Work experience
Even though Noah Jones had a lot to look forward to the following day, he was still a little confused because Zara had appeared to be in a depressed mood the previous evening. Due to his busy schedule for the day, he couldn't engage in conversation with her. Consequently, he arrived at seven in the morning to meet her, as she was among the first few people to arrive.
On the other hand, when he arrived at his office, he was surprised to find the person he had not expected. He stood motionless at his door, watching her back. "Is everything okay here?" Noah asked, but he encountered silence.
He walked to her location and stood beside her. "It is beautiful, isn't it?" He asked, hands tucked into his pockets, his gaze fixed on the scene unfolding beyond the window. The Jones Enterprises building was one of the neighborhood's tallest structures; from the top floor, one could have a wonderful view of most of Fort Lauderdale.
"Not what I am used to." In a low voice, she silently compared the view to what she saw from her office in London.
She had only 'worked' for him for three days, but Noah had already concluded that she was incredibly stubborn, which she did not like to admit. Noah gave her a knowing look. He interpreted this as a signal for him to act. "You stand out among all the personal assistants I've had in the past," he said, clearly excluding April. As he looked out the window, he made the statement.
"I believe there will always be a unique quality that sets one individual apart from another." What is your theory, exactly?" Olivia inquired sarcastically, unknowingly falling into his trap. Noah's expression of triumph appeared as he walked away from her and stood with his back to the window, obstructing her view. Olivia appeared to be standing in front of him with her arms crossed. "It is rude to keep a lady waiting." She raised her eyebrows in response.
Heaving a sigh, Noah gazed at her, scrutinizing her face for clues suggesting his opinion's importance to her. He was looking for even the slightest indication of an emotion, but he did not see any. The woman in question remained a closed book, awaiting his opening and perusal. However, given the current circumstances, he was unable to open this book, as tomorrow would mark her last day of employment. This decision was made, at least temporarily. As he thought.
"That's the truth; most women would have bowed to me and experienced the sensation of my bed within the first twenty-four hours of our meeting." Upon realizing what he had just implied, he bit the inside of his mouth to correct himself. Then he attempted to explain to her that he was still the man who had promised her a bottle of champagne in exchange for a night in his bedroom. "Listen, I," he said as he recalled it to her. This is the second insult he has personally received in a short time.
Olivia, resting her back against his chair, placed her hands on the desk behind her and leaned against it. "I understand." She said this with a blank expression, and they fell into silence. "Well, we have already established that I am not like most of your personal assistants, and I'm most definitely unlike most women you have ever met." After some time had passed, Olivia commented and then briefly glanced down at her feet, causing her hair to tumble down to her face.
When Noah saw what was happening, he immediately moved his hand to remove the strands of hair that had appeared on her face. There was brief eye contact between them before Olivia grabbed his hand and pulled it from her face. She looked up, and his hand slid to her lips. "I would strongly advise you to keep your hands to yourself." She said it in a chilly manner, yet Noah smiled.
"Point taken." They said it with pride.
After hearing what he had to say, it took Olivia a moment to understand it. Suddenly, her gaze returned to his, and she wished she had refrained from looking at him. Gazing into Noah's eyes evoked memories of her high school years, a story that left a lasting impact on her life. That horrific accident left her pondering the extent of his scars compared to her own.
Noah's phone rang, and he sighed as he pulled away from the contact. "I've never lost a staring contest to a woman before." He said that with pride, and Olivia smiled at him.
"Well, you just lost one." "I am proud of myself," Olivia stated as he turned away from his desk.
She pushed the strands of her hair behind her ear, allowing them to fall to her face and then to the ground. Noah's heart pounded as he looked at her and felt his thumb pressing against his chest. Why was he behaving in such a manner? It should have been his turn to make the appeal, not hers. On the other hand, it appeared as though she was tugging him without much effort on his part, although he was not even close to attempting. He was forced out of his patio by the phone he was using. He turned his gaze away from the office and then back to Olivia.
