One hour before Nikki’s arrival.

 Mikhail was busily assessing the business reports he had on-hand when his phone suddenly began to ring. “Hello?”

 “Are you busy at the moment?” says a man’s voice.

“I have been going over a couple of reports that need my immediate attention so to answer your question, yes I am quite busy at the moment,” says Mikhail in an irritated tone.

“I’m truly sorry to interrupt your work but I need you to pick up someone arriving at the airport in an hour. I would have asked Muriel to pick her up but he’s currently on a business trip. Would you please pick her up within an hour?” says the man.

What you really meant was to drop everything I’m doing and get my ass to the airport pronto. “Yes, that would be no problem. May I have the name of the person that I need to pick up?”

He heard a chuckle before the man responded, “Thank you Mikhail, I knew I could count on you. Her name is Nikki Bickmore. She’s to be the new personal assistant.”

“The new … WHAT?!!!!,” but before Mikhail could rant and rave the man had cut the line knowing that Mikhail was just at the start of his rant.

Just great!!!! A new personal assistant just after I’ve gotten rid of the last one. His mind suddenly drifted to Susan who closely worked with him just last month. He was in-love with her, or at least he thought he was until she broke his heart. He was blindsided by her beauty that he didn’t see the fakeness of her smile and how she was just leading him on, despite the warnings from his well-meaning friends. He found her in a very compromising position with one of the bodyguards but he couldn’t just let her go since her assistance was needed in closing several major business deals. After all, Susan was great in meeting deadlines and “stuff”. Apparently, that wasn’t what she was only great at.

Mikhail shook his head and decided to work just a little bit more since he had enough time to finish one or two reports before fetching the new girl at the airport. He was so engrossed in his work that he was surprised when someone knocked.

Great, what now?

“Come in!”

“Pardon my intrusion Mikhail but will you and the new P.A. be dining here or elsewhere?” asks Pierre.

Mikhail was completely absorbed in the reports that he looked at Pierre dumbfounded before he began to remember that he had to go to the airport to fetch the new P.A. He quickly glanced at the clock displayed just behind Pierre and realized that he must have been more concentrated on his work than he thought.

“She’ll be having dinner in the kitchen but I’ll just have a sandwich and a cup of coffee when I get back.”

“Okay, so shall I assume by the look that you’ve just given me and your quick glance at the clock behind me that you haven’t picked her up from the airport yet?” He could see a smirk on Pierre’s face.

Shaking his head, he responded, “Yes, you assumed correctly.” And here I thought he didn’t notice me looking at the dang clock!

“Mikhail! It’s been, what, 2-3 hours since you were supposed to pick her up? I’m sure the poor thing is having a fit of apoplexy at the airport by now.”

Mikhail just chuckled while standing up to retrieve his jacket from the coat hanger. “Only you would still use the word “apoplexy” at this day and age Pierre. Don’t worry I’m going to the airport right now. Just make sure her dinner’s ready when we get back.”

“Yes Sir!” replied Pierre along with a salute.

“Ha ha ha, that’s very funny, Pierre. I swear if you weren’t the best cook this side of the continent, you would have been long gone from this place.”

“I beg your pardon! I am...The…Best…Cook. Period. Plus, that’s not what you keep me here for, remember? But enough about me and my wonderful cooking, you seriously need to go.”

“I’m going!!!”

“And you better not pull off the well-renowned Mr. Grumpy mode again!”

Mikhail didn’t respond but simply walked away with a smile.

At The Airport

Mikhail’s mind was still on the reports that he had to get done that he was on auto-pilot when he entered the airport only to realize that there were just a few people left. Glancing at the airport clock, he was surprised that it has now been almost 4 hours that he made the person wait.

Not that I really planned on being this late but I got engrossed in what I was doing that I completely lost track of time. Great Mikhail, now you’re making up excuses. Just be honest that the last thing you need to encounter is another female. Here’s hoping that she looks plain and ordinary with just a hint of brains. Yeah, right!

Mikhail approached the information/paging counter and asked the receptionist to announce for a Ms. Nikki Bickmore.  The receptionist gave him a smile that showed her interest in him but he decided to put on his “Mr. Grumpy” mode.  He then situated himself a few steps away from the desk so he could easily assess the person that would answer the page.  He was looking around in an attempt to see the girl before she arrived at the desk; he was surprised to hear a softly spoken girl say, "Excuse me, I'm Nikki Bickmore.  I think someone paged for me?"

He saw the woman behind the desk smile at her and say, "Yes my dear. Please wait a moment. Ah yes, here he is. Sir, she is Ms. Nikki Bickmore, the person you asked us to page."