A Bumpy Start

Chapter-2

"The past is a place of reference, not residence."

Brixlee Cyrup had just finished her interview in less than ten minutes, and she wasn't feeling good about it. She knew she wasn't going to get the job. Figures, she wasn't qualified; she was just a high school graduate, after all.

At that moment, regret flooded over her for not going to college. She had faced an identity crisis in high school after a terrible breakup, and she had thought college would be a waste of time. Her grandpa, the only family she had, had tried to stop her, but she had told him there was no need for her to work because she was pretty and could easily find a rich guy to marry.

Well, she wasn't wrong. She was indeed pretty, a stunning young woman in her early 20s with a beautiful face and a graceful figure. She had sparkling eyes, full lips, and a warm smile. Her long silky hair complemented her brown skin.

But even with all this, she still hadn't found a rich guy to marry. It turns out she was too naive back then because finding a wealthy husband was way harder than finding a job.

Sluggishly, she made her way out of the big hall into the hallway, deep in thought about what to do next. She really needed the job so she could move out of her rusty old apartment and find a new place. Her living conditions were terrible, and her part-time job wasn't paying her enough. She had a lot of problems, and ninety-nine percent of them could be solved if she had money.

She was starting to regret not accepting that offer she got last night from the drunken young man at the party. At least he would have given her pleasure and luxury.

She shook off the thought with a scoff. There was no way she would sell her body just for money. Lost in her thoughts, she accidentally bumped into someone.

"I'm sorry," she murmured unconsciously but politely.

She slowly raised her head to see the person before her. He was tall and young, probably around the same age as her or younger. He had carefully groomed golden hair with a hint of ruggedness. His furrowed brows occasionally knitted in frustration, but his striking features, including his Roman nose, prominent cheekbones, and strong jaw, gave him a captivating allure. He had a sonorous voice that filled the space with its rumbling tone.

"Jeez!Are you blind? Watch where you're going, dufus!" he snapped, rudely.

Brixlee was taken aback by his rudeness, and in that instant, all the good impression she had about him disappeared. He wasn't handsome at all; in fact, he looked like a frog prince.

"Why do the rich always tend to be stupid?" she murmured loudly as she walked away, pissed. If money did make people stupid, she was willing to be as dumb as Patrick Star.

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Nathan Grey sat impatiently in his office, waiting to hear from his right-hand man. It didn't take long before his cell phone rang, and he answered it.

"Talk to me," he said impatiently.

"I found her!" the masculine voice echoed on the other end of the line.

Nathan's lips curled into a smile. He had thought he would never find her because he had little to no information about her.

"Great work, Brian. I want you to..." The sound of someone entering the room interrupted him. "Let's talk about it later."

Nathan abruptly ended the call, stood up, and smiled upon seeing his cousin, Tyler, who had grown significantly taller since the last time he saw him, eight years ago at his mother's funeral. Nathan's mother had died of renal cancer when he was still in high school.

"Hey, bro! How long has it been?" Tyler said, hugging him tightly with a big smile on his face.

"Tyler! You've grown taller!" Nathan replied, disengaging from the hug.

Nathan took a seat while Tyler sat on his desk.

"So, how are you doing? How was your flight?" Nathan asked, showing genuine interest.

"Well, my flight was okay, and I was doing just fine until some idiot in the hallway bumped into me and called me stupid. The audacity!" Tyler said, with a hint of annoyance in his tone.

"Well, I don't know, are you sure you didn't do anything stupid?" Nathan asked, bursting into laughter. He had known Tyler since he was a little kid, and he sometimes acted irrationally, even though he was already in his final year of college.

"Dude! I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that. So, hmm, Nathan, I was wondering, you know, maybe I could go to your vacation house in Malibu for this summer break. Care to join me?" Tyler said, glancing sideways.

Nathan smirked. They had already discussed it, and he already knew his answer.

"There's no way I'm going to let you while away your time! You'll work here as an intern until the summer break is over," Nathan exclaimed, motioning to the piles of paper on his table.

"No!"

"Yes... and you're starting tomorrow."

"Don't do this to me, Nathan! Please!" Tyler whined, feigning a cry.

