I Cannot Quit on the CEO

What is that fucking noise?

Luca Vanthross groaned as he opened his eyes in annoyance. The blaring sound assaulted his ears when his senses came alive. It was from the alarm clock on the table by his bed. With one more groan, he stretched his arm from under the bed covers and turned it off by smashing it against the floor.

He grabbed his phone to check the time. It read 8:00 am. Clare, his secretary was supposed to be here by 7:30 am to prepare his outfit for work. She was also meant to prepare breakfast, run him a bath, and have his car warmed up, waiting at the front of his esteemed mansion.

"Where is she?" He asked himself, angry. Luca thought about firing her but decided against it when he realized Clare had never missed any of her tasks and always showed up on time. But he was Luca Vanthross and he detested mistakes and incompetence. Clare was going to be reprimanded. With that decision, he climbed off his bed and walked to the bathroom.

After having his bath, Luca grabbed his iPhone and called for his housekeeper who lived in a little rack he'd built for her. It was right behind his mansion and only took about two minutes, going and coming.

"Maria. I want you here, now." He ended the call without waiting for a response. Although it was a command, Luca's tone was soft. Maria was a sixty-year-old cleaner that used to look after him when his parents were too busy trying to maintain their rich lives.

When he finally made it and built his own company from the ground up, he took her in as his housekeeper. To others, it was Luca being a cold-hearted CEO who didn't care about an older woman. But Luca had his reasons for taking her in as his housekeeper and he didn't give a shit if anybody misinterpreted it.

In less than three minutes, Maria made it into the mansion. He could tell she was in the kitchen when he heard pots and utensils clanking in the kitchen.

Satisfied that his breakfast was being prepared, he walked into his closet on the left side of his massive bedroom. It was like being inside the dedicated section of a department store and it was as wide as his bedroom.

Luca had all kinds of men's wear from luxury fashion brands but he mostly wore suits because of his busy schedule as a CEO.

Luca went straight for the suit section in his closet and grabbed a navy blue set. He put it on and reached for coffee brown oxford shoes then complemented his suit with a Chanel men's black tie.

Clare always put his outfit together and doing it himself irritated him but he was pleased with the outcome of his outfit choice as he looked in the mirror.

He headed straight for the kitchen after dressing up. The aroma of the soup Maria prepared almost made him salivate but he wasn't going to show any emotions. An image of his father telling him emotions were for babies flashed through his mind causing him to grimace.

"Is anything wrong?" Maria asked him when she saw that he looked frustrated.

"No. I'm fine." He took out a chair at the kitchen island, sitting down, he reached for a plate of soup Maria had prepared for him.

Not saying much to Maria, he scooped the soup as he went through the latest news articles on his phone. As always, his company was still number one on the Forbes list. He was also listed as one of the best young CEOs to watch out for. At just thirty-two years old, Luca had managed to do what many men could only accomplish in their forties.

His mind was deep into the article about a competitor company that he didn't hear Maria speaking until she cleared her throat. Luca looked up from his phone and eyed the small woman. From where he was seated, she seemed fragile and weak but Luca knew she was one of the strongest women in his life.

"I said Clare quit being your secretary this morning. She didn't have the courage to inform you so she told me to relay the message to you." Maria repeated her earlier statement to Luca.

Out of all the reasons for Clare being late that went through Luca's mind, he didn't expect her to quit her job without any notice.

It didn't matter if he were a CEO or not but it was normal corporate ethics to report to your superior with a two weeks' notice if you wanted to quit your job. What Clare had done was unprofessional and if Luca was feeling petty, he'd have told every other CEO he knew not to hire her if she showed up in their companies.

"I see," Luca told Maria, much too calmly for someone that was on the verge of a violent outburst.

He finished his soup, shifting the plate away from him, he stood up from the chair and made his way back to his bedroom when he remembered he hadn't come down with his keys. When he returned downstairs, he made a mental note of hiring a good programmer who can hack into people's personal accounts.

