Episode One
“Not bad,” thought Samuel as he walked through the hallway of Speed Realtor. He took in the interior with so much interest. He was not artsy in any way but he appreciated how well-organised the company decorated the woody-looking tiled floor went well with white walls. The tables, chairs and cupboards were either all brown, white or a mix of both.
The hallway to the secretary had to its sides an open office space separated by glass dividers. Staff who only spared him a few looks before dismissing him and returning to work occupied all offices. “I will be one of you soon,” he mutters to himself and smiles. With how happy he felt he felt he couldn’t wait to resume.
He had thought himself, Out of Luck when he had been unceremoniously fired from his previous job working as an accountant for SEA a Small Account firm in Dublin. Thinking about the situation still managed to spark up a fire of anger in him. He had sacrificed everything for that firm — time, relationship, loyalty and effort. Rather than being offered a raise or promotion, he had been sacked with no explanations.
As he got closer to the secretary, he threw out the thought. He takes hold of his Resume tightly and pasting a smile on his face walks up to the secretary.
“Good Morning” he chimes. “I am here….” He stops as she picks up the landline dials a number and begins talking to someone on the other line whom she calls MD. He could have sworn she heard him. Maybe she didn’t. This was his first day reporting in as The Personal Assistant of The CEO he didn’t want anything even this Missy here Jinxing it. He could make this work.
Episode Two
“Tess I need those supplies I requested for it’s been a week now and you haven’t made a move to get it done” Samuel pleads. It took everything in him to maintain his calm. It’s been one month since resuming work and still, Tessa has made teamwork impossible. The missy acted like the very air he breathed offended her. He should be the bereaved, not her. On his first day at work, she had left him standing like a fool while she got busy with everything but attending to him. When she finally did, she ignored his greeting and pointed to a door. Getting in, he sees a very displeased boss. He was late! That wasn’t a good first impression but Mr. Jeff had offered a stern warning and let it slide.
“Back Off Sam, there are other things that are more important than your precious supplies,” Theresa said dismissively. “And it’s Theresa, not Tess, this is a workspace so learn to conduct yourself appropriately” With her lecture delivered she goes back to ignoring him. AGAIN.
He looked helpless as he moved to speak but contained himself. Trying to reason with her would be a waste of time. “I’m not asking to be friends but a cordial relationship that does not involve you sabotaging my work would be appreciated. If this continues, I’ll just have to report this to the right authorities,” he said coldly. The shocked look on her face made him smile as he walked out. He knew he just might have lost any chance of friendship with her but he refused to be a pushover. Now that he had time to think about it, the low-level staff have been treating him like an irritant only the upper-level staff have been welcoming.
Episode Three
Something was not right, it’s been two weeks working here but he’s seen his boss just twice — first when he resumed and then secondly when he was leaving the office. He had thought it was because he wasn’t well equipped to resume work, which was why he buggered Tess to have them delivered but it’s been three days since then. He had never realised not working could also be as tiring as working. He ached from not doing anything, he was bored. With no friends since the junior staff treated him like a plague, he had taken to staying in his office. His offers to help them were fruitless as they promptly turned him down. He had heard them say that the boss had hired a piece of furniture to complement his empty office.
He couldn’t continue like this, there were some who would think taking this job was low but he didn’t mind, an honest labour was something to be proud of. He had bills to pay, but with how things were proceeding, he was regretting his visionary decision. Lately, he found himself missing his previous Job, the thrill of crunching numbers, the fast pace, the attention, and his colleagues, there was always something to be done, not this numbness he constantly felt here.
Standing up from his chair, he picks up the phone and tries calling his boss, to his surprise his boss picks up at the first ring and speaks.
“Hey Sam, how has it been over there, I was about to call. I need you to go over to my office and sort out the documents in my cabinet. I want them properly sorted and filled. Get the keys from Tess. Send me a text the moment it’s sorted. Good Job. “The call ended immediately after he was done.
Episode Four
Who spoke about not working? Definitely — not him. He had never loved paper works as he did right now. He consumed every document like he would his best meal. The moment he got past the testy, Tess he had comfortably installed himself in his boss’s office and then with great care he opened the cabinet like it was a treasure. He had thought himself in a dead job but with the days spent in his boss’s office he knew things about his boss as he needed help organising, he had loved the control and called the shots on when and how much he relays to you. The company was doing well if all he had seen in the files were things to go by.
He had hidden the position he had held in his previous organisation because he didn’t want anything sabotaging his chances of getting the job. The knowledge of accounting helped in sorting out the documents because they were mixed up and hard to understand if you were not one with a keen eye. He was finally done with sorting out the file and set the last one inside the cabinet, then moved a little aback he surveyed his work with pride, he had placed them in an easy to comprehended order and stuck a little note on the ones that were missing up for easy guide.
“Good Afternoon Mr. Jeff, the files are sorted” he texted. Almost out of the office, his phone beeps. A message from the boss —Thanks I’ll be coming in tomorrow, to make sure everything is in order. Now finally some real work with the boss!
