Guidelines

4 | lemon buttercream

"Today?" I mean yes, I agreed to be his secretary, but I didn't know that the agreement was officially starting two days after meeting.

"Today." His voice monotonously replies back.

"Right now?" I look down at my body which is still covered in my bunny printed pajamas. Right now is kind of a problem for me.

"Right now." The phone line goes dead, and boy, am I surprised at this person every day.

* * *

I stand in front of the humongous building in front of me with big letters that say "Winworks" and walk to the tall glass doors leading me to the next adventure of my life. I look around to see a handful of people scurrying throughout the ground floor. I search for the receptionist desk and went in the direction towards her.

"Excuse me, where can I find Alexander Maxwell?" While she tells me to wait for a moment and goes onto the phone, my eyes wander around the very classy lobby in amazement.

"May I ask your name please?" My eyes revert back to the receptionist who was holding the telephone in her right hand, waiting for me to answer.

"Emmaline Everett," I smile at her as she answers my name into the receiver of the telephone.

"His office is in the 17th floor and he is the first door to your right," she gives me a small smile and bows in front of me.

"Have a great day! You're very pretty by the way!" I return a wide smile and bow back. She looks taken aback by my comment but then waves goodbye to me with a big smile, and I wave back.

I stride to the elevators and press the number 17 button as soon as I get in. I brace myself for what has yet to come because apparently, I am not on Alex's good side as of now. I knock on the two tall, fancy-looking doors and wait for a response.

"Come in," Alex's voice muffle through the doors, signaling me to come in. I tiptoe into the stunning room before me. It smells like laundry soap in here.

"Hello, Mr. Maxwell," I wave my right hand at him.

He flinches slightly at what I said. "It's Mr. Alex," he corrects me and uses the pen in his hand to point at the chair in front of his desk. I sit in the chair, and he passes me a piece of paper. I scan the first word in the paper and look at him questioningly.

"Guidelines?" I question.

"I have a few guidelines for you, but don't worry it's not rocket science:

1. Do not talk too much around me.

2. Do not laugh obnoxiously around me.

3. Do not ask me too many questions.

4. Do not get into any trouble and drag me into it.

5. Do not interfere with my personal life. Do you think you can do this?"

I pick up my head from the paper to look at him, astonished. His face was serious, wow, he is serious about this. I'm not that bad of a person. I can follow rules, I mean I've been a good student since like kindergarten.

"Seems easy enough," Like really, I'm not that bad.

"One more thing," Alex looks at me straight in the eye, "never kick me in places that shouldn't be kicked. Ever. Again."

"What?" I choke out. Okay, maybe I'm not the best person in the world, but that was an accident.

"I'm serious," he passes the pen in his hand to me and points at the line that needed my signature. "We won't have any problems as long as you follow these guidelines," as he talks to me, his eyes stay glued to the papers in his hand.

"Here," he pushes a mountain of folders in front of me and a small post-it note. "I want you to make a copy of all of this and return them to me. Also, you need to get me my morning coffee from the coffee shop down the street called Café Latte. My order is on this post-it," he orders.

"I need these in an hour. You may leave," I scramble to my feet and grab the folders in my hands.

"Where's the printer?" I crane my neck to look at him so that the folders weren't blocking my way.

He eyes stay glued on the papers he is writing on, "Next door."

I waddle to the next door and accidentally trip on the leg of the table inside the room causing me to drop the folders. Best. Day. Ever.

I bend down to gather the scattered folder into my hands, but another pair of hands come in and pick up the folders with me. I look up to see the familiar gray eyes from yesterday. His eyes make contact with mine and crinkles.

"Interesting on how we meet here again. You're not walking in traffic filled streets again are you?" He smiles at me and stands up with the folders in his hands.

I stand up with him and laugh, "No I don't, nice to see you again." I take the folders from his hands.

"Ethan," he holds out his hand for me to shake. I quickly put the folders onto the table next to me and dust my hands on my shirt and take his hand into mine.

"Emma," I smile.

"Well, see you later Emma. We should talk soon. It was nice seeing you again," He gives me a salute and leaves the room.

I smile to myself, and I turned towards the printer and begin working.

I open the first folder and see newspaper articles. My eyebrows furrow at the choice of articles and see that it is all about the CEO of Winworks. The next folders are the stocks of the company, and then a profile of a girl that looked around my age. I am not the type to lurk into other people's businesses, but I can't help but feel sketchy about these folders. I brush off my suspicions and continue printing away.

I collect the copies together and exit the building to get his "Iced Americano with two shots of espresso" at Café Latte. I bring his coffee and the folders back to his office and knock on the door.

"Come in," I push the door open and set his coffee onto the table. I bring back the folders from the printer next door and set them neatly onto his desk. I stood there awkwardly for a good three minutes until he finally looks up at me.

"Sit," I do as instructed and put my hands into my lap.

Alex looks up and makes contact with my eyes, "I know that the folders that you have printed were not any ordinary folders. I also know that you may be wondering what those folders were."

I hesitantly nod at what he said.

"Very well, Ms. Everett, I need you to help me," He stares into my eyes waiting for me to respond.

"Help you...with what?" I quaver. What does he possibly need my help with?

"I need you to help me find the CEO's daughter."

A/N: first of all, i want to thank everyone who has been reading my book. thank you for the 9k+ reads! this is beyond amazing, and thank you for those who have waited for this update because i know i am terribly late (like one yr late oops). however, i want to thank you all because you are all amazing!