Chapter 13: Meeting Nice Women
1566 Words
"Here."
Came a voice followed by an impossibly large pile of papers dropped onto my desk.
"Uh.." I trailed off as I looked up at the person.
A young man I haven't seen before. He barely even spared me a glance. Just dropped the stack of papers, and walked off.
Kenzo is still in his meeting with Mrs. Suzo. They've been in there for over two hours. I wonder what they are having a meeting about.
I really should ask Kenzo what all of this paperwork is for, but I don't want to bother him. Maybe I can figure it out myself though. I picked up the first paper to look it over.
Oh, it's all stuff that Mr. Suzuki needs to sign off on. Well, I can't sign anything for him. However, I can go through it all, and organize what is most important for him. That way he can get through the more pressing ones, and go home after if he wants.
It took me a full hour to go through the stack of papers. That's how big it was. Absolutely ridiculous.
I leaned back in my chair, and rubbed the bridge of my nose. Ugh, I need a break. And a coffee.
Suddenly Kenzo's office door opened up. I jumped in my chair. Turning my head I see Akane wrap her arms around Kenzo in a hug.
"It was so nice to see you Ken. Thanks for seeing me today, and spending so much time with me. I appreciate it." Akane told him.
"Anytime." Kenzo replied warmly as he hugged her back.
They look good together. Better than I would ever look next to him. I would never fit in Kenzo's world anyways.
One thing they don't tell you when you lose almost 100 pounds... You don't gain confidence like everyone thinks. I might wear things that I never would before. Only because Kendra makes me, but.. I still lack confidence in the same way I did before.
"It was so nice meeting you.. Oh, I didn't catch your name. How rude of me." Akane said.
I looked up to see her talking to me.
"Oh." I said.
I stoop up, and smoothed my hands over my skirt. Then I held my hand out to Akane, with a huge smile plastered on my face. Akane graciously shook my hand.
"I'm Opal Evans. The new secretary." I told her.
Akane gave me a knowing smile. What she knows, I don't know. Still, it's a warm smile. A genuine one.
If she and Kenzo are dating, I'm happy for them. Akane seems like a lovely woman. Kenzo has been kind to me all day as well. They probably make a great couple.
I just have to keep telling myself that.
"Opal, what a pretty name. Nice meeting you. See ya around." Akane said as she walked out.
The smile stayed on my lips as I took my seat.
"What is all of this?" Kenzo asked.
"Oh, uh, someone dropped this stack of papers off while you were in your meeting. I didn't know what they were, but after looking them over, I organized them for you. This stack is the most important papers that need your attention today, and this stack needs to be done by Friday." I told him.
"What's that stack?" Kenzo asked pointing to a random stack.
"Oh, uh, that's the stack that I have no idea about so I set it aside for you to look over. I thought that I would help you the best I could though." I told him.
Kenzo looked over the papers with a frown on his face.
"Why didn't you tell me about these sooner?" He asked without looking at me.
Oh no, did I do something wrong?
"Uh, well, you were in a meeting.. I didn't want to bother you.." I told him.
Kenzo's intense black eyes snapped to me.
"It's after 7 o'clock Opal. You could have interrupted me so that you could have went home." He said.
I gave him a confused look.
"Go home?" I asked like an i***t.
Kenzo gave me a confused look of his own.
"Yeah, ya know, that thing you do at the end of the work day." He said sarcastically.
I frowned.
"But.. you're still here." I stated.
Kenzo only blinked at me.
I'm confused.
What is going on here? Do the other secretaries not stay as long as their boss? Was that just me this whole time? Maybe because of my relationship with Ted I just never saw it as abnormal before?
"Opal, do you not leave until your boss does?" Kenzo asked.
I cleared my throat as I felt my face flush.
"I thought that was normal.." I mumbled.
Kenzo chuckled at me.
"You don't have to do that here. I stay late almost every night." He told me.
I shrugged. "I'm used it." I said.
"Because of Mr. Mackley." Kenzo said.
It wasn't a question, but I nodded anyways. I'm straightening up the stacks of papers I made. Maybe I can help Kenzo get through these faster if I stay, and hand them to him, or something.
"And what did you do for Mr. Mackley during these late hours?" Kenzo asked.
I shrugged. "Got him coffee, made sure he ate dinner, called his wife to update her on his whereabouts. Sometimes I would order flowers and chocolates for her. Emily gets very upset when Ted stays here past 7." I said as I looked back up at Kenzo.
Those intense black eyes are boring into me again. I tried not to shrink back under Kenzo's gaze. My god does he have to look at me like that?
"I see." He replied.
"Uh, is there someone I should call on your behalf?" I asked awkwardly.
The corners of Kenzo's lips twitched up as he shook his head.
"No." He said.
I gave him a nod.
"Well, maybe if I help you out with this we can get done faster." I offered.
Kenzo looked me up and down. For a moment I thought he was going to tell me no. Then he grabbed one of the piles of papers, and walked back to his office.
"Order us some food. It's going to take us a while."
*********************************************
It sure s**t did. Over an hour later, and we are only half way through the important stack of papers. Kenzo is insistant on looking everything over as he goes through. I can't be mad at that though, he is the CEO.
"Send this one back tomorrow. There are errors. I circled them so all you need to do is get it to the secretary." Kenzo said.
I took the paper to put with the others that he demanded the same of.
We haven't taken a bit of a break since we started either. I know it's only been an hour, but I'm used to being able to get up, and move around a bit. I feel so stiff right now. Not even when we ate did we stop.
"You know you can go whenever you want." Kenzo told me for the fourth time.
I gave him a blank look. His black eyes looked up to meet mine. Then I shook my head at him.
"I will be staying. Thank you though. For the fourth time." I said.
Kenzo set his pen down, and leaned back in his chair. He looked me up and down, and I felt my cheeks heat. Kenzo is looking at me like he can't figure me out, but wants to.
"What?" I asked with a forced laugh.
Kenzo hesitated on his answer.
"You've barely asked me anything since this morning. Even then you had little questions. When I didn't answer you, you only went back to work. You've spent all day going above and beyond for me." He stated.
I raised a brow at him.
"Is... that a bad thing?" I asked confused.
Kenzo leaned forward in his chair, brining himself closer to me. My eyes went wide as Kenzo looked over my face. I swallowed hard.
"I don't get you." He stated.
"Uhm, I'm sorry?" I said.
My body is getting hot.
"You didn't even ask me about pay." He said.
"Uh, I-I th-though about i-it." I stuttered.
"But you didn't ask." Kenzo stated.
"You were busy." I replied lamely.
The corners of Kenzo's lips turned up. The ghost of a smile teasing me. I wonder what he looks like when he's genuinely happy.
"Do you not see these as important things to discuss?" He asked.
"I-I-I.." I gulped. "I suppose so, but I assumed that I would be getting paid the same at the very least. I figured I could bring it up when you weren't so busy." I told him.
Then I took a deep breath.
"L-like now. I-I think that I should get a bonus for today." I stated.
Kenzo raised an amused brow at me.
"Oh?" He asked.
"Yeah. For having to find women's underwear in my desk, and a bonus for any other pair I find." I said.
Kenzo gave a deep chuckle. Those deep black eyes staring into me. I'm entranced.
"Okay, I'll agree to that." He said. "But.."
Kenzo reached up to grip my chin.
"The only women's underwear that you will find on either of our desks from now on, will be your own."
- Writer