He was going to teach Clare a lesson for causing a mishap in his routine. How dare she quit her job without informing him?

Maria had already cleared the kitchen by the time he was out of the door and in his 2021 Audi 2.0. The engine roared to life as he inserted the key and matched the pedals, getting the car to warm. Two minutes later, the automatic door to his garage lifted when he put the car in drive. With that, he sped off his driveway, leaving a cloud of smoke in his wake.

Luca was not fond of music but his mind was filled with hunting down Clare and torturing her with her worst fears until she begged for mercy so he turned on his radio and dialed it to the music station. Soft music filled the space within the car, drowning out his distasteful thoughts and making him feel relaxed.

When he got to his office complex in downtown San Francisco, he became even more annoyed when he glanced at his wristwatch and saw that it was nine-thirty a.m. He was an hour late. He hoped Clare was suffering wherever she was.

When he parked his car in the spot reserved for the CEO, he climbed off and went inside the building. Walking through the open reception area, he was greeted by his employees.

They all looked happy and content to say "good morning," as he walked past them but deep inside, they feared him and his demands for perfection in the workplace. He was already angry because of what his secretary had done that morning and his employees could see it on his face.

They knew not to get on his nerves, lest he'd fire anyone who tried.

When he got into the elevator, he took out his phone and called his assistant who was also his best friend.

"Calvin, I want you to put out hiring for a secretary. You already know the qualifications I look out for. This time, include must not quit the position unless I say so. Don't ask any questions, just do as I say." He spoke into his phone, not bothering to say hi to Calvin.

"Well, good morning to you, Mr. CEO." Calvin deadpans from his end of the phone. Luca couldn't see him but he knew he was rolling his eyes at him.

"Luca, for once, can you just take it down a notch with all the commands? I work for you doesn't mean you get to treat me like your wife." Calvin jokes and Luca made a face of throwing up.

"Shut up, Calvin. Imagining you being my wife nearly gave me a heart attack," Luca said, wearily, already drained by Clavin's jokes.

"What do you need a new secretary for anyway?" Calvin asked, getting all serious.

"I said no questions. Just put out a notice and include the latest qualifications." The elevator got to the thirtieth floor and opened up to a lobby decorated with potted plants. Luca stepped out and headed straight for his office which was just down the hall. The secretary's desk was empty.

"I need that new secretary before I clock out of the office. Get her to my office when you find her." Luca finished and ended the call. He did not wait for Calvin to respond in protest or agreement.

When he got into his office, he slumped into his chair and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. He hoped whoever Calvin found was sensible enough to know that if she didn't meet that last qualification, she was going to be in deep trouble.

And Luca Vanthross was going to make sure that nobody was going to be able to save her from him.

Elsie looked at her phone for the hundredth time in the past hour. It was already afternoon, and she hadn't gotten any email notifications from the many job applications she'd stayed up all night sending out.

"Why won't the universe be on my side for once?" She asked in frustration, glancing up at the ceiling of the small Barbie-pink bedroom she shared with her best friend.

Her best friend came out of the bathroom adjacent to the bed. The size of the bathroom reminded them of the janitor's closet back in college.

"Nothing good, yet?" Darla, her best friend, asked when she stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a lime green towel covering her upper body but stopping at her mid-thigh.

"No, nothing yet." Elsie shook her head, sighing.

"That sucks," Darla said, stepping out of the towel and heading for the medium vanity mirror in the corner of their room.

The vanity was a gift from one of Darla's exes, who was a carpenter. He designed and constructed it himself, painting it in Darla"s favorite color, burgundy red. The relationship was over but Darla was grateful to have met such a nice guy like him.

Unfortunately, he had to relocate abroad when he was offered an exclusive contract to be the head designer and constructor at a furniture company in Asia.

"Yeah, it does suck." Elsie agreed with Darla's earlier statement. Darla was sitting naked at the vanity, combing her hair. Elsie, on the other hand, had given up on refreshing her email box for the hundredth time and tossed her phone to the side of the bed.

