June

After a thorough scrutiny of my obligations as Mr. Hall's PA, I've decided the position is nothing more than being a glorified butler. I'm not even in charge of his schedule, that's already created by Mr. Smith, my job is more of a 'Yes, come in. Time's up. Are you hungry?'

He and Mr. Smith left for the Intelligence briefing after he ordered me to stay put. I finish going through his schedule and sneak a glance at Mr. Phineas who I'm sharing an office with. He is grinning ear to ear as he taps away at his phone, unknowingly preventing me from sneaking into Mr. Hall's office to start the search for the file I'm to retrieve. He notices my attention and looks up.

"How are you holding up, Blondie?" He has called me everything but my name in the past thirty minutes and it seems Blondie is the one that'll stick.

"He works from 8 in the morning till 10 at night?" I muse. Why such a workaholic? That also makes my job harder.

"Yup." Mr. Phineas replies with a smack of his lips. "But don't you worry your pretty head, it's still the easiest job out there. You just do your part and everything moves like a well-oiled machine."

I smile at him, hoping I look reassured as he gets a call that I'm pretty sure is from his girlfriend... or boyfriend and he heads to his restroom. Just then, the elevator dings open and Mr. Hall strolls in. He doesn't spare me a glance and I peek at him through my lashes until he vanishes behind his door.

Objectively, I've never seen a more beautiful man. He stands at around six seven inches with broad chiseled shoulders that stretch his shirt just so, every inch of him radiating power and control. His face is startlingly handsome— perfectly sculpted brows, piercing gray eyes that look like they see straight into your soul, an aristocrat nose bridge, a jawline so defined it looks like it could cut diamonds— all combine into a face that no one would forget even with a single glance. There isn't a single touch of softness on him, expect perhaps his lips.

I'm startled out of my musings by the blaring of the phone and it's the front desk confirming his first meeting of the day.

"Let me get back to you." I reply after confirming the appointment.

I replace the phone and stare at the still-dark walls of his office, wondering what now. I should let him know the client is here. I dial his office and he picks on the first ring.

"Your first client Mrs. London is downstairs." I say and the next moment, I hear the beep clearly indicating the line is disconnected. I stare at the phone in disbelief.

"Huh?" Maybe there was a glitch in the network.

I dial again and he picks on the first ring.

"Did you hear me? You are scheduled to meet with her by 10am." I say and the line drops again.

The telephone groans in my clenched fist. Oh that was definitely intentional, and extremely low of him to sink to that level of pettiness. Ignoring me, really? Let's see how much he can ignore me when I'm in his face.

I slam the receiver down and march to his door, knocking once before entering. He is frowning down at a piece of paper on his desk and he looks up when I enter, stopping me in my tracks with his sardonic gaze.

"Can I help you?" He asks.

"I'm not sure you heard me clearly. You have a client scheduled for 10am waiting downstairs, are you ready to meet with them?" I ask, my irritation creeping into my voice to my utter chagrin. I'll really have to put a better act if I want him to let his guard down but I've never seen a more perfectly infuriating face!

"Are you from a backwater village in Africa?" He asks suddenly, throwing me off.

"Uhhh no."

"Then why are you announcing my schedule in person? Would you like a microphone? Or do you think the telephone on your table is for aesthetics?" He asks in a very level voice and I feel myself deflate.

"No but... you didn't reply me." I argue and he leans back into his seat, an amused tilt to his lips that does nothing to help the glacial energy between us.

"Am I obligated to reply you?" He asks.

"Uhh no." I reply, clearing my throat.

"Who's the boss here, Miss Selwyn?" He asks, eyes twinkling with evil.

"You are." I manage in a grumble and he huffs.

"Then get out. Send them in, and don't make me see you any more than necessary or you're fired." He orders.

I manage not to slam his door, barely.

"You do not look too good." Mr. Phineas remarks, now sitting cross-legged behind his desk. I don't answer him as I take my seat, my teeth grinding with infuriation as I make the call to send the client up.

And so my day goes. I might as well be a fly on the wall, or a bug under his shoes, or a speck of dirt on his desk for all the attention he pays me. All morning, he manages to avoid saying another word to me; not when I call to remind him the appointed time is over, or when I send his next client in, or when I serve the light refreshment Mr. Phineas hands me for each client.

