The day started just the same as any other for Theodora Watson. She rose from the bed as soon as the sun had risen thanks to her trusty alarm. Before she could get dressed she rushed to the bathroom and thoroughly brushed her teeth before and washed her face smooth. And once she finished she rubbed her moisturizer over her bare brown skin that always seemed to glisten under the natural night that beamed through the window.
As she finally made her way to the walk-in closet, her phone had rung and she didn't hesitate to answer.
"This is Theo." She spoke before placing it on speaker and continuing her habitual process.
"Hey, it's your favorite assistant." A cheery voice said over the line.
"Good morning, Rach. Something wrong?"
"No, just a sudden change to your schedule. Boss said it's urgent that you see her immediately upon arrival. Is there anything you'd like me to do before you get here?"
"Shit." She muttered to herself whilst buttoning up her plain white top.
"Uh, can you organize my schedule accordingly? I was supposed to be interviewing someone and it's probably good that it's been pushed back. I haven't had the chance to fully research the person anyways. Remind me who it is?"
"Renatta Gilbert. She's a renowned humanitarian who's proposed a way to help spread awareness on climate change and a long list of global issues. They're already calling her the next Mother Teresa so I'd suggest nailing this. I see she's also a vegan so I made a reservation at a nearby vegan-friendly restaurant for two as a way of apologizing for the delay. Anything else?" Rachel quickly responded.
"I love you and I don't know what I would do without you. See you in a bit."
"Peace."
As soon as she ended the call she hurriedly squeezed herself into her pencil skirt and tucked the top in. Once she was straightened out, she tossed on a blazer and stepped into a sleek pair of heels.
She then combed her honey brown waves over her shoulder and after applying a thin layer of lip balm under a nude brown lip she was ready to go. On her way out she grabbed her bag by the door and hurried to her car that sat outside her quiet home.
And as she started her way to work her phone had rung yet again. Without looking she hooked it up to the speaker and carried on.
"This is Theo."
"And this is Alex. Is that seriously your greeting?" Her best friend giggled over the line.
"Shut up. It's supposed to be professional."
"Are you trying to convince me or you?"
"Did you call just to mock me or is this conversation actually going to go somewhere?"
"I called to invite you out for some fun, we can hang out like old times."
"You mean like last night? We were out so late that I forgot to get my shit together for work. I'm never going to allow you to seduce me like that any longer."
"What if I told you it was a cooking class specializing in baking a molten lava cake tonight?" Alex hummed.
"I'll think about it. No promises." She relented.
"Good enough for me. See ya, babe."
After hanging up the phone she sped to her place of work and for once arrived earlier than usual. She then parked near the entrance and hurried inside to greet the perky receptionist on the first floor. Her head popped up once she heard footsteps and smiled at the sight of Theo.
"Good morning, Ms. Watson. In a rush?"
She was, but Theo knew by now that it was always wise to see what the eyes and ears of the company had to say.
"As always, Lisa. Have any idea what I'm walking into?" She asked the usually gossipy girl.
"Well you didn't hear it from me but we are supposedly expecting a huge guest within the next few days."
"How huge are we talking?" Theo replied.
Lisa quickly leaned forward in her seat as she prepared to spill all the juicy details. No one ever asked how the girl knew so much, but they were grateful for the useful information. It seemed she had a talent for being invisible and hearing things no one had even a hint of.
"So huge that we haven't even got a name. The visitor is high profile and can't risk their whereabouts being known by the general public so their identity is top secret."
"Nothing's too top secret for you though, is it?" Theo smirked.
"You bet your ass it isn't. So after some poking around, while I don't have a name, I do know it's a celebrity so private that only a select number of people actually know who it is. But somehow we managed to secure a once in a lifetime interview that will launch this company into the spotlight. Not that Elite needs it, but it will be huge!"
"Good to know. I owe you one, Lis."
"It's no surprise that you're gonna be in on it as you're one of the best writers this city's ever seen. I want the information. What good is the office gossiper if they're lacking the best details?"
"I'll see what I can do. Thanks, girl."
"No problem. Have a good day!" She returned with a smile.
--
"You needed to see me?" Theo said upon entering the office.
Joan Vance, editor-in-chief of Elite magazine wasn't a social person. She was never one to waste time with a quick chat, not when there was work to be done. So for her to request to have a chat just out of the blue it had to be serious. The silver-haired woman wasn't known to ever hold her tongue and her honesty was one of the main reasons Theo worked so hard to work under her.
"Please, have a seat. I have a rare opportunity in my hands and I want to make sure it gets taken care of by the right person." She got right down to it.
"And that person is me."
Theo placed herself in the seat before her grand desk while hearing the surprising news.