She grabbed the pillow closest to her and put it over her face. Then she let out a scream that was muffled by the pillow but sounded like someone screaming in a hollow ditch.

When Darla heard the muffled sound of Elsie's scream, she shook her head and tsked to herself.

"Don't worry, El. It's going to work out. These things take time." Darla tried to reassure her. Elsie wanted to agree with her but couldn't.

Although they were best friends and had known each other since college, Darla had more capabilities for becoming rich than Elsie. Elsie felt guilty that Darla was living with her in their small bedroom out of pity.

She wished Darla would embrace the better life that was right in front of her.

She was good at tech stuff, but she chose to remain a waitress in an upscale restaurant not far from where they lived. Elsie just couldn't understand Darla.

She knew that if she were in Darla's shoes, she'd take any opportunity to become richer, not in spite of her but because of her.

Instead of worrying too much about Darla and her lifestyle, Elsie nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah, you're right. It does take time." Elsie tossed the pillow aside and grabbed her phone.

She didn't bother checking her emails again but decided to apply for more jobs on the Jobber website. When the website loaded, she saw many job opportunities waiting to be applied for.

"Why are there so many job opportunities when they don't even respond to applications on time?" Elsie asked Darla in a whiny voice.

Darla was no longer naked and was wearing red lace panties and a bra.

"I also wonder the same thing. I remember how long it took before the restaurant approved my application." Darla responded. She walked to their clothes rack and pulled out a white t-shirt and a black fitted skirt that stopped at her knees. It was her waitress uniform.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to apply for more positions, I guess," Elsie said as she scrolled through the positions. The job opportunities she'd been applying for were ones that involved writing and keeping records. Then an idea came to Elsie.

Maybe she could apply for a position that involved serving and doing other things as well. Elsie was penniless and unproductive and needed the money. It didn't matter what kind of job it was as long as it paid, Elsie thought to herself.

"You know, I"ll just apply for any positions randomly. Many people are trying to be writers these days anyway, that could be why I haven't gotten any emails yet." Elsie told Darla, who had already finished putting on her outfit.

"Oh, my God. Why didn't I think of that? You're right. Maybe you could even join me at my restaurant. I'll let you know if they're hiring when I'm back from work, alright?" Darla excitedly told Elsie.

This made Elsie smile and chuckle to herself. As she scrolled through the Jobber website, she ignored the writer's job opportunities. She changed her search options to any job opportunities, and the page refreshed.

On top of the new page, she saw one that caught her interest. The heading of the job opportunity read,

"Diligent Secretary Needed Immediately."

As she scrolled through the qualifications listed for the job, she wondered if the person who posted it was serious. The qualifications were things she could easily do, even with her eyes closed.

Must know how to cook.

Must be punctual to the office or answer the boss when needed.

Should be able to track very important records. Plans and sticks to schedules and makes things flow easily for her boss.

You should know how to speak and write in English fluently.

You should have a good fashion sense and know how to put together a stellar outfit.

You must be ready at any point in time. Even if it's 12 a.m. and your house is burning and you have to save your precious possessions. Once the boss calls for you, you drop everything and answer.

Must be dedicated to the job. This means you cannot quit until the boss says so. You'll be charged in court and made to pay $1 billion to the company.

The last qualification and its elaboration caused shivers to run down Elsie's body. She began to wonder if the employer was a sadist or a serial killer.

Only a fool would apply for such a position, Elsie said to herself. She was about to close the window on the job opportunity when her eyes caught on the salary of the position and the date the job was posted.

The job opportunity was posted about thirty minutes ago, and so far, only two people have applied for it. Elsie couldn't blame them because the salary was very tempting.

Fifty thousand dollars a month was going to set her up for life. It meant she had to keep the job forever. No wonder the employer said the secretary couldn't quit.

