I bought dinner at the fast food joint beside the hospital before heading home. I was walking to the bus stop when I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. I balanced the plastic I was holding with one hand and took out my phone with the other. A quick glance at the number signified that it was from someone unknown. Out of curiosity, I answered it.
“Hello, who is this?” I asked.
“Andy. This is Jack. I’m sorry for calling you out of the blue. I just wanted to ask if you could come to work early today.”
“Jack?” I asked in surprise. “Oh, sure,” I added when I recovered.
“Great! See you then.” Then the phone line went dead.
I glanced down at the phone in confusion, not sure what that conversation was about. Then it dawned on me that maybe he’s going to fire me because Mr. Mogul found out that he still hadn’t. What am I going to do? If that happens, I’d be back to square one: jobless and hopeless.
Before my imagination got the better of me, I got a hold of myself and made my way back to Terry’s apartment in one piece. My thoughts were so clouded that eating dinner became a bad idea.
Since I lost my other job, Jack changed the time I was supposed to report for work from midnight to eight in the evening. Because of that, I decided to show up at around quarter to eight. That was still considered early, right?
I texted Terry of my plans before leaving the apartment so he wouldn’t panic when he came back from work and found it empty. However, I forgot about the possibility that he might want to catch up and failed to tell him about my new schedule this morning.
The bus ride to the club was long, which gave me enough time to think about the possible reasons Jack called me in early. As I finally stood outside the club, which wasn’t packed, I was thinking about running away until Jack came out of the club. For some reason, he looked stunned to see me.
“How long have you been standing there?” he asked with alarm and curiosity.
“Long enough that half a dozen customers already went in,” I replied nonchalantly with a bleak smile.
He chuckled at my reply and gestured for me to enter. I hesitated for a moment but followed him in anyway. I could tell Jack noticed my discomfort, but thankfully didn’t press on the matter. He was about to usher me in his office but stopped a foot away from the door. Then, he turned around and looked at me in assurance.
“You don’t have to worry about a thing, Andy. I already talked to her. You can still have this job if you want to, but she does have some conditions. And if I were you, I would listen to them well,” he stated as he stared at me seriously.
Before I could ask what he meant, he faced the door and knocked on it. I heard a female voice behind it, which made me stop in my tracks in surprise. Jack opened the door and gestured for me to go in. I might have been anxious, but I still wanted to know what he meant earlier. However, seeing his unnerving expression, I decided not to press on the matter and went in.
The first thing I saw was her silhouette. Based on that, I could tell that the woman was tall and fit. As I stepped further into the room, I finally got a good look at her. She was beautiful. The woman had golden hair cascading down to her shoulders. She wore a pale nude dress, which fitted her body like second skin. And from the way she stood, I knew she was a woman with power.
“You must be Andy Peterson,” she greeted.
“Yes,” I responded warily.
“I’m Alexandra Maxwell, chairman of Maxwell Enterprises. I’m also the sister of the man you pissed off.”
Six
“Am I in trouble? Are you going to fire me?” I asked as subtly as I could. Still, I looked at her sheepishly, stood at the tip of my toes, and rocked back and forth.
“Please stop fidgeting, Ms. Peterson. I’m not here to fire you, and you are certainly not in trouble,” she replied as the corners of her lips tugged up to a smile. “I’m actually here to hear your side of the story. Since my brother is incapable of telling the truth.”
“What... what do you mean?” I stuttered, unsure of her words.
“So, you insulted him. That part is true, right?” she asked with a smirk, her eyes glistening in amusement.
I stiffened at her words. “Is this a trick question? Are you trying to test me?” I asked, overlooking her delight at the situation.
“No to the first question. And maybe I am testing you,” she paused with a smile. “So...” she trailed off waiting for my answer.
“Yes. I insulted him. The man belittled me. He was being a prick, so I had to tell him off,” I justified.
“Yes, my brother can be a handful sometimes,” she agreed, “But I assure you that it wasn’t my mother’s intention to bring him up that way. He sort of became what he is now after our father died. I can’t blame him. He worked hard to get our old man’s company, but our dad gave the company to me instead. That doesn’t show fatherly affections,” she pointed out nonchalantly.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” I said after a beat of silence, not really sure what to say after that revelation.
“So, let’s talk business,” she stated and gestured for me to sit across from her. She sat on the huge leather chair behind a mahogany desk.
I sat down after she did and sorted out my jumbled thoughts as best as I could. My heart was beating steadily as my thoughts raced on her implication of business. What kind of business would she want with me?
“Before I proceed, I want to know more about you. So, Andy, where do you live?” she asked, taking me by surprise.
“Oh! About me... I currently live at my friend’s apartment in Brewerytown,” I stuttered slightly, shy at this admission.
“Your salary is about three thousand a month, but is now lesser than that since you quit your other job, correct?” she asked in confirmation.
“Yes.”
“And you pay a portion of your father’s medical fee? Is your salary enough to cover those expenses?”
“Yes,” I replied softly as I stared at her. “How do you know all these?” I asked absent-mindedly.
