Let Life Surprise You

06. The Ghost Number Two

Walking with my tail between my legs, I pray that the person I dread seeing is not sitting in his room. Max told me that Mr. Knight was leaving for an event this morning, and he would appreciate it if I could start with the assistant role before his departure. And I, of course, stalled as long as I could until I had no more reason to postpone my trip to the thirteenth level.

Surprisingly, the executive floor isn't as dead as yesterday evening. Every secretarial desk situated in front of its executive's room has a human sitting behind it, except for the one for my CEO. The hum of people conversing, telephones beeping, and the sound of fingers dancing furiously on the keyboard fill the air. The door of the room between the elevator and Mr. Knight's is now open, revealing a huge desk with Mr. Tan sitting on it, frowning while reading a paper in his hand. I jump as laughter booms, followed by two men in their forties emerging from the room at the end of the hallway. Where were these people yesterday?

I trudge to Mr. Knight's door which to my dismay, is slightly open; a sign that he is still here. Dammit! My eyes roam over the empty executive assistant desk that stands proudly as if it's staring back at me mockingly. It's an L-shaped table with two computer screens sitting on it. A half-length cabinet is placed against the wall, behind the assistant chair, adorned by decorative floating shelves hanging above it. This working space looks more luxurious than the one we have downstairs despite the fact that we are the ones who bring the revenue to this company. How convenient!

"You're here. Good."

I have no idea how long Mr. Knight has been standing at his doorway. His handsome face isn't as red as when I left yesterday, but I still can see the flush around his nose and mouth. His sharp gaze is fixed on me, making my already corrupted courage shrink even more. I whimper inwardly.

Should I apologize? But doesn't it mean I admit defeat? Because despite my regret for succumbing to my impulsiveness, I don't feel guilty. He deserved it. But will he make my life a living hell if I don't apologize? Maybe I should then.

"Mr. Knight, I apologize..." I start my line but my tongue betrays me, "for not being able to arrive here sooner."

Mr. Knight raises his eyebrows slightly, but his face remains stoic. "I believe Max explained the predicament we have at the moment. Thus, this isn't permanent, and take this as an opportunity to learn."

The way he stresses the words 'predicament' and 'learn' makes me shiver. Why does he sound so ominous? Does he mean we as a company or we as Charlotte Garnett and Ashton Knight? He doesn't know that I know the part about the chili sauce producer bullshit, right? He wasn't there when Max told me about it. So, let's just pretend that Max never brought that up. Let's settle with me taking the assignment without any questions because I'm a good employee.

"Yes, sir."

"For this morning, I won't ask much from you except to clear all the schedules I have today after four. If I have an appointment with a client, cancel it and make a new one. Summon every dept head for an urgent meeting this afternoon, anywhere between four and six is good."

I hurry to the desk and yank post-it notes and a pen next to the computer screen. Quickly, I jot down his instructions.

"I will be out for an event and I won't be back before lunch, but when I'm back, I want my coffee on my desk. Please, do not trouble yourself by making it this time." He takes his wallet out of his pocket and pulls out a blue card before tossing it to my table. "I want you to go to the coffee shop in the building across the street. And I want it black. Any questions?"

I gulp, feeling my throat dry instantly. "No, sir."

"Good. You can study this week's schedules that Alex had set before he left and prepare the documents accordingly. And, Ms. Garnett, I don't want any disturbance. Any call or inquiry that has nothing to do with this company shall be rejected."