Brew No. 1
"Would you like some fries with that?" The server tucked a stray tendril of artificially dyed blond locks behind her ear, a polite smile on her face.
"Of course!" I exclaimed, proceeding to pump a fist onto the counter to emphasize my point. The server stared incredulously at me for a brief moment before turning around to confirm the order with the kitchen staff.
"A bacon cheese hamburger with an extra serving of bacon, a large serving of nuggets" she read off the receipt. "A large cup of coca-cola, two apple pies, and a packet of fries." Just thinking about how the tantalizing bacon would melt in my mouth was almost enough to make my mouth water. Almost.
The fast food joint I frequented regularly definitely lived up to its name of Speedy Burgers. In less than a minute, my lunch was piled up precariously onto a tray, and I helped myself to a few packets of tomato ketchup before walking over to my seat.
"Bella…" Jessica eyed the food splayed onto the table with a look of disgust on her face. "Do you know how greasy, fattening and downrightly unhealthy your meals are?"
I shot her a grin, watching as she poked absent-mindedly at her cupped corn, her hazelnut coloured hair tied up in a neat ponytail. "Well, it's not my fault that I have a high metabolism rate."
My childhood friend and neighbour groaned. "Yeah, you're right. By the way, have you received any news on the new job?"
"I got accepted!" I dipped a bunch of crispy fries into the red glob of ketchup. "Work officially starts on Monday, but I'm going to the office tomorrow to set things up."
"My, it's unusual for you to prepare things in advance," Jessica smirked.
A sigh escaped my lips. "What choice do I have? Being a secretary means no procrastination."
The rest of the conversation flowed smoothly, with Jessica giving me tips on how to survive in an office while I gave her the occasional nod to show that I was paying attention in the midst of alleviating my hunger.
I looked up from my checklist towards my new work desk, where dozens of perfectly wrapped sweets sat. "Caramel toffees, chocolate bars, marshmallows, jelly beans, check. Wonderful, I can finally get to work!"
Since I arrived half an hour earlier than required, I plopped myself onto the black leather swivel chair, playing with a turquoise sweet wrapper between my fingers. The sudden opening of the door startled the life out of me, causing me to shriek and jump out of my chair.
"W-Who are you?" My eyes widened at the immaculately dressed man who was staring at me with an arched eyebrow. His auburn hair was slightly damp, and his penetrating dark blue orbs made me feel self-conscious.
"Jacob. Jacob Black," He introduced, his voice deep and husky. "I would like you to call me Mr Black though. You must be the new secretary."
The name instantly clicked in my brain. "Yes, Mr Black."
He glanced down at my cluttered desk, and took a step forward, a dangerous smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "If you do not even meet the basics of my expectations, you should pack up and leave."
"What do you mean?" I asked, my tone defensive.
He crossed his arms across his chest. "As my secretary, I expect your desk to be neat at all times. This is the mere foundation of your job, and you have already failed. Anyway, I don't have time to deal with you. Should there be any calls for me, direct them to my office. In the meantime, tidy up your desk and settle the paperwork."
Without another word, he turned and strode into his office, the lingering scent of cologne hanging thinly in the air. I slumped back into my seat, reluctantly sprucing up my table.
The lunch break, also known as my temporal liberation, came by at long last. Grabbing my penguin-decorated purse, I paced hurriedly towards the nearest directory. "Hmm, the nearest fast food joint is… twenty blocks away," I grumbled. "And the nearest place I can get food is Salad Delight. Seriously?"
My shoulders sagging, I made my way towards Salad Delight.
"Hey, you're the new secretary right?" A lady sat in the seat across the table, her blonde hair falling just above her shoulders. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Jane, a colleague."
"Yeah," I jabbed at the unappetizing cabbage desolately, though I tried to force a smile onto my face. "I'm Bella."
"I can see that you're not a fan of salad," She chuckled.
Scrunching up my nose, I replied. "Salads are no match for fast food."
"I'm surprised that you readily took up the job as Mr Black's secretary," Jane noted, taking a slurp of vegetable juice. "You really have guts, Bella."
"Hmm? Why do you say so?" A quizzical expression clouded my face, probing her to continue.
"All the previous secretaries he had all quitted in a few weeks, none of them lasting more than a month." She explained.
"Mr Back is rather strict," I agreed, recalling our previous encounter. "I guess I'll just have to work extra hard to live up to his expectations."
"All the best then!" Jane smiled amicably, visibly struggling to impede herself from laughing at my agonized expression as I scooped carrots into my mouth. "Come to think of it, I heard that a new café will be opening right next to the office very soon."
"That's great!" I cheered. "In the meantime, I'd probably bring my own packed lunch from now on."
When I returned to the office, I continued filing the paperwork, sometimes gorging on chocolates to keep me energetic. Clients bustled in and out of my office, since it was the only route to Mr Black's office.
"He's really busy, isn't he?" I asked rhetorically to no one in particular while stapling documents together. Never once did I see him step out of his office to take a breather.
A chalky voice added, "He needs to learn how to relax."
Turning in the direction of the voice, I was met by a woman in the Autumn of her life. Deep wrinkle lines graced her visage. Still, there was strength and wisdom in her dark blue eyes. She had just entered my office, and sauntered over to the sofa chairs meant for clients who were waiting.
With a kindly smile, she asked, "Is Mr Black scheduled to see a client now?"
Checking the schedule he had faxed over to me a few hour ago, I shook my head politely. "You may go right in."
With a crinkle in her eyes, she hobbled into his office.
The next couple of days passed by lethargically with Mr Black spending around an hour a day reprimanding me with regards to how random sweet wrappers would find their way onto the floor and how I was unable to submit twelve assignments in the short span of a week.
"I'm really sorry," I apologized, my head hung low. "It's just that there's just too much- "
"There is no such thing as too much work," He growled. "If you actually spend your time working instead of wasting precious time on trivial issues, that amount of work is no big deal." With his eyes closed, he rubbed his temples and stormed into his office.
"Bella, you've got to come with me right away!" Jane barged into my office once lunch break started. "The café I was telling you about is officially open for business!"
Gazing at the lavender signboard that had the bold print: SIX DEGREES CAFÉ printed onto it, I rubbed my hands in pure anticipation as we stepped into the café.
Pendant lights strung from the ceiling at various heights, the ceiling was painted blue with wispy clouds. The four walls surrounding the small café were plastered with a mural that gave one an impression of standing in the midst of a peaceful meadow.
In the far end was a mahogany counter that was adorned with bagels, sandwiches and pastries of all kinds. The smell of vanilla and coffee wafted in the air, encasing me in a warm embrace.
"Welcome," A handsome man with burnt umber hair strode out of what I presumed was the kitchen, carrying a tray of freshly baked cookies. He broke me out of my dreamlike trance, making me well aware of the friendly chatter in the surroundings. "Feel free to take your pick at the self-service counter."
"Am I in heaven?" I asked softly, pinching myself to ensure that I was still alive.
