Personal Assistant (MXM - EDITING )

Chapter 2: Congratulations.

The day ended.

Nicolas sat back, letting out a slight whine. His head pounded, leaning into his desk and gazing at the files before him. A day of no work or worries would be anyone's dream, but Nicolas always craved to do something for his father's company. However, if there was one thing Nicolas hated more than a dull day was doing interviews. He was assigned to the people looking for a career within the company. He hated the interviews because listening to people's wishes and motivations was an earsore.

Nicolas's assistant walked into the office. "Picked anyone yet, Sir?"

The CEO gazed up at the ceiling, leaning back onto his chair. "Do you have to leave so soon, Ms. Henning?" His eyes scanned the pattern of the tiled ceiling above him before looking down, staring at the red-haired woman who smiled.

"Can't stay here for the rest of my life, now can I?" She handed a cup of coffee to Nick after walking towards his organized desk. Folders were stacked in front of the CEO, ignored by him.

"Half of the people that showed up for the interview didn't mumble a word," Nicolas complained, leaning forward to reach for the coffee. "They just stood in fear."

The woman laughed, crossing her arms as she watched her boss drink from the cup of coffee. "To be fair, Sir, you did give everyone a short amount of time to present themselves."

"On my defense, Ms. Henning, to be my assistant, you have to be able to talk on the spot. No room for preparation." He narrowed his eyes at her. "Winging it the best you can is what it takes to be my assistant." Nicolas placed the coffee on his desk, staring at it as he thought. "I mean, you've experienced it first hand. I'm going to put them on the spot at the meetings."

"Yes, I'm aware, Mr. Anderson, but that's because you don't like interacting with other businessmen who care about their money more than the status of your company." She sighed, pulling out a chair in front of the desk. She sat down and stared at Nick in awe. "The files, Have you gone through them?"

"Not really," he returned.

The assistant scoffed. "I assumed you wouldn't, so I went through them beforehand."

"See," Nicolas expressed, "I bet you that not one of those women would've thought of doing the work for me!"

She smiled. "Does that mean Mr. Ochoa would've?"

He raised an eyebrow at the question. He scoffed and leaned farther back on the chair as the assistant continued.

"I'm only babying you, Mr. Anderson. It's not an assistant's job to babysit their boss," she responded. She watched the man in front of her groan with exhaustion. "Ochoa stood out, to be honest with you." she calmly said.

Nicolas rubbed his face. "Ochoa?" he mumbled before letting out an exhalation as he freed his face from the warmth of his hands. "His interview was pretty ridiculous."

"Yes, his responses to your comments were interesting. I was quite surprised when I saw him in a swarm of women."

Nicolas mocked. "I was surprised by his honesty. The other women were only waiting for me to ask them a question so they could answer, but Mr. Ochoa...." He trailed off as if he were thinking of words to describe the interviewee's interaction. "He walked in and just said his capabilities and then grew a sense of humor with me."

The woman pressed her lips together. "I was in the office, Mr. Anderson. I don't think he 'grew a sense of humor.' I think you just frustrated him."

"Oh?" He pushed himself away from the desk, turning his back to the assistant in front of him. He looked out the window, watching the traffic lights.

"You mistook him for a woman, continued to comment on his voice sounding like a girl's, and then asked him if he was aware of the other women in the waiting room." She sighed. "I'm almost confident you frustrated him."

Nicolas's index finger tapped on his bicep, remembering Serene's approach. A smile grew on his face. "His reactions were pretty funny to watch."

"Why not pick him, Sir?" Ms. Henning asked. "I also did go through his resume, and he did meet your expectations more than I did."

"I was intrigued." Nicolas took a moment to think, then let out another cry, feeling a migraine coming along. "It's late, Ms. You should go home. Good luck with your new job."

"Thank you, Sir." The woman rose, shaking Nicolas's hand. "It's been a pleasure."

Nicolas felt his heart sink, already missing the assistant by his side. "Always is, Ms. Henning."

She stepped out of the room as Nicolas's emotions broke out. A frown plastered across his face, looking down at the files stacked before him, taunting him. He flipped through them in search of Serene's file.

He was aware that an assistant should not be a friend of the boss because that would distract them. His father told him that rule. However, to Nicolas, having a friend at a job so strict would be helpful. It'll make his career more exciting.

Nicolas pulled out the file with Serene's name. He gazed at it for a bit before opening it up. A bit of resistance crept up his skin. He wanted his new assistant to excel at their job and someone his father could accept. He didn't want to choose just anybody that would only get fired by his dad.

Nicolas opened the file, analyzing the highlighted portion Ms. Henning did. It showed that Serene equaled all of the qualifications for the job and exceeded his classes with a high GPA. Nicolas's eyes darted at the phone next to his coffee. He reached for it and dialed the number to contact the new assistant.

***

Serene frowned, staring at the empty wall. His breathing would increase for a quick minute before going back to normal. It was rough waiting for a phone call that would probably not happen. He was already falling asleep, but he knew that there was no telling whether he'd accidentally ignored the ring once he fell asleep.

Serene's eyes closed, losing all hope. Before he could process the acceptance, the room echoed with a ring. He jumped up, grabbed the cell phone, and without checking who it was, he pressed the green button, answering the call. "Hello?" his voice cracked.

"Evening, Ochoa. I want to congratulate you. You got the job as my assistant. Please come tomorrow at 6 am sharp. Your attire should be formal as you wore today. I expect a coffee on my desk when I arrive at 6:30 am. As you wait, please don't touch anything."

Serene's heart raced with glee, but the call ended before he could express his gratitude. It felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders as he dropped his phone on the side of the bed. He flopped on his back, letting a smile spread on his face.