Chapter 3
Three years later...
Lower Manhattan, New York
She has been in the country for about a month now. The adjustment period had passed and she is loving every minute of it. She decided to arrive a week early than schedule to familiarize herself with the new environment. After parking her car, she walks towards the building.
The AGC building surprised her every time. Until now, she can’t believe that she will work there. AGC or Anderson Group of Companies is one of the tallest skyscrapers you can find in Lower Manhattan.
She arrived 15 minutes early despite the traffic she encounters along the way. She approaches the reception.
“Good morning, I’m Dara Ross McKay and I have an appointment with Mr. Jeff Owens.” she said with a warm smile fluster on her lips.
“Just a moment please.” and he makes a few calls. “You may proceed to the 18th floor, Stewart is waiting there for you in the reception area.”
“Thank you.” she proceeds through the elevator and press the 18th button. The elevator lift stops on the 14th floor and one man entered but before it's close, she saw someone outside that looking at her shockingly.
“Good morning, Sir.” she said.
“Good morning.” he replied with a voice that has a deep timbre.
He settles himself beside her after pressing the 34th button, when she looks ahead she saw his reflection because the wall of the elevator is out of a mirror. Suddenly, his phone starts ringing. He answers the call and replied to the caller with monosyllable words.
When the lift reaches the 18th floor, she bid him goodbye.
“Goodbye Sir, have a nice day.” she said, turn to leave, only to be pulled back when he grabs her wrist and press the hold button.
“Wait, may I have your name. You’re new here, right?” he asked in a commanding tone. He looked at her intently.
“Yes Sir, I’m Dara Ross McKay of Finance department.” with that she carefully releases herself from his hold and then walks away.
She proceeds to the reception area without looking back.
“Good morning, I have an appointment with Mr. Jeff Owens. Where can I find him?” she asked when she approaches the reception area there. The girl in the reception area is a beauty with golden-brown hair and deep brown eyes that twinkle in amusement by now as if seeing something very amusing.
“Name please.”
“Dara Ross McKay.” She keeps glancing at her back as if not believing what she saw. “Is there something funny you want to share with me?” she asked, grinning at the lady in front.
The lady’s eyes widen. “I’m sorry.” she said. “I’m Kristel.” she offers her hand to her that she accepted immediately. “By the way, Mr. Owens is out of the country but don’t worry, he assign Mrs. Lee to accommodate and teach you all you have to know. Come with me, I’ll bring you to her.” she stands up and makes a call, a moment later one girl emerged from a room nearby. “Mariah, take charge, I’ll be right back.” and she leads the way.
They enter the Marketing department and proceed to the head office. “Logan, is Mrs. Lee inside?” Kristel asked the secretary outside.
“Yes, wait a moment please.” Logan said to them, she gave her a warm welcome smile.
“Just tell her that the one that going to replace Mr. Harrison in Finance is here.”
A week after her meeting with Jake Michael Anderson, his executive assistant call her informing her about the position she will take after three months. She will be the executive assistant to the head of the finance department.
She still remembers meeting him for the first time, the man who hired her without even looking at her resume.
One of her professors in the school has allowed her to work for his friend’s company and after everything is settled, she will fly to New York to start her new job.
She took a deep breath before entering the restaurant where she will meet her professor’s friend. Her professor informs her that he will not be there, so only his friend is there to meet her.
“Do you have a reservation, Ma’am?” the maitre’d asked her.
“Mr. Anderson, I’m with him.”
“This way, please. ” and he leads her to the most private part of the restaurant.
After knocking, he opens the door for her and let her enter. “I’ll be back later.”
The man is standing in his chair. He looked so dignified and emitted the power of self-confidence.
“Good evening, Sir. I’m Dara Ross McKay. It’s nice meeting you.” and she extended her hand.
“The pleasure is mine, Dara. Call me Jake, please and Bryan told me that you wanted to be called Dara instead of your full name.” he smiled when she nodded, and from that, she saw his laughing line across his eyes which means he is the kind of person that it’s not hard to please but she knows that when it comes to something important those eyes will change automatically when necessary. “Take a seat.” and he pulled her chair across from him.
“Thank you.”
The maitre’d come back to take their order and leave when he is done.
“Bryan recommended you, so I don’t need to see your resume but you need to give me one to pass to the personnel department. I know Bryan when it comes to people, he is not so easy to please that means you gaining his trust is impeccable.” he said, straight to the point.
“Thank you, Jake.” is all she managed to reply, to say she is speechless is nothing in comparison.
“This interview is just for formalities sake. You are hired already, my assistant will call you in days to arrange everything. So, Dara Ross McKay, welcome to the company after 2 months.” and they talked while eating.
He offers to bring her home but she refuses politely, she needed time to dissolve everything that happens in less than two hours.
A touch to her arm brought her back to the present.
“Alright,” she makes a call to the intercom at her table to tell our arrival to the person inside. “You may go inside now.”
Kristel knocked and waited. “Come in.” said the commanding voice inside.
The lady behind the table is busy with something so they just stand for a while until she looked up. “Kristel, you may go now. I will take care of her from here.” Kristel looked at her and leaves after paying some respect to the superior.
