A New Place, A New Career

Chapter Fifty-Nine

She wanted to try a new experience far from what was already familiar and ordinary to her.

Rielle looked longer at Mr. Hinode with mixed feelings. She wanted to try a new experience far from what was already familiar and ordinary to her. But she also needed to earn an income because her savings were low, and she felt embarrassed asking for monetary assistance from her sisters or her brother, who was also working abroad. And more to her concern was the apartment she rented in the new city she moved in, since her mom lived with her married sister Donna, and Zia was already in Canada. Although their house was for lease, she could not depend on it because it was for her mom. All these were running in her mind simultaneously with the offer Mr. Hinode was suggesting to her.

"Well, Miss Calma? Do you accept my offer, or would you prefer to take the seminar workshops and train for a few months with a meager allowance?" Mr. Hinode repeated his offer. Rielle again considered her thinking that if she failed in the training and her savings came low, she had no job to hold on to, so immediately she responded:

"Okey, Sir, I will accept your offer as your Executive Secretary with the assurance that I'll be joining the seminar workshops. Is it every day, Sir? And the training on weekends. Agreed?" Rielle offered her hand for a handshake with the CEO as their mutual agreement.

Mr. Hinode chuckled, saying, "you are something, Miss Calma. I like your guts. Okay, I want you to proceed to the HR Department to sign the contract, then to the Sales Department and see Miss Kathleen enter you in the seminar-workshop starting tomorrow and training on weekends. You can start tomorrow also as my Executive Secretary. Are you pleased with our agreement, Miss Calma?" Mr. Hinode shook hands with Rielle, grinning.

Rielle was pleased with her accomplishment. While on her way to the HR Department, Mr. Hinode called the HR Department.

"I told Miss Gabrielle Calma to see you for the signing of her contract as my ES and add a clause in her contract that she attends the real estate seminar workshops every day and training on weekends, effective tomorrow." Requested Mr. Hinode.

Rielle entered the HR Department and the Office of the HR Manager, Mr. Long. Rielle asked to be seated and explained to her about the contract before she read and signed it.

"Your contract as Executive Secretary will depend on your attitude and management of the duties given or assigned to you by your boss, Miss Calma. If you last for three months, you become a regular employee in this company, and if you pass the seminar-workshop and training, that will be an additional workload for you and, of course, added income. But if you decide to resign within one or two months, your seminar and training shall also stop. Any question, Miss Calma?" Rielle said none. "The team leader for real estate will explain to you about the seminar and the training so you can proceed to Miss Kathleen after you sign this contract." Added Mr. Long.

Rielle then went to see Miss Kathleen and explained the schedule to her.

"Your seminar lasts for 45 days and starts from 7:00 to 9:00 am, after which you have to be in your post after every seminar. Your training is on Saturdays from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. in areas assigned to you by the field supervisor. After completing your seminar, you will receive a Course Completion Certificate." Rielle gladly accepted all the facts and was ready to get all the tasks and responsibilities she chose.

Rielle's first day at Hinode Group was welcoming. Everyone warmly accepted her as part of the group attending the seminar and expressed mixed feelings about her employment in the company.

"You are our handsome CEO's ES? He allowed you to join this seminar while working as his ES?" Everybody was curious. "You seemed given a special privilege, huh?" one attendee asked with a tone of envy. Rielle smiled and explained, "No special privilege there, this was indeed my choice, but since I had an experience as Secretary, and there was an urgent need, he offered me the job and attendance at this seminar. There's nothing unusual, is there? Rielle explicitly defended her person.

Everyone was quiet when the seminar facilitator entered. Rielle focused on the seminar for her eagerness to learn, then went straight to her new post. She was wondering where her office was, so she went to the receptionist's table, looked at her ID, and asked:

"Hi, Niki. I am the big boss's ES. I'm Rielle. May I know where my station is?" Rielle asked humbly. "Miss Rielle! I will be working under your supervision. Your table is in the CEO's Office." Niki led her to her table. It was four feet away from the door and twelve feet fronting the table of the CEO. The CEO's Office was big and there was a drafting table close to his executive desk. A note was posted on her laptop with the password, instructing her to read the emails, edit those of Mr. Hinode's written replies, and read some documents placed on her table before bringing them to him for his approval or signature. Then thirty minutes later, Mr. Hinode came in. He was grinning, reflecting a happy mood.

"Good morning, Mr. Hinode." Chirped Rielle. Mr. Hinode responded smilingly at Rielle.

"How's your seminar?" he asked. "I find it interesting, Sir. Thank you for the opportunity." Said Rielle. She followed Mr. Hinode's steps to his table. When seated by his desk, she handed the documents with her posted comments with different memes on every part of the document; she opened his laptop and went directly to the emails Mr. Hinode instructed her to do. Mr. Hinode was amazed by her knowledge and capabilities as an Executive Secretary, was amused by her humor shown by the memes on her sticky notes, and was grateful for making a good choice.