"How did he take it?" Mr. Phineas asks immediately I step back out, startling me. 

"How did who take what?"

"The chocolates, how did Mr. Boyl take them?" He asks with a suffering sigh.

"He... smiled?" I ask and Mr. Phineas pumps his hand in the air.

"Jackpot!"

He sees me looking and chuckles.

"You don't think my only job is choosing which tie perfectly matches Mr. Hall's skin tone and the season, do you? You've gotta pay more attention to detail. That man in there? He's here to set up life insurance for his newly-wed wife who he's head over heels in love with. And guess what they ate at their multi million resort getaway right before he proposed?"

"Recchuiti chocolates?" I guess. The last tray had three of the ridiculously expensive chocolates.

"Bingo!" He says. "It's all about the little details, babygirl. Get it right and the deal is soon as sealed."

He says, an extra pump in his steps as he strolls back to his seat.

I finally understand the different platters of refreshment for every guest now— Mr. Phineas customizes them to each client's peculiar taste.

There is no serving of food for the next client, just a spritz bottle shoved into my hand with an enthusiastic order to spritz once by the window. I hear the sharp intake of air as I hold the door open for the middle-aged woman that makes her way in some moments later, and the smile that lights up her face. Slowly, I'm beginning to fully grasp everyone's role here.

That meeting takes a long while, time in which I'm able to surf through every file on my computer to make sure what I seek is not on it though the chance of that was unlikely from the start. I wait for them to be done, check my phone, wait again, check the time to see that they've used nearly all of the lunch break and I'm finally dozing off when Mr. Hall's door opens and I jump up guiltily, bashing my knee against the corner of my table. He spares me a glance that's far from impressed and escorts the client to the elevators.

"Don't send in anyone for the next thirty minutes." He orders when he comes back.

"Yes sir." I reply then I remember I'm to serve him coffee at every break. I jump up and head to the coffee maker, confirming his preference with Mr. Smith's detailed guide before heading in.

He is on his phone when I go back in, sparing me another glance before going back to it. As this is the only chance I've gotten, I scan his office with my gaze, wondering where he could have kept the file I seek. In those drawers? Somewhere amongst the books on his shelf on the other side of the room? Or is it a soft copy on his computer? I have only three days to locate it before he fires me.

Maybe it's because I was too busy eye-balling everything, the disaster happens in slow-motion. My hand hits the coffee I set in front of him and the hot liquid goes pouring all over his pants.

"What the fuck?!" He explodes, springing to his feet.

"I'm sorry!" I gasp, clasping a hand over my mouth in horror. "Oh my God I'm so sorry!"

What have I done?!!

I snatch the napkin and stumble towards him, staring at the horrible stain on his white shirt and dark pants.

"Don't fucking touch me!" He hisses and I freeze.

"I-I just wanted to..." I raise the napkin miserably but of course there's nothing I can do to salvage this.

"Don't!" He hisses. "I told you to do absolutely nothing. Why the fuck won't you listen?"

I feel myself deflate again, biting my lip as a wave of helplessness threatens to bury me alive. Why am I doing everything wrong? Why is it that I have the most important mission of my life and all I'm doing is botching it up?

"Get out!" He snarls and I jump, snatching the now-ruined tray as I scurry out of his office. Mr. Phineas is not back from his lunch break and I'm grateful for the solitude to compose myself as I clean myself up. 

"Get a grip. June." I whisper, staring at my pale reflection in the restroom mirror. So he hates me, so what? I'm not here to make friends. I just need to lock in with these silly mistakes for long enough to accomplish my mission. I take a deep breath and go back out and my desk rings immediately. 

"Send them up." I reply into the receiver.

Twenty minutes into that meeting, I'm beginning to get anxious. Mr. Phineas has still not returned from his lunch break and I don't have his personal number. He should have provided the refreshment tray for the client by now.

My knee taps anxiously and I can just imagine Mr. Hall's disapproving frown later when he's asking if I don't have the common sense to provide refreshment if Mr. Phineas is not around.

"Oh for fuck's sake!" I snarl and stand. I'll just take coffee. This time, there will be no spilling even a drop. I make my way over slowly and pull open the door but once I step in, I realize that both of the men inside are suddenly deathly-silent, looking at me and I feeeze at the threshold.

