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2024-10-29 19:42:56Ruby straightened her plaid skirt as she accessed herself in the mirror and applied another coat of lipgloss.
It had been a week since her horrible date and she was yet to tell Esme or anyone about it. Nate never reached out to her again and in fact deleted his fake profile from the site.
She sighed, Nate was the only person she had thought about all week. She stalked his social media, hoping he was going to post something regarding her but he didn’t.
Ruby tried her best to keep a smile plastered on her face. Contrary to how happy she looked, she was a nervous wreck on the inside. She sighed as she entered the elevator, she instantly regretted not wearing her simple flats instead of her Christian louboutin pumps. She did breathing exercises to calm herself, reminding herself that if she got the job, she would be able to take care of her family.
Had Nate deleted his account because he wanted nothing to do with her? She groaned as she pinched herself. It was always Nate, he seemed to occupy her thoughts more often even after what she did.
After all these years, nothing much had changed except that he had become more handsome and successful. Another thing that never changed was the fact that he didn’t recognize. Throughout their stay in high school, he never noticed her.
Her worried looking face was immediately replaced with a cheerful face as the elevator door opened.
“Are you here for the interview?”a smug looking lady asked
“Martha” Ruby pronounced as she read the lady’s name tag “of course I’m here for the interview”
“I suggest you go back home and save yourself the stress. The boss has been in a bad mood all morning and he has rejected everyone who had come for the interview”
Ruby’s shoulders fell, she had been looking forward to the interview for the longest time, it took her two months to successfully apply for the job.
“Look honey, the boss is quite difficult. No one understands him, I’m only trying to save you from him”
Ruby sighed as she sank into a nearby chair, dropping her briefcase onto the floor. She knew she wasn’t as qualified as other applicants who also had many work experiences but she was confident that she had a good shot.
“I’ll rather face rejection than give up”she concluded
“Very well then, I’ll let him know you are here” Martha mumbled
After two cups of coffee and flipping through several magazines, Ruby was tired of waiting. Her cheeks were hurting from having to wear a fake smile and pretend like everything was okay.
“He would have you come in now,” Martha announced. Ruby smiled in response, it was her first genuine smile all day.
Everything about the office exuded luxury, from the fancy ornate mirrors to the plush leather seats.
The boss had his chair turned to her so she could only make out the top of his head.
“One, two, three…”she counted quietly and took in deep breaths.
“Hello sir” she cleared her throat. She felt intimidated by his presence even though she hadn’t seen him yet.
“I’m here for the interview”
All she got was a low groan in response.
She could feel her palms become sweaty, she had heard a lot of bad about the boss and how domineering he could be.
The chair turned slowly to her.
“Nate?”she yelled in surprise
She blinked her eyes severally to ensure they weren’t playing tricks on her or it wasn’t her imagination.
“What the hell are you doing in my company?” He asked through gritted teeth
He had a rough day at work, interviewing people and not finding them worthy of the job, now he had to deal with the woman who hurled insults at him the previous week and poured hot chocolate on him.
“I had no idea you worked here and I’m strictly here for the job”
All the confidence and optimism she had felt earlier vanished in a second. How was she going to explain that she was in her feelings the other night and she wasn’t a crazy woman?
“Or you’re here to dump another drink on me?” He frowned
Ruby sighed, this was one of the moments she wished she could vanish into thin air.
“Mr Jacobin, you have to hear me out. We started on a wrong foot, I believe we can work things out”she pleaded
“I’m sorry, I can’t help you” he said coldly
After Ruby spilled the hot chocolate on him, he sat, rooted at a spot for three minutes straight. He shivered as he recalled the embarrassment he felt.
“I owe you and explanation even though I can’t make up for how unreasonable I was”
The last person she had expected to see was Nate, she knew he so many business enterprises. She wasn’t aware he was the CEO of the construction company.
“I’m going to ask you to leave my office right now” Nate sternly as he reached for his phone to call security.
“Mr Nate, I suggest you push aside the bad blood we have. I have so much potential I assure you” Her voice emerged as a dry croak
After the night at the restaurant, she was quite sure she wasn’t going to cross paths with him. The only time she got to see him was on TV, he was a busy man.
Nate remained quiet, he had reached for his phone to call security but he changed his mind. He had received so much more than a drink being dumped on him to being slapped by women but Ruby’s case was different. Something about her was oddly familiar.
“I’m just going to drop my work here” she sighed and placed a brown envelope on his table. “I hope you go through it and find me qualified for the job”
With that, she left his office, feeling dejected.