"Without question. I've managed to secure a first time interview with one of the most fascinating men this world has ever known. You've heard of the Ross brothers?"
"The forefronts of biochemistry? They're easily the most sought after men in the country."
"Precisely. But they're no mere men. And all but one of them have been open about their life and goals. The very ruler of the seas, Poseidon. Finally, he's reached out to us for an exclusive piece on him. And of course, I've selected you for the job."
"I'm honored, but why us? Did he say why he chose us in particular?"
"I didn't ask. You don't look a gift horse in the mouth."
"My apologies then."
"None necessary. You do understand this has to be good, right? Don't mess up this rare opportunity. You're an excellent writer. Your honesty is what people love to see. It's raw, blunt, and influential. And for once it can take a load off."
"So you want me to write a puff piece for Poseidon. That's not like you or me."
"Just this once. It wouldn't hurt. Trust me, sometimes it's tough but we have to bend every now and then." Joan simply shrugged.
"I can't be dishonest with my readers. We have a chance to show the world who this man is. He knew that when he agreed to this. This is what the readers want. Isn't that important?" She argued.
For all she knew, the man could be a monster in the making or worse, an egotistical maniac who thought himself above everyone else because of his power.
"There won't be any readers if this goes wrong. We have a rare opportunity here, okay? This will be historic and I want us to be a part of that. Come on, Theo. I need you on this."
"Choose someone else. I'm sure many of my peers can do just as good. What good is my credibility if I compromise over one man?"
God, she internally corrected herself.
"That's a lie and you know it. Do it for me, okay? If it fails, it's my ass on the line here. It wouldn't kill you to be nice for once."
"Only on the inside."
"Quit being dramatic," Joan laughed, "He'll be here first thing tomorrow morning which gives you the chance to make a good first impression. After that, you are to shadow him for a while just to get a feel for the type of guy he is in his natural habitat."
"I thought this was just a simple interview. You didn't say I had to basically tag along with the guy!"
"It's not for long. I'm sure he'll want to get it over with as much as you do. It shouldn't take any longer than a week. We need this, Theo."
"Fine. But I want a bonus after this."
"You make it good and you can have anything you want."
"I'll hold you to that, Joan."
"You have my word. What's on your agenda now?"
"Renatta Gilbert in five."
"Good. You have the rest of the day to yourself to prepare for Mr. Ross. See you first thing tomorrow morning."
"See ya."
The first thing she did once leaving her office was a quick pit stop back to the ever impatient Lisa who seemed to be awaiting her arrival.
"I have a favor to ask. But this remains confidential. Can you do that for me?"
"I am a walking gossip magazine. How the hell can I manage that?"
"Just do this one thing for me. Besides, I supply you with ninety percent of your info."
"That is true. What can I do for you?"
"Get me everything you know on Poseidon."
"Well, first of all, no one calls him Poseidon anymore. He is Ryan Ross."
"Good to know."
"Why him?"
"I'm curious. Seems like our mystery guest is a fan. I just want to get a good idea of who he is so I can better understand the subject."
"And the subject is..?" She asked with a growing smile.
Theo hated to let her down, but she couldn't risk being the reason the entire world knew of his identity. At least not so soon.
"They shall remain confidential for now," Theo replied knowing very well she would be able to connect the dots.
But for now, all that mattered is that she kept it between the two of them for the time being.
"That's not fair. This job is boring without knowing all the good secrets." She all but whined.
"You'll be one of the first to know, I promise. Email me everything you can before the day is over, okay?"
"I'm on it. Have fun!"
And that was the last she heard before speeding off to greet yet another important client.
--
Renatta Gilbert could only be described as a woman of few words. It was the main reason the world wanted to know more about what went on in her head. She would give a few speeches a year, head off on a charitable excursion, and then it was as if she never even existed. She'd then fall off the face of the earth doing do god knows what and hopefully, Theo could get just a peek inside her seemingly perfect life. The subject had just finished adjusting her stunningly perfect shoulder-length bob of chestnut waves when Theo hurried over to the table.
"So sorry for the delay, Ms. Gilbert. I'm-"
"Theodora Watson, a renowned journalist with a Pulitzer under your belt all under the age of thirty."
Renatta smoothly stretched her hand out and firmly shook Theo's whilst looked her over with an observant eye.
"In the flesh. But that all pales in comparison to your work. I'm sure you hear it all the time." Theo quickly turned the attention back on the intimidating woman.
"Too much these days. It's like applauding a fish for swimming. Why reward me for doing what every person should strive to do?" Renatta replied.
"Because sadly, there aren't enough people like you. It's your work that inspires others."
"I see. Well, it seems as though you may be right. And I hope you don't mind that I ordered already and I didn't know what you would like."
"No problem. I don't normally eat when I'm in my interview mode."
