SOUL TIES (The Sánchez Brothers Series, Book 1)

CHAPTER 30 : ANDRE

"Good morning, Mr Sánchez."

I responded to the chorused greeting with a stiff nod. I fucking hated crowded spaces. "Two's a company, three's a crowd", and there were more about 8 people in the elevator, excluding me. So yeah, I was pretty agitated. 

It didn't help that most of them were gawking at me like they hadn't ever seen a 6'3" man with jet black hair and a three-day stubble on his chin. Like c'mon, I'd been CEO for two whole months, the novelty should had worn out already. Should had burnt with the firecrackers on New Year's eve.

I almost sighed out in relief when we got to the 4th floor and they all had to get off, thank goodness. They scrambled out and one of them gave me one last gaze before the doors closed. I hoped she hadn't meant to be seductive with that gaze, cos that would have been mission failed successfully. It looked like she glitched for a second and someone needed to call her name to get her functioning again. 

I didn't even know her name. I only knew Sky and Amber, I hadn't and wouldn't bother to learn any more. 

Finally, I was alone in the elevator and was bound for my office which was on the last floor. The forbidden hall. That was what Sky called it, and I understood why. Nobody came there, except I and Amber. Any regular employee who got called there was probably going to come out unemployed. 

So I was heading off to where I'd spent the next 9 or 10 hours in solitude. Peace and quiet had never felt better.

Imagine my unpleasant surprise when the elevator doors opened and I was met with a crowd of women. A fucking mass and for a second, I was hella confused.

"What are you all doing here? The fuck is going on?" I almost growled and a few ladies jumped in startlement.

"Oh, you're here already." Amber's familiar voice brought some form of relief and normalcy to the whole scene.

"Amber, what the fuck is going on in here?" I gestured towards the intruders. "Who the fuck are they and what are they doing up here?"

Her eyes widened at my foul language and she pulled me into my office. "Can you calm down for a second?"

"Not until you tell me why half of the American population is standing outside my damn office." I pulled at my necktie, it was way too early for that but I didn't even have a fucking choice. I was already stressed and it was barely 8am. 

"That's the shortlist for your secretary post." She looked like she'd rather eat sour grapes than say that, she was fucking sulking. "You are supposed to interview them so you can pick one. I sent that to you in the mail, remember?"

"That was today?"

She gave me the stink eye. "You replied the mail with a 'Noted'. Maybe you really do need a secretary after all."

I glared at her. "Well, we've got to postpone this shit. I've got loads of work to do."

"No, you don't. I checked your schedule and it turns out today's free. That's why I even set the interview date today."

Damn, there was no getting out of it. "Can't you help me with this? I'm really not in the right frame of mind."

"Don't matter, you gotta do it. Here's the shortlist." She waited for me to plop down on my chair before handing me some papers stapled at the top. 

"How many are they?" I didn't wait for her to answer. I just opened the last page and a strangled noise left me, much to Amber's amusement. "157? I didn't even know the whole building could contain 157 people."

"Yeah, so you have a great day ahead of you. Have fun."

I didn't like how happy she was about my discomfort. "You're so fucking annoying and that's why you didn't grow past my waist." A mad exaggeration but Amber used to be so ticked about her height in the past.