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He groaned as he loosened his tie. The business proposal was due in a few days and he still had nothing. “Sir?” Martha peeked her head through the door. “Come in,”he said drily. It was way past closing time but he still had a lot to do. “I’ve spoken with some of the shareholders at the shopping complex. They agreed to the new business plan with the condition that they regain their shares even after reconstruction” Martha reported Nate nodded, things were going according to plan even though he was yet to get the proposal out of his way. “Notify shop owners, they have a week to evacuate, construction commences the week after” “One more thing sir,” Martha said. “The business proposal is due in….” “Of course I know” Nate frowned as he brushed her off.Martha bowed her head loyally and left his office. He picked up his pen again as he searched for the right words, this was something he had done countless times but now, he had difficulty.He clicked his tongue, racking
Falling for the CEO 5
Ruby sprawled on the couch in the living room, eyes closed in deep thoughts. She was in so much trouble. Who knew I would eventually run into him again? She thought. She was aware Nate had different business enterprises but no one told her he owned Wesley construction company. She sighed as she turned over. After her emotional outburst at the restaurant, she drowned herself in alcohol, hoping it was going to push the image of Nate looking shocked as she dumped hot chocolate on him. “Ah” she groaned. “How stupid can I be?” A sly smile played in her lips, whoever thought she would have the opportunity to sit with Nate Jacobin? Even though she ruined her chances. Whoever thought she would give Nate such a remarkable memory?She pinched herself as she screamed into a pillow, even when she was in a lot of trouble, she still had the ability to think of silly things.Her dream job was in the hands of a man she had loved and loathed for years.Growing up, she was never bo
Falling for the CEO 6
Nate rolled the tip of his ball pen as he frowned, a habit which he had been doing all day. How rude of her! I offered her a job and she was yet to reply, he thought.No one ever kept Nate waiting, once he requested their presence, they showed up without any hesitation. He rubbed his chin, he now had a five days stubble.The business plan was due, he still hadn’t come up with anything, to make matters worse, the one person he had counted on still hadn’t shown up. He could understand what Ruby wanted, weeks ago, she was begging him to offer her a job, but now that he did offer her the job, she didn’t reply to the mail or show up. “That little minx is clearly playing mind games,”he muttered, drumming his fingers on the table. He sighed, his mother was on his neck all week, she had visited once and raged on how she thought he was losing all his business skills. He rolled his eyes as he loosened up his tie, millions of dollars were at stake, he could already imagine some of
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A gleam of victory appeared in Ruby’s eyes. She felt nothing short of a heroine, Nate needed her, not only was he going to lose a huge amount of money, his company was going to make it to the bad press. It was every reporter's dream to get dirt on Nate Jacobin.Nate was now having a word with the representative. Ruby took a minute to admire his office. The grey drapes complemented the upholstery which she could tell cost a fortune. His office was immaculate, not a single speck of dust in sight. The ornate figurines looked like they were polished with oil. She drew in a breath as she walked round the office, there were no pictures of his family or even him. “Same old cold hearted Nate”she mumbled to herself as she took her seat “Miss Ruby, are you still down for the job?” Nate asked as he walked in She couldn’t miss the hint of desperation mixed with irritation in his voice. It was the first time she’d seen him under pressure, Nate was always cool and collected. Somethin
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Ruby was very much comfortable in her new work space, the office overlooked the busy streets of Oregon, giving her a view of the city life. She had pretty much settled in and hung up some pictures and other decorations.She groaned as she turned to her side, the only downside to her spacious office was that it was adjacent to Nate’s own so she could see whatever was going on in his office. He had pretty much avoided her for a week straight after their fight.It was almost as if they were in high school again, back then, she was quite sure he didn’t know she existed but now she was sure he knew she existed and he was just ignoring her. “Hey” a voice called, stirring her from her reverie of thoughts “Hi”she smiled back “I’m Ethan and this is Cassie”he said, gesturing to the blonde beside him Ruby nodded and gave them warming smiles. She had been busy throughout the week and had barely had time to socialize with her coworkers. “Oh hi!”Cassie squealed as she placed a tray of c
Falling for the CEO 9
Something about the tweeting of the birds and the rise of the sun above the horizon set Ruby in high spirits. She had spent the weekend tanning on the beach with Esme. During her little getaway, she skillfully avoided all Esme’s questions concerning how her date went and who her new boss was. It felt wrong hiding it from her but she wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet, Nate was a pain in the butt for her; at the same time, she wanted to be around him.Having to see him all week was annoying enough. She smiled as the elevator door opened, she was humming a song about the day going to be a good day. “Why are you late?” A harried looking Maggie asked as she walked into the office.Ruby frowned, work started by nine and she arrived half past eight so technically, she was very much early and had a good thirty minutes to herself. “Nice morning to you too” Ruby replied sardonically “Mr Jacobin has been in a bad mood all morning, he specifically asked that you make him a cup of coffee”
