I try to get back to what she has taught me, hoping that I can achieve it all on my own without her having to watch over me, but there is a giant pressure weighing on my shoulders now. I haven’t ever worked at a place like this before, I’ve never had to impress a boss, and I don’t know how to do it.
Fuck. I’m trembling all over, this is ridiculous. It will probably be fine…
I guess I’m just worried that when the boss comes in the room, he will be able to spot me from a mile off that I don’t belong here. He’ll see what a hot mess I am and send me out, cursing his staff for hiring someone so clearly not meant to be here. I will be out on my ass having lost my dream job, and nowhere else to go.
I need the job for the apartment, I need the apartment for Will, I have it all. I don’t want to lose it.
“He’s coming,” someone helpfully – or unhelpfully depending on how I want to look at it – calls out. “The boss, I mean. Everyone look sharp. Mr. Brent is here to meet the newbie.”
The newbie is me. The spot light is on me and I’m shaking. I try to keep my eyes on the computer screen but instead I keep darting my gaze over to the door, just waiting for the moment when this mysterious boss will appear. And soon he does, soon the door swings open and the big boss appears. He strides through the door with sheer confidence and smiles around the room. But I can’t grin back because my heart has stopped beating completely. My new life has crashed together in one crazy, shocking way, stunning me to the core. I don’t know what to say. I don’t think that I will ever be able to speak again, this is too much for me.
“Will,” I whisper quietly, only to myself. How is this happening? Will is Mr. Brent? My new boss? But no, we have shared ourselves with one another. Some of ourselves anyway. Clearly, not enough…
Chapter 8 – William
“Serena?” I stare at her in shock, wondering what the hell is going on. The funny thing is I have been so wrapped up in her that I forgot we had new staff members starting today for the expansion, and even when I found out in the morning, I didn’t even consider that we would cross paths in office. I knew that Serena was starting somewhere new, but it would be far too much of a coincidence for her to be here…and that’s exactly what’s happening. “Erm, what are you…?” I cough awkwardly, acutely aware of all the eyes up on me. “What… erm…”
No, I can’t get into this discussion in front of everyone else, that would be incredibly unprofessional. I never mix business and pleasure and I never thought that I would. I guess this is what comes from trying to keep my identity a secret. If I had been more honest with Serena then we wouldn’t be in this mess right now. I need to find a way to solve this without making it obvious what I’m doing. Alisha has eyes like a hawk, I don’t want her to pick up on this.
“Will you come with me please, Serena? I need to have a word with you in my office.”
The whole room falls into silence. No one knows what to make of what’s going on. Well, I might have just made this much more awkward for Serena because people are bound to want to know what’s going on here and me and her can’t carry on without a conversation. No chance in hell. I’m probably bright white with shock, feeling totally out of control.
“Er… yes, sir.” She rises to her feet with a bright redness blushing across her face. I feel bad, knowing that this is undoubtedly the worst first work day of her life, but I don’t know how else to address this mess. Me and Serena have been spending a lot of time together, getting closer romantically, assuming that we are just next door neighbors just to find out that I am her boss and she is my employee. It doesn’t get much messier than that. Without another word, I stalk from the room towards my office with my heart thundering in my throat. I don’t even know what I’m going to say when we’re alone, I don’t know how Serena is going to react to me, this is all such a hot mess.
“So, boss?” Serena asks as she slowly closes the door behind her with a click. “Who would have thought it? I didn’t realize that my big new scary boss was going to be Will… but then, I didn’t know that you were Mr. William Brent, did I? This is all a bit… well, unexpected.” I think it’s a laugh that she tries to make. “It’s strange.”