2- Appointed

The CEO of Garner Industries, Marwick Garner shifted his cold gaze to his phone when he saw the boy walking out with slumped shoulders.

He always gave fair chance to women while hiring but the secretary and PA had to be men.

He just could not deal with the constant drama and the sudden love/crush they used to develop for him out of the blue.

Ever since he started taking his business seriously and Grandpa handed him the Garner empire, he wanted nothing but just a bunch of serious people who could take their job seriously.

After firing three secretaries and five PAs, he had, at last, decided to appoint males for the positions. His secretary had been Mr. Theodore Panks for the last two years and now he was looking for a responsible guy as his PA.

However, he could not advertise it openly because of media influence. The boy’s name had so much resemblance with his wife’s name.

River Brown.

The boy’s name was River Brower.

All his detectives had told him that his missing wife’s name was River Brown. He was so angry at his father for arranging the marriage that after saying his vows he left the girl at the altar.

Later it made him so much guilty. His father was responsible for the mess. That girl was innocent. He was still looking for his wife. But his father was not telling him about her family or her father’s name.

The good news was, just this morning he received a call from his most competent private investigator. He informed him that his wife River Brown was seen in the city. He was THIS close to her.

Marwick Garner was thrilled. He wanted to meet his azure-eyed wife and offer her an apology. He wanted to wipe away every bad memory from her mind. Every pain he had inflicted upon her. The feeling that she was somewhere close by in the same city was out of the world.

Ring Ring.

He frowned when the intercom started ringing. The receptionist could have waited. They all had been taking interviews since morning and he wanted just ten minutes for munching and a hot cup of coffee before calling in the next candidate.

“Yes, Aniya?” he wanted to bark but then controlled. The receptionist also had a crush on her boss and could cry endlessly by his rude behavior.

“S-Sir. Mr. Marwick Garner. This guy. River Grower…”

“Yes. What about him? Has he also started crying? Please call security if he is causing trouble. He needs to be out of this building.”

The men sitting there had gone quiet until he roared, “He has done what? Are you drunk, Ms. Aniya?” he could not believe it.

Such an incompetent staff he had gotten there.

“What happened? What’s the issue?” a board director asked him, and he stood up wordlessly and started scurrying to the door.

His walk exuded the sleekness and poise of a Jaguar.

In a jiffy, all of them were on their feet and were following him.

However, like Marwick, they all were taken aback when they found the reception area empty and there was that light-mustached cute boy who just gave his interview. He was sitting there all alone busy on his phone and was pretending as if he wasn’t aware of their arrival.

When the receptionist who was wearing her name badge that said ‘Aniya Gillian’ made a call to her boss, River broke into a cold sweat.  She did hear the door opening and heard their footsteps. She kept herself engrossed in her phone until a familiar male perfume hit her nostrils.

Just above her phone a suited body appeared, and River was a little afraid to look up at the man. She knew who he was.

Marwick Garner.

The cold-hearted CEO!

“Stand up, boy.” The man standing behind the CEO said in a no-nonsense tone. River looked around and acted nonchalant.

“Are you talking to me, mister?” she tried to smile and stood up. But now it was hard not to let her body touch his hard one.

“What did you do here?” The same man behind Marwick Garner asked her. Frustration was evident in his voice.

“I …” she swallowed hard and tried to bring a smile on her quivering lips, “I … just…”

“Do you know you can be handed over to the police?” the other man spat.

“I … I am sorry. B…But what are you talking about? What did I do?” she pushed her hands into her pants pockets so that no one would notice her shivering hands.

“Our receptionist saw you asking those girls to leave. You made them pretty upset. How petty you are! We can sue you.” Another minion mocked her.

All this time, standing too close, Marwick kept looking at her face carefully.

“If making upset is a crime then you will be the first to land in jail.” She hissed avoiding looking at the tall intimidating man not too far from her, “Police will check the cameras and the records. They will see how you all were making those innocent girls cry. I will present myself as a witness. I just tried to keep them out of their misery. If you think upsetting the candidates is a crime. Call the police and let me show them whose ass should hit the jail floor.”

By now she was panting. She didn’t want them to call the police because if they would. She would be doomed.

Oh, please, God! Keanu never warned me about this. Please save me. She was praying hard silently while giving the death stare to the man just behind Marwick Garner.

Just then the CEO Marwick Garner decided to speak for the first time, “Do you have enough clothes for an office job, boy?”

“What?” River’s eyes snapped to him.

“Let me know if you don’t have it.” He then turned to Aniya, “Type his appointment letter. He can join us from tomorrow.”

River was standing in a daze. She didn’t know what to do. To jump with joy or to hide her face and cry?

“Now listen to me very carefully, Mr. River …” he lifted his index finger and pointed to her face.

She hurriedly nodded her head and gulped down her spit in fright.

“You have gotten a job. But this is the last time you are lying. Next time you lie to me, I will make sure that your ass directly lands in jail. You got that?”

His blue eyes were blazing.

“Yes, sir,” she said timidly, “Got it, sir! Thank you, sir!”