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The angry growl of lightning pierced the air, what had promised to be a sunny day had now become a gloomy rainy day. Nate shifted his eyes from his screen to Ruby’s office. Her mass of mousey brown hair was now put in a ponytail as she typed away on her computer.Serves her right, he thought.With her around, he was always edgy. He had expected her to throw a fit and stomp into his office when he asked her to make him coffee or when he handed her the pile of files. She was suspiciously calm, too calm which irritated him. He frowned, he needed his daily dose of coffee but couldn’t get it because Ruby had ruined it for him. “Who the hell added so much sugar and whipped cream to their coffee ?” He asked himself Of course the answer was sitting right there in his company, the annoying brunette whose office was opposite his.He quickly cleared out his table and got rid of the paper he wasn’t using. His table was a mess as he had buried himself in work all week. “Why the hell have you
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Ruby’s eyes lit up in recognition of the platinum blonde hair. She had seen a woman walk into Nate’s office, she couldn’t see the woman’s face but she was quite sure she was one of the prettiest women alive. She looked like she just walked out of the cover of a vogue magazine, the hair bore a striking resemblance with that of Taylor’s. Taylor had bullied her constantly that Ruby couldn’t forget the distinct color of her hair. She could feel the throbbing of her heart. Could it be that Taylor was still Nate’s girlfriend? She had heard Taylor moved to Beverly Hills and was pursuing a successful career as a model. She felt a sickening taste form at the back of her throat. It had been thirteen years since she was last bullied but the memories were still very fresh. She could remember how violently Taylor always yanked her hair even when she yelped in pain. One particular incident between them had scarred her for life. She couldn’t think of it without almost crying. Taylor was m
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It was time to go home.After a day well spent, Nate and Ruby decided to leave. It was already past one in the morning. The couple had already started packing their things. Ruby knew she had a long day ahead of her so she needed to get some sleep first.She walked hand in hand with Nate to the car park. It hurt her that they would have to go their separate ways. She was too shy to ask him if they would meet again very soon. Nate was exhausted but in a good way, he couldn't believe he would have to deal with the problems at the office by daybreak. Everything about it made him tired, just thinking about it made him tired. He held Ruby’s soft hand, not wanting to let it go. Even though they had not given a name to the situation between them,he loved everything about her. He was ready to take years off on vacation with her where there was nothing to disturb him. "I want to drive you home" he saidHe wasn't comfortable with her driving alone at night."No,I'll be fine," she
Falling for the CEO 276
Nate walked her to her car as usual. He noticed how sad she looked throughout the date. Her eyes held fear and her lips held back words from him.He was scared and so was she. The Italians caused so much damage to everyone, courtesy of Wyatt and his family. He understood how unsafe she was. "Thank you so much, Nate,"she smiled as she unlocked her car.She loved how kind he was, even though they had quarreled most of the time, he didn’t forsake her. He wished he could teleport into her mind and figure out what is wrong with her. Ruby had an ego and won't tell anyone if she had any problem. He shook his head sadly. "Ruby" he began softly, treading carefully. "Is there anything that is troubling you?" He watched her swallow the lump in her throat before she continued. "No, nothing," she said, plastering a fake smile on her face. "I've just been very tired recently, you know,work here and there" He knew she was lying but allowed her to have her way. Whatever was trou
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Mrs Wyatt had met Wyatt at a highschool dance back then. Of all her children,she would say she was more like Taylor when she was younger. Her father was one of the men who owned a car back then, it was something to brag about. Wyatt on his side wasn't close to rich,his parents could barely pay his school fees. He always showed up to school in tattered clothes with patches. Even with his tattered clothes, the rich girls still surrounded him. They were smitten by how handsome and charming he was despite the fact that he was poor. Her life was almost like a fairytale. She dated the richest guy at school and they were going to be crowned homecoming king and queen. That night, she dressed in the fanciest dress she had. Her maid helped her prep her face with a little bit of makeup. When it was time to announce the prom king and queen, her boyfriend was missing. They searched everywhere for him and eventually caught him making out with another girl. She was humiliated, ever
