Their Blu Dilemma (Book 2)

9 Her first day at work (2)

Blu

I follow Cathy to the bank of lifts, and then wait for it to come down. She walks into the lift as the doors ding open. I follow her inside. Her eyes scan me from head to toe, they linger on my jeans and then climb up to my eyes.

I can see that she’s not impressed with what she sees.

I brace myself for whatever she’s going to say, since she bent on making life hard for me. God, I hope I don’t have to report to her or anything.

But Xavier did say that my desk will be in his office then it means that I will be reporting to him.

God…I hope so. Or I’m going to end up in jail.

“You do own proper clothes, don’t you?” Cathy asks looking up and down at me.

I nod.

“Wear them…this is a professional place, it’s not your friends’ house,” she says looking away from me.  

I swallow the words I want to heave at her because…this is a professional environment.

We go down to the what looks like the basement. But I quickly realize that it is the IT department. Computers and large mainframes take up most of the space.

“Hey, Jeff,” Cathy says calling one of the guys moving around the monitors. He stops whatever he’s doing and comes to us. “Can you please get her an access card, and her passcodes set up. She is the boss’s new assistant.”

“Yes, no problem,” Jeff says smiling at me.

“He’s also moving to the bigger office help with that please,” Cathy says turning to leave. “Come find me when you are done,” she walks away leaving me with Jeff.

I don’t even know where to find her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you,” Jeff answers me.

Shit… I didn’t mean to say that out loud.

“If you can come this side I’ll have you sorted in no time,” Jeff says pointing to where he wanted me to go. His smile is welcoming and kind. I smile back at him feeling welcomed ever since I stepped into the building.

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Blu

It’s halfway through the day and I am at my desk. The bigger office that Cathy kept referring to is huge. My desk sits a few paces from the door, and there is still a large space separating me and Xavier – which I’m grateful for because I really don’t want to be anywhere near him. The things that Cathy said about him…

I didn’t expect him to be a virgin, but really? I wouldn’t want to be married to a man who went through women like soaks.

Thank God the wedding didn’t happen. He would have done the same thing to me that’s for sure.

Well, there is no use thinking about it now.

I yawn feeling exhausted, not by the work. That part I am actually enjoying, I never thought I would say this but working feels great, sitting through billion-rand deal meetings with the world’s most influential business people is thrilling. That took me by surprise because I didn’t enjoy working for my father.

My father forced me to work at his office over school holidays and weekends and let’s just say I hated it. I found it boring and daunting but here working for Xavier it’s challenging and engaging. And I think part of it has to do with Xavier, not that I would tell him that.

He has a brilliant mind. And it is amazing to watch him at work.

That being said I don’t care for the people in his office. It turns out Cathy is not the only one with a nasty attitude – I hate you on sight kind of attitude.

 It’s like every girl here has one personality – mean girl. Each one of them has made sure that I know I am not wanted and I’m pretty sure one of them even called me a w***e earlier when I went to get coffee. When I enter a room it gets deathly quiet and then they all stare at me like I’m an animal at the zoo. I hold my head high and pretend not to see or hear anything but I’m totally faking. I want to scratch their eyes out, but I promised myself I will not be a simpleminded girl.

Even though I wish I didn’t, but I need this job.

My entire future rides on this job.

God…how low I’ve fallen…

Being disowned is a painful.

I haven’t even called my sisters yet. I don’t know if they know or if they even care. My sisters and I are not close…we just grew up together, fighting our father in our own way. Maybe they won’t care after all.

Another yawn sneaks up on me, pulling my mouth wide open. My jaw literally cracks.

I groan shaking myself. I sit up straight in my chair and stretch my arms over my head, I turn my neck from side to side and feel all the tension there. I hear Cathy’s footsteps come my way, since she left the door open the last time she was here.

I grit my teeth…I don’t think I can endure another one of her inspectional visits.

She has come to hover over me about a 250 times - I counted. I go back to typing this morning’s minutes, so I actively ignore her.

“At least you can type, that’s something to be proud of,” she says a look of disgust on her face as she walks behind my chair, leaning over me as she stares at the computer screen. I feel my body move to stand up so I can ram my shoulder into the underside of her chin. I would love to see her lose a few teeth.

 But I master all the strength and sit still and not move.

This is a professional environment, I say to myself over and over.

She gets on my nerves, I don’t want to fight with anyone; certainly not on my first day and not her. I don’t want to piss off Xavier. We work well as a team if the meeting he had this morning was anything to go by. He even asked my opinion on a few things. And I was fluttered that he did.

 I know why I’m here, if the whole office thinks I’m here selling my body to their billionaire boss, that’s their business. I am not going to act basic because of Petty Cathy, even though I want to sink my nails into her just to show her that I am not a push over.

I take a deep calming breath and hit the keyboard keys a little too hard.

“I didn’t know typing is a skill reserved for a select few,” I say smiling but, my eyes are deadly, I see her eyes flutter with a tinge of uncertainty. I click cntrl+s on the keyboard and push my chair out and she jumps out of the way a little spooked.

I give her a real smile so pleased with her reaction. So she’s not that sure of herself. She feeds off of people’s fear, well she’s f****d because I am not giving her any of that. She might have caught me off guard this morning but I’m not going to be her push over. If she knows what’s good for her she’ll stay the hell away from me. I leave her standing at my desk.

I head for another cup of coffee. I don’t need it but I am doing this for dramatic effect.

When I get to the break room I find the IT guy making a cup.

“Hi,” I say and head straight for the coffee.

“Hey, Blu, right?” he says smiling.

“Yeah, Jeff,” I say smiling too. He is one of the nicest people here.

“How is it going so far?” he asks pointing to the office, I frown slightly and he nods like he can read my mind.

“It’s amazing,” I say sarcastically and he laughs and I join in, laughing for the first time since I got here.

“I would say it will get better, but…” he says with a shrug. I laugh some more, because I know what he means. I walk to the coffeemaker to pour myself a cup, when I suddenly I feel this presence behind me. A heavy awareness comes over me, and I know who’s there without even turning around.

Xavier…

Something hot and tingly shimmies over my skin, causing the hairs on my body to stand up.

I turn and Xavier is standing in the doorway. My eyes go to his face. He looks angry again.

 Is that this man’s only emotion? I’ve only spent a few hours with him and he’s giving me a headache. The only time he seems to be normal and utterly reasonable is when he talks about business. The other times he’s cold and his emotions don’t make any sense.

Like now…why is he angry?

I take a sip of my coffee to calm my nerves. He looks from me to Jeff. Jeff shifts from one foot to another uncomfortably. I feel so bad for him.

“Did you need something?” I hear myself say before I even think. I want him to remove his attention from Jeff, he’s just being nice to me, nothing more, which is more than I can say for all his other employees.

“I needed coffee, but you weren’t at your desk so...” he says with that tone of his like I disappoint him again. It gets on my nerves.

“I needed coffee too. I guess I should have checked in with you before. Forgive me, I will do better next time,” I say looking at him. He remains silent for the longest time. I can see Jeff from the side of my eye. He would rather be anywhere but here right now.

“You’ll do right to remember that,” he says leaving without his coffee. I watch him walk away and I want to scream but again I don’t because I am not going to act basic. Instead I take my time making his coffee, each movement paired with a calming breath. If I’m going to survive this I need to be the calmest, coolest b***h there is.

“Enjoy the rest of your day Jeff,” I say to Jeff the IT guy, he smiles sweetly and I take the coffee to Xavier.

I step into his office, and I immediately can tell that something is wrong.