“Miss McKay, take a seat. I don’t know that Professor Heath highly praises student is a beautiful girl.” she smiled.
“Thank you, Mrs. Lee.”
“Jeff appoints me to teach you everything, the company send him to Singapore for some business. So shall we start?” Mrs. Lee asked and she nodded.
They walked outside and go to the finance department. Some people are in their seat, others are walking when they get there.
“Everyone, may I have your attention, please? I will formally introduce to all of you, Miss Dara Ross McKay here, she will be the new executive assistant of Mr. Montereal, I hoped you will all help her to adjust herself to the new environment.”
“Mrs. Lee, you knew very well that our boss is a playboy, why would they send a pretty girl as his assistant?” one of the people there commented that gain approval from everyone.
“Taylor, don’t scare the girl. Don’t believe him. Our boss won’t bite you on your first day.” one girl said with amusement on her face.
“Alright, enough of that, I think she is comfortable now. Thank you for your time, you may all proceed to your work.” everyone returns to whatever they are doing once again.
“Come, I show you around.” and in that whole hour, Mrs. Lee told her everything she should know to start her job, introduced her to some people.
When she settles herself in her own table, she orders her to organized the file in the computer and the file in the table. The table is quite messy. She buried herself with work until someone taps her shoulder.
“It’s lunchtime already. You may leave that and continue later. Don’t work on an empty stomach, it’s not good for you and ours too.” the girl said. “Oh, by the way, I’m Yuri Sinclair. Welcome to the company.”
She smiled and come with Yuri to the cafeteria. Everyone is busy talking, chatting, and gossiping, may she add. After ordering their lunch they approach a table with a large group of people.
“Everyone, look who’s here to accompany us. Guys, this Dara, and you can introduce yourself later after she finished eating.” Yuri said, stopping everyone at the table when they are about to talk.
“My honey, come sit beside me.” the Taylor guy from earlier said.
“Don’t own her, Taylor, she’s not yours to take, right, baby?” someone said that bring laughter to their table.
“Guys, mind your manners. Girl, sit down here. Don’t mind them and eat.” one of the girls said eyeing the guys. Everyone at the table began to eat and chatter. She answers when someone asks her a question.
“Suzy, can we introduce ourselves now? She’s done eating her lunch anyway. Can we, please?” one of the guys said, doing so cute expression to that Suzy girl.
“Alright, introduce yourself one by one. These guys, you all look like a child for the way you act. By the way, I’m Suzy Richard.” she said, kissing her on the cheek. “You’re so cute, honey. Mr. Montereal will be ecstatic.”
“You’re not fair, Suzy. I’m Taylor, you can call me honey from now on, I permit you to do so.” the guy with deep green eyes said, his eyes look so green as a lush forest. A boyish look staring back at her.
“I’m Alex, the most handsome in our group from the marketing department.” this one hair color is blond with deep-set eyes that compliment his features.
“I’m Dennis.” the guy with black hair said. His Asian feature is showing by his eyes, it's kind of small and a little angle upward.
“I’m Gilbert, you call me darling whether you like it or not!!!” he seriously says that gain smack in the back of his head from Yuri.
“Seriously, Gilbert, don’t scare her.” Yuri pouted.
“That’s alright Yuri, let me introduced myself as well. I’m Dara Ross Mckay but you can call me Dara. I’m pleased to meet you all.” that gain applause from everyone that others from the other table looked at. She knows from the look of everyone at the table that they want to ask her something but restraint themselves as it is her first day.
The lunchtime finish and Alex bid goodbye because out of everyone else he is the only one that doesn’t belong in their department.
A week passes in a blur, she finally meets Mr. Owens. He came to the office day after he arrives in the country.
He instructs her further for more knowledgeable information about her job. She is a very organized person and being a top student in her information technology class she creates a program that will help her for faster work. She already talks to Mr. Owens about that and he gives her permission to do so.
She only uses that program when needed, she put an access code to it so she is the only person that will be able to use that certain program.
She passed last week's trial with flying color. She is the kind of person that when being push down, struggled hard to step forward. Mr. Owens admires that characteristic of hers.
Every lunch with her newfound friends is enjoyable because they always surprise her in every way. All of them are babysitting her.
“Dara, is that your lunch? You only order sandwiches and juice for lunch. That would be a big no, right, Taylor?” Alex said eyeing her lunch. She has no appetite to eat that day so she only orders light for lunch but they are all against it.
She groans out loud when Taylor replaces her lunch with his.
“Seriously, my stomach is upset, please let me pass this day’s lunch?” she put her best cute act to get what she wanted.
“C’mon, you learn to do that as well huh,” Dennis chuckled.
She playfully smiles at them. No dull moments when she is with them. She considers them now as her family since she had nobody, her empty house always reminded her of that painful truth.
“I just learn that from Alex, my handsome friend.” she teases Alex, that blush to the amazement of everyone.
“But, Dara, I really salute you for your patience and hard work, imagine that loads of work that the past executive assistant left behind. Gosh, my brain will freeze by now.” Yuri said, her face is full of pride for her.
“Thank you, Yuri.” she said gratefully. After they finish lunch, they head to their respective seat and start their afternoon.
