"Move out the way you deranged cocksucker!"
The taxi driver singlehandedly manoeuvred his way through the morning New York rush hour traffic, aiding me in arriving at my destination faster. My fingers tightly held on to the rough leather of the passenger seat as he made another sharp turn. I was overwhelmed but grateful.
"Sorry miss!" He yelled from his driver's seat.
"It's no problem," I assured him, then checked my watch for the fifth or maybe fiftieth time since entering the taxi. It showed five minutes past eight. I was officially late.
"Dieter and Leona miss," the driver announced as the vehicle decelerated to a halt outside the dark blue tinted skyscraper.
"Thank you so much," I checked the meter and handed him a twenty-dollar bill, "keep the change," then alighted the car.
In reality, I couldn't afford to act as a philanthropist and give away spare change to taxi drivers but it didn't matter much right now. I was too late and appreciative to be concerned. I half-heartedly watched as the cab sped off before turning to face the large building behind me.
Dieter and Leona, a large technologies marketing company that started small, from nearly nothing, in the 1980s and owned by Russian husband and wife. Dieter and Leona Lukas came to New York in early 2000 and had, in the last twenty years grown to International standards.
This was why I was lucky to have received the email two weeks ago, after coming in from another unsuccessful interview, that I got the job as a sales analyst in their secondary sales department.
Standing outside the building nearly felt surreal. There were several other skyscrapers in the vicinity; it was a busy street known for quite a good number of vivacious billionaires and businesses. Many others, like me, probably, hopeful for their futures and the day, moved about. I checked my watch again and groaned. My feet quickly carried me up the stairs that led to the entrance of the building.
Was I terrified? Yes.
Nonetheless, I carried myself with the amount of confidence only a latecomer could muster and walked past the revolving doors. The temperature difference was a welcomed pleasure, the cool air engulfed me whole. The lobby of the building was also filled with people of different calibre carrying papers, files, laptops and earpieces around. Everyone seemed busy.
"Good morning." I greeted one of the ladies behind the receptionist desk on reaching the long table.
"Good morning, Welcome to the Dieter and Leona mega tower. I'm Ishanel how may I help you today?"
"I'm Ophelia Duhamels, I interviewed for a job about a month ago and received the email that I could start work today two weeks ago," I said all under a single breath.
"Oh, I see, what department please?" She asked.
"The sales department, the secondary department," I replied and she nodded then pressed a few keys on her keyboard.
"I'll call Mary and she will be here to assist you in a bit," she smiled and I nodded. While waiting, I noticed almost everything and nothing. Two ladies one in a black skirt, the other in a pantsuit passed by talking about their respective weekends. Their weekends sounded awesome.
I crossed my feet and looked away. My weekend was spent mostly in anticipation of today, Monday. When my mind wasn't on the start of my new job, I thought about how my rent would be due again next month. Then, of course, I remembered my new job and anticipated it all the more. But, as though my plight wasn't hard enough, the universe snoozed my alarm.
"Miss Duhamels! For a second I thought you weren't going to show."
Looking up, my eyes met the pretty red-haired woman who stood opposite me. I immediately remembered her as the lady who'd interviewed me nearly a month ago.
"I'm so sorry for being late, alarm and traffic issues," I explained. Hopefully, my spot hadn't been given to someone else already.
"It's alright, I understand," she waved her hand dismissively then steered me in the direction of the elevators, "I've been busy trying to sort out some other issues."
I nodded in understanding as relief instantly filled me. I really couldn't afford to lose this job.
The red numbers of the digital counter on the elevator, slowly decreased from twenty-five till it read 'L'. About half a dozen people exited the elevator before Mary and I, alongside other employees were able to enter. Her phone rang but she pressed the button for the 14th floor and smiled at me again before answering her call. We stood at the front so my reflection was visible to me through the reflective surface of the doors.
My pink top was tucked neatly, into my above knee-length skirt. I unnecessarily adjusted my pale blonde hair and fumbled with my fingers a bit; a little nervous habit of mine. The elevator stopped at the fourteenth floor and I breathed out before following Mary--who was still on her call--out.
"I'll call you back in a few minutes," she said and ended the call then turned to me, "I'm sorry, we're busier than normal today," she sighed.
"It's no problem," I said. She smiled and ran her hands down the sides of her gown.
