Chapter Three
Arianna took the elevator and reached the eighteenth floor. The elevators opened and she stepped out onto a huge reception area with a help desk. The company's brand name Sparklez was engraved everywhere she had noticed, on the exteriors of the building, at the reception area downstairs and now also here behind the reception desk. A lady in her fifties sat behind the desk attending a phone call. The expensive upscale, modern decor with it's all white pristine walls, made her gasp. How would she ever fit in here? The lady looked up at her wide-eyed dazed look and smiled.
"Good morning, how may I help you?" she asked with a pleasant smile.
"I'm Arianna Willis. Mr Lennard had asked me to meet him today," she said shyly, her confidence having completely disappeared after seeing the posh office and it's equally well-dressed employees. The woman took in her shabby appearance.
"Just a moment, " she said, pressing the intercom and confirming.
"Yes, Ms Willis, please go in," she said gesturing towards the door to her right.
Arianna nodded and thanking her, walked hesitantly towards the door she mentioned. She knocked on the door and after hearing a distinct, "Come in," she opened the door and went inside. Her eyes widened at the huge luxurious office room. She had never seen something so grand in her entire life. The lights, the furniture, the huge floor to ceiling windows everything exuded an aura of power and wealth.
"Good morning Arianna. I was expecting you. Come, have a seat," said the booming voice of Laurence Lennard while he took in her appearance.
"Good morning sir," she said quietly, focusing her attention upon him, seated behind a large table. She sat down, acutely aware of her shabby appearance. Maybe after seeing her, he was having second thoughts about summoning her here for a job.
"So, do you have a resume with you?" He asked her gently. He just wanted to know more about her. Her eyes widened further as she realized that she had forgotten to bring her resume.
"Sorry sir. I can come with it tomorrow if you'll give me a chance to," she asked hesitantly. Had she lost her only chance of a respectable job?
"No that's alright. You can submit a resume later on," he said, watching her expressive eyes and creamy complexion and small, plump, red lips. He was glad that he could see her again. He had decided that if she hadn't turned up at his office today, he would go to Wellington street and search for her in that lane where she had disappeared to last night.
"Sir, as I told you last night, I haven't been able to complete my education but if I get a decent job, I would like to study further and get a degree," she informed him. Laurence looked at her determination and mentally appreciated her.
"That's a very wise decision. You saw the lady at the reception? That's Mrs Drewett. She's been with us for the last five years but now she wishes to retire. I want you to fill her place. She will train you in a fortnight " he told her and Arianna nodded. He went ahead and discussed her salary and compensation package details. Arianna listened to him in a daze. The monthly pay was more than she had ever earned in a whole year!
"I shall generate the agreement later for you to sign. Any questions?" He asked her.
"No sir, thank you for giving me this chance, " she said and Laurence smiled. He had no idea why his heart was doing a somersault at the prospect of seeing this young girl everyday. He summoned Mrs Drewett and introduced Arianna to her.
"Arianna, you can go with her. She will tell you what you need to do," he said, dismissing the two of them. The moment she left Laurence smiled with satisfaction. He didn't understand why he wanted to see her, be with her, talk to her all the time. It was like a school boy's first crush. He hadn't got a wink of sleep last night as thoughts of Arianna invaded his mind. He was eagerly waiting all night to be able to see her again today. Today the whole morning, he wasn't able to get any work done as he waited impatiently for her to arrive. He was confused by his own feelings. He had never felt like this before and that too for a teenage girl.
Arianna was ecstatic to get a decent job with a good pay. She felt very grateful to her blue-eyed young boss. She had liked him a lot last night and today she liked him even more but she knew her place and knew that such men were beyond her league.
"Focus, Ari," she directed her mind. She couldn't afford to develop a crush upon the first man who showed her kindness, that too her employer of all the men in the world.
"Did you say anything, Arianna?" Asked Mrs Drewett.
"No, no, I'm just talking to myself, " she said and Mrs Drewett looked at her like she was some alien. "Come I'll show you what you need to do."
The next few hours Arianna focussed on the work that Mrs Drewett taught her. She was a fast learner and could pick up anything if she put her mind to it. The intercom buzzed and Laurence asked Mrs Drewett to send Arianna inside with his coffee.
"Mr Lennard wants his coffee Arianna. Go make him a cup. The pantry's that way," she indicated. Arianna went off to the pantry and made a cup of coffee for him, the way she liked it and brought it back to the reception desk.
"Here, I've made it," she said with wide eyes hoping that he wouldn't throw it at her with disgust.
"He wants you to take it to him," said Mrs Drewett. Arianna nodded and knocked on Laurence's door.
"Come in," he said. Arianna opened the door and went inside with his coffee but to her horror she was about to collide with Mr Lennard himself, who was standing near the door. Who stands near the door when someone's about to enter? Although she saved the collision, she couldn't prevent the coffee from spilling a little onto his expensive suit.
"I'm sorry sir, I'll clean it up," she said with nervousness. She kept the coffee on top of a nearby cupboard and took out her handkerchief from her skirt pocket. Going closer to him she dabbed onto his suit where the coffee had spilled. Why was he so quiet? Would he throw her out of the job? She bit her lip with apprehension, a habit which had formed over the years.
Laurence stood like a statue mesmerised by her nearness. Her soft hands on his chest was driving him wild. He could easily have changed into one the spare suits that he kept at his office but he just didn't want to. He was actually impatiently waiting for Arianna to come with his coffee. It had been two hours already and he had wanted to see her. When she didn't come into his office in twenty minutes, he was about to go and check what the matter was when she came inside. Laurence stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets to keep himself from pulling her into his arms.
Arianna was too scared to even look at him as she dabbed at the spot, trying to figure out how to undo the damage that she had unknowingly caused on her first day at work.
"I'm sorry sir. It'll never happen again. It was an accident," she mumbled, confused by Laurence's quietness. He hadn't spoken a word and stared at her with a strange expression on his face. Maybe he was already repenting his decision. Laurence took a deep breath to calm himself. The way she bit her lip with so much concentration was driving him mad. His mind was filled with the desire to kiss those plump red ones.
"Don't do that, " he said out loud and Arianna jumped with fear and looked at him. Laurence knew he had meant her to stop biting her lips but he couldn't say anything further.
"I'm sorry sir. Please don't throw me out. It won't happen again, I swear," she said again.
"Go back to work," he said simply turning away from her and going back to his desk. Arianna sighed and went out of the room, with drooping shoulders.
"What happened to you?" Asked Mrs Drewett, with a worried look on her face.
"I accidentally dropped coffee on sir's suit," she said with remorse.
"Oh that's fine, he drops it upon himself every now and then. He keeps a huge collection of clothes here at the office. No big deal, he'll ask his housekeeper to get it laundered," she said with a shrug.
"Oh," said Arianna a little relieved that it was not a big deal as she had thought it to be. But what confused her was his behaviour. He had quietly allowed her to clean up the mess instead of simply changing out of it. She had felt strange butterflies in her stomach at his nearness. The overwhelming scent of his cologne seemed to be stuck to her. She had felt his hard muscles beneath the suit. She closed her eyes and tried to drive all such irrelevant thoughts out of her head and concentrate upon her work.
