He groaned as he loosened his tie. The business proposal was due in a few days and he still had nothing.
“Sir?” Martha peeked her head through the door.
“Come in,”he said drily.
It was way past closing time but he still had a lot to do.
“I’ve spoken with some of the shareholders at the shopping complex. They agreed to the new business plan with the condition that they regain their shares even after reconstruction” Martha reported
Nate nodded, things were going according to plan even though he was yet to get the proposal out of his way.
“Notify shop owners, they have a week to evacuate, construction commences the week after”
“One more thing sir,” Martha said. “The business proposal is due in….”
“Of course I know” Nate frowned as he brushed her off.
Martha bowed her head loyally and left his office.
He picked up his pen again as he searched for the right words, this was something he had done countless times but now, he had difficulty.
He clicked his tongue, racking his brain for what to do next.
“If only I had one worthy person from the interview” he muttered
He was a perfectionist, he never settled for the bare minimum. After being thrown into business at an early age of eighteen after he lost his father, he had to learn the ropes in order to be the successful businessman he was. He didn’t mind being referred to as cold or cruel, their opinions weren’t good for business.
The quick clicking of heels resonating from a short distance alerted him before the voice.
“Nate!”
He shivered at the sound of the familiar voice, it meant trouble for him.
“Nate Jacobin!” She yelled, her eyes narrowed into slits as she barged into his office.
“Mom, what can I do for you? It’s late already” he groaned
“Of course it’s late!” She frowned as she took the seat opposite him. “Why can’t you stay out of drama for a split second?”
Nate raised his brows quizzically, he had successfully stayed out of reporters radar for months.
“I received a message from a popular blogger today” she pushed her phone towards him.
Nate sighed, he was sure the reporters were up to no good, it was surely fabricated stories. He took the phone slowly as he stared at the picture on the screen.
The familiar brunette and her Harry Potter looking glasses. His fist curled into a ball, the annoying lady had shown up once again.
In the picture, they looked like they were about to tear each other apart, it was taken at the restaurant.
“I don’t know this lady, we met only once” he said defensively, his face in an uptight scowl
“You have the biggest business deal in a couple of days” she reminded him. “Do you want to mess it up with all this bad news? Do you know what they’ll have to say about you?”
Nate sucked in a sharp breath, just thinking of the brunette and her smart mouth made his skin crawl.
“You have to find a way to get rid of the bad news, this picture can’t get out” Mrs Jacobin warned.
Nate sucked in another sharp breath, he instantly regretted agreeing to Adam’s plan. At first, he pictured that he would have a peaceful date with the lady and they’ll go their separate ways. Women scandals were never good for his image, he knew better as he had had so many scandals in the past.
Everyone knew him as the billionaire playboy and he was associated with every drama on the blogs.
When it came to his business, he skillfully pushed aside everything that would do him no good.
“I have an idea” Mrs Jacobin smiled devilishly, leaning forward. “How about we tell everyone she is an obsessed fan girl who wouldn’t let go of you”
Nate shook his head disapprovingly, his mother always had a cunning trick up her sleeve.
“That would do the lady no good” he mumbled, drumming his fingers on the table.
“And why do you care what is good for her?” His mother shot at him.
“Of course I do not care what is good for her” he shot back heatedly
“Clean up this mess, Nate” Mrs Jacobin warned, wagging a finger at him as she rose to her feet.
He let out his breath as he watched her leave.
Mrs Jacobin was a fourth generation businesswoman, she was feared by other business owners as they knew how strong she was. She taught Nate almost all the business tactics he knew.
Not only did he have to deal with the proposal, now, he had to deal with the fact that a reporter could spread a rumor that would put his business on the line.
He ran a hand through his disheveled hair as he concluded he would deal with the reporter later.
He picked up his pen again as he struggled to find the right words for the proposal. He had done it a thousand times but this time, he was at a total loss even after looking up different references.
He sighed as he spotted the envelope Ruby left on his table earlier. He rolled his eyes in defeat as he reached for the paper and opened it. He couldn’t believe his last resort was to open her paper. Gosh, she was so annoying.
His eyes widened as he read through her business proposal, it was written meticulously with words that would capture the soul of any business partner. She was without doubt, the person he had been looking for all these while.
He swallowed the lump in his throat as he frowned. Why was she this good? He wondered. Did she really have to be unbearably annoying?
He tapped his feet impatiently as he thought of what to do next. He wasn’t the type to give up easily, at least not without putting up a very good fight.
Contacting her would hurt his ego and pride but he was taught to do only what was best for business.
