The Dream

Carla

-Zain Danial-

I sat down in the company's cafeteria during lunch, getting some more coffee as I thought over the events that took place that morning. 

It wasn't that it was overly busy. Just as Carla had said, things had been very relaxed for the hours that we spend together in her office and around the top floor. She showed me what her weekly schedule generally looked like. Every day she spent one-to-one time with one of her managers, helping with planning, projects, making sure things were in place and progressing as she expected them to. On Friday's she had a group meeting with all of them at once where they talked about their targets for the next week, how the previous targets went and if the targets for the month and the year were set to be met on time as well as any problems each group may have had and how they could be fixed. 

Aside from all of her meetings, she also dedicated a lot of time to check on the conditions of her factories which also all had their turns during the month. She told me the ethics of her company were really important to her which was surprising to me. You didn't get successful business owners getting as big as they are through ethical methods. Yet at the same time, ethics may be one of the causes of why this company shone as much as it did through all of its employees. 

She then showed me my own office which was the only other one that was on the floor. She was saying something about moving me to the others if I had wanted it but I declined straight away as my eyes were glued on the room. That office may as well have been made for a rich man. The design was similar to hers, modern, sleek, spacious but it also held its own sense of uniqueness. It was a little darker than hers, of course, it didn't have the glass wall but the windows it did have had the best views. The desk was large enough to support three people, holding the latest version of the iMac as well as other tech spread on top of it. I loved it.

"You're not spoiling your employees too much?" I had asked her and she let out a gentle laugh, unconsciously making me smile as well. 

"No 'thank you' first?" She replied which made me spin around but before I could say anything, she put her hand up and carried on. "I give my employees as much as they will deserve if they do as I ask them. Your job as my personal assistant will be as tough as being Chief Executive itself so I will treat you like one. However, the less work you do, the more I'll take away until I take your job." 

I couldn't help but have a smirk grow on my face as she said that. It was a method I had never seen but made so much sense to me, the punishment aspect of it. She seemed to like the idea as well since she was also smirking as she looked towards the window instead of me. I'd think it was sinister if I didn't respect it. 

She then talked me through what was going to be my schedule while I worked here. Carla calling it rough wasn't an understatement, I attended almost as many meetings as she did, she wanted me to do training under her and other officials, she expected reports to which she had given me her personal examples of. Looking through them after, I realised how perfect they were, capturing everything, being easy to read, the importance of everything, how they could be used. She had been doing this all on her own before? 

I guess I shouldn't expect anything less. 'The Best' was one of the values that she taught me about this company and you could see it entwined with everything done here but not just that. It was embedded in her too. She was regal, she was confident, she stood taller than anyone else, she was...the best. 

She was my challenge. 

"Is this seat taken?" I looked up to see a woman I've never seen before waiting for my reply. 

"No, go on ahead," 

She smiled at me and sat down, her own coffee in hand with a doughnut in the other. "Are you new?" She asked after taking a sip. 

"Yeah, the first day actually," I replied, thinking I may be able to learn something from her in this time so I opened up to the conversation. 

"Really? You must be nervous then." 

"Not at all,"

She rolled her eyes and laughed before taking a bite of her doughnut. I guess she must have expected a different answer but I wasn't lying. My time here, my interaction with her has made me feel everything but nervous wasn't one. I was excited. "I'm Sara by the way, I work in HR"

"Zain," I said shaking her hand, "I'm the CEO's personal assistant," Her eyes went wide and she seemed to choke on the air. I looked at her weirdly but she took no notice of it, her eyes went onto something behind me and she called out,

"Hey! Carla, come here!" My ears perked up but I didn't turn until a figure stood beside me. 

"Sara! How's it going?" -That voice.

"Carla, this guy is the CEO's personal assistant! Would you believe it?" I looked up to see her. It was Carla. She looked down at me and shot me a perfect smile. 

"That must be quite something." She said, extending a hand, "Heya! I'm Carla!" The blazer she was wearing before wasn't on her right now, the sleeves of her white shirt were rolled up midway and she was wearing flats instead of the heels from before but it was definitely her and yet she was acting as if we had never met. 

I would laugh if this was any other situation, almost did in fact, but I went with it anyway. 

Shaking her hand- freezing at the goosebumps that travelled up my arm when we touched. She didn't seem to feel what I did because her expression didn't change, it was just as light and enthusiastic, different from when we were in her office but even so I decided to ignore the feeling. 

"It is," I replied to her earlier comment and we stared into each other's eyes for a second before Sara pulled us apart. 

"So, how's he like? The CEO I mean." She seemed excited as if I was some treasure she just found. "I personally don't know if I like him." 

I glanced up at Carla who's face was unchanged, holding a perfectly calm smile despite knowing this woman was going to criticize her. 

"I mean the morals, the values, this company is amazing! Don't get me wrong. I love working here! But I just wish the CEO would communicate with us more, ya know? We actually get to know our boss and give our insight? Right, Carla?" 

"Yeah, it's quite the shame," No difference in tone. 

"Hey, Carla!" We then heard and Carla's head turned to a group of men who had called her, she told them she'll be right there and turned back to us. 

"Sorry, Sara it seems I'm needed at the next table, I'll see you later. Oh and," She put a hand on my shoulder, "I'm here if you ever need anything. Welcome to the company." She probably said that to everyone but the fact that I knew who exactly she was felt more personal and for some reason, my shoulder still felt her hand on it even after she had left.

"She's so nice." Sara started again.

"Carla?" I asked and she nodded. 

"On my first day, she made sure I was okay, she helped me feel comfortable here and she's been willing to talk to me whenever ever since. She talks to everyone! I don't think there's anyone here who doesn't know who she is." Oh, the irony. 

"Do you know what her job is here?" I asked and this seemed to make her pause a second and put on a thinking face. I had started to get the full picture that Carla had painted here. 

"Hm, now that you mention it, I don't know. She's always everywhere so I didn't get the chance to ask. She does usually do the main part of the quarterly assemblies and speaks on behalf of the CEO so I guess she has an important role. She's been here before everyone too." She shrugs it off but it put a grin on my face. 

That woman is a genius, managing to do everything in a way that works the way she wants it to, the way that will benefit her the most, and no one knows. No one but me. 

"Hey, between you and me," Sara then leaned in a little and started to whisper. "Is the CEO hot?" I chuckled as she started laughing but couldn't help looking back at Carla as she stood within a group of people now. Taking in her figure, her hair, her posture, her everything. 

"Yes, we share that in common." 

And I was going to find out if there was anything else as well.