"So in the department, we're a total of twenty-five and the 14th floor is all ours. The offices are to the left side and meeting rooms and staff kitchen on the right and the restrooms are kinda middle left." She informed me as we walked down the wide hallway. We stopped in front of a glass wall which I could see beyond it, where four large desks joined together but separated by dividers.
"Are you nervous, confident or shaky?" She asked and I laughed.
"All except confident."
"You'll do well, good luck." She smiled, "oh and I'm the head of our little department."
I bobbed my head, we shook hands then she left.
The walls of the office were a monotone grey and tables holding papers, files, boxes and probably documents lined some parts of the wall while board holders and shelves lined other parts. In the middle of the wide room, where the conjoined desks were situated, only two people were seated.
"You entering anytime soon?"
Turning around, a beautiful olive-skinned woman stood there. Her hair was very dark and her light brown eyes scrutinised me deeply.
"Yes, soon." I cleared my throat wondering why it was so dry. She propped one of her hands on her waist.
"You new?" She asked and I answered in the affirmative.
"I'm Isabella, you can call me Bella or Isa but never Belle, si?"
"Uh, si." I grinned. "I'm Ophelia by the way." I introduced.
"Hmm, pretty name."
I turned back towards the open office and saw yet another beautiful woman, cocoa in complexion. She stood leaning against the door frame and behind her was a tall and lean fair-haired man.
"Very pretty indeed," the man said.
"Is that you trying to flirt?" The dark-skinned woman laughed.
"I'll tell your girlfriend John." Isabella who was now beside me, tsked.
"I'm John which belle over here already said," he stopped as Isabella hit his shoulder. "Ow," he rubbed the spot, "anyway, I wasn't flirting-"
"If he was, his girlfriend would have sensed it from her workplace downtown and flown in on her shiny broom ready to murder him." The dark-skinned woman said and I couldn't help but laugh.
"Becky is not that scary." John glared at her.
"Keep telling yourself that," she laughed then turned back to me, "and I'm Joanne, Jo for short or Anne, whichever is good." She shrugged. It had barely been five minutes but it seemed my first day would go very well.
"So tell us about you," Joanne said as I was ushered into the office, Isabella pointed to the only empty desk for me to occupy. "Basic things, like school, where you graduated from and all that."
"NYU, nearly five years ago," I sat down on the rather comfortable office chair.
"Lifetime New Yorker?" John asked and I shook my head.
"I'm from Seattle actually, went back after uni and came back here at the start of the year."
"Nice, I'm from Texas, graduated from the University of Houston, six, seven, years ago and damn does it feel long ago and yet like it was just yesterday." Joanne laughed.
"I have to go get some of those chocolate cookies from the kitchen, I'll share you the story of my life soon when I'm back pretty Ophelia." Isabella stood up from her seat and left the room.
John, Joanne and I were well along in our conversation when Isabella returned. I noticed her mood to be more sombre than before she left.
"Why do you look like Brad Pitt just got remarried?" Joanne asked as Isabella sat down.
"He may as well have," she sighed, "I just heard something."
"What?" John who was next to her asked.
"I think the company is going to be sold or has been sold." She said and both John and Joanne gasped. I, on the other hand, wasn't sure how to feel except wonder if this job was going to be taken away from me so soon.
"What?" John asked and Isabella continued.
"I didn't hear much at all but from what I did hear from Mary, who was on the phone, by the way, it seems Dieter and Leona had loans we didn't know of and now the company is being sold before the bank gets it."
"Did you hear to who?" Joanne asked this time and she nodded.
"We've mentioned his name before, last month I think, that handsome young billionaire, owner of a rising tech company. That one who entered Forbes list. What was his name again, Chilton, Hilton? Illston?"
My ears perked up and a few memories from years ago, long submerged became almost vivid in my mind again.
"Illston!" Joanne exclaimed, "he's the one I said started young and was lucky to get so rich young too, made his first billion at like 26 or 28? I can't remember his first name though. So he's bought the company? That's crazy."
"I had no idea Dieter and Leona were knees deep in shit to this extent. I knew sales had fallen but not this badly." John said and the others nodded.
I remained silent.
But my mind was in a buzz.
It couldn't be the Illston I was thinking about, no way. There was no way karma would have skipped that bastard and let fate hand him such a good deal. As the others murmured, I decided to test fate.
I cleared my throat again then asked Joanne, "Does his first name happen to be William?"
"Yea! that's it." She smiled and clapped but I didn't smile back. My chest tightened and I looked away.
That bastard was now my boss?
***
First chapter guys! Did you like it?