the various chances

chapter four

Lily

Emma Eliza Coleman- the secretary to Jeremy Langford was taking me to the devil's very own chamber i.e. Jeremy's office floor as she said and I quote, "You may not be starting your work from today itself but for today I bought myself some extra time so why not give you an office tour today itself" and I had nodded silently after accepting the job offer.

The salary pay was somewhere between average and awesome for me so obviously I agreed to work, not that I care about what will Jeremy think. He doesn't needs to know, I'll be out from here in a year or so.

Back to Emma who was standing beside me inside the elevator as we ride down to the food floor. "So, Lily what do you think?" I frown and narrow my eyes lightly. "Will you able to keep up with our boss or I am going to have another headache to find him an assistant?"

Her wide-set eyes on me with some unsaid hopeful emotion crossing them as she peers down through them at me. I gulp, "Look, I am not sure how exactly he is" LIE "but I'll try to put my best, even if not for him" ANOTHER LIE "for myself and the sake of keeping the job. So let's just hope for the best", at the end I had plastered an assuring smile to my face.

The ding sound of the elevator is heard before she could react. We walk out and stand at the door. Emma's analysing gaze roaming around the floor while I stand there like a statue and holding on to my bag for it's dear life. She nudges me forward and we walk together to what looked like a small self-service coffee table stacked with coffee, milk, creamers, sugar and all the necessities for a caffeine lover.

Emma's hands were already working, bringing out 2 medium-sized Styrofoam cups she starts pouring herself some. "How would you like yours, Lily?" she asks. Quickly enough I recover and take a cup-my cup-from her hands and say, "I'll help myself Miss Coleman, thank you for the caffeine though."

She waves a hand in front of her face in a dismissing manner and snorts playfully, "Lily, please call me Emma, Miss Coleman makes me feel like Catelyn Stark. I am still Arya Stark meaning I am of your age, so yet again, please call me Emma." My hands were busy stirring the sugar cubes I had placed in my cup of coffee and milk- a basic version of cappuccino.

I smile at her, a full one, "Sure Emma." "there ya go, it was easy, wasn't it?" she says, her tone friendly, gone was the Emma who was sitting at the other end of the desk during the interview. This Emma looked friendly and endearing.

We find ourselves a seat and sip on our coffees. She takes a long sip, places down her cup on the table and sighs. I chug down some of my drink and say, "Can you brief me on my work a little before we actually head out for the actual floor?"

Her smile looked like one where who see a person smiling but it was unexpected. "SO, you are the assistant to him. I'll start in chronological order. You bring him or make him his black coffee as the very first step of your day" -off course he'd drink black coffee, I suppress my urge to snort- "next you let him know his schedule, he'll ask you to make certain changes if not then he'll clear you for your work."

"You have to summarize certain reports which are too lengthy for him. You arrange his meetings with regular clients as per his convenience with them. For some national or international clients he may or may not ask you to accompany him to those business trips which tend to happen quite often but I don't remember the last time he took his assistant with him."

Thank God, because if he takes his assistant with him then Fuck my life.

"The reports from our departments are handed to me first, I check them, you summarize once again and pass on to him. Many a times, he doesn't exactly addresses the company's very own departments which headache may or may not fall on you so you'd have to be extra safe or careful while dealing with internal affairs."