Chapter 5 Job Doubts

On my way home, all I could think about was my stupid interview with Richard Maranzano. I don't know if I can do it, I mean it's a lot and I don't even like Richard Maranzano - I basically hate him and the last thing I would want to do is work with him. It's almost like helping him out, I certainly can not do that.

Walking through the front door, I flung my bag onto the couch and caught sight of Rebecca indulging in a heaping bowl of popcorn. "Hey, welcome back! How'd your interview go?" she inquired with genuine curiosity.

I didn't respond right away, instead sinking into the softness of the couch, my head nestled against the headrest.

Her voice took on a sympathetic tone as she approached me, gently rubbing my back for comfort. "You didn't get the job, did you?" she asked, her voice tinged with sadness. "Don't worry, there are plenty of other opportunities out there. You'll find something amazing."

With a heavy sigh, I lifted my head and met her concerned gaze. "I got the job," I admitted, my voice muffled by the headrest.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "You what?"

I nodded, a mix of relief and disbelief washing over me. "I got the job."

A wide smile spread across Rebecca's face, her excitement palpable. "No way! That's incredible!" she exclaimed, unable to contain her joy. "I'm so happy for you!"

"You shouldn't be happy for me, if there is anything you should be is sad.... very sad because this is terrible."

Curiosity filled Rebecca's voice as she asked, "Why is it terrible?"

"Because it's not what I wanted. I was hoping for a good job as a personal assistant with a decent salary, but..." I trailed off.

Interrupting me, she quickly asked, "Did they reduce your salary?"

"No, or at least I don't know yet. But that's not the main issue. It's about my boss," I explained.

"Did he hit on you?" she questioned.

"No," I responded.

"Does he want to have sex with you?"

"Why is that the first thing that comes to mind?" I asked, slightly taken aback.

"Because it seems like the only explanation. If it's not about the salary, then it must be about sex," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, it's actually something different,"

Her eyes widened with curiosity. "Then what is it?"

I took a deep breath and blurted out, "My boss is Richard Maranzano."

Rebecca gasped, her shock evident on her face. "What?!"

I nodded, confirming her surprise. "Yes, it's true."

She leaned in closer, her voice filled with excitement. "Oh my god! It's like a movie plot! You hate him, and then you end up working with him, and boom... love blossoms!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her wild imagination. "You're being delusional, Rebecca. I am definitely not working with him. I just can't do that."

"You can and you will," Rebecca insisted.

"I can't and I won't," I replied.

"Absolutely not! You've been searching for a job, and now that you've finally found one, you can't quit just because of him," she argued.

"But-" I began to protest, but Rebecca interrupted me.

"But nothing. You're going to work with him," she stated firmly.

I sighed, feeling the weight of the situation. As much as I hated to admit it, Rebecca was right. I needed this job, and quitting wasn't an option.

"This is so annoying. I already hate working with him," I grumbled.

"Is that a yes!"

"Yeah," I finally gave in.

"That's more like it! We're going out to celebrate, right?" Rebecca asked eagerly.

"Is that really necessary?" I questioned.

"Yes, it is. I'll take care of the bills. All you have to do is dress up and come with me," she says with a smile.

"Alright," I sighed, realizing that a celebration might be a good distraction from my frustrations.

"Dress up quickly, we're leaving in thirty minutes," she says, her voice filled with urgency.

I roll my eyes, feeling a mix of annoyance and resignation, as head to my room. I strip off my clothes, I can't help but feel a wave of disgust and pain wash over me, knowing that I'll have to endure working with Richard Maranzano. I desperately need to wash away the feeling, both physically and emotionally. Maybe even scrub my eyes for all the times I've had to look at Richard Maranzano and all the times I'll have to look at him in the future.

My life feels like a complete mess right now. The one person I despise the most is the person I have to work with. It's like a nightmare come true. I can't even begin to imagine how I'm going to survive working for Richard Maranzano. It's like being in hell on earth.

Walking out of the shower, I slip into a simple yet sassy dress and comfy flat shoes. I quickly do a bit of makeup, trying to boost my confidence. As I grab my purse, my phone buzzes, indicating an incoming call from an unknown number.

"Hello," I say, answering the call with a mix of curiosity and caution.

"It's Richard Maranzano, I believe I am speaking to Miss Green," he says.

"Yes, you are Mr. Maranzano."

"Alright. I just texted you my home address, I need you to come to meet me at my house, we have to discuss some things concerning tomorrow's meeting."