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Marco paced angrily, a cigarette in hand. Taylor Wyatt wasn't making things easy for him. He had taken her to different islands and thrown the biggest parties for her friends. He sighed as he drew in his smoke,how annoying could the spoiled brat get? So far, her father's campaign was doing just fine and he had a good chance of winning the election. It was crazy that the office for the minister of finance election was more popular than that of the election for the office of president. This was because very influential people were running for the post of Minister of finance. Occupying the office gave them free access to the country's wealth and they could loot money as much as they wanted to. He spent the last week acting all lovey-dovey with Taylor. She made him buy her expensive designer bags. He was comforted by the fact that the new development site was doing just fine and he had a lot of shares in the company. "Hey baby" Taylor called in her singsong voice and wrapped
Falling for the CEO 273
Roberta stretched tiredly . Mommy duties were stressing her. She had woken up early to bathe Lorenzo , feed him and take him to school. She drew out a carefully planned family tree for him. His school’s principal had called her back the next day. Rebecca stood her ground that getting the children involved with aspiring candidates was dangerous. Some of the candidates were dangerous themselves and would go the extra mile to harm innocent children in order to attain political positions. The principal brushed it off as nothing and assured her that he had everything under control.He said that Wyatt was only being generous and concerned about the children’s welfare. He had donated a huge sum of money and promised them a new basketball court. Of course, Wyatt was the least interested in the children’s welfare. He only wanted their support in the upcoming elections and he had invited reporters to take pictures of him as he donated money to the school. The interior decorator for th
Falling for the CEO 272
After a long day, Roberta returned home. The smell of her mother’s freshly baked cakes welcomed her. Her mouth watered immediately. “Mommy!” Lorenzo yelled happily as he played around his mother’s feet. She scooped her little delight into her arms and rained kisses on him. She did a good job masking the sadness she felt. When Carl was eating, she noticed some scars on his hands due to the moving of his shirt. She panicked, fresh tears falling off her eyes the third time. She scolded him for subjecting himself to such harsh punishment. He brushed it off, saying it was nothing important. Her heart shattered into a million pieces when she forced him to take off his shirt. The scars ran all the way from his nape to his lower back. It was obvious that he was attacked because of her and that was the reason he hadn’t contacted for a while.She prayed Lorenzo was nothing like that. She helped him apply ointment even though he assured her that he was doing just fine. When he w
Falling for the CEO 271
The sun rays forced its way into her room. Ruby yawned tiredly and stretched. She had a good night's sleep.The previous night, after dinner, Mark and her decided to pass time by discussing childhood and other topics they had not talked about before.A loud knock on the door,drove away the sleep from her eyes. "Come in"she said groggily,itching her eyes.She was tired,all she wanted to do was spend all day in the comfort of the bedsheets."Good morning sleeping beauty"Mark said sonorously with a tray of food balanced on his hands.She smiled. Mark had given her princess treatment since she came to his house,she was grateful for everything.She couldn't picture Nate doing the same. She pinched herself,it was too early to think about him."Good morning Mark,"she smiled."How are you doing?"he asked and set the tray on her bed. The smell of fresh cakes and coffee warmed her up."I feel very much better,thank you so much Mark"she said."I made you scones and my best confectioneries,hope y
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Roberta had the best sleep in the longest time. Her son was beside her throughout the night,she had no nightmares, everything was perfect. She slept in the comfort of her former bedroom. Posters she got as a teen were still on the wall,her mother refused to clean it out even when she moved out. She wished she could stay with them a little longer.She helped Lorenzo get ready for school and even made him breakfast. She wanted to drop him off at school but couldn't risk it. "You're such an amazing mom," her mother told her."Well,I got it from you"she smiled, placing a peck on her cheek. "So,you're leaving today, right?""Sadly, yes" "Roberta" her mother started, holding her hands"When will all these be over? We need you here I beg you, your son needs you,I've never seen him this happy in a long while" "Mother, I promise you, I'm doing everything possible to get done with my work and come to you guys. I love being here" she said sadly.Her emotions were in check, she had
Falling for the CEO 269
Victoria and Roger were let into Mrs Wyatt’s office by her secretary. Roger contained his excitement as he was fascinated by how huge her office was. "Welcome" she through gritted teeth.She had not forgotten the shame the couple brought her but she was willing to invest with them. "Thank you for having us. I apologize again for my behavior the other day" Victoria said, bobbing her head slightly. "Please take your seats" she ignored her apology."Without further ado, I'll suggest we carry on with this meeting immediately because I have other meetings to attend to" "Okay ma'am, here is the real estate we have,I bought this stock but I'm willing to sell it to you" Roger smiled. Mrs Wyatt took the file from the table and went through it carefully.The land was situated in the heart of Beverly hills. It was surrounded by many commercial businesses which meant more income for her. She knew the competition there was going to be strong but she was a business woman and always had
