CHAPTER 1 - THE WRONG ORDER

Chapter 1.

THE WRONG ORDER.

“Hey, what's different about table 3?” Miranda asked, eyes narrowed as she surveyed the restaurant.

Leah nervously replied. “It's the only one without food on it.”

“Exactly and your job is to change that, not stand here answering questions like a mindless child.” Miranda retorted harshly.

“I’m on it ma'am.”

With that she hastened to the table where a man sat, cross-legged with an air of total arrogance.

He was tall with broad shoulders that stretched his tailor-made, crisp suit. His facial features were striking, sharp. Leah's stomach fluttered as she took in his attractiveness.

She gave her warmest smile. “Good day sir, may I take your order?”

Without looking up, he replied coldly, “ Get me some roasted potatoes, medium rare filet mignon and some steamed vegetables at the side.”

“On it.” She sauntered away and paused when she heard a quiet whistle.

Was he really catcalling her? She wondered, grossed out by his behavior.

A few minutes later, she was back with his meal.

“You finally decided to show up”. He drawled, checking his golden Rolex watch. “I ordered it years ago. What? Did you have to plant the potatoes first?”

She smiled as she carefully placed the meal on the table. “Sorry for the wait, sir.”

He might be a jerk but he wasn't going to make her act out of character.

He barely spared the food a glance before scoffing, “This isn't what I ordered.”

She cross-checked her notepad, “No sir, this is exactly what you asked for, I wrote it down.”

“Then you probably have comprehension issues.”

Heat flared up in Leah’s chest,She never tolerated insults, even subtle ones.

“Sir, please refrain from speaking to me in that

manner.”

Pointing to her notepad,she continued, “It says here that you requested some roasted potatoes, medium rare filet mignon and some steamed vegetables at the side.”

“Then explain to me why it looks wrong.”

“What?.....What does that even mean?” She asked, her voice rising with tension. He was getting under her skin.

He raised an eyebrow and his lips curled into a smirk that infuriated her. “It means I don't want it because I don't like the way it looks.”

Something inside Leah snapped. The cumulative effect of long hours, Measly pay, and Miranda's constant belittling had finally taken its toll. And to make matters worse, this was the third time that day she'd had to endure condescending remarks from entitled customers. The pompous man in front of her was the final straw, his sneering tone and disdainful gaze made her boil with anger. Leah had reached her breaking point, and she was done.

“That's not a valid reason, if you're unsatisfied with its look, you should probably walk your entitled ass into the Manager's office and lay that complaint yourself.”

He raised his eyebrows in shock, “I’m gonna make sure you lose your job for speaking to me that way.”

She ripped off her apron, “No need Mr know it all, I quit.” She tossed the apron right on the man’s meal, “Added a little dressing,hope it's to your taste.”

She chuckled as she turned her heel and stormed out of the restaurant.

She could hear Miranda's outraged voice hurling curses at her but she didn't care, she was finally free.

Her feeling of liberation didn't last long when she remembered she was only a paycheck away from being homeless. She suddenly felt a twinge of guilt and wished she had reacted a bit differently.

Jobs were hard to find in town and she was even lucky to have found a spot at the restaurant but as time went on she started to think maybe the stress wasn't worth the pay plus Miranda's nasty attitude didn't make things any easier.

*******************************************

TWO DAYS LATER

Leah stood in front of the exquisite “Carter Empire”tower. Its ornate design and reflective glass facade glinted in the sun. It was one of the largest and most renowned clothing lines in the country.

She felt elated as she walked into the Sophisticated space. She had on a classic corporate fit, ironed to perfection, her brunette hair up in a sleek ponytail and a minimal make-up that added a radiant glow to her soft facial features.

She clutched her sleek leather tote bag which contained a file with her updated resume, certificates and qualifications, all meticulously arranged to showcase her skills and expertise.

The job listing had been the most promising so far, it had the best pay, great benefits and an opportunity to finally escape from the nightmare of food service.

She might've not had any experience but she knew she'd make a great personal assistant, her skills, qualifications and talents attested to that. One thing she was scared of was how competitive it was gonna be. The company was the largest in town and the mysterious CEO’s personal assistant position was something everyone would want.

She straightened her shoulders and walked straight to the reception desk.

“Good day, I'm here for the interview, Leah smith.”

The receptionist checked her schedule and replied. “ Right. Have a seat, the interviewers would call you in shortly.”

Leah nodded, trying to ignore the anxiety that consumed her. She needed this job, she knew she had what it takes but what if the interviews thought otherwise.

A few minutes later, The receptionist picked up a phone call, “Okay, sir, I'll let her know.”

She hung up and addressed Leah, “They're ready for you now. Take the elevator to the third floor, it's the second door on your left.”

“Thank you.” With that, she stood up and located the office.

Leah took a deep breath as the elevator doors slipped open, she found herself in a grand conference room adorned with resplendent decor.

Seated on the high back leather chairs were a dozen other women, all looking glamorous.

Her confidence wavered as she observed each of them. They were beautiful, stunning even. She looked down at her white fluffy blouse and pencil skirt suddenly feeling plain because she was in a room full of women that looked and dressed like they belonged on magazine covers.

A middle-aged, bald man entered the room, commanding attention.

He spoke up. “Welcome to the selection process of Mr. Carter’s personal assistant. This interview will test your skill, endurance and adaptability. If you're looking for an easy job I suggest you leave now.”

Everyone's eyes darted around the room but none of them moved.

He continued.“Very well, let's begin.”

The first round was a written exam filled with extremely difficult questions. Legal jargon, high-pressure scheduling problems and corporate knowledge Leah possessed.

The second round was a test of efficiency. They were given a fake crisis- A mix-up in Alex's Carter schedule- and had to resolve it in less than ten minutes.

Leah had a great deal of experience working under pressure. When you work as a waitress in an understaffed and bustling restaurant, you tend to develop a stress resistance in the face of chaos.

She forced herself to stay calm thinking of it like a packed dinner shift. Prioritize, fix the biggest problems first, communicate clearly.

In no time, she was done. The first of the women to clear the task.

She was asked to step aside as she watched the other women tap furiously on the provided tablets.

When they were all done. They asked them to sit in the corridor and wait for their personal and private interview.

Leah was the third woman to be called into the office.

“Leah Smith?” A man asked while peering into a file containing her documents. Next to him was a younger man with piercing blue eyes that gazed at her longer than necessary, making her feel a bit uncomfortable.

“Yes sir.” she responded with a professional smile

“Please have a seat.” The first man gestured.

She did as she was told and the interview began. At first it was just basic professional questions, her previous work experience, her ability to multitask, her organizational skills. She answered them with firm determination until the questions took a strange turn.

“Do you have any medical conditions?” One of them asked.

She shook her hand repeatedly , “No,no, not at all, I'm in perfect health.”

The other man nodded, scribbling something down for the first time since the interview began.

“Good, now do you happen to have any hereditary illness, you know something that could be passed down.”

She blinked, appalled. “I don't see how this is relevant to a personal assistant job, but No sir, I'm clear.”

“Just routine questions.” The second man said smoothly with an undertone of mischief.

The first man closed the documents, “Alright, we're done, Now for the final screening process, you'd be interviewed by Mr Carter himself, so brace up.”

They led her to an office on the top floor.

One of them pressed a button on the Intercom. “Sir, the candidate is ready to meet you.”

A deep voice crackled through the speaker, “Send her in.”

As she walked in, her breath hitched at the sight of the person in front of her.

“Oh no!” She whispered, her voice barely audible, even to herself.

Sitting behind an enormous sleek desk was the insufferable, pompous jerk from the restaurant.

The man she had insulted two days before.