Essence of my life

Chapter 5

Caitlyn was shuffling a few papers in Jackie's office as she got a call.

"Hello, Mr. Baxter's office," she said into the receiver.

"Where's my son?" she heard a loud and bold voice filled with authority. Son? That must be Jackie's father!

"I'm sorry sir, but right now he is in an important meeting. Do you want me to pass a message?" she asked.

He huffed and the line was silent for a few seconds. She waited for him to speak, not wasting her time on her stacking work.

"And you are?" he finally asked.

"I'm Caitlyn Mackarren, his secretary, sir," she said.

"Oh, so you are that famous secretary I've been hearing about!" his tone grew lighter and she felt him grin, "well, nice to meet you, Miss Mackarren. And yeah, I do have something to tell to Jackie."

"Yes, sir?"

"Tell him that I will be stepping in soon."

"Stepping in?" she asked a little confused, "Is there anything else sir?"

"That would do it, Miss Mackarren. Thank you." With that he hung up.

She kept setting his files until he came back to his cabin.

"Is there anything I'm missing on?" Jackie entered the room.

"Yes, sir, apparently your father had called and left you a message."

"And that is?" He asked settling on his chair.

"He said that he will be stepping in soon," she said and she could see his face turn noticeably pale.

"Oh crap! I just forgot!" He jumped off his chair, "Miss Mackarren, I need you to come with me today. This is an emergency!" he sprinted along with Caitlyn hand's in his death grip. They were down in his car, panting and Jackie drove like a maniac.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" She asked. His face was pale and seemed to be very disturbed. His eyes were narrowed and jaw was taut.

"My father said that he was gonna come here soon and that I had to make sure his house was rather well looked after. But as you see, I forgot! Now I need your help to make this alright, Miss Mackarren."

"What are we gonna do?"

"You have to keep an eye on the house and even take all the calls of my father. He will be coming the day after tomorrow and I need everything to be perfect for him. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

The next day was hectic for her. She was multitasking with the house and the work. Jackie's father was a handful and she quite got the picture. He was a priority based man and believed in perfection. He was straight forward and never beat around the bush. He was annoying about his things being imperfect and Caitlyn could say that much.

After a whole day of exhausting work, she fell asleep. Sweet was her bed and bliss was her sleep. Well, that was until someone decided to wake her up early in the morning.

"What?" she snapped into the phone.

"Miss Mackarren?" she heard Jackie's voice on the other end and she automatically sat upright. She looked at her clock and it read half past five in the morning. Why was he calling her so early in the morning?

"Mr. Baxter?" she frowned.

"I am so sorry to wake you up so early in the morning but I need one last favour," he pleaded and he sounded almost desperate. Never had she ever seen him lose his cool and be so tense. What was it that his father does to make him stand on the edge?

"Yes, sir?"

"I need you to be in your best form of clothing and I am gonna pick you up at 6 sharp! We are going to pick my father from the airport. Am I understood?"

Why she was needed for him to pick up his own father was beyond her knowledge. She was on the verge of asking him why, but then, stepping into one's family affairs was never her thing, so she just agreed and hung up. After all, she was his secretary!

She slipped into a black business pencil skirt which hugged her hips exactly with a crisp white blouse and a scarf around her neck tied loosely. She put her hair up in a neat bun and a few bangs covered her forehead. A little make up with some lip gloss and eye liner did the thing. She got her clutch and slipped into her high heels and was ready to go.

It was six and there was a knock on the door. Looks like Mr. Baxter was a man of his word. She opened the door and he stood there in front of her looking handsome and setting her heart in a frenzy. She looked away taking a deep breath and faced him again.

"Shall we go?" he smiled and she nodded. Thank goodness that he looked so handsome and made her speechless, else she would have snapped at him real bad for making her wake up so early in the morning!

As soon as they got out of her clumsy apartment, they saw a limousine waiting out for them. Jackie opened the door for her as she looked at him nervously.

"A limousine?" she asked nervously biting her lower lip, fiddling with her clutch.

He smirked at her reaction and congratulated himself on breaking a little more of her ice. And lord, didn't she look sexy biting her lip!

"We are going to welcome the legendary Joseph Baxter, aren't we?" he laughed without a trace of humour, more to himself and rolled his eyes, "after you, Miss Mackarren," he nodded towards the car, still holding the door for her.

All the time while they were in the limo, Caitlyn was nervous. Joseph Baxter was not an easy person to deal with and that, he was definitely not like Jackie Baxter at all! He was serious, intimidating and overwhelming even on the phone. If a person could make her feel that way on the phone, she could just imagine how he would be like in person. But then, Caitlyn's life was never all roses to begin with. She had seen a lot worse and struggled all the way through her life. Compared to what she has been through, this man seemed good enough.

"Miss Mackarren?" Jackie called and she looked at him. He was looking out through the window, lost in a deep thought. "I am sorry for getting you into all this at early in the morning but I needed you for this. So, thank you," he turned and smiled at her genuinely for which she couldn't help but feel happy.

They reached the airport and saw Joseph Baxter come outside. He was a man in his sixties, greying hair but authoritative presence. His eyes were blue unlike Jackie's chocolate one's and had a bold voice. He was in a suit and his perfect but slightly​ wrinkled face said that he was one of those charmers back in his days.

"Father," Jackie called and he nodded his head towards him.

"Jackie," was all he said in turn.

Jackie sighed a little and looked back up at him, "Father, she is Caitlyn Mackarren, my secretary and Miss Mackarren, Joseph Baxter, my father."

"Nice to meet you, sir," she said in her composed self as Joseph eyed her, head to toe.

"Well, nice to meet you too," he shrugged, shaking hands with her.

