*DISCLAIMER* I DO NOT own The Phantom of the Opera, its storyline, or its characters. R&R
I would never be prepared for the moment Sorelli opened the steel doors. The sight before me was a sight I would never forget, and frankly… I do not think I would ever want to. Before me sat the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on. He stood at about 6'3" tall, had the darkest black hair I had ever seen on someone, and the brightest green eyes. I could tell he hadn't shaved in a couple of days due to the slight bit of stubble that was on his face, but it didn't matter to me for this had to be the most beautiful man I had ever laid my eyes on.
I was pulled from my thoughtful trance when I saw a small hand waving in my face. "Christine, honey. Are you alright?" asked Sorelli. I looked up a bit startled and proceeded to look around. I would not be surprised if I had a bright red hue to my face. Once I reestablished myself and decided to look up, I noticed something peculiar about the man I had just spent god knows how long eyeing like a snack. He wore a white mask on the right-hand side of his face which left a little bit of a glimpse of the bottom of his immaculate jawline. Why would such a beautiful man want to hide beneath a mask?
"Erik Destler. Pleased to meet you," he said with his right hand out towards me. His voice was like a melodic lullaby that I could listen to on replay for the rest of my life. "You must be Ms. Christine Daae, no? From NYU, correct?" he asked.
Christine, ANSWER HIM! I yelled at myself through my conscience. God, he must think I am such an idiot and totally not qualified for this job. "Yes, I'm Christine Daae. Nice to meet you, Mr. Destler." He smiled at me, which I am sure caused my face to turn even more red if it was not so before. "Professor Derwin has spoken nothing but good things about you since he recommended you for this internship. I expect nothing less than what he has mentioned of you," he said with an expectant look to his face. "Of course, Mr. Destler. I assure you, I will not let you down," I said confidently.
I watched as he nodded and proceeded to pull out one of the chairs in front of his desk for Sorelli to take a seat. Shortly after, he did the same with the other. Only this time looking at me expectantly. I swallowed the lump sitting at the back of my throat. I was sure to make myself go crazy if I kept on thinking of my boss in this manner. I need to calm down and put myself together. Christine, he is your BOSS. I had to remind myself, and I would be smart to do so every time I enter the same room as him.
"Thank you," I said as I took my seat. "Now that we have all become acquainted, update me on the progress of Christine's training so far, Sorelli," said Mr. Destler. Sorelli straightened up in her chair after being addressed and I felt as though I should do the same whenever being addressed by him as well. "Christine and I have made it through the basics. She has already been shown how to get in and out of her computer and has been given her laptop and company cell phone," she said. "Very good. Where do you live," he asked. "Sir, as you already know… I'm in the process of relocating with Theodore," she said. "Not you, Sorelli. Ms. Daae," he said in a dismissive manner. I guess Mr. Destler WAS stern like every other boss there is, I thought to myself.
He looked at me expectantly. "Oh. Sorry, sir. I live at 107 Winter Avenue, near the city park," I said matter-of-factly. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and typed the information in. "That simply will not do. That is about 45 minutes away from the company location and almost an hour away from where I live," he replied. Before I could say anything, he continued, "Sorelli, be sure to have Ms. Daae relocated to an area near my apartment building. I need her moved in by tomorrow night at the latest." "But, Sir. I cannot just relocate that easily. I still live with my father and he needs me to be around at all times with his unpredictable schedule," I replied quickly.
He looked up in surprise, which made it apparent that no one has ever disagreed with him and much less interrupt him. "Ms. Daae, I required Mrs. Martin to relocate within a certain distance and I will have you do the same. Now, as long as you are working under Destler LLC as my secretary, you do not have to worry about being financially responsible for your accommodations." I sat up, listening intently. "Your rent, traveling expenses, whether that be by plane or car, and company car will all be paid for by none other than myself," he continued.
Was he crazy? I thought to myself. "Sir, you don't need to do that. I can try arranging something with my father," I quickly stated. "Nonsense, Ms, Daae. I am the one needing you to relocate and travel on any and all business trips necessary that you need not be financial for due to the fact that you do not get to choose to do so but must in fact do so," he said matter-of-factly. He must have noticed my distasteful look on my face for his next question took me by surprise. "Is that okay with you Ms. Daae? Or should I ask Professor Derwin to look elsewhere for a student more willing to do the job," he asked.
You CAN NOT afford to lose this internship, Christine! You've worked too hard. "That will not be necessary, sir. I am more than able to do the job," I said sternly. "Very well then. We may continue," he said. He proceeded to type things up on his computer, only bothering to look up for one second. "Sorelli, you may go and prepare the rest of the training material for Ms. Daae. I will let you know when your assistance is needed once more."
Once Sorelli was out of the office, I was interrupted from my thoughts once more. "Ms. Daae, there are many things I required of Mrs. Martin that will be required of you as well. You must always keep your company cell phone on you. If I call or text, I expect a response immediately. All meetings are pre-scheduled and can be found under a special tab on your computer. Any visitations or walk-ins must be approved through me before anyone can come into my office, are we clear?" I straightened up and nodded my head to show him I got everything he said. "Very well. Our first trip outside of the country will be a week from today. Once I get all of your relocation information given to me by Mrs. Martin, you can expect more information on the dates and time of our depart."
Once our meeting was over, Sorelli walked me back to my desk for further training. "So, what did you think," asked Sorelli, pulling me away from my thoughts. "Honestly, I thought he was very nice at first. Towards the end of the meeting he seemed very demanding." Sorelli let out a soft chuckle. "That's the boss for you. But trust me, he is not that bad once you get to know him. If I were you, I'd try to befriend him quickly, don't forget that you are going to be around him almost 24 hours out of the seven days of the week." I groaned inwardly. There was one thing I was truly sure about after today… this was going to be a long senior year.