"I brought coffee." I say with all bravado I can muster.

"Did you just... interrupt my meeting?" Mr. Hall looks and sounds like he can't believe his eyes.

"She's a new one?" The client, Mr. Ramsay asks.

"Not for long." He replies and stands, his jaw clenched so tight it might as well be made of granite.

I instinctively back away as he crosses the distance to me and he pushes the door open, motioning me out. Outside, he takes a deep breath and turns to me.

"Get out, leave." He orders and my heart jumps into

my throat in a panic.

"What?"

"You are done for the day. See you tomorrow."

"But... it's just afternoon and you still have two more meeting before the end-"

"Would you like me to make it a more permanent leave?" He growls menacingly.

I tamp down my flare of irritation and set the coffee tray down, folding my arms.

"Can I at least know what I did wrong?" I ask and he stares down at me, a very impressive feat since at my six-foot height, I'm usually the one staring down at people.

"The fact that you have no idea is the reason why you will not last beyond three days." He replies and leaves.

I grab my bag, vexed as I storm away. For a first day, it could have really gone better. I have a sinking feeling the three days won't be enough.

~~~

I step into the hospital room with a bouquet of flowers and there is Alice Vaugh, Mr. Hall's former personal assistant on the hospital bed. Her colour looks green, her bones more prominent than the photos I've seen of her. It was a piece of cake for Ryder to access her medical records. Once I found out what drugs she was on, it wasn't difficult to switch out her medications to a mix of her original drugs and something else entirely— a combo not likely to kill her as long as she receives medical attention but definitely enough to keep her in the hospital for a while.

"Who are you?" She asks with a sulk, looking up from her phone.

"Hello I'm June, Mr. Hall's temporary PA." I reply and her eyes narrow on me like a cat's as she eyes me from head to toe.

"You're not the usual temp." She says and I shrug, handing over the bouquet.

"She's also unavailable I suppose."

"I told Corey I would be out of here today, what did he go ahead and get a temp for?" She hisses and I stand there awkwardly, obviously not very welcome. If she found out I put her in the hospital, her behavior now would be charming in comparison.

"Uhmm the doctor said that you would be out for a week?" I ask.

"Bullshit." She says. "I'll get the doctor to clear me for discharge by evening."

"Ohh okay." I say. "I actually came here to ask you for tips on attending Mr. Hall. If you would help me with a few pointers, I can take care of him for the rest of the week while you focus on your recovery."

"Miss Selwyn right?" She asks, leaning forward.

"Yes."

"You won't need the information on attending Mr. Hall because I'm resuming tomorrow. Seeing as you're here rather than at the office, I can tell how awful a job you did. It's fine, Mr. Hall hates new faces anyway."

"Actually, I did perfectly well which is why he asked me to take the rest of the day to rest because it's been so hectic." I lie. I wonder why I did, there's just something about her smug little face getting on my nerves.

She glares and I smile at her sweetly.

"But well, if you think you can resume tomorrow I suppose I'll let him know. I do wish you a quick recovery." I say and leave her behind.

I walk to the elevator and wait after pressing the button. A moment later, a small waif-like woman presses the button on the next elevator.

"She wants to be discharged today." I tell her, my voice lower than a murmur. "Give her a larger dose."

"Could kill her." Nurse Daisy replies.

"Make sure it doesn't."

June

“Morning sir.” I say, holding the elevator doors open for Mr. Smith who makes his way in after me.

“Miss Selwyn. How was your first day with us?” He asks as the elevators make their way up.

“Honestly, it couldn’t have gone worse. Mr. Hall sent me home in a rage.” I reply and he turns to me with a highly quizzical brow.

“No way.”

“I’m serious.” I reply.

“Pardon his manners, he has so much to take care of in a day and doesn’t handle any hitch to his schedule well.” Mr. Smith says. Why couldn’t my so-called boss be as reasonable and approachable as this man?

“I was trying to help! I was taking coffee to his client when he suddenly went ballistic.” I say with a sigh of exasperation.

“Umm, that doesn’t sound right.” He says, scratching his brow lightly.

“It’s what happened. Mr. Phineas was nowhere to be found so I was taking the refreshment tray to Mr. Ramsay, what else was I to do?”

