Chapter 6 Six

Five years later...

Hazel.

I've been praying for this day. I've been praying for this job-the day is finally here. My first day at my first job. I did an interview for the position of the Creative director's Assistant. It's not entirely what I wanted but it's so close to what I want.

I want to be a fashion designer and I believe I'd get there if I just exercise more patience. The creative director I'd be working under is a bit workaholic and strict.

Her name is Amanda Amerigo and she's the owner of Felda Fashion House-she named the place after her dead mother, Felda. It was the only thing Amanda had done for her family. She has been married three times and gotten most of her husbands' money from the divorce. She chooses her career over everything. It was the reason why she hasn't gotten married after those three poor men she'd made go bankrupt.

She already has an assistant which is my best friend Ann but requested for another one so, she recommended me. She requested to see me for an interview and I went in.

Her first words to me were, "You're slim, I like it." I should take that as an insult but she literally said she liked me, or it. I wasn't even sure what she meant. I like her though-she isn't all nice but I like her. She is hard working and respects her employees. She has the highest record of client per year and has the highest net worth in Italy and some part of the world. I admire her-she is my idol.

I finish my breakfast and head out just in time to catch the bus and make it to my new job. I don't want to make a bad impression on my first day. And punctuality it so important to Amanda. She always comes in early to see who came late and who came early.

I want her to like me, I want her to recognize me-that's my first goal for the couple of months. I take the bus down to the fashion house. I arrive fifteen minutes before the time we're supposed to be in the office. I have time to explore and know my schedules for my first day.

Ann isn't here yet so, I head to the office we'd be sharing. It's at the top floor, just outside Amanda's office. It's more like an open space rather than a room but I love it. Can't complain since it's my first job after my masters and the payment is fairly enough for me to pay half the rent for the apartment I share with Ann and even save up for a car.

I settled down in my chair and powered my computer. This feel is surreal. I love everything about my little office. I love my desk, my pen, my paper works. I love the mannequin that had a ball gown dress on it just few feet from my desk.

I just can't ask for more for just being a creative director's assistant. The computer finish booting and I have no idea what I'm doing. I have to wait until Ann shows up and gives me a heads up on what we're supposed to do. I hear footsteps from the corridor. I can't tell if it was a man's shoe or a woman's'. I just wait for the person to appear.

"Hey there," he says. It's a man. I look down at his shoes. It's quite loud for a man's shoe. I raise my head to look at him and he was smiling at me. I feel relieved that he was smiling because I was worried the employees here would turn out to be assholes.

"Hi," I say, returning the smile. I leaned forward and rest my elbows on my desk while he shoves his free hand in his pocket. He's moderately handsome. He has a thin and firm jawline with pointed nose and slim, plump lips. He has big brown eyes with thick dark eyebrows. His curly, ginger hair just falls on his forehead, making him look like a cartoon prince-but with ginger hair.

"I'm Roman Parker, I'm the company's graphic designer," he explains briefly as he dropped a cup I am hoping it's coffee on my desk. I needed it. I haven't slept much because of eagerness and anxiety.

"It's coffee, for you. Welcome to the Felda family." His adorable smile warms my heart and gives me more courage. I smile at him and look at the cup. It has 'welcome aboard' written on it. This is cute. I feel honored even though it's just coffee.

"I'm Hazel Scott. And thank you for the coffee." I take the coffee and take a careful sip of it. He nods in acknowledgement, smiling down at me. He stares at me for couple more seconds before he looks away and clears his throat.

"Well... I'll see you around?" I kind of wanted to ask him more about the company but I guess I have to wait until Ann comes in. I hate that she didn't sleep at home last night. She spent the weekend with her sisters' and I suppose it's the reason why she isn't here yet.

As if on cue, Ann walks in together with a lady around our age. The lady looks at Roman and smiled then she looks at me. My heart flipped because of the revolting look she sent my way. What have I done wrong? I barely even spent twenty minutes in the building but I've already gotten a misanthrope.

Ann notices it and laughed it out. She waves the lady off and settle on her chair next to mine. Her desk was just beside mine-this work is just going to be amazing. Having my best friend beside me in work and home is just everything I could imagine.

I just hope we don't get fired from our gossips and bewildering gaudy giggles. Roman waves at us and left in hurry. I don't know why he acted that way but it's was so weird and random.

"Hey," I say to her as she unpacks her purse. She heaves a sigh as she packed her hair in a ponytail.

"Can I have a sip of your coffee?" She asked. I looked at the coffee and nodded. I want it but it seems like Ann needs it more than I do. She grabs the cup and sipped it.

"This is so good," she says and takes another sip. I watch her finish my welcome coffee and disposes it.

"Sorry about that bitch, that was Katina, she's the Textile designer and she's a bitch. So, beware of her because she's a bitch." Ann seemed exhausted and annoyed just talking about Katina. I laugh softly and shake my head.

"Sounds like she's a bitch," I say and Ann shrugs.