Ruby sprawled on the couch in the living room, eyes closed in deep thoughts. She was in so much trouble. Who knew I would eventually run into him again? She thought. She was aware Nate had different business enterprises but no one told her he owned Wesley construction company. She sighed as she turned over. After her emotional outburst at the restaurant, she drowned herself in alcohol, hoping it was going to push the image of Nate looking shocked as she dumped hot chocolate on him. “Ah” she groaned. “How stupid can I be?” A sly smile played in her lips, whoever thought she would have the opportunity to sit with Nate Jacobin? Even though she ruined her chances. Whoever thought she would give Nate such a remarkable memory?She pinched herself as she screamed into a pillow, even when she was in a lot of trouble, she still had the ability to think of silly things.Her dream job was in the hands of a man she had loved and loathed for years.Growing up, she was never bo
Nate rolled the tip of his ball pen as he frowned, a habit which he had been doing all day. How rude of her! I offered her a job and she was yet to reply, he thought.No one ever kept Nate waiting, once he requested their presence, they showed up without any hesitation. He rubbed his chin, he now had a five days stubble.The business plan was due, he still hadn’t come up with anything, to make matters worse, the one person he had counted on still hadn’t shown up. He could understand what Ruby wanted, weeks ago, she was begging him to offer her a job, but now that he did offer her the job, she didn’t reply to the mail or show up. “That little minx is clearly playing mind games,”he muttered, drumming his fingers on the table. He sighed, his mother was on his neck all week, she had visited once and raged on how she thought he was losing all his business skills. He rolled his eyes as he loosened up his tie, millions of dollars were at stake, he could already imagine some of
A gleam of victory appeared in Ruby’s eyes. She felt nothing short of a heroine, Nate needed her, not only was he going to lose a huge amount of money, his company was going to make it to the bad press. It was every reporter's dream to get dirt on Nate Jacobin.Nate was now having a word with the representative. Ruby took a minute to admire his office. The grey drapes complemented the upholstery which she could tell cost a fortune. His office was immaculate, not a single speck of dust in sight. The ornate figurines looked like they were polished with oil. She drew in a breath as she walked round the office, there were no pictures of his family or even him. “Same old cold hearted Nate”she mumbled to herself as she took her seat “Miss Ruby, are you still down for the job?” Nate asked as he walked in She couldn’t miss the hint of desperation mixed with irritation in his voice. It was the first time she’d seen him under pressure, Nate was always cool and collected. Somethin
Ruby was very much comfortable in her new work space, the office overlooked the busy streets of Oregon, giving her a view of the city life. She had pretty much settled in and hung up some pictures and other decorations.She groaned as she turned to her side, the only downside to her spacious office was that it was adjacent to Nate’s own so she could see whatever was going on in his office. He had pretty much avoided her for a week straight after their fight.It was almost as if they were in high school again, back then, she was quite sure he didn’t know she existed but now she was sure he knew she existed and he was just ignoring her. “Hey” a voice called, stirring her from her reverie of thoughts “Hi”she smiled back “I’m Ethan and this is Cassie”he said, gesturing to the blonde beside him Ruby nodded and gave them warming smiles. She had been busy throughout the week and had barely had time to socialize with her coworkers. “Oh hi!”Cassie squealed as she placed a tray of c
Something about the tweeting of the birds and the rise of the sun above the horizon set Ruby in high spirits. She had spent the weekend tanning on the beach with Esme. During her little getaway, she skillfully avoided all Esme’s questions concerning how her date went and who her new boss was. It felt wrong hiding it from her but she wasn’t ready to tell anyone yet, Nate was a pain in the butt for her; at the same time, she wanted to be around him.Having to see him all week was annoying enough. She smiled as the elevator door opened, she was humming a song about the day going to be a good day. “Why are you late?” A harried looking Maggie asked as she walked into the office.Ruby frowned, work started by nine and she arrived half past eight so technically, she was very much early and had a good thirty minutes to herself. “Nice morning to you too” Ruby replied sardonically “Mr Jacobin has been in a bad mood all morning, he specifically asked that you make him a cup of coffee”
The angry growl of lightning pierced the air, what had promised to be a sunny day had now become a gloomy rainy day. Nate shifted his eyes from his screen to Ruby’s office. Her mass of mousey brown hair was now put in a ponytail as she typed away on her computer.Serves her right, he thought.With her around, he was always edgy. He had expected her to throw a fit and stomp into his office when he asked her to make him coffee or when he handed her the pile of files. She was suspiciously calm, too calm which irritated him. He frowned, he needed his daily dose of coffee but couldn’t get it because Ruby had ruined it for him. “Who the hell added so much sugar and whipped cream to their coffee ?” He asked himself Of course the answer was sitting right there in his company, the annoying brunette whose office was opposite his.He quickly cleared out his table and got rid of the paper he wasn’t using. His table was a mess as he had buried himself in work all week. “Why the hell have you
Ruby’s eyes lit up in recognition of the platinum blonde hair. She had seen a woman walk into Nate’s office, she couldn’t see the woman’s face but she was quite sure she was one of the prettiest women alive. She looked like she just walked out of the cover of a vogue magazine, the hair bore a striking resemblance with that of Taylor’s. Taylor had bullied her constantly that Ruby couldn’t forget the distinct color of her hair. She could feel the throbbing of her heart. Could it be that Taylor was still Nate’s girlfriend? She had heard Taylor moved to Beverly Hills and was pursuing a successful career as a model. She felt a sickening taste form at the back of her throat. It had been thirteen years since she was last bullied but the memories were still very fresh. She could remember how violently Taylor always yanked her hair even when she yelped in pain. One particular incident between them had scarred her for life. She couldn’t think of it without almost crying. Taylor was m
It was her first board meeting in attendance with other workers. Seeing Taylor after all these years had disoriented her so much that it felt like she had to withdraw to her shell again. She was well acquainted with some of the workers, most especially Ethan with Cassie by the side running her mouth as usual. The workers were seated in the boardroom as they waited for Nate. Ruby would have rather sat far from Cassie but she needed information on why Taylor was in the office so she took the seat between Ethan and Cassie The steaming mug of coffee in front of her warmed her up, lately, she had been feeling some type of way especially with the whole Taylor thing. “You look so pale”Cassie commented Cassie had now earned the name ‘hawk eye’ because she never failed to miss anything.Ruby ignored her comment as she sipped her coffee, just like Ethan, she had learnt to ignore and accommodate Cassie. “Did you hear about Mr. Jacobin's girlfriend?” Cassie said to Stacy who worked in th