"Great. Well, I'm a partially open book ready for whatever."
"Okay, let's start small. Late last year you proposed a bill that would enforce a requirement for all American citizens to perform a form of community service for an unspecified number of hours per week. So many have already been up in arms against such an idea. What's your response to that?"
"Well, I can't do anything but ignore the negativity. People are never going to agree on everything so it wasn't unexpected."
"You wouldn't see your idea as an unnecessary push? You can't force people to care."
"Not at all. Society doesn't always know what it needs without a little push and shove. Should it ever be put in place, people will come to see just how good it is when others have to make necessary decisions. It's not a job I asked for, but I'm not afraid to do what needs to be done."
"How do you mean? Would you say this is something chosen for you?"
"Precisely. Everyone has a purpose and I've known all my life what mine was. I will change this world for the better and one day the people will thank me for it."
And something about the way she said those words shook Theo in a way she couldn't even describe. Never had she heard someone so sure of anything in her life.
"That sounds a bit-"
"Extreme? I know, but I wouldn't have it any other way."
"I see. Well, I think I've heard all I needed to hear for the article. It's been very nice to meet you, Ms. Gilbert."
"Renatta, please. And I feel the same way. You're truly something special Theodora and I hope to hear more from you." Renatta stated with shocking conviction.
"We'll see."
"I should say so. You may have heard but I hold annual galas to raise funds for my charitable foundations and I'd like to invite you to this year's event. It would be a great opportunity for you to rub shoulders with the people in my circle and perhaps see a more personal side of me."
"That's too kind. I wouldn't want to intrude."
"Nonsense. It's just a month away so I'll be sure to add you and a plus one to the list."
"Thank you so much, Renatta."
"No problem. I'll keep in touch." Renatta said as she finished up her previously untouched meal.
"Of course. Until then."
And what that being said Theo rushed out of the restaurant and looked up to see a surprisingly darkening sky. She'd just made it back to her car when again she received a call from Alex which she quickly answered.
"Hey! The class starts in half an hour and a few of us were gonna meet up for drinks before going. Are you in?"
"I wish. After the day I've had I just feel like relaxing alone to recharge. I am just exhausted. I hope you understand."
"Better than anyone. I'll save some cake for you. Sounds like you need it and I'm bringing it over for a much-needed sleepover tomorrow whether you like it or not. Understand?"
And after such an intense interview, she could think of nothing better than a good ole kickback with her best friend. But tonight was all about her, her couch, and a glass of hot chocolate. Meanwhile, she also had to read over anything that would help understand the mysterious Ryan Ross
"Yes. I'd love nothing more. But tonight I just need to be alone."
"Alright, I love you, Theo."
"Love you more. Have fun!"
She checked her phoned one last time to see the email from Lisa had just arrived. And now with the rest of the day in mind, she sped home thinking of her couch the entire drive.
Once she arrived home, her clothes fell off as soon as she'd made it into the door and she traded the tight wardrobe for an old shirt that fell to her thighs and a pair of knee-high socks that warmed her sore feet. Instead of dropping herself on her couch, she settled into her comfortable bed and laid back with her laptop propped up with Lisa's lengthy email waiting to be read with an image attached. And judging by the image, he was stunning. His piercing blue eyes felt as though they looked straight through her and were probably nothing compared to seeing them right in front of her. Unlike his brothers, he had a head full of sun-stroked blonde hair that he kept combed back, yet they stubbornly fell over into his eyes anyways. In the photo, his lips were pressed in a tight line that Theo felt never did move. And despite the seemingly intimidating stance the photo conveyed, she couldn't help but see a strikingly handsome man past the barriers.
Here you go Theo!, the first line of the email read.
I am undoubtedly the one and only source for every piece of information unknown to man but for the first time in my life, I am stuck with bits and pieces of unreliable information. Ryan Ross is easily one of the most mysterious men to ever walk across the earth. He's one of the most well-known entrepreneurs alive today but it's like he's a ghost. All that we know is what he wants us to know which is nothing besides being tight with his brothers and that's it. That is all we've ever gotten from his own lips. But, it seems we're not the first to try to take a dig into his life. I found early reports dating back to the 14th century. While they aren't very reliable and a bit all over the place, they can only describe the three brothers as conquerors who served one man more powerful than each of them combined. Somewhere along the way, their leader disappeared and they turned their lives around and decided to contribute their knowledge into fixing our previously unbeatable illnesses and more. Wish I could tell you more. But if I could say one thing, it is this: be very careful. They may no longer be the monsters first introduced to our world but what could he be hiding from the world that he wants to reveal now?
Thoughts? Sorry for the delay and I hope this all isn't too much to read. Just wanted to introduce a day in the life of Theo and what exactly comes next for her.
---
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