I wanted to write this note thanking my followers it means alot for you guys to take a chance in my fic especially with an OC. Shaded Truths I read your bio that showed your disdain for OC romance with an established character so I am incredibly thankful a reader like you is taking a chance on this. I can make this promise I am nothing like this character except we are around the same age. Aphass as always I am thankful that you become a follower of my fics. The continued support really drives me.
It is my first official day at ELQ and I am excited and nervous. It is my time to prove that I am good enough as everyone else to be given this chance. But I know I have to be better than everyone else because that is the only way to ensure that I get a job. If I can a job here it will be the beginning of my professional journey. I know that I need to get to the bus stop soon. I need to account that the bus may come early and it would suck to be late the first day. That is something I can't afford anyways. They are all waiting for me to fail just so they can say they are netter than me but I won't let them win.
The woman at Banana Republic said this is a great first day outfit for work. I think the blue suit looks great. I look professional and ready to work. This is the first job where I think I will be on my toes about everything I do because I feel everyone is watching and they probably are. I remember to bring flats just in case the heels become too much for me. Its a good sign when people are there. I have my earphones in waiting for my bus to come. The bus comes on time and I am glad for it. Maybe I can get some breakfast too. I am excited for what I am going to do today. I don't exactly know what it I but I am more than happy at finding what it will be. I haven't been this excited about anything since my first day of school way back when.
I press the button for my bus stop because I already see the huge ELQ building coming closer and closer. I am buzzed with excitement that I don't know what I am going to do with myself. I know I am going to be a little early to work but you have no choice when the bus is your mode of transportation. I get off the bus and walk into the building and I see the security guard who helped me from the day before.
"Hola, Xabi!" You can totally tell that I am excited from my tone of voice. I greet him with a wave and he returns it with a smile and a wave of his own.
I ask him if this place has a cafeteria or a place to eat some breakfast because I am quite hungry. He says he will take me there himself. He tells the other security guard he will be right back and we make small talk. He asked me how am I adjusting to the town. I give him an honest answer I don't know yet. I haven't been here long enough to form an opinion but I tell him its very different from Guadalajara. Guadalajara is a huge city and Port Charles is a town its alot of adjusting for me because I am not used to not seeing a sea of people. I love the hustle and bustle of my home and here it is much quieter. Not too say this pace is boring but its very different.
He tells me he must return to work and I tell him it was nice seeing him again and hopefully I will se him soon enough. I just focus on getting my food I dont notice there is someone behind me in line. I can feel their eyes on me and they feel tall as well. I just decide to mind my business and when we get closer to the actual food then I will be able to see him because he will no linger be behind me but by my side. The air feels awkward and stilted but I cannot really do anything without giving myself away. I am taller today because of the shoes so most likely I will be at eye level with this person.
We take steps and my palms are a little sweaty and I fumble with my phone and it falls on the floor. The noise seems louder than it is and I turn to pick it up as I am bending down the person behind me has already beaten me to the punch. I am just looking at the pale white hand and the ground and the person clears their throat. I flick my head up and its the last person I wanted to see. El Gringo Rubio is looking at me with those blue eyes and I freeze. Can I get more flustered!?
"Here you go... Ms..."
"Ms. RodrÃguez-Haddad." Saying my name is an automatic tone.
"Here you go Ms. RodrÃguez-Haddad."
"Thank you Mr. Corinthos."
"Are you ready to work? Your last name is very long I thought mine was long but you definitely take the cake. I could imagine your hand hurting after just writing your name on a sheet of paper. I remember when I had to write my name it felt like it would never end. Is there something else I can call you that's shorter because your name is long? Please don't mind me when I start to babble it becomes a hard task to stop." The gringo is red in the face and its adorable. He looks like a cross between mortified and expectant.
"Well my first name is kind of long as well so I let people call me Maite. I give you permission to call me this." I try to be cute when I say permission.
"Thank you with granting me with the honor. You can call me Michael or even Mike but never Mikey." He looks sheepish when he says the name Mikey and it makes me want to say it more.