“Oh.” Mr. Smith says with a frown. “You don’t interrupt his meetings with Mr. Ramsay, ever. Did I not include that in your guide?”

“No.” I deadpan. How am I supposed to keep up when there are so many rules and they keep adding new secret ones?

“An oversight on my part. I’ll speak to him on your behalf.”

“I’d appreciate that.” I reply with a smile. The smile dies when we get off the elevator and I remember the real reason I’m here. Will he become jobless once I kill his boss? I quickly shove the thoughts into a box and slam it shut. I’ll cross that bridge later.

Fortunately for me, I don’t have time to wallow in my dark thoughts because once again, I find myself simmering in anger.

Mr. Hall hasn’t picked a single call of mine, Mr. Phineas is taking the refreshment trays in instead of me, and twice now my “boss” has called to request for coffee but he called Mr. Phineas’s desk! I sit at my desk, my foot tapping impatiently as I glare daggers at his cool profile through the glass walls. I might as well be a little invisible girl.

Finally, I can’t take it anymore.

“Umm Blondie..?” Mr. Phineas asks as I storm towards his door once the next client is out. “I wouldn’t advice-“

I don’t wait to hear what a terrible idea this is as I throw his door open and he looks up from his computer with that superior glare.

“May I help you, Miss Selwyn?” He asks cooly.

“Aa a matter of fact, yes.” I reply, taking a deep breath and getting it off my chest. “I understand you don’t like me, I’m a new face, there’s some bad history between us but Mr. Hall, I’m here to work and you need to let me work.”

“What else do you think you are doing here?”

“I don’t know!” I say, throwing my hands in the air, irritated by his stupid perfect face. “I’ve sat on that desk all morning idle and useless while you field away all my calls. If this is about yesterday, I’m sorry! I was just trying to help.”

“I don’t care about your intentions, Miss Selwyn.” He says, rising to his full impressive height. He didn’t raise his voice but he doesn’t need to. “I care about your actions, their consequences. You want to work for me?” He slowly strides towards me, a hand in his pocket, a dangerous predator stalking prey. “I demand efficiency, perfection. Can you give it to me?”

“Yes!” I emphasize. “But you need to let me do my work!”

“You want to work so badly?” He asks and the smile on his face sends a warning tingle down my spine.

“Yes…?”

He grabs a tall sheaf of papers from the desk behind him and dumps it on my arm, making me stagger with the weight.

“Then work.” He replies and I stare at him in disbelief. “Everything here needs to be logged in in… three hours.”

“What?!” I gape at the enormous stack that should take a full day to log.

“What? Is the work too much for you-“

“No.” I cut him off, gripping the stack protectively as I bare my teeth in a smile. “I’ll have them logged in record time.”

“Three hours.” He replies, baring his teeth in response.

“Yes sir.” I say and turn to leave.

“You know what happens if you fail right?” He asks and I pause. He has a shit-eating smile on his face, and he would have been heart-stoppingly handsome if he wasn’t radiating pure evil. “You’re fired.”

There it goes- the catch. I presented the opportunity and he found a way to get rid of me. The devil. Another woman would fall into despair but not even heavenly forces could ruin this job for me.

I bare my teeth in reply. “Noted sir.”

Mr. Phineas tuts in disapproval as I come back out.

“Are you trying to find the fastest route to unemployment?” He asks as I sit at my desk and crack my fingers.

“On the contrary, I’m trying to keep this job.” I say and grab the first folder.

“Are you supposed to log all of that in today?” He asks, coming over and flipping through them with obvious distaste.

“In three hours.” I reply and he exclaims.

“What?!”

I stretch my wrists, then set my timer.

“Do you need help?” He asks, grabbing the next folder and I stop him with an arm.

“I’ve got this.” I tell him.

Then I set my fingers on the keyboard and let them fly.

