His Bella

ONE

BELLA

"Miss Storm, please fix my meeting with Mrs. McCann for next week", my boss, Frank said as he walked out of his office.

"Oh okay, what day exactly sir?", I asked in a polite tone.

"Oh, I don't know Bella! just fix it on a day that is not today!", he snapped, walking back into his office and slamming the door behind him.

I raised an eyebrow and frowned. Working for Franklin Leotti had to be one of the one thousand ways to die- internally. He was a very cranky man, was usually angry with his staff and it was worse with me because I was his secretary. Leotti was one of the biggest business moguls in the entire country and he had the money, the lifestyle and the looks to show for it. However, all didn't match his attitude when it came to his business.

I sighed heavily, picking up the phone on my desk to call and reschedule the meeting with Mrs. McCann. She was going to be very disappointed. This was the third time in two weeks that Frank had postponed their meeting.

"Howdy colleague!!", a high-pitched voice yelled out, I looked up to see Megan, one of Frank's other unfortunate staff. Although she didn't work as close with him as I did, she got her fair share of cranky frank on some days but it was hard to tell how she felt about it because Megan wore a plastered smile on her face ninety eight percent of the time so it was impossible to know what she looked like when she was feeling any other emotion besides happiness.

Megan had brown curly hair and deep brown eyes. Her face was round with chubby cheekbones. She was a firm believer in the golden rule- to treat others as you would want to be treated. Everyone loved her in the office because she was really nice but sometimes, her niceness seemed a little too weird to me.

"Hey Megan", I said softly, dropping the phone and forcing a smile.

"Cupcakes?", she asked, shoving a box of freshly baked cupcakes in my face, "I baked them this morning", she grinned.

I smiled, picking up a cupcake and dropping it on my desk, "thanks", I hoped that would end the conversation but it didn't, not that I was surprised.

"How's the boss?", she asked, looking up to stare at the door to Frank's office.

"The usual"

"I'm so sorry", she stared at me with pity in her eyes and concern etched in her voice.

I snorted, "I'm used to it"

There was silence in the room for a while before Megan spoke again, "So what's up with Daniel?"

I sighed. Megan seemed a little bit too interested in my life most of the time but I was too distrusting to give out too much information. That didn't stop her from caring and asking whenever she found the chance.

"I don't know", I stared at my computer screen and pretended to work on it.

"Of course, you don't, you're in love with your boyfriend", she said thoughtfully, "what's his name again? Ah yes!, Noah", she added.

I looked at her and smiled, "yes Megan, I am", I said, "do you have a boyfriend?", I asked, clasping my hands together and resting my elbows on the desk.

"No? boys will break your heart", she said, taking out a cupcake from the box, "but cupcakes won't!", she added beaming in a cherry voice.

I laughed and nodded.

"Have a nice Friday Bella!", she said as she proceeded to walk away from my desk, "oh and if Daniel bothers you too much, tell me so I can kick his ass"

I smiled, watching her retreating figure walk out of sight.

Once she was gone, I sighed, remembering what I was up to before she distracted me. I picked up the phone to call and reschedule Mrs. McCann's appointment with Frank.

***

I was extremely tired by the time I was done with work for the day but glad we got to close early. Most of my colleagues had begun to pack their things ready to go home. I hung my bag over my shoulder and walked towards the elevator, saying goodbye to a few people along the way. I had a couple of acquaintances from work but I never really accepted offers to hang out outside work. My best friend, Stacy said I was only being antisocial which I knew but never admitted to her.

"Hey Bella", a voice said behind me.

Looking back, I saw Daniel, a corny smirk appeared on his lips.

"What do you want Danny?", I asked

"Well, work ended early", he said, "want to grab dinner and come over?", his tone was laced with confidence despite the number of times I had refused his offer.

"You ask me that more times than I can count"

"Yes, I'm hoping you'll change your mind this time"

"Well, keep hoping, it's still no", I said, hitting the elevator button and watching it open up in front of me.

If I could think of anyone who suffered from Narcissistic personality disorder, it was definitely Daniel. From the first day I was hired to be Frank's secretary and he noticed me, Daniel made it a habit to flirt, publicly catcall and bother me whenever he could. From what I heard around the office; I wasn't the first girl he would harass. Frank didn't notice anything going on between his staff as long as it wasn't directly affecting his business so Daniel had always been free to misbehave.

If I could, I would have hit him at some point to send a clearer message- although I'm sure my fingers would regret that decision a minute after- but Frank also had a 'no physical fighting' policy so I would not only loose in a fight with Daniel, I would also get into big trouble.

I walked into the elevator and looked back to see Daniel staring at me intently, "one day Bella, just you watch", he said

The look in his eyes sent cold shivers down my spine but I decided to shrug it off as the elevator moved down and opened up at the reception. I walked out of the company and stopped a taxi. Slumping into the chair at the backseat, I sighed to myself.

Another end to another stressful week.

***

"She's home!", Stacy yelled merrily when I walked into the apartment. I smiled tiredly at her.

Stacy and I met sometime in high school and she were among the people who I was sure knew me more than I knew myself. We had been best friends for years, even when we both got accepted in different colleges and had to spend a couple of years apart. I was scared my friendship with Stacy would wane but it didn't because when we both graduated, we moved back to Michigan and rented our little apartment in Ann Arbor.

Stacy's blue eyes studied me as I dropped my bag on one of the couches. "How was work?", she asked

"Uneventful", I said as I sat down next to her, resting my head on the couch and staring at the white ceiling.

"Another word for boring", she said.

"Is this another startup for one of those speeches where you try to convince me to quit my job?", I turned to stare at her

"No", she said dryly, "I'm just saying, freelancers like me don't have to deal with uneventful days and annoying bosses", she added, "and we don't hate our jobs", she said again.

"I don't hate my job Stacy", I proceeded to take off my shoes.

She was right, I hated my job.

"Keep telling yourself that", she said, standing and walking towards the kitchen.

"Even if I do, think of the money!", I called out to her.

From the kitchen, I heard her laugh, "You need help Bella"

I smiled to myself, "I'm going to see my mom tomorrow, want to come?", i said. I stood, grabbing my bag and shoes.

"Oh, I wish I could", Stacy said in a genuine tone, "but I have things to do", she added, "anyway, you should go shower and rest"

"But I'm hungry", I whined.

I heard a clutter of dishes come from the kitchen, followed by the sound of running water from the tap.

"There's pasta in the microwave but you'll have it after you shower", she said.

"I love you!", I exclaimed, rushing to my room.