Episode Five
“No leave that, I’ll have Theresa take care of it” Sam heard his boss say for a number he had lost count of. The man had been holding back so many things from him that one would think he wasn’t his personal assistant. Wisdom said he was just being courteous, of what. Him??? He should have signed a confidentiality clause before resuming or immediately after but that hadn’t happened and every time he brought it up Mr. Jeff brushed it off saying the lawyer was busy.
He hoped the Lawyer could make himself available because he was tired of having Tess do his job. He had tried everything to ease his boss’s mind and show him how competent he was but it seemed all his attempts were all dung if Tess was still being called in. He wasn’t one to be interested in work politics let alone with a woman, albeit a very exasperating one. “Okay sir” despite the sentence he really wanted to say started with a But. “Will that be all?” he said with strained calm.
“Call Theresa on your way out,” he said with his eyes still fixed on the proposal he had just submitted.
He was not a landline he thought. Being dismissed he goes out to call Theresa.
Episode Six
“This is way above my pay grade” Theresa eyes him.
He wasn’t really in the mood to be under her fire today and moved to leave without uttering a reply. He got stopped the moment she uttered the next sentence.
“Incompetent and now a coward too. Just great.” She said self-righteously as she moved past him to the boss’s office.
“What did you just say?” he asked coldly. She really didn’t just say those words to him. As if her attitude towards him wasn’t enough now she insulted his work.
“I asked if you were that incompetent. You really must be for…” He cut her off before she could complete her sentence.
“Theresa you have no right to speak down at me. A coward you say? Would you rather I got into a catfight with you every time you showed how unprofessional you are”
She turns around to face him now, eyes wide open in shock “How dare you. He cuts her off again.
“How dare I speak to you that way, No, how dare you speak and treat me the way you’ve done so far? I am capable of doing my job perfectly well without your assistance, but it seems you were employed to do my dirty Job so by all means Run along” he spat out and walked back to his office. So Missy could get hurt. He didn’t care, she should learn to receive as much as she gave. He didn’t care what she thought. Anyways it was… Checkmate.
Episode Seven
“Good Morning Tess,” Sam said. He had messed up and he knew it big time. He shouldn’t have spoken to her the way he did. He had let her words get the better of him. Damn! he felt so ashamed. The past few days since the incident she had taken to calling him Mr. Olive and acted with such professionalism that gave him the chills. He was better off with her biting him off than this coldness. He didn’t know why he cared but by himself, he did. Her comment also really hurt him the other day.
“Good Morning Mr. Oliver, how may I help you,” she said with the grace of a Queen. This wasn’t going to be easy. Looking at her face he tried to see if he could foretell her reaction, all he saw was a well-made face and hair pulled back they told nothing other than the fact that she was attractive. Attractive? Where did that come from?? No, he had lost control of his senses he needed to do this and go back to being himself.
“This,” he said laying on the white countertop a parcel. She looked taken aback. He had managed to shock her again. Just great.
“What’s this?” she asked looking confused as she picked up the box wrapped in a brown wrap. “Is this a package Mr Jeff wants delivered?” she said reaching to speed dial the delivery company.
Quickly moving to stop her, he removed her hands on the landline using his. The lasers she shot at him banished every other thought, to what her hands felt like to the land of the forgotten. He swiftly withdraws his hands and clears his throat before meeting her eyes and then speaking with what he thought was a remorseful honourable tone but to his chagrin, it came out as a plea “It’s not from Mr. Jeff. It’s a peace offering from me. I’m sorry for the way I spoke to you” Fuck did he just carry on like an errant student in front of the mean principal.
Episode Eight
“Hi, Tess,” Sam said as he met her in the boardroom already setting up the boardroom for the in-house meeting about to take place.
She shoots him a disapproving look before speaking “So you think we’re both chummed up now because you gave me Peace – Offering” Then moves to pick up the agenda he had just brought in.
“I thought you threw out the box without opening it just as you threatened?” he said with a victorious smile and continued when she didn’t voice a reply “So you got curious right?”
“Oh please, I got curious, so what? That doesn’t mean that your gift was received or retained and neither was your apology” she states and goes on to place the agenda in their respective position.
The doll
The boardroom was different from the offices. Not only was it larger but it was all bricks, unlike the offices that were made of glass. The only glass that could be found in the room were the table, doors and window. The difference made the boardroom seem like a very sacred people void of distractions, unlike the open view the glasses installed in the offices gave both within and out. Looking at Tess, he wondered what she thought of the boardroom.
“There are only five agendas here, where is the last? I’m sure you got the memo that this meeting would have all the seats here occupied,” she said testily circling her finger around the six brown swivel chairs.
Mentally rolling his eyes, here she goes again giving orders. “Mr Jeff asked to see the agenda before the meeting, so I dropped one on his desk,” he said with a superior
With her face suddenly marked with exasperation, she said slowly with a feigned smile, “You should have emailed the agenda or printed an extra copy. Mr Jeff will be expecting an agenda on this table when he gets here not bringing the one you dropped on his desk”
Sam was out of the door in a flash but not before catching her whispered, “Know it all”