"Why can't I call you Mikey? I think that its cute." I throw in a raised eyebrow.
"Its cute when you are like 10 but I am adult now and its just not suitable."
"Well I think its cute no matter what age." Did I just call my boss cute that is a big no no!? What the hell am I thinking? He could fire me right now. I notice that we are back near the main lobby and before I go to the elevators I go to Xabi. Michael is calling for me probably thinking I am crazy. I give Xabi the croissant and orange juice and I thank him for all the help and tell him have a good day. He looks at me warmly and we both smile.
I rejoin Michael and I guess its throwing him for a loop but Xabi is the first person I met here and has been helping me beyond words so I wanted to give him a small thank you.
We go into the elevators and I tell him I am not sure where I am supposed to go for my first day. He tells me usually I would go to human resources to find out my assignment but since I am already with him it will be no trouble for him to show me where I will be.
He shows me to the cubicles for the new hires and since I am here the earliest I get to choose which one I want. I think he is going to leave when I get to my cubicle but he is in search for something. I realize he was fumbling for a chair. And it is kind of cute but this is a slippery slope. I find talking to him to be really easy and amiable. Its almost 8:30 but most people won't come until its close to 9am. He starts to freak out when he sees the time on my watch it like it must be wrong. He starts checking his on watch and sees its half past 8
"Shit... I mean... damn it. I lost track of time. I am supposed to be calling the London offices. Shit!"
"Michael you must calm down or you will sound like that over the phone and how does it look when the CEO freaks out. It will only do two things incite panic within your company and show your age."
"You are right I need to calm down its not a big deal. I can totally do this." Right now I am glad I am not him. I don't envy him at all it is obvious that this might be too much for him. I do something that is dangerous but I think he needs it.
I maneuver my hand under his suit jacket and rub his back. His breathing becomes more leveled and he just looks at me and I give him a gentle smile that I hope conveys it will be all right. I don't stop rubbing his back even after I see the panic leave his eyes. Maybe its the repetitive motion that makes me not want to stop but he doesn't object so I keep doing it.
"I can just call the London offices at half past 9 after I tell you all what will be expected of you."
"I should probably stop this huh people may stumble in and think something improper."
"There's nothing wrong with helping me with some anxiety." Oh Michael you are so cute in your naivety.
"Mikey that is probably not the best phrasing to put there right now. We may not be doing anything improper but the perception of impropriety can sometimes be just as bad as the assumptive act." He gives me a playful glare when I call him Mikey.
"What did I tell you about that nickname hmm... but you are right perception can be worse than reality."
"You won't have to worry I won't be calling you Mikey anyways it would be downright scandalous for me to call you that when other employees can hear. You are just Mr. Corinthos."
"Do I still have to call you by your last name its so long..."
"Mr. Corinthos it wouldn't seem out of the ordinary if you called me by my nickname but it would seem out of the ordinary for me to call you by yours. No one is going to be up in arms if you call me Maite."
"Okay good I am going to throw our garbage away."
"Ooh what a gentleman."
He just smirks and picks everything from my cubicle and throws it away he also takes the chair and outs it back where he found it. I hear footsteps approaching and I give Michael a look for him to stay there and make it seem like he just came in. The first people to show up are the guys from yesterday and if I hadn't watch so much TV when I was younger I wouldn't be able to discern the look of jealousy in Michael's eyes. Its kind of hot even though I shouldn't think so. Its funny that he looks jealous but both guys are taken. I also don't feel an attraction for either beyond platonic feelings.
The room we are in is quite big it has 12 cubicles in it and there will be people we haven't seen before as well. I make small talk with the guys and they choose cubicles close to me and that is good. Michael starts answering his emails in his phone I want to go to him but that be most unwise. Everyone seems to be here when it is 9. I see the quiet girl from yesterday she looks unsure of herself without Tanya la puta. She decides to get the cubicle with us so its us four. She doesn't say hello maybe because it looks like Michael is going to speak but she gives me a shy smile. I return the smile but I don't utter a word.