“You applied for me, Andy. We have your background file with us,” she answered with a smile, “I also read that you applied as an art curator for our new gallery.”
“Wait, you own Galleria de Belle?” I asked, stunned.
“Yes. An art gallery is a good investment,” she replied with a soft chuckle. This was when I finally saw her familiar blue eyes. They were the same tint of blue as Mr. Mogul’s and were luminous in the light.
“Here is my offer,” she started after a brief pause, her demeanor serious and professional, “You can have the job as my art curator if you come and work for me for the next three months before the gallery opens.”
“Why?” I was stunned by her offer. Where is she going with this?
“I fired my last assistant, and I’m in need of one right away. You don’t have to worry. The pay is very handsome. It’s about forty-five thousand a month. I’ll even throw in an apartment. After all, I don’t want my assistant homeless,” she replied with an enthusiastic smile.
I stared at her with my eyebrows raised. The woman just looked down on me in an uncanny manner, just like her brother before her. I mentally snorted at the similarities. “That is very generous of you, Ms. Maxwell, but why me?” I asked again, unfazed by the offer.
“Back to the topic about my brother... So far, you are the only woman who was able to look past his physical appearance and face him straight on. I’ve never known any woman, who isn’t me, my mother, nor his assistant who can do that to him,” she replied with a smirk.
“So?”
“So...” she paused for a second. “Since my office is beside his, I’ll finally get some work done without my assistant drooling over my brother,” she continued, her tone condescending and blunt.
“Right... So that means I’ll be seeing him more often?” I asked, though the answer was obvious.
“Yes. You will be seeing him every day.”
I stood up from my chair, my face
blank. This was the greatest job offer I’ve ever had in my life. But, there was just that one catch. Why does the thing you want to avoid always finds you and bites you in your behind? It didn’t add up. I can’t be the only person who was indifferent towards her brother. However, I had seen him in a suit, and I have to admit that he is good-looking. I pursed my lips from the image that popped in my mind and shoved it away.
I paced for a second as I thought of my reply. Alexandra sat there, staring at me patiently. I can see the gleam of amusement in her eyes. That was probably because she knew she was giving me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I thought of some way to get out of it, but I needed the money. Plus, the apartment benefit would get me out of the homeless status. But was it worth it?
I stopped pacing and turned to face her. Alexandra sat up straight in her chair, ready to listen to my reply.
“I accept your offer, Ms. Maxwell. Though, I have a request,” I stated.
“What is it?” she asked, slightly taken off guard by my words.
“Can I have the weekend off?” I asked shyly, mentally squirming under her scrutiny.
Then, her eyes softened as she replied, “Of course. I don’t want to take away your time with your father.”
“Thank you. So, when do I start?” I asked enthusiastically, which made her laugh in delight.
For the rest of the night, Alexandra allowed me to work my last shift at the club. Jack wasn’t pleased to know that his partner’s sister had stolen his new staff member. But he was happy for me. Not once did he show how inconvenient it would be to find a replacement. I wanted to offer my dear friend, Terry, for the position. Before I could even say a word, the man in question was behind me, stopping me from saying anything.
I didn’t stay until the club closed and took a ride home with Terry (which was Jack’s idea). On the ride back, I finally let the conversation with Alexandra sink in. Though she had told me her reasons, they still weren’t enough for me. However, I was in no position to question any of them again since I really needed this job. Plus, she made an offer I couldn’t refuse.
The next morning, I woke up at the usual time and my usual routine. As I finished eating breakfast and washing the dishes, I sat in my makeshift bed and watched a show on mute. The whole apartment was quiet. I was glued to the television when a knock on the door broke the silence. I was so startled by the sound that I jumped off the couch.
I tiptoed to the door after the person stopped knocking. I couldn’t help but wonder who was on the other side. No one in this apartment had anything to do this early in the morning. And Andrew rarely came by to visit. Curious, I looked at the peephole.
As I finally got a good look of the person on the other side of the door, I felt my heart jolt at the sight of him. It was the person that I never, in a million years, would have guessed to come to this side of town.
He was wearing his usual suit, but without a tie and two buttons on the top undone. His dirty blonde hair was slick back in a neat do. He paced back and forth in front of the door, his hand in his pocket. I continued to stare at him in shock, not really processing the current situation.
In frustration, he stopped pacing and pulled out his hand from his pocket, balling it to a fist. He was about to pound on my door, but before he could, I unlocked and opened it. He stood there, stunned for a second, before clearing his throat and taking a steady breath.
“Good morning, Mr. Maxwell. What a pleasant surprise,” I greeted in exaggeration, which made him close his mouth before he could say a word.
“Can I have a few minutes of your time?” he asked, his voice deep and controlled.
“Sure. What do you want?” I asked, getting straight to the point.
He didn’t reply, only looked at me for a moment. He raised his eyebrow.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” he asked in frustration, like this was what I should have done.
“This isn’t my apartment, so we can discuss here. Unless our conversation would be long enough that my feet would get hurt from standing. Would it?” I asked sarcastically, rolling my eyes at him.
Before he responded, he took another steady breath. “No. This won’t be long.”