When he noticed she was no longer staring at him, he answered the phone and continued talking. "I need to take this." She nodded and walked towards the door, but Noah stopped her. He said it directly. "Oh!" What about you, Livvy? He smirked. She looked at him with her eyebrows raised. "You won't be so lucky the next time." When he turned around to face the window with the phone in his ear, he could feel Livvy's eyes on him. He gave her a wink and then turned around again. "Yes?" He replied with a smirk that never left his face. With a knowing smirk on his face, he exited his office, Olivia went back to her seat, and Noah took his seat.
"Mr. Jones, a woman from Miller Corporations, called and asked to speak with you." "I spoke on the phone," Chloe stated.
It appeared the temperature in the room had suddenly reached its highest point, and Noah corrected his posture by sitting up straight and releasing his tie. "Send her through and tell Zara to come and see me." He gave the order.
"Yes, Sir." Following her statement, a buzzer sounded.
"Hello?" This statement was made by a woman.
"Yes?" The response from Noah was authoritative.
"Oh, Mr. Jones!" A woman spoke in a loud voice. "I am Aria Wilson, and I work for Miller Corporation. Regarding Livvy Williams, we have received calls from someone from your company for several days requesting they talk to Miss Miller about the situation. Miss Miller, who is now abroad on a business trip, instructed me to call you back. I am calling to verify that Miss Miller employed Miss Livvy Williams," remarked Aria.
With one hand over his ear and the other resting under his chin, Noah leaned his wrists on his desk. He was concentrating on something. "Oh?" His pupils contracted into slits as he absorbed the information that she had just shared with him. Who dared to test him and discover the truth about Livvy Williams? He pondered deeply.
"Yes, Miss Miller stated that she would not consider it work because she had not stayed in the position for long due to her lack of previous work experience," remarked Aria.
"How long exactly?" He inquired.
"It's been a week, sir," Aria replied in a worried tone. The man seemed to be able to see through the lies that she had been practicing. "Miss Miller paid her a three-month worth of salary so she wouldn't come knocking at her house begging for a job again." She pretended to be present throughout the event to ease his concerns.
"All right. It's quite considerate of you to let me know. I hope you have a wonderful day." Before she could give him a response, he hung up.
"Miss Williams, come back to my office right now." A cry came from Noah, as if he knew she was standing outside his office. She walked to his door while maintaining her upright posture. After she had left his office, she made sure that her navy-blue office dress and the jacket that matched it were in excellent condition. She also tucked her hair behind her earlobes before knocking. "Come in," Noah yelled out.
After entering his office, she sat down on his other side. After Noah had finished clearing his throat, she looked up.
"You asked to see me." After uttering the caustic statement, Olivia crossed her knees and positioned her arms on either side of the chair they were sitting on.
"Miss Williams, I just received a call from Miss Aria Wilson of Miller Corporations, and Miss Olivia Miller sent her a message." While his wrist was resting on the desk, he made his statement with his hands tightly clasped beneath his chin. Although she silently hoped Aria would not make a mistake, Olivia uncrossed her legs and sat up straight. "Miss Miller confirmed that your lack of experience limited your work experience to no more than a week." His lips narrowed as he spoke. "Well, it's a pity tomorrow is your last day; I would have loved to teach you the ropes," Noah remarked mockingly, aware that his statements were false.
"Oh well." Olivia clenched her teeth. I've stayed longer than necessary, and I've completed my work here. You won't have to come back to see me again." Noah wore a frown. She was either having fun with him or she was feeling extremely depressed, neither of which was entirely accurate. Whatever the case, there was no time; he needed to move extremely quickly to exact his reward.
"Well, Miss Williams, that seems to be the end of it. I hope that you had a wonderful time working with me." After giving her a brief smile, he walked her to the door in a kind way.
Olivia stood up and smiled at Noah in a constricting manner. "It was a pleasure working with you, Mr. Jones." In a mocking tone, she stated. With a smirk, she exited his office after he gave her a sign of approval. After adjusting her outfit and standing outside his door, she boarded the elevator while maintaining a confident posture.
Noah took several deep breaths as he saw the door close behind him. Wow, what a fascinating morning it was! "Time for the next step," he thought to himself. After picking up his phone and dialing a number, he sat back against his chair and waited for the person to answer. He then leaned back against the chair even further.
"Mr. Jones?" One of his drivers responded.
"Theo, get the car ready for the airport; it looks like we are flying to Durban today." A sly grin appeared on his face as he made his statement.