"But, sir I... hello, hello Mr. Maranzano," I say, only to realize that he had already hung up the call.

What the hell was that? He didn't even let me finish talking. Growling, I walk out of the room in annoyance, calling out Rebecca's name.

"I'm almost done dressing," I hear her say.

I'm very sure that she's going to hate Richard Maranzano for this. I walked to her room and peeked my head in. "I got bad news."

"Oh no, you're on your period," she says.

"What! No, not at all, my period is until the end of the month."

"Then what's the bad news?" she asks.

"Duty calls," I sigh. "Richard Maranzano just called, I have to go discuss some office work with him," I tell her.

"It's seven pm, the office would have been closed by now."

"I know, and that's why he asked me to come to his house?"

"Really?" she asks excitedly.

"You better hold your chimes, it's for business, and besides, it's torture. He ruined our plans."

"Yes, he did ruin our plans, but you know what? I think of this as an opportunity for you," she says.

"I know, it's a big deal to work with Richard Maranzano. It could be a chance to learn and grow in my career." I say with an eye roll

"Sure, but not like that. What I mean is that you'll get to work closely with him as his assistant, and you'll definitely have insight into what he's up to. That will take your obsession for him to the next level," she says.

"It's not an obsession, but you do have a point."

"I know, now go meet him before he starts calling you."

"Bye, I'll see you later," I say and head out of the house.

In a couple of minutes, I arrived at Richard Maranzano's mansion. Unlike other girls, I wasn't wowed by how massive and gorgeous his house is. Don't get me wrong, it's impressive, but I used to have a much better house before it got destroyed. Thanks to him, my previous house is just a memory now.

The guard in front of the mansion led me into the house and directly to a room that looked like a study. As I walked in, all eyes were on me, and they seemed shocked. Richard, in particular, had a surprised expression on his face, as if he didn't expect to see me there, even though he was the one who asked me to come.

"Hey," I say, feeling a bit awkward.

Richard's eyes traveled down my body, and he had a small, husky smirk on his face when his gaze settled on my exposed thigh.

"Take her to my office, I'll meet her there," Richard says to the man standing next to him.

The man nodded and led me out of the room. We made our way to Richie's office, and I took a seat on one of the chairs. After a short while, Richard walked in and sat on the chair across from me.

"Thanks for coming on such short notice, Miss Green," he says.

"No problem," I replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"Before we dive into the discussion, I've got a set of rules you need to keep in mind," Richard says, his voice carrying a stern tone. "Rule number one, I don't take 'no' for an answer."

I already knew that. Richard Maranzano was one of those sick, rich bastards who never accepted 'no' as a response.

"Rule number two, when I'm talking, I like to hear some words from you to show that you're following along," he continued.

"Okay, Mr. Maranzano," I say, trying to maintain a polite tone.

"Now, never call me Mr. Maranzano or Sir. I find those titles boring. As my personal assistant, you can call me Richie. Got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Mar- I mean Richie," I stumbled over my words, quickly correcting myself.

"Good," he says as he exhales and rises to his feet. With a purposeful stride, he retrieved a file and made his way over to me, placing it on the desk in front of me. "This right here has got all the details about tomorrow's meeting and as for my schedule, make sure I've got busy days lined up for the entire week, except for Wednesdays."

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his mention of excluding Wednesdays. It seemed odd to leave one day free in an otherwise packed schedule. Curiosity got the better of me, and I piped up, "Why not Wednesdays?"

A mischievous smirk crept across his face as he leaned in, casually placing one hand on the table and the other on the back of my chair. My gaze met his, and I couldn't deny the undeniable truth – Richard was incredibly attractive, like, ridiculously so.

As he leaned in even closer, I could feel his warm breath gently brushing against my face, sending a shiver down my spine. My heart raced as I eagerly awaited his answer.

"Don't ask me questions, Rachel," he whispered, his voice filled with a mix of authority and a certain magnetic charm that was impossible to resist.

I gave a small nod, my voice barely above a whisper as I responded, "Okay."

"Rachel.... I like your name." His words caught me off guard as he spoke my name with a hint of admiration. Our eyes locked, and he held his gaze on me for what felt like an eternity. It was a moment filled with intensity and anticipation.

With a smirk playing on his lips, he finally pulled back and say, "I will see you tomorrow, Rachel." And just like that, he confidently walked out of the room, leaving me with a mix of excitement and curiosity for what tomorrow would bring.