The Secretary’s Spell

I stood outside the glass-walled office, nervously clutching a pen and small note book in my hands. I'd rehearsed and still rehearsed countless times for this moment. Nathan Cliff, billionaire,smart genius CEO, was definitely not going to be easy to work with. This was a great opportunity for me; I couldn't mess it up. As I entered the office, I was struck by how sleek and modern the decor looked. "Miss Rose?" "Yes, sir," I nodded. I stood in front of his desk. Nothing prepared me for the intensity of his gaze; his eyes seemed to see right through me. "Ah, Rose, our new secretary," his deep voice dragging my attention. "I trust you're ready to work and satisfy my demands. I hope you'll be able to keep up." I nodded, trying to hide my nervousness. "Yes, sir, I'm ready and willing to learn." "I'll be straightforward, Miss Rose; your ability to work under stress would be key to determining if we can work together." I nodded. "Yes, sir." He sat back, clasping his hands. " Let's get started. I need a report on the McGregor incident. Find out what happened, who gave out those leaks, and draft up a speech for PR. You'll also be tasked with opening every single email addressed to me; you'll sort, arrange, and compartmentalize it. You don't have breaks, not Saturdays, not Sundays; you take a break when I say so or when I allow it." Nathan barked out instructions, and I jotted furiously in my jotter,struggling to keep up with him. How was I to get all this done immediately? I wondered quietly. Nathan continued speaking. "But firstly, a cup of coffee. I want a cup of coffee from Starbucks,with precisely three pumps of caramel and a little spurt of vanilla. Make sure the cream is dolloped,not sprayed. Oh, and it should be 42 degrees Fahrenheit exactly." "What?" I didn't know when the word slipped from my mouth—what was that all about? I stood stunned. Nathan sighed; he repeated himself. I used a smart trick, making sure I recorded his voice as I took the order. "Get it done, A." Nathan nodded, and glanced at his gold rollex. "I have a meeting by 9:30." I glanced at the clock; it was past 9, damn it!. I bustled out of the office,my mind silently working the probability of getting what he wanted done without any hiccups. "You look new; you're the new secretary, right?" A lady suddenly said this from besides me as she walked in step with me. "Yes," I nodded, not pausing my steps. "You're in for a tough one; Clarice endured for just under two months." The lady stared at me sympathetically. "What!?" I was surprised. "Call me Justine," the lady lowered her voice. "Mr. Nathan's tough to work with; he's very particular, and he wants things done to the letter. You just need to pay careful attention, okay?" "I understand." Justine smiled encouragingly. She brought out a thermometer and handed it to me. "A little momento, Clarice asked, I give this to the next person after her." "This kind of feels like a ritual already." I chuckled, taking the thermometer. I remembered Nathan's words about the specific temperature of his coffee. "It is," Justine laughed. "It has changed hands four times already this year." My smile froze. ************* I rushed back into the office. I placed the coffee on the table gently. "You're late," Nathan said, not taking his eyes off the papers he was reading. I winced a little; it was already 9:34. Nathan sipped the coffee, and to my relief, he nodded in satisfaction. "Nice." I snorted internally that only Nathan Cliff would ask for coffee to be delivered in minutes,at a specific time, in a specific mixture, and just use 'nice' to sum it up. I excused myself. I spent the next couple of hours drafting up letters, reading the mail, answering calls, and being at Nathan's beck and call. By afternoon, I could already feel a headache coming on. "Rose, get in here," his voice came over the intercom. I signed, and I got up quickly. "I need these delivered to Pascal over at HR; get them to him now. Also, are you done with those drafts? I want to see them." Nathan pushed forward a couple of files. "No, I'm not done yet, sir." "Hmmm," Nathan frowned. "Get it done before I leave this office. I will go through it before the press release tomorrow." I nodded before leaving the office. At HR's office, I met a familiar face; it was Justine. "Hello again," I smiled at her. "You look exhausted," Justine chuckled. "Comes with the job." I smiled wearily. "Is Mr. Pascal in? He needs to take a look at these." Justine shook her head. "Unfortunately, no, he's had to rush out to settle a little personnel trouble. You could leave them; I'll give it to him when he gets back." "Okay, please tell him they're from Mr. Nathan; they're definitely important." "I will," Justine agreed. I was about to walk out of the office when suddenly my belly grumbled. I blushed, embarrassed. Justine chuckled. "It sounds like you could use a little snack." I shook my head. "There's no time for that. I have a big stack of drafts he wants ready within the next few hours." "Eat, hun, you won't be the first secretary; he's worked to the bone, but you could become the first to starve to death." Justine brought out some sandwiches, and I hesitated before I collected them. "Thank you," I smiled sweetly at her. When I got back to the office, I went straight to Nathan's office. I knocked before I opened the door and stepped in. The sight that met my eyes made me pause uncertainly, and I turned away. "I'm sorry, sir... I should've knocked," I stuttered as I retreated. I tried not to glance at the lady with messed-up clothing who was straddling Nathan. "Get out!" Nathan snapped coldly. "Yes,yes sir." I nodded frantically. I retreated out of the office. A few minutes later, the door opened, and I immediately focused on the papers on my desk, not daring to look up. "Hmph!" The lady snorted before she left. "Rose, come here." And here it was. I felt tensed as I entered the office. "Yes Sir." I stood in front of him, my head lowered. "There's been a slight change of plans." Nathan stared at me; his suit was still as impeccable as before; nothing looked out of place. "The proposal that Pascal just faxed me isn't worth mentioning. I'll need you to draft up another one; you can use these documents as references." Nathan pushed a thick stack of files forward. "I need the proposal to be ready tomorrow morning." "What!?" I didn't even realize I'd gasped out loud. "Why, Miss Rose? Do you have a problem with that?" Nathan stared at me. I gulped, "None, sir, none at all." Staring at the thick stack of files, I sighed. It was going to be a long night.