Chapter one: New guy

Uenuku tightened his tie nervously as he followed his supervisor through the illuminated office halls.

As Uenuku walked around the office, he couldn't help but feel a sense of awe and excitement.

The atmosphere was buzzing with productivity and positivity, and he felt a surge of energy as he made his way to the bathrooms.

The clean, modern design and the fresh scent of soap left him feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day ahead.

He looked over his appearance in the mirror and nodded as he ran a hand through his hair nervously.

As the new accounts manager, Uenuku knows that he has big shoes to fill But he was determined to make a good impression on his first day.

As he made his way back towards the main office area, he couldn't help but notice the senior recruiters sitting at their desks.

Each one seemed to have its own unique energy, and Uenuku felt a mixture of nerves and anticipation as he approached the supervisor.

"This is the copy room" The supervisor listed off all the various amenities for the office as he walked, not in the slightest bit concerned for uenukus' apparent nervousness.

"I'll show you to your office space, Because you'll be taking over our current accounts manager you'll have to wait for him to finish off his last week before you get the office itself, but until then you'll be in the recruitment hub with the team."He said cheerily.

"I'm looking forward to meeting the team, and thanks again rehua for showing me around," Uenuku said softly.

"No worries at all! The big boss is out of town at the moment so I won't be able to introduce you till again, next week. so you're in luck really."Rehua noted with a small smirk.

"This week you get to have to just get a feel for the place and really sink your teeth into the role! Tama will be training you before he departs us, he's a real chill guy so just take in as much as you can from him while you have the chance, ill introduce you when he gets back from lunch."

Uenuku nodded as they approached a set of glass doors, he opened them and light-flooded through.

Upon entering the office, Uenuku couldn't help but be impressed by its modern and stylish design.

The walls are adorned with vibrant artwork and motivational quotes, creating an inviting and uplifting ambience.

The open floor plan fosters easy communication and collaboration among colleagues, while the ample natural light streaming in from the large windows adds a refreshing touch.

The desks are arranged in orderly rows, each one equipped with a computer and other necessary tools for enhanced productivity.

The sound of clicking keyboards and soft conversations fills the air, creating a constant buzz of activity.

Overall, the office exudes an atmosphere of productivity and positivity.

"You'll be sitting here for the week, we usually throw new recruiters here so everything is pretty movable- remember don't get too comfortable hey."Rehua winked as he tapped the desk beside him.

"Team, this is the newest edition to the managers' staff Uenuku,

He's going to be taking over as the new accounts manager as Tama departs from the company. make him feel welcome and help him with anything he needs in here yeah, "Rehua announced as Uenuku set his bag down beside his temporary desk.

"There you have our senior recruiters, anaru, kiriwai, hinemoa and Mana," He said motioning to the four corner desk inhabitants.

Anaru was a stout man who obviously spent a lot of time at the gym. his jet-black hair was slicked back neatly and he gave a polite nod as he smirked at the duo.

Kiriwai was a beautiful young woman, her lips plump and painted a deep scarlet as she smiled brightly at them. everything about her seemed to exude luxury and snobbishness regardless of how friendly her demeanour truly was.

Hinemoa seemed to be more casual, her knitted cardigan hanging off of her shoulder as she barely peered up from her laptop to give them a sloppy salute.

Mana had the aura of an over-excited puppy as he beamed at the duo, greeting them cheerfully.

Despite his nerves, Uenuku was determined to make a good impression and show off his skills.

He listened carefully as the senior recruiters explained their roles and responsibilities, taking mental notes and trying to remember everything they said.

By the end of their short introductions, Uenuku felt a sense of accomplishment and pride in his new work environment.

He knew that he had what it takes to succeed in this office, and he was excited to get started.

"You four, get him settled in. I've got a meeting with the VP shortly so ill have to excuse myself now to get ready for it. until then, enjoy your first day here.

look forward to having you around uenuku."The older man winked before walking off to his office.

"Mana, get Marama to get him in the system.

Kiri get him set up."Hinemoa said still tapping away at her laptop.

"Oh absolutely, I could do with a walk anyway." the woman said dramatically stretching out before standing and quickly slipping into her heels.

"Marama is on maternity leave hine." Mana snorted, Hinemoa finally looked up from her screen to look over at Mana.

"She is? Since when?" She huffed.

"Since last month, that's the whole reason Tama is leaving remember...they're moving back home to raise their baby."

"Huh...we should send a card."She nodded looking back to her screen, continuing her typing

"No worries, ill get Lei to help you mana-Come with me please."She said politely making her way past Uenuku, her distinctly floral perfume leaving a trail in her wake.

she was a lot smaller than he thought she was even with the ridiculous high heels she was wearing.

He followed her into what seemed to be the server room.

The server room was a dimly lit space, filled with racks upon racks of blinking machines.

The hum of the servers provided a constant background noise, occasionally punctuated by the sound of a cooling fan kicking into high gear.