Time passes but I’m not fully aware of it. It’s just me and the tall sheaf of papers that I burn through with inhuman speed. Mr. Phineas sets coffee down on my table a few times and I chug them down each time. Clients go in and out, my fingers start to strain and my neck feels like it has acquired a permanent crick and yet, on I work. At a point, my neck prickles and I glance up to find Mr. Hall staring at me through the glass doors. My heart leaps into my throat and I check the time- one more hour left. It’s been two hours and I’ve logged more than half of the stack— to Mr. Phineas’ ongoing disbelief. I meet my evil boss’s eyes and smile, wiggle my fingers at him and just barely resist blowing him a kiss before I set my jaw and get back to work. He thought he found an easy way to get rid of me? As if. I’m a girl that has pulled a hundred odd jobs to get my sister the medicine she needs, I became a walking typewriter a few years back when I pulled two jobs as a daytime secretary and a nighttime bartender.

Finally, I punch in the last word and Mr. Phineas explodes into applause behind me, startling me out of my reverie.

“You did it!” He exclaims excitedly. “You actually did it!”

I grin and stand, my bones groaning appreciatively with the change in position as I stretch. Three minutes on the clock.

“I’m sure I just set a new record.” I say appreciatively.

“Girl! You are fucking awesome.” He gives me a resounding high-five and the tingling at my neck lets me know Mr. Hall’s eyes are on me. I smile as I make my way back into his office where he folds his arms and watches me.

“It’s done.” I say, setting the pile of papers back on his desk, to a highly quizzical brow.

“All fifteen of the folders?” He asks.

“Every last one.” I reply, a little too smugly.

“Without mistakes?”

“Why don’t you open your computer and find out yourself?” I ask, placing a hand on my hip and staring him down with a triumphant smile on my lips. Silence stretches between us and my smile grows wider. He would never admit underestimating me.

“Discard the papers.” He says finally and my smile dims. I’m not sure what I was expecting but the dismissal is not it. I grab them anyway and leave.

“And Miss Selwyn?” He asks when I’m at the door.

“Yes?!” I answer a little too enthusiastically.

“Send the next client in… with refreshments.” He says and I break into a big grin.

“Yes sir.” I reply.

“I brought you lunch.” Mr. Phineas says an hour later.

He was all too happy to hand over my duties and go for his lunch break while I was here with my boss who I’m realizing misses lunch more often than he doesn’t.

“I could kiss you.” I reply, pulling the bag closer.

“Careful, lest I feel motivated to deliver your breakfast, lunch and dinner.” He replies and I laugh. I’ve confirmed he swings for the opposite gender so it’s nothing more than harmless flirting.

My phone rings suddenly and I pick it up and glance at Mr. Hall.

“Get me a cup of coffee.” He orders into the phone and I nearly trip over myself hurrying to do his bidding.

“Yes sir!”

He is thumbing through a folder and doesn’t look up when I put it down.

“Thank you.” He says absently and picks it up.

I take a slow bow, a quick scan of the document in front of him shows it’s not the folder I’m to retrieve. I’m just turning to leave when he hisses and stares at the cup in his hand like it offended him.

“Take it back.” He orders, setting it down. “And get my coffee right.”

“Of course!” I say, realizing I added two cubes of sugar instead of one.

“What’s wrong?” Mr. Phineas asks as he checks out. He always leaves after lunch and I wish Mr. Hall would do that too so I’ll be able to search for the document I need before it’s too late.

“Nothing.” I reply as I brew another one and grab a cup. “I added two cubes of sugar.”

“An honest mistake, I personally have no idea how anyone takes coffee with less than six cubes.” He’s trying to make me feel better so I smile.

The elevator doors open and I escort the next client in— a huge Darnish man with thick red hair and beard. I pretend I don’t see him leering at my ass.

“Ambrose! Look at you, you look even more arrogant than I remember.” The man exclaims in a boisterous voice and Mr. Hall cracks a smile as he pumps the man’s enthusiastic fist.

“Freight, you look even uglier than I remember.” Mr. Hall replies and while the man guffaws, I sneak a glance at the two of them. The ease between them suggests they are friends. “Take a seat.”

Gingerly, I step forward to set the cup of coffee down when I see the Darnish man’s hand move in my periphery. I react instinctively, the tray of coffee crashing down from my fingers as I spin around and grip the hand that was aimed to grope my ass, twisting it and forcing the bigger man to cry out in shock…

June

My eyes suddenly clear and I release Mr. Freight immediately, backing away. He shoves his seat back and rises, his face a mottled, angry shade of red.

“What the f*ck is the meaning of this?” He yells and I flinch, my eye darting to Mr. Hall whose jaw is now set hard as granite.

