ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ

First Day

Authors note: this was my first story so yes its cringy and I apologize in advance I hath learnt from my mistakes.

Sofia Clarke had been dreaming of this day for years. She had worked hard through college and had finally landed her dream job as an assistant to one of the top CEO executives in the city. She had planned every detail of her first day down to the minute, but the one thing she couldn't plan for was the weather. As she rushed out of her apartment building, she was greeted by a heavy downpour. She grabbed her umbrella and dashed towards the subway station.

By the time she arrived at the office building, she was soaked from head to toe. She quickly made her way to the elevator and frantically pressed the button for the top floor. As she stepped out of the elevator, she was greeted by her new boss, Xavier James.

"Who are you?" He asked.

"Um, I'm Sofia.. your new um assistant."

"Sofia, you're late," he said sternly.

"I'm so sorry. The rain delayed me," she replied, trying to catch her breath.

"Well, that's not a good start, is it?" he said, shaking his head disapprovingly.

Her heart sank. She had wanted to make a good first impression, but it seemed like that opportunity had already passed her by.

"Come into my office," he said, gesturing for her to follow him.

As they entered his office, Sofia noticed that he was struggling to tie his tie. She hesitated for a moment but decided to offer her help.

"Mr. James, can I help you with your tie?" she asked.

"No, I can manage it myself," he snapped, clearly annoyed by her offer.

She took a step back, feeling embarrassed and unsure of what to do next.  He finally gave up and sat down in his chair.

"Sofia, I hope you understand that punctuality is crucial in this line of work. If you can't even make it to your first day on time, how can I trust you to handle important tasks?" he scolded her.

Sofia nodded, feeling ashamed of herself. She had always been punctual in the past, but the rain had thrown her off her game.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again," she said, determined to do better.

"Good. Now, let's get to work," he said, opening a folder on his desk.

As Sofia sat down and began to take notes, she couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. Her first day wasn't going as planned, but she knew she had to work hard to prove herself to him and earn his trust.

As she took notes, she noticed that he was still struggling with his tie. She could see that he was growing more and more frustrated by the minute.

"I know you already said no, but.... if you don't mind, I can help you with your tie." She said softly.

Xavier hesitated for a moment but then nodded his head in agreement. "Okay, go ahead," he said, leaning back in his chair.

She walked over to him and stood in front of him nervously. She carefully untied his tie and began to re-tie it, moving her hands in a practiced rhythm. His finger touched her thigh, accidentally sending a shiver down her spine.

"How old are you, Sofia?" Xavier asked.

"Oh, um, I'm um.."

"It's a simple question you should be able to answer without stuttering." He said mildly annoyed.

"Sorry. I, um, I get nervous."

"Today Clarke."

"Right, um, I'm twenty-one." She finally answered.

"Hm."

As she finished tying his tie, Sofia stepped back and smiled. "There you go, all done," she said.

Xavier stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. He was impressed by how neatly his tie was now tied.

"Thank you, Sofia," he said, a hint of admiration in his voice. "You're more skilled than I originally thought."

"How come you can't tie your own tie?" She asked.

He immediately frowned. "My wife usually ties it." He answered.

"Right, um, is there anything else you need help with, Sir?" she asked, eager to prove her worth.

Xavier thought for a moment and then nodded his head. "Actually, yes. There's a file that I need you to bring to me from the file room. It's on the third floor, and it's labeled 'James-Confidential.'"

Sofia nodded, grabbed the file, and headed towards the door. As she turned the handle, he called out to her.

He hesitated for a minute. "Be on time tomorrow."

"Right. Sorry." She said.

Later that night, Sofia left her new job feeling exhausted but exhilarated. She had spent the day learning the ropes and meeting her colleagues, and she was excited about the opportunities that lay ahead. As she walked out of the building and onto the busy city street, she took a deep breath of fresh air and started walking towards the bus stop.

As she waited for a bus, she heard the sound of a car pulling up beside her. She looked up and saw her boss, Xavier, sitting behind the wheel. Sofia felt a sudden rush of anxiety as she remembered the tense conversation she had had with him earlier in the day.

"Do you need a ride?" He asked.

She hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do.

"Uh, sure," she said, finally.

He unlocked the door, and Sofia climbed into the passenger seat. The interior of the car was spotless, and she felt a pang of envy for Xavier's seemingly perfect life.

"Um, nice car." She said with a small smile.

"Thank you." He answered coldly.

She sighed and looked out of the window. Xavier glanced at her for a moment, then turned his eye line back to the road.

"You did a good job today." He told her.

"Me?"

"No, me." He answered sarcastically. "Yes, you."

"Right, sorry.... it's just that I messed up a few times, and you seemed to be. I don't know bothered, I guess."

"I'm your boss. Of course, I'll be annoyed when you mess up. But as a person, I know everyone messes up."

"Oh um well thank you." She smiled.

Xavier glanced at her, putting her hands on her thighs and taking a deep breath."

They arrived at Sofia's apartment building, and Xavier pulled up to the curb. "Thanks for the ride," she said, quickly unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the door.

"Uh huh." He answered.