Chapter 4: A new opportunity

My heart is pounding against my chest as I walk to the Human Resources department. I can’t get fired, I can’t get fired. I really need this job. There are just too many debts to pay, I can’t afford to be unemployed right now. I furrow my brow as the elevator doors open on the 15th floor. Eddie needs me... I can’t lose this job. I do my best to hold my tears back, but when I’m about to reach the HR department I’m no longer able to contain myself and I have to turn around and run towards the nearest restroom. I barely make it. I start to cry hysterically the second I reach the restroom. I can’t help it. If I lose this job my brother is going to die. This is just too stressful. I can’t believe I’m losing my job over the silly thing that happened yesterday at the board meeting, but I guess that’s what happens when you screw up in front of the company hotshots.

I splash my face with cold water. I try to come up with an explanation for the head of the HR department to try to convince her not to fire me. I let the air out of my lungs slowly to calm myself down. 

“Oh, look at you, Emma! Wasting company’s time. No surprise there!” I hear Julia’s mean voice as she enters the restroom and looks at me with disdain.

I don’t get what I did to make her hate me this much, I just know how much she despises me and that the feeling is mutual, more so after yesterday. 

“I’m using the restroom... employees are allowed to do that, Mrs. Anderson,” I mutter as I use all of my strength not to snap at her. 

“This isn’t even your floor,” she reminds me. “Why aren’t you at the front desk where you belong?” 

“I was heading for the Human Resources department,” I reply and I immediately regret sharing that piece of information with her. 

“You are?” She asks thrilled, “Good! I wouldn’t be surprised if they let you go. I had a lengthy conversation with the head of HR yesterday about your obvious incompetence. It is clear to me that you are not suited for this job. I’m glad Human Resources has apparently realized it too! It was about time!” 

Julia doesn’t even try to hide how pleased she is about the idea of me losing my job. She doesn’t know who I am outside this office or how desperately I need this job, this cruel woman has no idea how awful she is being to a strange girl for no good reason. It is useless to explain it to her, she has no heart. 

I sprint out of the restroom feeling sick. I can’t stand watching Julia's ugly face any longer. I cross the hall to the HR department hastily. I knock on Sylvia Collin’s door impatiently, she is the head of this department and the person who called me ten minutes ago saying I should “urgently” go into her office. I’m so mad at Julia, I no longer feel scared. If I lose this job, at least I won’t have to see Julia Anderson’s face ever again.

“Come in!” I hear Sylvia’s voice replying from inside her office. 

I walk in. Sylvia, a big blond woman, is looking at her laptop screen. She gestures me to take a seat without looking at me. The moment I sit down my throat closes. I recall the important reason I can’t lose this job... my eyes start to fill with tears again. I discreetly wipe them with my hand, seizing that Sylvia is not looking at me yet.   

Suddenly, she closes her laptop and gives me her whole attention. 

“Emma Green, how are you today?” She greets me with a warm smile. 

Her kindness disconcerts me, she doesn’t seem angry or ready to fire me. I gulp, maybe this is a strategy of hers for when she is about to give bad news to an employee. 

“I’m fine... thank you, Mrs. Collins,” I reply reluctantly. 

“Good. I see in your file that you have been with us for two months now. Tell me, do you like your job?” She asks me, still smiling. 

I take a deep breath. I don’t know what she is up to, but I can’t contain myself any longer. 

“Yes, I do and I promise, if you give me another chance, I’ll be better! She gave me the wrong number! She said they’d be in conference room 3, but they were in room 7 and I got nervous! I promise you that was what happened! You have to believe me, please, I had no intentions of disrupting the meeting...” I start to explain yesterday’s events in a high pitched voice.

Sylvia frowns. She seems confused about my outburst. 

“What are you talking about, Emma?” She asks baffled. 

“About what happened yesterday... that I delivered the copies late for the meeting and then I tripped over with the carpet, ruining all the documents...” I reply shyly. 

“Oh... that... yes, Julia Anderson from accounting came to talk to me about it... but that wasn’t your fault, it was an accident!” She exclaims like it’s no big deal.

“Yes... but Julia was so angry at me...”

“Oh, Julia gets angry about everything! Don’t worry about it,” she says breezily.

“Does that mean I’m not losing my job?” I ask filled with hope. 

“Lose your job? Over that little thing?! Oh, of course not! Don’t be silly, Emma, no one gets fired over some insignificant copies... the board members and directors had all the information in their laptops already, they didn’t need those copies... I honestly don’t know why Julia even asked you for them.”

I do, because she is evil. I feel how the tension abandons my body, my muscles can finally relax. I’m not losing my job. Everything feels fine in the world for a short moment.  

“Thank you, Mrs. Collins,” I whispered relieved. 

“Now that we’ve clarified that, we can talk about why I call you,” Sylvia announces. 

My muscles clench again. Maybe I won’t get fired, but being summoned by the head of the HR department can’t be good anyway. 

“Sure...” I mutter insecure. 

“I don’t know if you heard, but Hannah Pattinson, Mr. Beckett’s assistant, resigned last night... apparently her daughter got sick and she is moving the suburbs to help out with her grandchildren! Can you imagine?! How unprofessional of her! Anyway, Mr. Beckett is coming back from London today and I’m in desperate need of a replacement for Hannah. He hates to be without an assistant and he is going to lose his mind if I don’t have a replacement ready. I have no time to hire a new girl on such short notice, and I saw your file and I noticed you have been really efficient at your job, you are always on time and everyone, except for Julia, thinks you are a very responsible young girl. Since you already know the company a little bit because you have been here for two months... I was wondering if you’d consider being Mr. Beckett's assistant. At least until I have time to hire a new assistant for him and then you can go back to your job at the front desk. Please, Emma, I need to avoid an unpleasant situation with Mr. Beckett.” Sylvia requests nervously. 

I immediately feel intimidated the moment I hear Mr. Beckett’s name. I’m in no way qualified to be his assistant. Mr. Beckett is the CEO and founder of this company, Thunder Motors, Inc. he needs someone with way more experience! Besides, he is not in Europe, he is already here, I saw him yesterday at the board meeting.  Maybe Sylvia doesn’t know it. 

“But... Mr. Beckett is already here... I saw him yesterday...” I inform her.

“What? That’s impossible!” Sylvia exclaims concerned. 

“Yes... he was at the board meeting,” I say. 

Sylvia smiles again with apparent relief.

“Oh, no. Sorry, I wasn’t clear with you. I meant Mr. Leopold Beckett not Mr. Earl Beckett, our CEO. Leopold is his son, you probably haven’t met him yet, he travels a lot so he is never around the office except for a few weeks a year. Unfortunately, his assistant chose to quit right when he is about to come back... so you see, I’m kind of in a hurry.” She explains to me. 

I twist my mouth. Even if she didn’t mean Mr. Earl Beckett himself, being the assistant of the son of the CEO is still a lot of responsibility and I’m fairly new at this job. I’m probably not the best-suited person. 

“I don’t know if I’ll make a good assistant, I’ve only worked at the front desk,” I confess honestly. 

“Emma, it is not a hard job. As I said, Mr. Beckett is not around the office a lot... besides, did I mention the job comes with a considerable raise?” 

A grin appears on my face. I’m suddenly very interested in this job.