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Ella

AT THE SKIN BY NATURE (SN) HEAD OFFICE

"Ella, you are so welcome. I think I missed you yesterday. Where were you, girl?" That was Jill. "Oh Jill I am so sorry," I said, sucking in my breath.

I had promised Jill that we were to go together for a company survey yesterday, but I had entirely forgotten about it.

I kept on romanticizing about my dream night with my boss, Maxwell.

" You promised me, girl," Jill whined.

"I know, and I am so sorry," I pleaded with Jill. I took my seat close to her and started to arrange my desktop.

"What happened?"

"I had the most traumatic Sunday girl." I lied.

"I had to perform the survey all by myself and it was not so fun."

"I will make it up to you dearest." I dusted my desktop.

"Was there not a cleaner here this morning?" I muttered to myself.

"Jill, at least let the poor girl settle down first. Hi Ella, a beautiful morning to you dear." That was Jackie. She was also my colleague.

Jackie had the quality of acting like a big sister to everyone else. Sometimes it looked cool to me, but sometimes, most times it actually did not look cool.

"Hi Jackie, a beautiful morning to you too."

I, Jill, and Jackie had to share a corner in the office. Our jobs were really similar. Jill performed surveys, Jackie was a marketer and I kept records of the surveys and the list of all our potential clients.

"Mr Handsome was here really early this morning and that was really unusual of him," Jackie said. She had a lollipop in her mouth.

"How did you know that?" I was curious.

"I came here before anyone else, and I met him lurking around the building."

"Oh!"

"Yes, and we all know Mr handsome does not come so early except something's up."

"Yea." Started Jill. "I noticed he was acting unlike himself this morning. When I greeted him, he replied absent-mindedly. It was as if his mind was elsewhere."

"Whatever you girls are thinking, please leave me out of it," I said defensively.

Both girls looked at me surprised.

"Girl, what's up with you, nobody is attacking you here?" Said Jill.

"You have been acting really weird too." She added.

Realizing I almost blew up my cover, I had to apologize.

"I'm sorry girls for blowing up like that. My weekend was not so good." I lied.

"Was that why you were late?" Jackie asked, breaking her lollipop and chewing it noisily.

"Ermm..." I was about to reply to her when we heard a noise. We all looked in the direction of the noise.

It was Mr Maxwell.

I felt my heart leap in my heart.

Mr Maxwell looked really handsome this morning. He always did anyway, but more so this morning.

He hit a bell on a table and called everyone's attention to him.

"Good morning guys."

"Good morning Mr Maxwell."

He was in a black suit, but he had white inner and white sneakers.

He looked really chic. He had his hair neatly cut on the sides but had dreads at the center of his head.

His eyes met my eyes but I looked away.

"Today is officially the first day I have resumed my duties fully as the new CEO of this great company." There was tension in the room and then applause.

Everyone clapped and cheered.

Mr Maxwell raised his hands as a signal for us all to be silent.

"My father had a legacy and that legacy I have to uphold. I want you all to know that we all have a role to play here.

And just as it has always been before me, there would not be many changes. We will all keep doing all we have to do to the progress. The Skin by Nature group of companies.

Thank you very much for your audience."

There was loud applause as Mr Maxwell finished his speech.

I had held my breath all the while he was speaking. I heaved a sigh of relief and went back to my desk.

"Okay, Mr handsome is killing it already." Said Jill as she sat down. Her seat was close to mine and so was Jackie's.

"He sure is," Jackie added. "Oh what a young lad with such huge responsibilities," Jill said, and I rolled my eyes at that.

Jackie had another lollipop in her mouth. She looked seductively at Mr Maxwell as he walked past us.

"You are shameless," I said to her, and we all exploded into laughter.

**

A few hours into work I was already worried. Mr Maxwell has not looked my way. I had begun to feel lots of pain in my heart.

"Was I a joke to him?" I thought to myself.

"How has he not acknowledged me since that day after what we had shared?" I could not help but wonder.

" Hey, Angel." I looked up and saw Mr Daniel.

"Mr Daniel! What are you doing here?" I asked.

"To check on your beauty."

"Oh please, stop all this your teasing," I said looking away.

"So you won't even look my way, now I'm hurt," He said.

"I am busy, Mr Daniel."

"No, you can call me Dan."

"No I can not do that, Mr Daniel. You're my senior colleague and I must give you your due respect," I said without a single care in the world. I did not even bother to look up, I was typing away.

"Well, Mr Maxwell said I should inform you that he wants you in his office this very moment." He spilled.

I finally looked up with chills running down my body.

"Is anything the matter?"

"I don't know, you should ask him yourself, but be quick about it. You know our new boss does not like to be kept waiting....."

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