“So…” I trailed off.
“Did you talk to my sister yesterday?” he asked, his tone meant business.
“Why do you ask?” I countered, refraining from answering his question.
“Why do you always challenge my patience?” he mumbled to himself in tight lips. After another intake of breath, he asked again.
“Yes. I met her last night. If she hadn’t pointed out who she was, I wouldn’t even know you were related. She had good manners,” I relented, eyeing him with venom.
“What did you talk about?” he asked eagerly.
“That is really none of your business, Mr. Maxwell,” I answered in finality. Thankfully, Terry called out my name from his room and inadvertently saved me from further interrogation.
“If you are not going to tell me, I would assume the worst,” he stated softly in a rush. He trailed off the last part, mumbling softly to himself.
“It is the worst... for me at least,” I countered back in the same tone.
Before William could say a word, Terry appeared behind me. He was still in his sleepwear, which consisted of only sweat pants. We both turned towards him as Terry stood there, his eyes wide in shock. I didn’t give them both the time to react on the situation by saying goodbye to William and slamming the door on his face before he could say a word.
“What was that about?” Terry asked. He was still in shock as I passed by him on my way to the couch.
“The man was asking for directions,” I replied nonchalantly.
“Right... like William Maxwell knows anyone from this side of town,” he snorted sarcastically when he recovered from the shock. He shook his head in disbelief but didn’t press the subject.
I continued watching television (only this time with the volume back on) as if nothing had happened. I was glad Mr. Mogul didn’t pound on the door and demanded an answer, or my cool exit wouldn’t have been cool at all. I continued with the rest of my routine without showing any indication that the incident that morning affected me. I thank the heavens that Terry wasn’t nosy. He did his thing without second-glancing or hinting at me about what happened recently.
However, I knew my exit was just too good to be true. I mean, this was a man that followed me to the bus stop just to insult me. I knew that William wouldn’t give up that easily. I had a suspicion that he would strike back sooner or later. But when that happens, I would make sure that I wouldn’t be caught off guard and come up with some witty and cunning retorts myself.
True enough, when I got out of the apartment building, he was already there standing next to his sleek black car with a man in black beside him. I stopped a few feet away from him, eyeing him aloofly. When he noticed me, he didn’t hesitate to walk towards me, meeting me halfway.
“We are not finished,” he stated sternly as he reached me.
“We sure are not,” I mumbled in agreement and sighed in defeat.
“What did you discuss with my sister? Is she planning something behind my back again?” he asked in a rush. His eyebrow scrunched together in annoyance.
“If you chill out for a second and not hound me with questions, I would gladly answer them.” I held up my hand in defense.
He stepped back slightly and held out both of his hand in surrender. “Okay. I’m sorry. But you’re making it really hard for me to keep my cool.”
“That makes two of us,” I agreed with a strained chuckle. After letting out a breath, I answered him.
“Your sister offered me a job. That was all we talked about. Nothing more,” I said and left out some essential parts.
“That’s it?” he asked, looking surprised at how little I gave away. “Are you sure?” he probed.
“Yes.” I nodded curtly.
He brushed his hair with his right hand and tussled it for a second as h
e let out a breath of relief. When his eyes locked with mine, he flashed a genuine smirk before it turned into an arrogant smile.
“Well, thanks for nothing,” he said as he turned around and waved once. The wave looked more like he was brushing me off than a farewell.
I stood there for a second and watched him walk back to his sleek ride. I gathered my wits and took a step towards his direction.
“Oh! I forgot to tell you. I’ll be working at the same place as you this Monday. So good luck seeing this face more often,” I called and pointed at myself in emphasis.
This made him stop him mid-stride and turned back to look at me. He looked confused for a second until he realized what I meant. He opened his mouth but closed it again when he couldn’t think of anything to say.
“See you, Mr. Maxwell. Have a great day,” I nodded my head in a gesture of farewell. Without waiting for his reply, I made a quick exit and walked in the direction of the bus. I didn’t dare look back. As I got a few blocks away, I smiled to myself triumphantly at having the last word again. Take that Mr. Mogul!
Seven
The next morning, I woke up from an unpleasant pounding on the door and a man calling me by my surname. At first, I thought I was dreaming. Then someone nudged me by the leg and startled me awake.
“Wake up. Someone is looking for you,” Terry stated wearily and yawned.
I rubbed my eyes sleepily and pushed myself up in the couch. I mentally cursed at whoever had the nerve to wake me this early in the morning. In a daze, I walked towards the door as Terry went back to his room. I stopped for a second in the hallway, glancing at his retreating back, a bit stunned at the fact that Terry woke me up. I didn’t dwell too long on that thought as the man on the other side of the door called my name again.
I walked up to the entrance and peeked through the peephole before opening the door. I was making sure that the man wasn’t any of the following: (1) a serial killer, (2) a drug dealer, or (3) the prick with the initials W.M. When I checked, I was surprised to find out there were actually two men waiting outside. The first guy I noticed wore a red plaid polo shirt over a white under shirt, while the second simply wore a business suit (the latter convinced me to open the door).