Forever Yours

1. My Job

Sarah Dominic

" Are you sure, if you sign the contract you have to work for 5 years. You can not quit... Take my advice and think about it, he is a difficult man to work for."
She said looking at me. She was older than my late mother, her brown eyes showed concern.

" I do believe I am capable of taking this challenge ma'am. Being a personal assistant can't be that bad." I say grabbing the pen and signing my name, indirectly sealing my fate to that monster. I did not have another option my parents passed away too soon leaving my one year old sister and my twin brother who was studying architecture, to fend for ourselves. My internship was almost over when I saw an opening for this position on the company website. It paid too well, that we could keep the house and I could support my brother and sister. I was the older one, I was the responsible one. I was the only one who could take care of them.

"Okay child, this is the schedule for today." She handed me a file and gestured me to follow her.

"Your main job is to make sure he attends all the meetings on time. Make sure you don't fall for him, you have heard the rumours I believe..." She said almost questioning me waiting for me to say something. "I believe I am immune to men's charms." She smiled knowingly, "Can't say that's the first time I heard that, and trust me little one, this man is charming. Has managed to seduce most of his assistants and later fired them. He is smart though, the Aurora Hotels would not be successful otherwise..." I did not know if I was supposed to be offended when she called me little one, I was only twenty one, fresh out of college. "Your first task Sarah, is to get him out of whatever he is doing and make sure he attends the meeting with our clients from Singapore."

I open the door to his office, a spacious one, it looked more like a personal workshop with models of the Aurora Hotels and files lying around. The couch, oh my eyes, I should have knocked, it was too late now, they saw me, my new boss and the old assistant on the couch eating each other's faces. He got up, hair dissheveled, tie hanging loose, shirt buttons open, clearly giving me a view of his perfectly sculpted body. I managed to keep a straight face. He came towards me cornering me to the wall, grey eyes looking me up and down. He was as tall as my brother or maybe taller I was not quite sure. "Name?" He questioned. "Sarah Dominic, your new assistant." I say pushing him away, "I can wait for your little activity to be over, but your clients won't. So, you better clean up." I say in a very authoritative voice I myself didn't think I had. The girl on the couch stood up now, shock written all over her face, " Who are you kid? I am his assistant and..." Before she could finish, my new boss, Mr. Andrew Thomas interrupted, " You are fired Meera, meet my new assistant, Sarah. Pick your things and leave." She tried to protest, one look from him and she was in tears and ran out. "Give me ten minutes, wait in the car."

That was my first day, over the last 5 years, I have made friends, connections and enough money to start working on my dream. Work was tiring but I could manage it, I gained a lot of knowledge working for Mr. Andrew, I couldn't deny that I enjoyed his company, the way he talked about his business, his family and all the ideas he had truly made him a wonderful person. His first impression on me was that of an asshole, who considered himself above everything and everyone. Now I knew him to be a perfect business man.

I hated this job, not because I didn't like to work for him but because it was not my passion, now after five years Victor, my twin brother has a job and Amara my little sister, had just started first grade. I can finally start doing what I love to do. Victor agreed that I had to do what I loved, he was totally against me working for Mr. Andrew. Now I can quit doing this, the five years of the contract would end in a week and my meeting with the HR department was happening right now.

"Sarah we would like you to continue your work here, there will be a raise in your salary more benefits ..." It was Mrs. Laxmi Rajan, the same woman who made me sign the five year contract, my guide, mentor and a second mother she was perfect from the first time I met her, I interrupted her now, "With all due respect ma'am, I will not be continuing. My assistant Josh can take my position now. " I said.

"Sarah is everything alright, did Andrew do something, or should we negotiate the salary and working hours? Why do you want to leave?" She asked standing up startling me. "Well it has been 5 years and I am not the same person I was five years ago. I can finally fulfill my dreams and this job will stand in the way. I want to end this chapter of my life and begin a new one." I said.

"Okay, but we will talk about this at lunch."

*****

"Here are the notes and schedules and what Mr. Andrew likes to eat. " I was instructing Josh. " Do you really have to leave Sarah? Mr. Andrew is very scary, please don't leave me with the monster, please, please..." Josh was like a little brother. " Josh you are not a child, Amara is better than you. Mr. Andrew is not a bad person..."

"I heard something, please tell me it's not true. Sarah Dominic, why are you leaving?" The old woman who just rushed in, Mrs. Josephine Thomas, the mother of my boss. Let's say she likes me a lot, I have a feeling she loves me. "You heard right ma'am, I will be leaving in a week...."

"But why? You were the only assistant who managed to survive under him. Have you thought about this in detail. Did you get a better offer from somewhere else?" She questioned. "I just want to complete my dream,  now that Victor has a steady income, I can do what I want and also look after Amara. She will be starting first grade soon. Moreover I hate working for him, maybe because it is Mr. Andrew Thomas we are talking about or because I don't like what I am doing now. Josh has improved a lot these days, he will be able to manage."

"Okay dear, if you need anything feel free to call me. You were always more than Andrew's PA to me. Also, tell Amara to make a lot of friends and take care of herself. All the best in whatever you plan to do dear." She kept her hand on my head blessing me and went inside the office.