UWA

The elevator stops and I walk on the floor then see an office with the the label 'Chief Executive Officer'. I take in a deep breath before knocking on the door.

"Come in." A voice says from inside the office.

I step into the office and my eyes meet that of the annoying and rude man from the coffee shop.

"What are you doing in my office?" He asks. Wow, so he is the CEO and the person I will be working with, I am dead. My village people have finally found me. I clear my throat and speak.

"Good morning, Sir." I say to him.

"Why are you in my office? I was told that they were sending my assistant up. Wait a minute. That is you?" He asks, smirking.

"Yes, Sir." I say.

"Interesting." He smirks at me again.

"Guy, how far." Another voice says, opening the door, interrupting our conversation.

"Oh! It seems you are busy." He says, looking at him before directing his gaze at me.

"You look familiar. Uwa, right?" He asks.

"Yes. From Ihe's place." I smile at him. He seems nice, at least nicer than his friend.

"Now unfortunately my assistant." My boss says and I look back at him, noticing the wooden plaque on his table that has 'Ayodeji Olujimi Shodeinde' crested with gold markings on it.

"Interesting." He says.

"Welcome to the company. I am Timilehin Akande, the COO." He smiles at me.

"Ohh. Thank you." I reply.

"I will excuse you two. Later, Deji." He says, leaving me once more with this man.

"So, engineering.?" He asks.

"Yes." I reply.

"How come you were working at a spa?" Not a spa, but a beauty parlour I wanted to correct but I just keep quiet because technically, I worked at the spa section there.

"Sir, I...I could not get a job after..." I say but he cuts me shut.

"I don't want to here your excuse at failure." He says, stopping me with a raise of his hand. I have entered one chance. When I finally get a job, it just has to be with this man. Well, I will have to do my best to discharge my duties properly. I can't lose this job.

"Sit, Ms.?" He asks.

"Abieyuwa Gift Omozuwa." I reply.

"Pfft. What sort of name is that?" He asks, mocking me. Honestly, this guy is making a fuss out of a coffee spill mistake and it is very annoying.

"You can call me Uwa, Sir. Or Gift if you find Uwa unappealing." I say.

"Miss. Omozuwa is fine." He says.

"You are expected to be here at least by 7:30am. Your official closing time is 4pm which depends on the schedule for the day; it might be ealier or later. You are expected to get me coffee every morning. There is a coffee maker in your office." So if there is, why couldn't he have used it that day? Perhaps, the tension in this office would not be this thick since our first meeting would most probably not have been that day.

"Black with little sugar, take note. You are expected to keep track of all my activities and meetings. To know everyone I do business with and to be available at anytime of the day when expected." He says and I bring out a jotter from my bag to write down what is expected of me.

I find myself nodding at everything he said.
"Okay, Sir." I say.

"Please, stop shaking your head like a lizard." He reprimands.

"Also, you are expected to always look smart and by that I mean corporate attire and heels." He says. Heels ke? This man should just kill me. I can do once in a while but everyday? That is alot.

"Okay, Sir." I hear myself saying, daring not to speak against his instructions.

"You have been briefed about your pay, right?" He asks.

"Yes, Sir." I say, in response to his question.

"Good." He stands up and walks to the door.

"Follow me." He instructs. I stand up to follow behind him before he rains insults on me again.

We walk to an open place just before his office.

"This is where you will be working. Go through all the files carefully documented by your predecessor and by tomorrow, I expect you to be up to task." He says before walking out. I let out a breath of relief that I never knew I was holding. Time to get to work.

DEJI

Seeing her again actually did something to me that I did not seem to understand as the sudden urge to torment her overtook me. Well, she did clean up good and looked nothing like a masseuse. She is my assistant now and has to look the part.

"You seem lost. What's up, bro?" Timi asks.

"No, nothing. You remember that dumbass lady that poured coffee on me sometime back?" I ask him.

"Yes. What's with her?" He answers back with a question. Typical Nigerians.

"She came to my office today." I say, taking a sip of the wine in my glass.

"For real? How did she locate you?" He asks, surprised.

"She is the new assistant." I say to him, laughing in my head.

"You don't mean it. Bad guy! No wonder you picked her ar the spa and you didn't even tell me anything." He taps my back as he teases.

"I don't know why this is funny to you." I say in annoyance.

"Wait, is that why you were lost in thought?" He asks.

"What? Because of her? God forbid. No." I reply him, shaking my head no.

"Better. Cheers to the official completion of the Delly Project in two weeks. We are beasts, man!" He exclaims.

After lunch, we head back to the office and at arrival on my floor, I head for my office, stopping just in front of hers.

"Good afternoon, Sir." She says, blinking her eyes which further irritates me.

"Good afternoon. My office, now." I state and walk ahead, not waiting for her to follow me. I hear shuffling behind and look at her with the corners of my eyes, not missing how she struggles to get off her work space. Slow human being. Urghh.

I turn the doorknob and step into my office, banging the door on purpose. She knocks on the door and I take my sweet time before permitting her to come in.

She is currently panting as she walks into the office. This is just day one, imagine how exhausted she will be when tomorrow comes that she won't know when she hands in her resignation letter.

"Yes, Sir." She says, still breathing hard.

"Progress on the work so far." I ask.

"I have learnt your regular schedules and a quarter of the partners." She replies me.

"Is that all you have done since morning?" I ask her.

"I am trying, Sir." She says in a pleading voice.

"I don't pay you to try. I pay you to do your work." I bang the table in annoyance and watch as she flinches. Incompetence irks me to the bones.

"You don't get those things into your head by tomorrow or God you helps you, what will happen afterwards." It is a wonder how slow some people can get.

"I will pardon you on the grounds that you are new. So, get out of my office and continue your job, you dimwit." I say, trying to control my anger.

She scurries off my office, looking clearly frightened.