Rielle's days and months at the Hinode Group were gratifying for her. She would soon be practicing selling properties and was so excited. Despite some pitfalls, her on-the-spot training to sell properties was also satisfying, but she knew she could make it as a successful real estate agent with her guts.

While Rielle was enjoying her freedom as a single lady, Han Hyun-Ki was also making progress on his treatments. He can generally see again, and his physical therapy was going well because he wanted to return to his ordinarily healthy body and everyday life. He talked to his brother about giving him a place in their head office.

"Why sure, Hyeong? The CEO position is yours for the taking. I was waiting for you to recover because our dad said that the CEO position was where you normally belong, now that he was incapacitated to hold that job. Just tell me when you are ready, and I will go down as Assistant to the CEO." Hwan Chul said in elated intonation.

Hyun-Ki returned to work and assumed the CEO position, and Hwan Chul became his Assistant. Hyun-Ki kept himself busy to keep his mind off Rielle and thought about making changes in his life. He has no more intention of returning to the Philippines since he lost Rielle completely. He started socializing and drinking with his business friends and became known as a playboy, a ladies' man. He gets the ladies who flirt with him. He became a man who pursued a life of pleasure without attachment to a woman. He enjoyed his life only to fill his emptiness and his intense longing for Rielle.

Hyun-Ki went to his usual nightlife and had drinks with his male friends when they introduced him to a woman whom he mistook for Rielle because her features were like Rielle, especially her body, almost perfect for him, as he thought. He introduced himself and was interested to know her more.

"I am Han Hyun-Ki, and what's yours?" making her feel he's interested in her.

"I am Cho Ae-Ri, a receptionist in a big hotel. Hyun-Ki felt attracted to Ae-Ri, giving her seductive eye contact.

"Let us go somewhere quiet; how about to your hotel, hmm?" suggested Hyun-Ki, starting to kiss her ears as he whispered.

"How about in my place? I live alone." invited Ae-Ri. So, Hyun-Ki took her to his car and drove to her place. Hyun-Ki started to kiss her as she opened her door. Ae-Ri responded, and their kiss became hot and torrid. Hyun-Ki began kissing her ears and nape, sliding down to her neck, unbuttoning her blouse, and kissing her breast. Ae-Ri removed Hyun-Ki's shirt and started kissing his neck, his chest, her tongue tracing his nipples, caressing each other's body with intensity, and as they got more aggressive, they unzipped each other's pants. Hyun-Ki held Ae-Ri's behind and carried her, pinning her against the wall, making their intercourse more passionate, and giving. Realizing that Ae-Ri was good, he became more playful and adventurous, intimate and pleasurable.

The following day, Hyun-Ki woke up and smelled an excellent flavor from Ae-Ri's cooking. He suddenly pictured Rielle preparing his favorite breakfast, smoked bacon and omelet, in the kitchen. He came closer to Ae-Ri, hugged her, looked at the food, and exclaimed, "whoa, smoked bacon and omelet, my favorite breakfast! Have you happened to know what I like for breakfast?"

Ae-Ri said, "this was my favorite breakfast, Hyun. I was thinking about what you might like, and it was good to know that we have the same taste and passion as last night." Ae-Ri stared at Hyun-Ki passionately, and Hyun-Ki touched Ae-Ri's head and kissed it.

Hyun-Ki went home to change, and Hwan Chul was waiting for him.

"Still having fun? You did not come home last night. You usually leave your car from where you got drunk and go home in a cab, but you didn't do that. Where were you last night, Hyun?" asked Hwan in a curious tone.

"Nothing as usual; why are you asking me if I committed a crime?" Hyun-Ki answered defensively. Then he went to his bedroom to shower and dress up for work.

On that day, after having a rendezvous with Ae-Ri, while Hyun-Ki was meeting with present investors in his Office, Mr. Han Myeong came, bringing an old friend interested in investing in their business. The old friend of his dad was Mr. Haruki Hinode.

"Hyun-Ki, this is an old friend, Mr. Haruki Hinode, a Japanese business tycoon. He visited me because he heard of what happened to our building in the Philippines and wanted to know how our business was doing here." The former Chairman related.

"I couldn't get full support from our Board Members, so the building is still in ruins. And I feel it was useless rebuilding it again. I have no more intentions of returning, and I am just concentrating my work here." Explained Hyun-Ki.

"I believe you still have two subsidiaries back in the Philippines; why not expand it and make one subsidiary your head office and the other your main office since both were in two separate cities? Am I correct, Mr. Hyun-Ki?" Mr. Hinode seemed persistent.

"I will think it over, Mr. Hinode, then I'll give you a call once I decide," Hyun-Ki replied, ending the conversation. When the former Chairman and Mr. Hinode left, Hwan Chul listened at the back office and suggested the offer as a good start. Hyun-Ki was disinterested but told Hwan that he would think it over.