EMMA

I stood, once again, in front of the Wilton Co. The massive - some thirty-story - skyscraper almost fondling the light clouds on the clear blue sky and the building mirroring the city in its perfectly cleaned blue glass windows. Last time, I was here for an interview, and now, for a job. After not hearing from them for almost a month, I was convinced that I didn't get selected which was still true but I did secure a position. Not the one I wanted though but beggars couldn't be choosers.

I opened a pocket mirror and looked at my face one last time. Kate insisted I wear a little makeup but now seeing it in the mirror in broad daylight, I feel like it might be a bit too much. I took a tissue from my bag and dabbed my lips to lighten the red gloss a bit. I then took my mini hairbrush out of my bag and combed my disheveled hair one last time. I smoothed my pastel blue colored pencil skirt and then my white button-up shirt with my hand to ease down the creases. Better.

"Let's do this," I whispered to myself and stepped in through the automated sliding doors. I told my name to the receptionist as she typed something on her computer and then directed me toward the HR office on the fifth floor. After thanking her, I walked into the elevator and as the elevator reached the fifth floor, my nerves kicked in. But this time they weren't from the nervousness, this time it was the excitement. As the doors opened, I stepped out of the elevator and a man - who seemed like he was in his late fifties - walked towards me.

"Emma James?" He inquired and I nodded. "I am Daniel Smith, the Talent Acquisition Lead. Welcome to the Wilton's Co." He smiled and I smiled back. "Thank you."

"Please follow me." He directed me through the hall and as I walked behind him, my eyes assessed everything on the way. The team portraits, company achievement awards, wooden hanging lights, small potted plants, and rows of personalized desks of different employees, followed by a vending machine at one corner. Some employees looked at us as we walked past them whilst others were too focused on their laptops to look up. But the thing which I loved the most was the wall. Clusters of words in different sets of writing, in different colors decorated the wall. I believed those comments belonged to old and current employees and I couldn't wait for the time when I would be working here and signing my name on that.

We went through the frosted glass doors and into a room that seemed like a meeting room. The deep blue colored walls with a large display TV fixed in the wall, a round table placed in the middle, and the large windows showing the bustling street of New York City.

"Please have a seat." Mr. Daniel motioned towards the chair as he sat down on one and drew out a file. He explained the procedures, briefed me on my tasks, and questioned my goals and my expectations about this position.

"You'll be tending to his needs, you'll be handling his calls, his emails, and will be scheduling meetings with the current and future business partners. Miss Seville will be the one to accompany him on the international trips and handle foreign clients and she is the one who accompanies him to conferences, parties, and what the business requires. However, if the CEO likes, he can ask for your company," he paused and looked through the papers. "This is a one-year position and after that, you'll be referred to as the HR assistant here, and upon selection you will be working there."

I nodded, listening to him carefully as he looked through the papers in hand and told me how the CEO would have two assistants working under him. "You'll be working five days a week from 9 to 5 and will avail all the benefits such as medical facility and a ten percent discount on our company's products. You will be paid a basic salary of 800$ a week and extra hours will be paid. If everything is clear, you can read this contract and sign it here."

Mr. Daniel handed me a pen and moved the contract toward me. I read through it. The salary here was quite good seeing how I had no experience so far and still had to gain my master's degree. Moreover, it's just one year and then I would shift to where I always wanted to be. Wilton's Co was amongst the top companies in the world with its branches in twenty different countries so far. The experience here would be a golden mark on my resume.

"Mr. Daniel, it says I couldn't resign in this year's time and would only be allowed to leave the company upon the CEO's orders." I read through the lines and looked up to see him. He adjusted his dark blue tie - one shade lighter than the walls - and then cleared his throat. "Yes! As it's a temporary position, we make sure that we fully utilize our resources. Once you'll be offered a permanent one, this clause would be removed."

I nodded. It was just going to be one year. How hard could it be? And if it meant I would be offered a permanent position here, this was nothing to fret on. However, the only regret I had was that I must have searched and studied about the CEO online. The last time I heard, the company was under Arthur Wilton, a man in his early sixties and that was a year ago. Not much could change in a year. Right?

I signed the contract and handed him back. "Is Arthur Wilton still the CEO?" I asked as he looked through the pages to see if I signed it right.

"He resigned last year and now it's his son, Edan Wilton." He looked at me and for a second, just a few mini seconds, I sensed an amused look flashed through his eyes or was it just my imagination?

"But don't worry, he is a good person. Much like his father but more competent." He smiled and I nodded. "Thirtieth floor is his office. Best of luck."

"Thank you," I muttered and walked towards the elevator and to the said floor. 22, 23, 24, 25. As the numbers flashed by on the elevator screen, my heart sped its rhythm one beat at a time. It came to a halt for a second as the elevator reached the thirtieth floor. This floor was a lot different from the fifth one. Instead of colored walls, the furnished hall was plain and minimalist. The walls were simply painted the color of beige and the wooden floor was covered with a black colored carpet with no furniture except a large white table a few steps away from the large double doors in front. Again, black. Why the hell everything here is black?

"Hello! I am Emma James," I said to the blond girl sitting behind the white marble table. "The new assistant." I smiled and her eyebrows furrowed. She stood up, walked around the table, and looked at me, her brown eyes traveled from my head to my feet and then back to my face. She muttered something under her breath and then rolled her eyes.

What the hell was wrong with her? "Follow me," she said rather rudely.

I guess we won't be getting along that much.

"This is your office." She opened the door just beside the large double doors. My eyes raked through the beige-colored room and my lips broke into a smile. I was getting my own office? My separate place? I didn't expect that. Maybe that's why this blond girl here hated me. She was there sitting in the hallway while I was offered a separate office. Anyone would have been jealous. Even me.

The room was a small one but big enough to hold the brown-colored wooden table followed by a black office chair and a small couch in front just beside another black door. Seriously? What was with this place and black color?

"The CEO will meet you shortly." With that, she shut the door closed and went back. I walked towards the table, my fingers caressing the wooden texture of the desk and then the laptop placed on it. My lips grinning all this time as I sat on the black leather seat. A notepad was placed beside the laptop followed by a grey-colored writing pen. The back of the pen was cat-shaped. Cute. I didn't know the office offers such cute accessories. I took the notepad and flip through its first page. I stopped as my eyes lingered on the first and only line on the blank page.

Congratulations, Sweetheart!

Sweetheart? What the fuck! I frowned as I flipped through the pages but they were all blank. Did the previous employee leave it here? Or did someone write it for me? I knew I shouldn't be acting that much but this word instantly take me back to him, our encounter and I hated that. That jerk!

"I see you have seen my gift." A man's voice halted my searching and my eyes moved from my notebook to the source of that voice. As soon as my eyes landed on him, my heart halted.

Black suit, black hair, black tie, and those cursed blue eyes. And then, those fucking pink lips. In a fucking smirk.

"Hello, sweetheart! Missed me?"

Fuck! 

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