The Personal Assistant.

Chapter 21

For two weeks he hadn't talked to her and not even seen her at all. 

He closed his eyes as he leaned against the back of the elevator. His chin tilted up as he stood there thinking about what to say. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling as he thought back to his talk with Natalie two weeks ago...

"What do you mean you fucked up?"  Natalie asked taking a step forward. James sighed as he recounted the events that transpired three years ago...

"I hadn't seen my father in quite a while. and in all honesty, I didn't even want to see him. Sure I hadn't been the best son, but he sure as hell wasn't the best father. I was quite surprised when he called me and asked me to come down to the office. 

The second I walked into the building I was already in a bad mood. Then when I came up the elevator his young new assistant stopped me. She started talking about how he didn't want to be disturbed and asking if I had an appointment. But I didn't listen as just pushed her out of my way whilst saying something along the lines of, look I don't have time for this. That was probably the first stupid thing I did, as I was quite rough. She nearly fell and stumbled a bit. 

I didn't even look at her face before I walked into his office. Sure he was busy alright, talking on the phone to god knows who. But when he saw me he hung up immediately. He started talking but I felt something was off, something just wasn't right. So then he started talking about my childhood, the death of my mother and my upbringing. 

I don't know why, I just couldn't hear him talk about that, so I was inching closer and closer to the edge. Then that girl walked in with coffee, she handed my dad his and then gave me a cup of the same coffee. My dad likes sugar and milk whilst I like it black, I... I just was so on edge that I yelled at her for something as trivial as that. I could see the tears brimming in her eyes but I didn't care. 

Why did that old man think he'd have the right to talk about my mother's death like that. Why he'd have to the right to sent me away instead of consoling me...

So when she came back I was near breaking point, she walked over shaking and wanted to set the coffee down in front of me as she accidentally spilled some of it over me. I got angry because of the burn and started yelling again. But that was also at the height of my fight with my father, so when I stood up to storm out of the room I knocked the coffee over her. Though not on purpose I never apologized and just said dumb bitch. Adding to that I lost my temper and struck her across the face." 

James took a break as he sighed. "I... I felt terrible of that after I left." He rubbed his forehead. "But well, you know the rest of the story, I stormed out and never came back. I really should have made it up to her, told her I was sorry, but I never did."

Natalie looked at him with sad eyes as she listened to his story. She knew that Mrs. McGregor had died whilst giving birth to what would have been James his sister. Sadly the child was stillborn and the mother didn't survive the birth. 

James Sr. was a wealthy businessman at that time who just focus on work after that. Poor James Jr. was brought up by nannies and boarding schools. His father simply didn't know how to handle the situation like that and pushed the poor boy away, instead of giving him the love that he needed. 

"But what happened to her after that?" James said looking up at her, waiting to beckon her to talk.

"Well..." Natalie started, "She didn't really want to talk about any of that at the time. All she said was that she made a mistake, entirely her fault and that she thought she was done for. After all, she threw coffee in the lap of the boss his son." 

Natalie paused taking a deep breath before continuing. "To be honest the second I saw her I didn't think she would even make a  good assistant. I even told Mr. McGregor that when he asked me what I thought of her. It wasn't that she didn't seem to be a good person, she just didn't seem cut for this world." 

Natalie smiled staring out of the window, "She used to wear these god awful jeans with patches and holes in them, don't get me wrong I don't mind them, but they just didn't fit right you know. She had these blunt bangs and brown hair with some highlights in it. But then suddenly something changed, I can't really tell you when it happened gradually...

When I found out about the hair dying I told her to stop, why cover such a pretty color? It was Mr. McGregor that took her shopping for the first time, I mean those jeans just didn't work for the PA of the CEO of a company like this. 

After that things just started changing, she got a new haircut, her clothing style changed and her attitude to the world changed. No longer was she that little push over of a girl, but she became the perfect assistant." 

Natalie shook her head,  "she sure surprised me." a sad smile crept up her face. 

"Perfect is definitely a way to describe her..." He said sighing. 

Natalie looked at her hands when she started talking again. "You know after she met you all she really knew about you was what the media said and your father."

"And I haven't exactly had the best behavior..." James said filling in what they both were thinking."

"Exactly."

Natalie looked straight at him, "So when your father became sick she told him that he should tell you. That you could say goodbye and all that. But he used to tell her that you'd only be happy with his death.

All of that combined caused her to have a dislike for you. Or well, a little more than just a dislike."