Opportunity of a Lifetime!

Chapter Seven - Assistant With A Vengeance

CHAPTER SEVEN: ASSISTANT WITH A VENGEANCE

I just stood gaping at the mysterious stranger that just walked away from me, again. I was sort of amazed and in awe by the almost unbelievable way he just managed to walk in and create this questionable vibe that surrounded the atmosphere each and every time he appeared. I was stunned at his presence, however odd that sounded.

A lot of people probably don't understand. But once you've met someone with such an impact, it really makes a ton more sense.

Wait - did I really just say that?

As people began to pass me by I tapped one of them on the shoulder - a female with glossy  jet black hair, toned so perfectly it would make even catwoman jealous plaited in a braid down her back. It was at this moment I noticed the vertical stripes on her smart-shirt, clearly in a ploy to increase her intellectual status. Her leggings were visible from across the room as they shone from the sunburnt lights and her snakeskin boots were sort of sickly. She stopped and faced me giving me wide eyes, just watching as I struggled to get my words out.

"D-do you know w-where I can find Sharon's first assistant?" I asked. The girl looked me up and down and began to laugh, not even attempting to hide the rudeness she was conveying.

"Don't tell me your her new assistant!" She exclaimed sarcastically, giving me a 'really?' look. I froze at her insensitivity. It certainly wasn't helpful at this point. "Look, I'm Sharon's first assistant, Melanie Waters, so I guess I'm kind of obliged to help you out, otherwise I'll lose my job." The way she said that last sentence so definitively made me shudder. She sighed once more and continued, "Follow me newbie and I'll show you to your desk."

I let out a small smile - another faked approach. She didn't look convinced and instead batted her eyelashes at a group of men in suits as they walked past us. As she tossed her head from side to side in a rhythmic fashion, her golden diamond shaped earrings whooshed around, creating patterns of their own. They all stared as she pouted her lips and began strutting through as if she were, in fact, Sharon Sharline. A couple of them stared at me uncuriously but quickly darted their eyes, proving that I was evidently not worthy enough for their time.

I began to cough and splutter - even my own flaws were defying me. Melanie turned around and shot me with an intense glare. I diverted my attention to the floor, wondering how they kept the cream carpet so incredibly spotless, and followed her down the corridor, through some double doors and into a roomy office. The office sported two desks with laptops, drawers, phones and files placed on top of them in an orderly fashion. Melanie strided confidently over to the smaller of the two desks and gestured towards it. "This is where you will sit!" She informed me. I nodded and sat down on the swivel chair. It was black, leather and... far too small. I would need it lifted if I were to survive here. As she started to talk to another member of staff I clicked the button underneath the chair and the chair started to do a dance of its own, swivelling up and down as if it were in an attempt to make me chair-sick. Melanie eventually returned, sighing. "It's mechanical. You can't just play with these things." She sighed, "Look, I'll get someone to sort it. Oh, and before I forget, Sharon left a list of things for you to do!" She handed me a thick list of chores. I flipped through the pages and read the ridiculous jobs.

'Ring the local 'Davison's' branch and ask Laura if she has finished the designs for me'

'Clean my office from head to toe'

'Pick up Wendy from 'Chiwatta's'

I turned to Melanie confusedly, narrowing my eyebrows. "Who's Wendy?'

"Her pet Chihuahua," she replied and somewhere I sensed some amusement, "She's a right pain in the neck. Just a warning, every time you touch her she literally barks in your ear and bites you. If I had a dollar for every time she gave me a scratch I'd be a millionaire by now."

"A fashion editor with a pet Chihuahua... how cliché!" I exclaimed, grinning.

She didn't laugh at my attempted joke and instead just sat opposite me behind her desk and began typing on her computer keyboard. I scanned the list and decided that I would start with the simple jobs first and work my way up. I searched through the phone directory but couldn't find the number for the local 'Davison's' branch.

"What's the number for-"

"It's in the drawer!" She exclaimed with an exasperated sigh. It was almost like she read my mind and knew immediatley what I was going to ask.

"Thanks..." I muttered under my breath. I opened the pine drawer and pulled out a sheet of lined paper with the phone number written on its face. I began to dial the number and then pressed green. It rang for a debatably lengthy amount of time before someone picked up.

"This is 'Davison's', how can I help you?" Asked a voice, professional and modest.

"Yes, I'm, erm, Jessica Wood, Sharon Sharline's second assistant. I have phoned to speak to erm," I scanned the list, "Laura?" I wasn't sure if I'd read it correctly and mentallly cursed at myself. I didn't want to be too certain.

"Yes, I will just pass you over Jessica, give me one moment...."

"Thank you," I said simply as I heard someone approach the second landline and pick up.

"Hello, did someone want me?" Asked a southern accent. I assumed she was from Texas, but then mentally cursed at myself again for being so stereotypical. All Southerners weren't from Texas!

"Is that Laura?" I asked, trying to maintain my professionalism.

"Yes, this is Laura," she clarified, "Derek said you wanted to speak to me..." She sounded like she was chewing something, possibly gum?

"Yes I wondered if you managed to finish the designs for Sharon Sharline..."

A unnerving pause.

"Are you-are you saying that I can't manage!?" She screamed down the line. Crap. How could such a simple, remote conversation turn into something so extreme?

"No Laura, that wasn't what I was saying at all... I only meant that-"

"Get off my case!" She exclaimed before the phone line went dead. As I put the phone back in its carrier my mouth left itself temporarily agape. Lets just say that things weren't going too well and I was not adjusting to the life of an assistant too easily...