"Amanda has four meetings today which means she's going to be so fucking cranky before the third meeting and would be in our asses all day. I want to see if I can shift the two till Wednesday but it seems like she has to attend all four meeting because they all paid extra to meet the creative director." Ann sounded so professional. She isn't all my best friend right now but my working partner.

She explains further to me about everything I need to know about our boss. I try to grasps everything but it was too much. The most important one is 'do not disturb Amanda' when it's her breaktime which is never really timed. She just chooses any time she feels like it's time to take a break.

"I'll email you the month's working schedule now so you'd go through it," she says, typing away from her computer. I nod again and look at the computer screen.

My phone chimed in purse and I grabbed my purse to get it. I know it has to be one of the few people I have in my life-my boyfriend or my nagging mother that I guiltily hate seeing her calling or texting. It's always not good when she does either of them. It's even worse when she visits. I've changed apartment three times just to avoid her but she always finds a way to find me.

I'm twenty-four years, I need my freedom. I am an adult but to my mother, I'm more like a money machine. I heaved a sigh of relieve because it's a text from my boyfriend. Haven't spoken to him this morning so he texted to ask about my first day. It's barely nine it the morning but he was already wondering? That's considerate and weird at the same time. Chris has this nonchalant attitude that I hate but endure.

I know that the way he's treating me no one should tolerate that. But I've been with Chris since college and he has helped me a lot back then. I believe that's just how he is. We're making progress since he just texted me.

Ann said he's suddenly being all sweet and caring because I told him how much I was going to be paid monthly plus wardrobe allowance. I don't believe that because Chris has a job also even though it doesn't pay as much as my new job does.

"Ann, haven't you told your friend no phone while at work? Keep the damn phone new girl." I panickily dropped the phone and got to my feet. It was Amanda and I hate myself for getting carried away. I don't even know how I got so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear when she came in.

She scans me from head to toe and smirked. I can't tell what it meant but I was afraid to find out. I lower my head down until she walks away. The clicking sound of her heels matches with my heart beat. I raise my head to look at her just as she halts and turns to look at us.

"Email me my meetings for the day and don't waste my time," she said, looking at me and I knew she was talking to me. I nod vigorously, sitting down and getting up from the chair again. I hate how uncomposed I am.

"Yes, ma'am. I'll send it to you right now," I say to her. She takes her eyes off me and looked at Ann.

"Meet me in my office right now," she said to her and entered her office. Ann looks at me and sighed before she followed her in. "Oh, Geez," I murmured and fall in my sit. The air conditioner was blasting just toward the right angle but I was already sweaty everywhere. I want to take off my blazer but I don't know if Amanda would approve that. I turn my computer back on and checked the email Ann sent me.

I paused because I don't even know Amanda's office email. I groan lowly and dropped my forehead on the desk. That hurts! I wince, getting back up and massaging the throbbing place. I don't even know if my first day could get any worse than it already is.

Ann walks out of her office, murmuring something under her breath as she fiddled with her fingers. This isn't good. This is something Ann does when she's stressed.

"Why haven't you forwarded her the email yet? Don't use your phone during working hours please. It's against the Amanda's policy. And she prefers to be addressed with Amanda not Ma'am or Madam!"

I begin to panic again. Ann is the wild and playful type, I never knew she'd be this serious with her job.

"I don't... I don't know her email..."

"Amanda's email address is inserted in all the computers in this building. Here." She pushes my chair and bent to my computer screen. She searches Amanda's email address and forwarded the schedule to her. I didn't know I was holding my breath until I saw the email has been sent successfully.

I rest my back on my chair while Ann went back to her chair. I look at her, she was a bit silent today and it's unlike Ann to be silent. She's the talkative while I'm the listener. Possibly because we're at work? She looks at me and smiled.

"Amanda has a camera and she literally spy on us like a nosy neighbor," she explained and returned her attention to her computer.

"Oh," I mumbled and sat upright while I scan the room for the camera. It was at the right side of the high wall, facing us. I groaned because it was directly at me. This is great, now I have to always pretend like I'm working even if when I don't have anything to do.

Ann explained things further and I can't even begin to thank her enough. We discussed how we'd open our own fashion house because it's been our dream to. I want this dream to come true-I want us to have the highest record of clients per year in the world, not just Italy.

I want us to be filthy rich that we don't bother checking the price tag while shopping. Two hours later, Amanda comes out of her office and we head to the meeting hall because she had a client waiting for her.

The meeting was very exciting. It was a bride and she wanted her dress to be as simple but glamorous as possible. Amanda asked if I had ideas-I was nervous at first but she urged me to be free.

I honestly didn't think she'd be nice at all. I imagine her to be a bit rude and nonchalant. Ann told me she could be the meanest person in the world but only when she's stressed or has a deadline approaching. Ann and I once created a bridal inspiration so, we showed it to Amanda and the client, and surprisingly, the bride loved it.

Amanda was in also only because the bride was head over heels about the dress we designed.