In the centre of the room, a lone desk stood, its wooden surface cluttered with papers and computer equipment.

The lone occupant of the room sat at the desk, typing away on a keyboard, the blue glow of computer screens casting an eerie light on their face.

Despite the chaos of the surrounding technology, the server room was a place of focus and concentration, where one could lose themselves in the hum of the machines and the steady rhythm of their typing.

"Before you get the fun stuff, I need you to fill these forms out."She said switching on the light and handing him a brown folder.

"Lei, I need you to come with me for a second to help Mana get him into the system, You sit tight in here and work through those, and ill be right back."She smiled before promptly leaving.

Uenuku was diligent in filling out all of the paperwork, his pen scratching across the paper as he carefully inputted the required information.

The room was chilly, but Uenuku didn't mind.

He was focused on the task at hand, ensuring that every detail was correct and accurate.

As he worked, the hum of the servers provided soothing background noise.

Uenuku appreciated the quiet, as it helped him concentrate on the task at hand.

He took pride in his work and was eager to get stuck in, first days were always a daunting process but he believed that he would fit in well around here.

As he finished the last form, Uenuku let out a satisfied sigh.

He sat back in the chair, just as the door swung open.

"I've finished all of the paper wor-" His words were caught in his throat as it was not Kiriwai but another woman.

A beautiful woman.

perhaps the most beautiful woman Uenuku had ever laid eyes on.

The woman's confidence emanates from every fibre of her being, evident in the way she carries herself with poise and grace.

Her long, dark hair is pulled back in a sleek ponytail, accentuating her sharp cheekbones and chiselled jawline.

Her outfit is impeccably tailored, a navy blue pantsuit that hugs her curves in all the right places.

A subtle yet striking piece of Maori jewellery adorns her neck, a nod to her culture and heritage.

Her striking blue eyes seem to pierce through everything, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation.

They were an illuminating shade of blue that made him think of the bright flash of lightning in a storm.

Uenuku had never seen anyone so beautiful.

"Uenuku."She whispered, a strange look of recognition passing over her features as she looked deeply into his eyes.

"Uh...I...yes" He stammered, standing up slowly.

"I. Yes I am Uenuku, it's nice to meet you."He greeted politely, slowly extending his hand to her, internally cursing himself for sounding so lame.

Suddenly a dark look crossed her features as her warm and inviting aura turned cold.

Her mouth closed as she looked him up and down before turning on her heel and leaving.

"E-excuse me could I...Could I know your name?"He called out as his body moved without his mind telling it to.

He was completely enchanted by the beautiful woman.

but she looked over her shoulder, a look of utter disgust on her features as she all but glared at him.

"You should already know it."She snapped venom on each word, leaving him in the hall dazed and confused.

"Uenuku?" Kiriwai said appearing on the other end of the hall.

"Yes. I-uh I've finished all of the paperwork- did you see that woman just before?" He asked motioning behind him.

"Oh yeah, that ana the vice president of the company."She said offhandedly as she led him back to the recruitment hub.

He nodded as he understood how she would know who he was and why she had expected him to know her name.

"Oh no, wipe that look off of your face right now lover-boy."She cackled making the man blush.

"I-I wasn't" he stammered.

"You-you wasn't, I'm sure. and if you value your employment here. you won't. Mrs Ana is infamously strict and can be downright cold at times."She said knowingly.

"Does she work on this level?"He asked pursing his lips, still very curious about the VP.

"down here with the plebs? Nah, you're all based a floor above, and above you is our lovely boss Uru."She said simply plopping down the bags she had carried.

"And she's married."She said cocking an eyebrow.

"Ah"

"Now, the company Laptop, phone your set of keys for the company car, the carpark, the office key and your swipe card is attached here."She listed off.

"Login details are provided on this piece of paper, log in using this temporary password then you can change it to whatever you want. Lei is still getting you into the server so until then you won't have access to our systems but what you can do is get started on these very fun and not-at-alll-tedious and time-wasting inductions" She beamed jotting down a website address.

"When you log in use the username Rookie, capital R all o's replaced with zeros and the password is newguy1," She said in a bored tone, leaning on the wall of her cubicle as he sat down and quickly got logged in trying to absorb the information she was providing.

"Before that I want you to sign yourself into rangi-pe as that is how we all communicate, your contacts will be the four senior recruiters to start off with and it is only to be used to contact people in the office or in our offshore office- isn't that right mana" She called out pointedly as she continued to file her nails.

"It was one-time kiriwai and it was important."Mana pouted from his cubicle.

"It wasn't" She mock whispered to uenuku, playfully raising her hand to cup her mouth as though she were telling a secret which made the man chuckle at their light-hearted banter.

"Anywho, once you've got yourself signed in and situated just flick me a message and I will guide you virtually through today's important inductions and work guides."She said standing up fully and smiling.

"Oh and welcome to the team lover-boy."She winked walking away.

He took a deep breath, but his mind couldn't help but wander back to those striking blue eyes.