Chapter 2
Minato got to work on Monday, his mind was a mess. The weekend was a beautifully dangerous distraction, especially after having spent the night with what his teenage self would have dubbed "the woman of his dreams." But now, with any good distraction, came a list of responsibilities and consequences that had his mind reeling.
The first thing was, he wasn't sure if anyone had seen his drunken self leave the wedding venue in favour of a hotel room after having a heavy makeout session with the girl at the bar. His worst nightmare would be to have his face plastered all over the media because of one night of fun at a friend's wedding.
That brought him back to his second source of headache. His personal assistant who also doubled as his public relations manager had quit on him two weeks prior because of the pressure of all the rumours going on about him. This affected his sales in a way that they might not even break even for the quarter. He groaned and made a note to contact the sales department so they could continue speaking.
Due to his busy schedule, he didn't have enough time to hire another personal assistant. That was first on his list today amongst the many other things he had to get done business wise.
Pulling up a folder on his laptop of all the resumes and applications, Minato sighed. There were only about ten applicants for the job, mainly because it was such a last minute posting and the job description was not only tedious, but difficult as well.
Shifting through, he immediately was able to decline a few of the people based on their lack of experience. It was toward the end, that he saw a familiar name on the file. Ayane Higashi. He could feel his heartbeat quicken as a hazy image of her naked body flooded his mind. Shaking the image out of his head, his cursor gravitated toward the delete button when another name caught his attention.
Akatsuki Security Incorporation. With his interest peaking, he carefully scrolled through the rest of the resume and fell back in his chair in awe. In a mere three years, starting from when she was only 22, Ayane was able to climb from being a regular sales associate to becoming head secretary to the CFO of the biggest technology company in the country after them.
He remembered the way the petite girl spoke with poise, and the way she was able to manage the wedding throughout the entire day without breaking a sweat. A million questions flooded his mind as he considered her experience. How did she climb the ladder so quickly? How much did she know about him at the party? Why would she apply for the rival company? And most importantly, what made her lose her job to begin with? He could only imagine she was paid really well and at her young age, she had a bright future ahead of her in that company.
Despite his logical mind telling him to avoid the drama of hiring a one night stand, he had to admit that of all applications, hers was the most appealing to him. So with a hesitant click, he sent out an invitation to an interview to her and four others.
To go or not to go, that was the question. Ayane paced back and forth in her now half empty house, often taking quick glances at her phone as if the email would just disappear at any moment.
She did it, she landed a job interview. It was probably for the best, and most well paid position of the batch that she had applied for. The only issue was, she hadn't anticipated sleeping with the CEO of said company before her interview. She had hoped, on a final whim, that the interview would be with a human resources representative, or at least another manager, but judging by the name at the bottom of the email, she had a strong inkling that it would be him.
Him. Minato Namikaze. CEO of Uzumaki Tech, the man that she had slept with, and the one she had left without a word the next morning.
She had been debating the entire day since she received the offer in the morning, but she couldn't come to a conclusion.
It was hard to let go of an opportunity like this. For one, it was in her field of interest and expertise. Not to mention, she knew with utmost confidence, that her experience would allow her to obtain the job if not for her situation with the blonde boss. Lastly, she needed the job if she wanted to continue living in the middle to upscale neighbourhood that she was in, especially now that she was the only one paying for the rent.
With a frustrated sigh, she collapsed on her bed and decided that she would go the next day. She would go in, with her head held high, and get herself that job. The only negotiating factor she had though, was that if Mr. Namikaze himself was interviewing that day, she gave herself permission to run, far, far, away.
Ayane arrived early the next morning, dressed in her usual office attire: a white long sleeve blouse, a red pencil skirt, and a pair of nude heels that made her legs look miles longer. She was confident, no doubt, in the way that she dressed and presented herself because it was something she was used to. The high stilettos only made her tiny figure more intimidating.
"Good morning," she called to the receptionist who greeted her with a wide grin. "I'm here for a job interview, my name is Ayane Higashi."
"Oh yes! I was told you would be coming. I think the interview before yours should just be wrapping up, so if you could just follow me, I can bring you to the room your interview will be held in." The brunette receptionist stood from her seat and led Ayane to the elevators in the middle of the building.
Ayane couldn't help to stare in awe at the infrastructure. Sure her previous company was mighty popular and just as successful as this one, but it was older, meaning the building was still an ugly concrete pour in the older side of downtown.
Uzumaki Tech's architecture was composed almost entirely of glass including the elevator shaft. As they rode the elevator up, Ayane was able to see through the different areas and spaces. It was almost if each floor was decorated and arranged to their own individual needs.
Though the building was still futuristic, large amounts of plants were everywhere, keeping the zones calm and fresh. It was almost like having a park within the building.
Due to the way she was distracted by the decor of the place, Ayane had missed that the receptionist had pressed the highest floor on the touch screen elevator panel. When she finally noticed the destination, dread immediately filled her stomach. The top floors of corporate buildings were almost always reserved exclusively for higher status individuals such as the CEO, CFO, or Board of Directors.
