Annelise

He closed the door and I gaped.

What did he mean by "maybe break the record"?

Narrowing my eyes, I went back to my desk and left the papers and folders on the others.

I took a deep breath.

I need coffe.

I woke up super early today. I barely slept last night. After I talked to Mr. Funny, the next door neighbor started to move the furniture. I tried every possible way to close my eyes, but I couldn't.

I went to the pantry and found Susan from HR. She wore a beige blouse and gray skirt. We talked a few times. She's super nice, and she taught me how to deal with Mr. Hot Head. She said he growled and bared his teeth but was unable to bite—perhaps because he was afraid of catching disease?

- Wow. You're wrecked," she said as I approached. I took a deep breath. "You urgently need this. She passed a cup of coffee across the counter and I smiled gratefully.

"Can you believe he still doesn't know my name?" - I commented, exhausted

She didn't look the least bit surprised.

"He doesn't know anyone's name. Even more from the desk. You know… he has a history. Secretaries don't last more than two weeks.

— Oh. - I said. The answer was this, then.

- What?

"He mentioned something about me beating the record," I said, shrugging. I took the coffee and took a sip. I grimaced. - Bitter.

She held out a bag of sugar.

- Thanks.

"Well, you've been sitting in the chair for two and a half weeks that other secretaries only lasted two weeks.

I poured in the sugar and stirred it with a spoon I took from one of the drawers.

- This is a good sign. I grumbled. "Maybe he likes me.

She almost laughed, and I drew my brows together.

"Miracles don't happen, Anne, but you can try.

I wondered, in that instant, if there was anything I could do to tame that beast. Men don't need much to get the ball down. They need something that makes them believe you are essential. Smile. Here I was, thinking of a way to keep my job. Maybe being indispensable was the best option to show a cocky asshole why I was indispensable.

- Adele! - a shout. Susan's eyes widened.

— It's Annelise. I corrected, rolling my eyes.

I said goodbye to Susan and went back to my desk. When I arrived, I realized he was standing there. That was one of the ways to call me, although there was the good old intercom.

- Adele! Look... and I thought you had run away. Leaning against the table, he uncrossed his legs and picked up my stack of documents. "I thought I told you to cancel the meeting at ten. He looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

— Mr. Ward…sorry," I said, putting myself behind the desk. "I must have forgotten. He shook his head.

"Don't disappear again. He leaned toward me, planting both hands on the table. 'And clear the meeting crap.' — I nodded. He smiled smugly and continued: — Good girl.

He turned his back on me and I rolled my eyes, muttering his last words with disdain, until I focused on his ass and… My God… what was hot about this man, he was asshole. I bit my lower lip and shook my head, pushing away the impure thoughts that had taken over me. I was pretty sure I blushed. Chase Ward caused me that, as well as anger and stress. He turned his head toward me and flashed a smirk.

Apparently, everything would be very difficult.

My boss is an asshole. Mr. Stupid Asshole. And she seems to enjoy watching me run around like a madwoman. Maybe that was his secret fetish: pissing people off.

I took a deep breath and played the good girl role for the rest of the day, as he had asked me to.