say.
Raymond leant back in his chair, smiling slightly. "Wasn't that the right thing to do?"
Rose's eyes widened. "But… I'm your PA!"
"And she's my staff. A respected one. The door swings both ways," Raymond said with a calm but firm voice. "Go back and do as she asked."
Rose clenched her teeth but didn't argue. "Understood."
Rose Williams stormed into her office, heels clicking furiously against the floor. Her sleek black bob swung with every step as she slammed her notepad onto her desk.
Tony, the young IT guy with curly hair, stylish glasses, said "Code Mode: On", looked up from where he was fixing a network cable near the corner.
He blinked. "Whoa. Rough meeting?"
Rose crossed her arms and stared out the window, fuming.
"That lady… Venus, or whatever her name is—she's rude," Rose snapped. "Can you imagine? She told me to go out and knock! Me!"
Tony stood slowly, brushing his hands on his jeans. "Wait, what? You just… walked into her office?"
"I always walk into offices!" Rose shot back. "Especially when it's someone I don't rate."
Tony raised his eyebrows. "Rose… she's the Marketing Manager. And it's her first day. Maybe you go easy on her?"
Rose scoffed. "Easy? No way. I will tame her. That attitude won't last."
Tony scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "Look, it's too early to be mad at someone who just resumed today. Don't scare her off. Maybe she didn't mean it the way you took it."
"She meant it," Rose hissed. "With a badge and a smile too. I've worked here for five years, and no one has ever asked me to knock."
Tony gave a half-smile. "Maybe it's time someone did."
Rose shot him a glare.
Tony raised his hands in defence. "Hey, I'm just saying. Respect goes both ways. She might surprise you."
"She already has," Rose muttered under her breath, picking up a file. "But let's see how long her pride lasts."
Tony watched her as she walked towards the door again. "Just be careful, Rose. Mr. Copeland clearly likes her."
Rose didn't answer. She opened the door, gave Tony a tight-lipped smile, and left the office without a word.
Tony sighed, shaking his head. "This office is about to get interesting."
Back at Venus's office a few minutes later, there was a soft knock at the door.
Venus looked up from her screen, smiled knowingly, and said, "Now, that's more like it. Come in."
Rose opened the door slowly, clearly struggling to keep her pride intact. "I just came to drop this," she said, placing a file on the table.
Venus nodded politely. "Thank you. Have a great day."
Rose didn't reply. She turned and left, her heels clicking loudly on the polished floor.
Venus exhaled and whispered to herself, "And so it begins."