Nathan smiled. Although Tyler was all grown up now, he was still that baby pew-pew to him.

"You should probably go home now and settle in."

"There's no way I'm staying with you. I'm staying at the luxury resort," Tyler replied, giving him a playful dirty look.

"All right, fine," Nathan answered reluctantly, throwing him the keys. "But no throwing any parties, understood?"

Tyler stood up and gave Nathan one last look.

Nathan grinned. "Be early tomorrow... and be sure to drop by Lucas's."

Tyler smirked at him and walked out.

Nathan waited for a moment before finally grabbing his phone and calling Brian. Brian answered after the first beep as if he had been waiting for his call.

"Where were we?" Nathan said in a low, almost whispering tone.

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Brixlee Cyrup sat on her bed, completely still, feeling the touch of the cold hexagonal slate tile floor on her bare feet. She cocked her eyebrows, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. A minute ago, she received an email from one of the biggest tech companies in Texas, Grey-Tech. The email said:

"Good day, Miss Cyrup,

We were impressed by your resume, and we would like to offer you the position of secretary to the CEO at our company..."

She didn't finish reading the email before dropping her phone.

She couldn't bring herself to believe it. It just didn't make any sense. The same company that had rejected her this morning at the interview was now offering her a job.

As a secretary? To the CEO?

She was sure the heavens had finally smiled upon her. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and her smile broadened from ear to ear. She was on cloud nine. It was hard for her to believe she finally had a well-paying job, and that she would soon be moving out of this hellhole with cracked walls. The peeling paint and the small spout of water bubbling up in one corner of the room would be a thing of the past. She took a hot bath and changed into a pink jumper with black jeans. That night, she read the email over and over again until she was finally able to drift off to sleep.

The next day...

Brixlee was slowly losing her patience; the elevator was moving too slowly. She regretted not taking the stairs, as advised by the receptionist. She could remember what the receptionist said:

"The elevator is still under some minor construction, and since the CEO's office is on the second floor, you should take the stairs."

Finally, the elevator reached the second floor. She waited for the door to open before checking her wristwatch again.

"9:27 am." Fuck!

She was 27 minutes late. She found the CEO's office in no time. Slowly, she opened the door and walked in.

The first thing she saw was a leather sofa with a fur rug draped over the back and an Indian blanket on the arm. The far wall had a large mantle dominating the center, with bookshelves lining both sides. A large flat-screen TV hung on the wall. A cluttered desk sat next to it, and the opposite was a smaller desk that she presumed would be hers. Beside the window stood a small potted oak tree. The room was filled with an air of activity. All the glamour and amazement didn't allow her to notice the man sitting by the window, his face turned away, gazing at nothing in particular.

"Good... morning, I'm Brixlee Cyrup, your new secretary," she managed to say, her voice trembling. His gaze shifted to his wrist, probably checking his watch.

"You're 30 minutes late on your first day, what a great start," he said in a familiar, condescending tone.

Brixlee felt intimidated, something she hardly ever experienced.

"I'm usually the early type, but I can't seem to figure out what happened today. One moment, I was awake, and the next moment..."

Before completing her statement, he interrupted her. She was nervous, and she tend to ramble when nervous.

"You seem to talk a lot, Miss Cyrup," he remarked, his tone implying that she was an idiot, which, at that moment, she felt like one.

Who goes to work late on their very first day? She looked down, staring at her feet.

"I'm very sorry," she murmured.

She noticed some movement out of the corner of her eye and felt even more pressured. Slowly, she raised her head. He was already in his seat. Her eyes scanned him for a few seconds until their gazes finally met.

Brixlee stared blankly; her mouth half-opened. She felt a knot form in her throat as she looked at her new boss in front of her. Her heart palpitated as memories of the party rushed back to the forefront of her mind. She remembered the drunkenness, the loud music, and the haze that clouded her vision. But now, standing in front of her, was the person she slapped and embarrassed—the frog prince from the party. Her palms became sweaty, and her mind raced to assess the damage she had done. She couldn't believe that this was happening.

She held her breath, waiting for her boss's reaction. The silence grew heavier until her boss finally spoke.

"Welcome to the team. We're glad to have you on board." And eyes widened in shock.

WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!