"Shall we go, father? Your luggage has all been taken care of," Jackie said but Joseph's eyes all but remained on Caitlyn. "Father?" he called again and Joseph forcibly averted his eyes off Caitlyn.

He grinned and patted Jackie's back. Much to Jackie's surprise, Joseph Baxter, never in his life, had done something remotely closer to what he had done just now. He was always a stern man and always was bothered about his companies. Jackie never knew his affectionate side and suddenly having his father give out a gesture of this sort, stirred out unknown emotions in him.

His widened eyes and shocked expression were something Caitlyn had never seen. Where did the calm and composed Jackie go? After a few seconds, he composed himself by fiddling with his tie and turning away. He silently lead them to the limo and started off.

"So, son, how is the company running?" Joseph decided to break the silence.

"Fine, father," he gave a curt reply.

"I see," he nodded, "and Miss Mackarren?"

"Yes, sir?"

"How are you coping up?" he looked excited which definitely made Jackie suspicious. His father was never like this. He never initiated conversations and never ever showed any emotions towards him or anyone around him. So why is it that all of a sudden he is acting like a real responsible father and was giving him a warm feeling? Was he really his father?

"Real good, sir." Caitlyn never faltered on her short curt replies and never broke her ice for anyone. Joseph looked amused and turned towards Jackie, plotting something in his business tycoon mind.

"I was feeling hungry," he said realising that they already got into the mansion. "What have we got for breakfast?"

Oh no! Jackie had his maids to come in from 8 in the morning but it was only 7:30 and he was definitely sure that his father didn't like waiting. As they already knew, the man hounded punctuality as much as he did perfection. And to make matters worse, Jackie himself didn't know how to cook!

"Breakfast?" he looked at him nervously and turned to Caitlyn with a pleading look on his face, begging her with his eyes to make this alright. She immediately grasped what he meant and remembered the issue about maid timings. Caitlyn asked those maids to be there by 5, but Jackie, desperately wanting to show off his generous side to her, asked the maids to come by at 8. And now, as she had expected it, he was in trouble.

"Yes, breakfast," Joseph repeated, "is there any problem with that?"

"No, sir. It will be there in a minute," Caitlyn replied, "why don't you go and refresh yourself upstairs?"

"Sounds great!" he said and walked upstairs leaving Jackie to wonder what Caitlyn was planning to do.

"Caitlyn, what are you doing? There are no maids at home! There is no way we can lie to him!" Jackie followed her into the kitchen, but she silently started gathering the things she needed and began cooking. "You are cooking?"

"Isn't that obvious, sir?"

"But there were no groceries yesterday when I last saw! The maids were to get them today morning!"

"Well, guess I went and bought them myself. I mean, it is Mr. Joseph Baxter living here after all," she shrugged. She had a gut feeling that something was bound to go wrong.

Jackie was dumbfounded. He thought that this woman couldn't be even more perfect but she manages to outdo his estimation every single time! And she cooks! He always wanted a woman who could cook well so that it would cover up for his lack of cooking skills. His mother was a wonderful cook and he craved her cooking but well, guess his craving isn't gonna be fulfilled soon. Only if his mother paid a little attention towards him.

Soon, Caitlyn came up with some toast and egg with black coffee by the time Joseph got down. She served it to him and Jackie and sat aside.

"Oh my god! These are delicious! Who made them? And Miss Mackarren, why aren't you eating?" Joseph asked, feeling like in bliss, sipping his coffee.

"I will have it at my place, sir. You carry on."

"Oh no! You have to taste them! They are heavenly! I insist!"

She eats them all the time, father, Jackie thought, sighing.

"It's fine, sir," she refused.

"It's an order, Miss Mackarren!" he said sternly and she almost rolled her eyes. She sighed and served it to herself and took a bite.

"How are they?" he grinned.

"Not bad at all, sir," she nodded, playing along. Jackie internally groaned. Where the hell were they getting to?

It was almost 8 by then and the maids started coming in and getting onto their work. Joseph, all of a sudden, called a maid and asked, "could you call the cook who made this?" And right then, the cook entered the house. Jackie gulped and looked at Caitlyn.

"Uh, the cook is right there, sir," she pointed to him and he frowned.

"Miss Mackarren, who made this?"

"It was me, sir."

"Actually father, Caitlyn thought that it wasn't a good idea for you to wait until the maids come, so she herself made the breakfast for you."

He seemed to think for a while and Jackie was getting restless. What if he didn't like the idea of a secretary cooking for him? What if he thought that Jackie was as useless as he thought all his life? He was gonna be so depressed. Jackie always did things to gain his father's approval. Being the youngest in his family in boys, he was never cared for as he wanted to be. Either the eldest got the attention or the girls were too pampered. He strived to establish his companies and worked very hard to gain a name of his own rather than being called as Joseph Baxter's son. But in the end all he ever got from his father was a nod and 'nice work'. He worked even harder and expanded his company, making it into an empire. His father had to acknowledge it somehow and this was his only chance. If he didn't, hen all his life's work would just go waste and he would live a life filled with regret. Breakfast as simple as this cannot ruin this chance! He will not let that happen!

"You should have told me, dear," Joseph smiled. Joseph Baxter actually, genuinely smiled to someone else other than his family. Someone he just saw in the morning! Is the world going to end? Or is Jackie hallucinating? "I have a request for you. Could you do that?"

"Of course, sir."

"My wife is going to be here by the next Tuesday, so could you be the one who will cook for me until she comes?"

"What?" Jackie nearly screamed, "mother is coming here?"

"Didn't I tell you?"

"No, you didn't!" he nearly yelled.

"Oh well, never mind," Joseph shrugged, "so, Miss Mackarren, will you be my cook for the time being?"