"50,000 dollars," Elsie whispered to herself in amazement. She didn't care about the implications, she was going to apply for the job.

"What did you just say?" Darla asked Elsie as she came up behind her.

"This job pays 50,000 dollars a month, but the catch is that you cannot quit, ever." Elsie informed Darla. Then she read out the qualifications and terms and conditions. When she was done, Darla shook her head, puzzled.

"Wow, that's a lot," Darla said, and Elsie nodded in agreement, still looking at her phone.

"What's the worst that could happen? You should go for it, it's not like they're asking for your kidney or anything like that," Darla spoke.

"Right," Elsie agreed.

"They're just asking you to give up your life." Darla deadpanned. When she glanced at Elsie, they both burst out laughing, remembering a certain movie they'd seen together in college.

"Is my life about to become a movie?" Elsie laughed, trying to catch her breath.

Darla joined her in laughing. She bent over, grabbed her stomach, and laughed harder.

"Better a movie than whatever is happening right now." Darla laughed again. They continued laughing until they couldn't feel their stomachs. When they finished, they sighed at the same time and shook their heads.

"I better apply before more people do," Elsie grinned. With that, she sent in her application form and credentials.

"I'll see you in the evening then,"Darla said as she walked to the door.

"Bye-bye." Elsie waved her off when she stepped out. She was about to close the jobber website when she caught another text about the secretary positions.

"When you receive an email from us, know that it is an acceptance email. Don't open it. Just head over to the Acia company and report to Mr. Hunt. The receptionist will direct you to his office."

Elsie wondered what kind of people worked at the Acia company. She'd heard about them in the news before but never paid attention to the details. Judging from the details of the job offer, they must be very hardworking and thorough people, she concluded.

Most of all, she wondered if she'd get the job, but she tried to stay positive. For backup, she decided to research the company. She saw good articles about the company in her research.

Trying to remain positive, she spoke aloud. "Please, let me get this job."

With that, she got out of bed and went into the bathroom. The weather was hot, and she was starting to feel icky. When she came out, her phone pinged and her heart rate spiked.

She walked cautiously to the bed and grabbed it. When she looked at the notification, it was from Acia. She'd gotten the job, and she couldn't believe it.

She screamed into the room and jumped up, clapping her hands.

"I got it. I got it!" She shouted at no one in particular.

Still reeling from the excitement, she turned to the clothing rack and hunted for her best corporate outfit. She was officially going to start working at Acia, and she couldn't wait.

The cab parked down the street Acia building was located and Elsie got out, walking the remaining distance. The cab driver informed her that cabs were not allowed in front of the building or its premises. She did not argue with him.

When Elsie got to Acia, she couldn't help looking up and admiring the tall glass building. The building reflected everything close to it and it looked like one gigantic mirror.

Down below, on the ground level outside, Elsie checked her reflection on the glass windows. Her cherry red gown fitted and hugged her narrow hips.

The black belt accentuated her waist, giving it an illusion of being smaller and her lips matched her red dress.

Her blond hair was in a bun on top of her head and the flats she'd borrowed from Darla were comfortable. According to her reflection, she looked great. She couldn't help but smile to herself.

"Thank God for friends that have the same shoe size as you," Elsie muttered to herself then she stepped into the building.

In less than ten seconds, she found the receptionist. She commended the planners for making the layout of the building easy to navigate. At the receptionist's table, she stated her reason for visiting.

"I'm here to see Mr. Hunt," Elsie told the dark-haired receptionist who looked to be in her early twenties.

"Do you have an appointment?" The receptionist looked her up and down as if she was a spec of dirt.

Elsie ignored her and surged on.

"I suppose so. I was told to come here immediately I got an email notification. So, here I am." Elsie smiled brightly, making the receptionist frown at her.

"On what grounds?" The receptionist asked, typing on a keyboard in front of her.

"Uh, employment? I'm going to be the new secretary, I think." Elsie wondered out loud.