She held her breath as the door dinged open and she was greeted by a secretary at the front.
"Oh! Right on time. You must be Ms. Higashi," the young girl with short brown hair said. Ayane could tell she was only a few years younger than her, but had guessed she was fresh out of college. "Mr. Namikaze was just finished with his previous interview. Let me call him and ask if he's ready for you."
Ayane's breath hitched at the sound of the familiar name. She wanted to puke right then and there. When Minato's voice called her in from the other side of the intercom, she even took one last look at the departing elevator, repeating in her mind to run. There was no point anyways, she knew she wasn't going to get the job, not after what they had done only days ago.
The young secretary led her through the short hallway before encountering a large office with glass walls and only a door to provide some sort of privacy. Even from behind the door, Ayane could see the familiar blonde hair and blue eyes which were fixed on the monitor on the table. Minato's eyebrows were furrowed as he concentrated on the screen, only to break away when the secretary knocked on his door.
"Come in."
As Ayane stepped into the office, she barely had time to take in the exquisite decor including the large L-shaped desk in the corner, and the white leather couch along the side wall. Minato stood and approached her with his usual kind smile and an outstretched hand. She knew, from the recognition on his face, that her chances of landing the job, were official fucked.
"Good morning, Ayane," he greeted as if they hadn't just fucked each other senseless a few nights prior.
With a soft chuckle, she replied. "Good morning Mr. Namikaze. It's nice to meet you."
His knowing smile turned into a smirk at the pretense. Minato turned to the short haired girl and thanked her quietly before the secretary dismissed herself and the door shut behind her.
"Please, take a seat." Minato gestured to the chair in front of his desk before he went around to his own, very CEO-esque leather chair.
"Mr. Namikaze...I know this is awkward for both of us...I'll just…"
"No please, take a seat," he repeated. "You came all the way here anyways. Besides, I took a look at your resume and I believe there is potential."
Ayane scanned the man's earnest eyes for a few moments before she approached the chair and took her seat. Shifting uncomfortably for the first time in her office attire, she crossed her legs and tugged at her pencil skirt even though the skirt itself hit just above knee level.
"So um...I guess we'll start." The tone in the man's voice reminded Ayane that this was just as awkward for him as it was for her. "Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?"
"Well, my name is Ayane Higashi. I'm 25 years old, and I majored in Business - Management." She could tell by the slight frown on Minato's face that her answer left him unsatisfied, as pretty much all of her basic information he already knew from her resume. She wondered if the man expected more.
"Okay…" Ayane provided so little information that Minato didn't have anything to write in his notes so he decided to move on. "I see you've worked for Akatsuki Inc. Apart from your experience there, are there any other skills that could help you succeed in your work here as a personal assistant?"
"Well one of my biggest assets is my ability to manage time and organize well. I had to do this, not only in my previous job, but I was also responsible for organizing my friend's wedding of a couple hundred guests." Ayane could see a small smile appearing on Minato's face at the mention of the weekend.
"For that event, I had to make arrangements with media stations and paparazzi because the groom was a high ranking manager in one of the biggest companies in Asia. I believe my relationship and experience in handling the media will also help me perform my duties as a public relations manager as well."
Minato looked beyond pleased as he typed away on his computer. Ayane could see why, afterall, as she had suspected before, she was almost overqualified for the job. The only problem came with the fact that she had ditched him after sleeping with him just this past weekend. She doubted he wanted someone of such character to work so closely with him.
"This job may require you to work overtime or even on weekends depending on the needs of the business. Of course, you would be paid accordingly. What other commitments would you have in addition to work?" Minato read off the screen after he finished typing.
"There's not much," Ayane replied. Afterall, ever since she had begun working, she had been indulged heavily in her job. It was partially how she got where she was today. "My parents do live out in the countryside so I would like to have some time off from time to time to visit them."
"Of course we can arrange that." Minato replied.
As the interview went on, Minato remained professional with his questions. His soft gaze made Ayane feel a little bit more at ease with the entire situation. At one point, she thought maybe she did have a chance after all. Maybe the weekend they had was in the past, and he saw her experience as a valuable asset to his company.
The interview lasted for about fifteen minutes before Minato finished typing and turned away from his computer.
"One last question." Suddenly his friendly smile was gone and the aura changed to something of a more serious demeanor. Ayane recognized the flicker in his eyes from the night of the wedding, and she could tell they were no longer talking about the job.
"Why did you leave that morning?"
Ayane's confidence was gone as she nervously scanned the blue eyes in front of her. He leaned forward with his fingers crossed and forearms resting on the desk. The sudden movement caused Ayane to flinch backward into her chair.
It took her a while to compose herself under his intense gaze, but eventually, she knew that the interview was over and she had lost the job based on his last question. Saving what was left of her pride, she straightened herself and cleared her throat.
"Mr. Namikaze, I suggest that we keep this about business. Now if there's nothing left, I'll be heading out now. Thank you for your time."
Without leaving room for further conversation, she stood abruptly and walked toward the door. Her hand barely paused on the handle for a second before she pulled it open and walked out.