2 The Boss

Gordon Zhong entered his office and threw off his suit jacket. He went to his resting area and grabbed a clean shirt and tie from a wardrobe. As he was putting on his tie he heard light knocking at his office door in the other room.

"Enter!" He yelled. He grabbed his suit jacket and walked back into the office area to see the one woman disaster he'd encountered earlier sitting on the sofa opposite his desk.

He crossed the room and sat down in front of her.

"Can I help you?" His cold voice sounded with no emotion.

"I'm here to interview for the secretary position you're offering." She replied while looking down at her resume nervously.

Gordon looked down at the expensive watch on his wrist and frowned.

"You're seven minutes and forty-two seconds late." He observed.

"Yes, and I'm really sorry about that! I almost arrived on time but I wasn't paying attention and I ran into a gentleman with coffee I had to go wash it out of my blouse." She blurted out.

His eyes fell on the large wet area of her blouse that clung to her skin, revealing the white outline of her undergarments.

He swallowed hard and pulled at his tie. He coughed lightly.

"Resume." He demanded.

She finally looked up and met his gaze as she pushed her resume across the desk to him. It was in that moment she realized...

"Oh no! It's you!" She shouted upon realizing he was the man she'd ran down earlier in the hallway. His eyebrows raised in response.

"I'm so very sorry! I shouldn't have said that about you not being very patient. Um, I'm sure you are a very patient and gracious man. I mean you could have eaten me alive for what happened earlier and you didn't." She rushed to clarify.

"I haven't...yet." He muttered. Her panicked gaze met his ice cold one. She looked like a rabbit cornered by its prey. He returned his gaze to her resume. Twenty two years old, recently graduated top of her class from a local university, single, efficient.

"Do you speak English?" He asked.

"Yes, and a bit of French." She replied.

"Can you multitask well?" He again queried.

"Um...I've not thought much about it before but I suppose so." She answered honestly.

"Is running late something you have problems with often?" He asked sternly.

She squirmed under his accusatory gaze.

"Not really. But I've been so nervous about this interview and last night I was so anxious that I forgot to set my alarm clock. I promise it won't happen again!" She hurriedly explained.

"Why do you want to work here?" He asked with forthrightness.

"I need to earn for my family back in our village. My little sister has school fees and my mom was recently diagnosed with cancer and is unable to work right now. I'm the sole earner for them and myself. But I also am a long time admirer of the jewelry that Rising Sun designs. I remember in my early years at university I saw an ad for a ring your company produced and I was amazed. I minored in art so I was drawn to its unique design. And I'm talking too much! I'm sorry!" She suddenly became aware that she may have told too much.

Gordon was silent for a full sixty seconds. Finally he asked, "Which piece?"

She blinked at him in confusion until she realized he was asking her about the ring she had seen.

"It was a red ruby cut in the shape of a heart, and the band of the ring was shaped like an infinity symbol. It was stunning. It made me think of eternal love. I've never seen anything like it before." She told him.

He silently observed her. Her bright and clear eyes revealed no guile. He was certain there was no way for her to know that the ring she described had been one of his own personal designs. Her sincere praise of his work warmed his long cold and hard heart. But none of this was given away in his facial expression.

"I need someone to start immediately. Can you do that?" He asked.

She stared at him in shock. She had thought for sure she would never get the job. Being late, running him down and scalding him with coffee was more than enough reason to send her packing and now he was offering her the job!

"Miss Xia, can you start today?" He repeated.

"Yes! Yes of course. What should my first task be?" She asked him.

He handed her a stack of wrinkled, coffee stained documents.

"Retype these."