SOUL TIES (The Sánchez Brothers Series, Book 1)

CHAPTER 33: ANDRE

"Vidal."

Good Lord! I exhaled noisily through pursed lips and massaged my temple with my left hand before turning to the annoying distraction. Emphasis on annoying. 

"Amanda…." She was standing at the other side of my table, her blonde hair pulled back in a sleek bun. It was professional, but chic. I'd give a brownie points for her appearance, if she wasn't disrupting my work at the moment. "I'm trying to decide if you're suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease or you're just purposely defying my orders." I continued despite the sour look on her face. "You'll call me what other people in this building call me and that's either Mr Sánchez or Sir."

"Forgive me, Mr Sánchez." She gritted through clenched teeth.

"Why are you here?" A tab screen popped up on my laptop and I clicked it.

She wasted a few seconds to answer. "I need help with something." 

I peered at her over the rim of my blue light glasses. "Last I checked, I pay you to help me. Not the other way round. Are you sure you even know what you're here for?" I didn't give her the chance to respond. "And don't give me that 'I just got here' excuse. This is your second day here, I expect you to have gotten the hang of it by now."

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, like she was trying to control herself. "Maybe I would have gotten the hang of it if someone showed me the ropes."

Well, I wasn't expecting that. "What's that about? Wasn't Amber on seat?"

Her lips stretched to form a faux smile and I just knew her next words would be sarcastic. "Good question. Very good question. Wasn't Amber on seat?" I lifted my right brow at her and she sighed tiredly. "Yes, Amber was on seat, but she vehemently refused to teach me with very dehumanizing words."

I blinked once. "Oh?"

"She said and I quote 'I'd rather get infected with rabies than spend my Monday conversing with you." Personally, I wouldn't actually call that dehumanizing. Embarrassing and childish, maybe but regardless. Amber was fucking wrong for that one. And just like old times, Amanda was the type to spiral out of control when she was in the right. 

"I don't even know what her problem is, acting like something crawled up her ass or something. I thought we were supposed to put up a professional front once we stepped into the building, she's doing the total opposite and it's fucking annoying."

She seemed oblivious to my displeasure as she kept rambling. "Worst part was that Becky from the reception coudn't even help me either cos apparently I am your first secretary since you became CEO so she doesn't know what your secretary is supposed to do. So excuse me for trying to learn my job specifications." Amanda always spoke with her hands, so my eyes were quite exhausted from following their aggressive motions. 

"Keep up with this tone and there won't be a need to learn the job specifications." I threatened and she stiffened for a while.

I honestly understood her agitations, but Amanda had a thing or two to learn about courtesy. Last thing I wanted was for her to feel she could do as she pleased just because she knew me personally and we had some kind of history. It was obvious she got the job because I was a little sentimental, but I didn't want my lapse in judgement to make her anymore conceited than she already was. 

My fingers stroked my jaw as I regarded her. Amanda was fucking arrogant, that I'd always known. But her complaints weren't exactly unfounded. "Uh I'll have a word with Amber. For now, just focus on answering calls, replying mails, setting up meetings, keeping my schedule. Stuffs of that sort."

Her chin jutted in the air. "I do know the normal duties of a secretary."

"Debatable." I interjected, riling her up but not actually giving a fuck. I pushed my glasses back and started typing away on my laptop. "Okay then. Please close the door on your way out."