Boss Agreement

Xavier

On her first day of work, Stephanie arrived with the best clothes she could get from her wardrobe (for the interview she had rented a tailor), but soon she discovered that, although she considered herself to be well dressed, her clothes were dull compared to the other girls who didn't wear anything cheaper than Gucci or Armani. Believing that, perhaps because she was the rookie and it was her first day, her small detail would be forgiven, Stephanie acted normally, but she was wrong because when she entered the boardroom, where it was her first meeting as Michael's assistant, who was her boss didn't miss the opportunity to mock her.

"But what kind of clothes are those that you are wearing? Are you trying to ridicule me in front of my partners?" Said Michael when he passed Stephanie's side, who had already sat down and was waiting for the meeting to start. The young woman looked up and saw a distant and deep gleam in Michael's eyes, pretending to be dismayed and very bad-tempered, but Stephanie soon guessed that it was not and that her boss was enjoying the scene he was setting up in front of the two dozen people present.

"Boss, I'm sorry, it's just that I haven't received my first pay..." Anticipating where Stephanie was going to turn what should have been her act of humiliation, Michael quickly raised his hand to indicate her to be silent.

"No, girl, don't come to your boss with excuses. This is not the way to come dressed to work. Do me a favor and get something decent or don't come back, it's that simple."

Before Stephanie could answer him something, Michael hurried to take his place at the table of directors, leaving his assistant with the color of a freshly roasted tomato and the words in his mouth. Already sufficiently embarrassed, Stephanie stood up, trying to keep the little dignity she had left and left the room, but if she thought Michael would let her go like that, she was wrong.

"Where are you going?" Asked Michael from his seat, attracting all the looks, which roamed between him and the poor girl he was humiliating.

"But, sir, you said that..."

"What did I say, girl? Are you going to give me a lesson on what I said?"

"No, I, I'm sorry, do you want me to stay, sir?"

"It's not about me wanting or not you to stay, girl, but it is your responsibility to stay, as my assistant, and take note of what is said in the meeting." Stephanie's gaze wandered through the almost two dozen people who were looking at her at that moment. Although she tried not to feel embarrassed, it was impossible not to be in front of all of them, very well dressed, serious and unable to contradict the president's son of the firm.

"And don't you think of sitting down, girl? Or are you going to take notes there standing, like a scolded schoolgirl" Said Michael with a smile, which provoked the laughter of the other men.

"No, sir. I'm already sitting, sir."

Back to her place on the outer perimeter of the conference table and after the humiliation, Stephanie had to make an indescribable effort not to humiliate herself more and cry, which was what she wanted most at that moment and, feeling the looks of those present still on her shoulders, she abstained from looking up, although it was what she wanted and look at Michael with anger, whose laughter continued to hear.

«How I hate him. Bastard, he will see, when he has the opportunity...».

But that opportunity, and Stephanie's ruminations of revenge, had to wait because at that moment all those present stood up, including Michael, with solemn reverence. Looking at what was happening, Stephanie recognized the face of Mr. Hanks, the president of the firm. Although he was a man of more than sixty years, he was still handsome and, not without a certain horror, Stephanie had to recognize that he was an older replica of his son, or Michael a younger one of him and that, if Michael reached his father's age with that look he would be an irresistible Sugar Daddy.

The meeting began and, from her place, Stephanie took out the small notebook she had brought for the occasion, but she saw, with stout horror, that all the other assistants took out their Apple computers to record the meeting while they made notes. If Michael saw her, he would humiliate her again and now in front of his father, Mr. Hanks, one of the best lawyers in the country. That would be her ruin.

"Take, use mine," said the young man next to Stephanie while offering her his computer. "My boss isn't so terrible and he won't even notice that I haven't taken notes."

Upon looking at who was saving her from imminent humiliation, because Michael's gaze was already searching for her, convinced that Stephanie didn't have an Apple, the young girl discovered a boy her age, handsome and with a kind face, who gave her a smile.

"Thank you," said Stephanie, timidly. Whispering, the young man helped Stephanie start the computer's recorder and indicated in which application she should take notes. "I'm Xavier, by the way."

"Stephanie."

"Yeah, I knew that..."

"Ah?"

"Nothing, sorry," Xavier said, blushing at having been discovered. "I mean, nice to meet you, Stephanie. I love your name."

"Thank you."

As the meeting went on, discussing the most relevant cases that each of the firm's areas had, Stephanie noticed that Michael's airs had disappeared and now he even seemed small next to so many illustrious lawyers. This idea satisfied her and she was convinced that the position Michael had at that table was due to the fact that he was the president's spoiled son, nothing more.

«That's why he's needing a more capable assistant than him,» Stephanie remembered Magda telling her. Satisfied by what should have been an act of humiliation for Michael, who had not spoken during the entire meeting, Stephanie smiled to herself and, in doing so, noticed that Xavier was looking at her.

"I remembered a joke," she whispered, so as not to give the impression of being crazy.

"You have a beautiful smile. I love it," said Xavier.

Stephanie thanked the compliment with another smile and could have said something else to her admirer if it were not for the fact that, at that moment, she recognized Michael's voice, who was going to intervene in the meeting.

«Who knows what nonsense he will say now,» Stephanie thought as she tightened her lips, ready to listen to her boss and enjoy whatever he would say in front of so many illustrious and intelligent lawyers.

"As the representative of the Civil Law area, I am proud to say that, at this moment, we only have a few pro bono cases pending, since those assigned by our clients are already in the stage of solemnization of the agreements we have reached," said Michael with a huge smile of white and perfect teeth.

For a moment, Stephanie saw the other lawyers shrink and, unable to believe it, she saw Mr. Hanks smiling, satisfied, at his son.

"At least your boss is the best, because he doesn't even go to court," Xavier whispered. Stephanie looked at Xavier with her mouth still open. She still couldn't believe what she had heard because, in general, the processes of the Civil Law area were always the most delayed, they could accumulate years in the courts without being resolved and, for this reason, it was one of the areas that represented the least profits for law firms.

Stephanie was surprised when Michael revealed that the clients were not receiving their large payments due to delays, and sometimes they became desperate and gave up on their cases.

"Isn't it great?" Xavier asked, seeing Stephanie's consternation. "Maybe you can learn something from him and you can teach me something too, by the way, would you like to have lunch with me?"

Stephanie nodded, while looking back at Michael. She had expected to see him humiliated and be satisfied with that, but instead, he was the best lawyer in her father's firm.

«Michael is very clever, actually, he is more clever than intelligent, you will notice that soon...» Stephanie remembered then that Magda had also told her. «But you will see, unfortunate one, that I will make up for what you made me suffer today, Michael. I swear it!».

The meeting ended shortly after Michael's intervention and Stephanie rushed to upload the audio she had recorded to her cloud account, along with her notes, to have them ready and avoid that her boss had another opportunity to humiliate her.

"Would you like if we meet at two?" Xavier asked Stephanie when she returned the computer to him.

"At two?"

"Yes, to have lunch, do you remember?"

"Ah, yes, sorry... do you eat lunch at two?" Stephanie asked.

"Well, usually it is at one, but I know your boss' schedule and I know he won't let you have lunch before, so I will talk to mine to have my lunch at that time."

"Don't say that" Stephanie said while considering that, in her current state, she would have to take meals at a fixed schedule and, hopefully, as early as possible. Hiding her pregnancy was going to be more difficult than she was considering.

"Well, Phanie, see you later. Have a nice day".

Stephanie said goodbye with a smile to her new work friend.

«At two? Now I have to endure this pedant until two? It can't be!».