This caught the receptionist's attention. She looked up to look at Elsie, but this time she didn't look her up and down. Instead, she looked as if she pitied her. She smiled to herself as if there were an inside joke Elsie wasn't aware of.

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" The receptionist grabbed the receiver of the telephone across from her and pushed a black button.

"Mr. Hunt, a woman is here for the role of the secretary."She spoke into the receiver. There was a little pause before she nodded, said" okay," and returned the receiver.

"You may wait for him in the seating area over there." The receptionist stood up and showed her hand in the direction where couch-like seats gathered around coffee tables. There were a few people already seated but it didn't sway Elsie.

She thanked the receptionist and walked over to the seating area.

She took an empty couch and took out her phone to keep herself busy. Elsie opened Google Chrome to browse about Mr. Hunt, thinking she was going to be his secretary. In the search tab, she typed the words "Mr. Hunt, Acia company."

The page loaded and several images and articles were produced. The first image on top of the page showed a blonde man with a black turtle neck overlayed in a sky-blue blazer. His blue eyes reminded her of the reflection of a clear blue sky when one looked at it through a mirror.

It seemed glassy but warm at the same time. Elsie was immediately thrilled and enchanted. Mr. Hunt was handsome, she made a promise to herself to not have a crush on him.

Thinking that Mr. Hunt was the CEO of the company, she didn't bother looking at the articles that indicated he was the president of the company. She also didn't bother to look at other images that showed Mr. Hunt standing next to the actual CEO.

All she gathered from her small research was that Mr. Hunt's name was Calvin and he was thirty-three years old.

Satisfied with that revealed information, she smiled to herself. She dropped her phone and decided to look around. Then she started hearing the conversation the people seated across from her were having.

"Heard Clare was fired this morning but that's a lie. She quit, someone that knows Clare told me so." A woman wearing a black cashmere top and red pantsuit told another woman seated right next to her.

"Why would Clare quit all of a sudden? Was she facing any difficulties?"The woman she supplied that information to asked, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion.

"As if you don't know how demanding and cruel the CEO can be," the woman in the red pantsuit answered. She picked up a Starbucks cup of coffee from the table and took a sip.

Elsie couldn't help admiring how beautiful both women looked. She wondered if all employees were just as beautiful. Then she began to wonder who Clare was.

"Do you think her new replacement will do well? Clare was really efficient and reliable." The woman that was confused asked the red pantsuit woman again.

"Well," the red pantsuit said and kept her cup of coffee back on the table, "she really was, that's why I am a little disappointed she quit like that." She puckered her lips and went on.

"Clare was a really good secretary, I don't know if anyone will be able to replace her." The red pantsuit woman concluded.

The last statement piqued Elsie's curiosity but she couldn't ask the ladies for more information. At least, now she knew who Clare was and what role she filled in Acia.

"Clare was efficient and reliable," the earlier statement continued to fly in her head. It looked like the women adored Clare but Elsie wasn't sure. She could only hope that she was a bit more efficient and reliable so she wouldn't let Mr. Hunt down. Besides, she had already agreed not to quit unless the CEO said so.

Something else from the ladies' conversation also bothered Elsie. When the red pantsuit lady called the CEO demanding and cruel, did she mean Mr. Hunt? To Elsie, he looked like a nice guy but maybe the woman was right. Some people looked nice but were the furthest thing from nice.

While she was examining the conversation in her head, Elsie heard her name in the distance.

Then she looked up and saw the receptionist motion for her. Elsie got up and grabbed her black purse. When she passed the women who were having a conversation about another topic, she overheard one of them saying "Wow, that red dress is a killer."

Judging from being close to them a minute ago, Elsie concluded it was the red pantsuit lady who had said that. Internally, she danced for joy but outside, she could only manage a smile on her face. When she got to the receptionist, the receptionist looked frightened. To her, she wondered if Elsie had a permanent disease of smiling too much.