“I’m sorry.” I gasp, backing away.

D*mn it!!! I reacted instinctively. Six years ago when I was still attending tables, drunk customers used to grope me and it didn’t stop until I snapped and broke a man’s finger. The manager fired me that same night and the same thing might repeat itself today. The coffee cup has shattered into a million pieces on the floor and liquid is splattered everywhere.

“I- I’ll take care of this.” I say, dropping to my knees and grabbing the tray, fetching the broken pieces of the cup with shaking fingers.

“How dare she assault me?” Freight roars. “She nearly broke my arm!”

“Leave it.” Mr. Hall says and after a moment, I realize he’s talking to me.

“I’m sorry.” I say again, biting my lip to contain my tears of frustration and self-loathing. “Let me handle it- I’ll clean it up.”

I grab the next piece but cry out when pain lances through me because the jagged edge bit into my shaky fingers.

“I told you to leave it!” Mr. Hall snaps and I freeze, my gut churning with fear. “Get up.”

“She’s obviously fired.” Freight sneers. “If she wants to keep her job, she should get on her knees and beg.”

“Careful, Freight.” Mr. Hall suddenly growls. “You assaulted her. Our long history is the only reason I have not called security to haul you out but my patience is thinning fast.”

Freight looks dumbfounded and I’m sure I have the same look on my face. He’s not firing me?

“What?! You will side with this nobody-wretch?” Freight hisses.

“I’ll escort you out.” Mr. Hall replies suddenly. “Come back to do business when you are ready to be civilized.”

“But-“

Mr. Hall steps between us and motions him toward the door.

“Call the cleaners for the mess, and get your finger checked at the infirmary.” He orders at the door before he marches Freight out.

I remain still as a statue, watching him go until they’ve entered the elevator and there’s a funny feeling unfurling in my gut. I thought he would be mad and he was- but none of that anger was directed at me. What game is he playing? Is he not looking for the littlest slip to fire me?

With a start, I realize I’m alone on this floor. Mr. Phineas already checked out and Mr. Hall is gone, his computer still logged in right in front of me. I won’t get a chance quite like this again.

I launch into motion, abandoning the mess and pressing my bleeding finger into my dark suit as I hurry to his computer and run a search for my keyword, ‘The X file’ but nothing comes up. Of course I won’t be so lucky. I pull out the USB that Ryder gave me from my bra.

Thank goodness I kept it on me the whole time. I jam it into the computer and send a prayer to God as it loads and finally! The option to copy comes up and I click it and wait, my feet tapping anxiously as it starts from one percent. According to Ryder, this USB will duplicate everything on his computer without leaving a trace.

My heart is pounding a hundred beats a minute, my eyes jump to the quiet outside his office, to the silent elevator.

Now five percent.

My fingers tap anxiously on his table and I can do nothing but wait, my anxiety climbing higher a notch with every second.

Twenty nine percent.

“Come on.” I groan and start to pace. I’m toast if anyone walks in on me now, I might even go to prison. “Come onnnn.”

Fifty two percent.

Every passing moment is pure agony. That godd*mn bar crawls ever onward, slow as a slug and I pace again and then I start rummaging through his drawers to distract myself, careful to use my good hand and not the bloodstained one. I don’t think the file would be a hard copy in his drawer but it’s a welcome distraction. Only a few files are in his drawers, none of which I seek. I open the last drawer and pause- inside is a single picture of a woman, and a red embossed box.

“Huh?” I say, reaching for the box. Is he planning on proposing to someone? The lady in the picture?

Then a blinking light catches my eye and my heart stops when I see the elevator rising. He’s coming back!

“Shit!” I slam the drawer shut and run to his computer, a bead of sweat appearing on my brow when I see it’s only ninety-two percent complete.

The rise of the elevator feels like the coming of doom and I hover anxiously, willing that bar to fill up faster.

Ninety eight percent.

The elevator climbs steadily upwards, just ten floors away, then five.

“Come onnnn.” I whisper, I’m so close.

I grip the drive, just barely resisting snatching it out as it gets to ninety nine percent.. and then hundred percent!

The elevator doors ding open and out strolls Mr. Hall.