She shook her head and relayed her message to Elsie.

"Mr. Hunt is ready to see you now. There's an elevator to your right when you walk down there. Mr. Hunt is on the fifteenth floor." She informed Elsie.

"Thank you," Elsie told the receptionist, she glanced down at the name tag on her chest.

"Thanks a lot, Gloria." Elsie confidently said, attaching the receptionist's name.

The receptionist was taken aback by Elsie's kind gesture but she couldn't muster up her gratitude. So, she nodded instead and cleared her throat. Elsie was already gone before she looked up.

When the elevator doors opened on the fifteenth floor, Elsie got out and was immediately welcomed into an open layout type of office. She looked around, seemingly lost. She took one step, then another, and another until bumped into someone she decided appeared to be a nice person.

"Hi, I'm here to see Mr. Hunt, please can you direct me to his office?" She politely told a man not so much taller than her. The dark-haired man appeared to be deep in concentration, reading the papers in his hands until he heard Elsie's voice and looked up.

"Well, of course." He smiled brightly at Elsie, showing most of his teeth.

"Thank you so much," Elsie followed the man through a cluster of office desks tables and hardworking employees. They turned a corner and another one before they arrived at a door that led into another room big enough to hold fifty people.

There was a table in the right corner of the room, opposite the woman were floor-to-ceiling windows and chairs. The man informed Elsie that he was Mr. Hunt's secretary.

This surprised Elsie but she didn't dare ask what was happening. She figured Mr. Hunt will explain the situation himself. The man left Elsie at the door.

"Let me know if you need my help again. Here's my number." He took out a card and handed it to Elsie then left her.

Elsie took in three deep breaths before she entered the next space. She greeted Mr. Hunt's secretary and told her she was there to see him. When the secretary asked for her name, she realized she hadn't told the receptionist downstairs.

"How silly of me, I didn't tell the receptionist my name."

The secretary smiled at her, producing a file from the desk.

"You're Elsie Cruise?"

"Yes, how do you know my name?" Elsie was surprised.

"You filed in an application." The secretary held up a file that showed Elsie a page that had her face in the front.

"Mr. Hunt will see you in his office now." The secretary gestured to the door by her left.

Elsie went to the door and knocked.

"Come in," a soft male voice said through the door.

Elsie opened the door and went through, taken by surprise by the large office.

Inside, she spotted Mr. Hunt at the end of the office, sitting at his desk. Google images didn't do him justice because he looked even more handsome in person.

"Mr. Hunt, thank you for having me," She beamed with anticipation when she arrived in front of her desk. Calvin Hunt closed his file and looked up at Elsie.

"Man, Luca is going to have a lot on his hands." Mr. Hunt said, smiling. Elsie was confused but remained silent.

"I'd ask you more questions but your application is enough. It means you've agreed to the terms and conditions and you qualify for the role." Calvin nodded to himself.

"Ms. Cruise, I hope you know this job is possibly for life. You cannot quit unless you're told to. Or you're fired."

Elsie nodded. "Yes, I am aware."

"Good. You can cook and do basically anything else to assist someone? Including being up in the dead of the night and answering their calls?" Calvin asked.

"Yes, very much ready to live my life serving someone else, to earn lots of money," Elsie said dryly, making Calvin laugh.

"You're a funny one, unfortunately, I cannot keep you. You'll be working with the CEO. He stays on the thirtieth floor. Take this," Calvin gave her a file, "go meet him there and introduce yourself."

Elsie had so many questions but she didn't ask Mr. Hunt any of them. She collected the file and left his office. She was in a daze when she rode the elevator to the thirtieth floor and stepped out. When she was directed to the CEO's office, she knocked at the door and entered inside when she was told to.

Then she gasped, letting go of the files in her hand when she saw the CEO. He was possibly the most handsome man she'd ever laid her eyes on. She swallowed hard and bent to pick the files up, not knowing that the man sitting at the far end of the room was already irritated with her.