Michael starts speaking about one of the tasks we must do. We have to pitch an idea and execute a full plan including marketing and it will be in addition to your workload. I guess this will all have to be done before the school year starts because in can't imagine working, doing this project, and schoolwork. Michael starts explaining the parameters when Tanya comes in. She doesn't so anything but scowl at me because it seems she cannot choose a cubicle it has been chosen for her and its the furthest away from us and I am not too petty to laugh.
The day goes pretty fast and I think to myself since I got all my work done with some time to spare I started thinking of my business pitch. I dont know what it is going to be as of now but I make a rough outline of my business plan. I realize that the work day is over when I am the only one in my cubicle and my watch now says 7:13. I should get going now because I am at the mercy of the Port Charles Transit Authority to get home because taxi would be too expensive every day.
I pack up all my stuff and I tell the security guard for the evening good night. I didn't look at the schedule for the evening buses but its not like I am going anywhere so I just sit. It gets darker earlier here than it does at home so I need to be mindful if that in the future. It isn't safe to be by myself with no mode of transportation when it is dark outside. I never want to be like una mujer de Juarez. Although I am from Guadalajara it had every woman in Mexico afraid that it could happen and next to nothing be done about it.
I wait at the bus stop and I decide I won't listen to any music or read because I need to pay attention to my surroundings. I see a car coming towards me its familiar but I can't place it. It stops right in front of me and the windows descend slowly and I won't lie I am kind of scared.
"Hey..."
"Hi..."
"Do you want a ride home? The bus runs every hour after 7 until 11. I don't think you should wait in the dark for 40 minutes." Well that isn't good news I dont want to wait 40 for a bus whether its day or night but the fact its dark outside doesn't help.
I am scared to get in the car but it is just as scary to be waiting for the bus at night by myself. I do something my head doesn't readily agree with but I get in the car. I have faith that nothing bad is going to happen to me but one can never really know.
"Hey you all right there?..." I can hear the concern so it assuages me minutely but it doesn't mean anything.
"Its just I haven't eaten since this morning and I think it is starting to get to me." Technically it is not a lie but that is not why I am feeling this way. It seems to do the trick though.
"Well we could stop by somewhere and get something to eat if you like..." I get ready to exclaim no that is okay when my stomach resembles a roaring lion and the sound reverberates around the whole car. I cannot begin to feel mortified when I hear a hackles coming from my left.
"I am guessing that is a yes?"
"Okay..."
"What do you feel like eating?"
"Isn't it obvious... food?" I don't really care for a preference my stomach lets it be known it just wants sustenance.
"We can go to Kelly's..."
"I don't think that is very appropriate for us to be seen somewhere so public. It looks improper maybe you should just take me home..." That is the best and safest idea.
"Oh... okay you are right it would be improper. I am new to this and sometimes I don't think. I apologize if I put you in a precarious position." Now I feel like a dipshit myself. Michael sounds so I do something else quite stupid.
"Well I am hungry... if you are too we could hangout in my apartment and watch TV or just talk some more and wait for takeout?" My crush is cutting into my sensibility but it all it does is fuel the nausea in my stomach.
"That could be fun but wouldn't that be more improper?"
"My apartment is not a public place Mikey. You can even hide behind the couch when I open the door for delivery." I roll my eyes sometimes guys can be a little dense.
"What did I tell you about that nickname." Aww the gringo pouts I would just love to kiss it and make it better.
"But I like calling you Mikey." I toss a pout if my own and make my eyes as sad as can be I believe Americans call it the puppy dog face.
"Fine but when anyone is around okay... I don't know what I would do if some employee called me that."
"I call you Mikey and I am an employee."
"Its different with you I can't have someone who only knows me in a professional capacity calling me Mikey in front of my face or behind my back." I can understand where he is coming from. He wants to be taken seriously and his age doesn't help so I can only imagine how the nickname Mikey would only exacerbate the problem.
"Why is it different with me?"
"Because... we are friends..." I suppose he would be right we did commiserate quite amiably this morning and he is one of the people instantly clicked with here. I decide yes we are friends and I very much like this.
"Hmm I guess we are."
The rest of the drive is just music from the radio and it is nice I look out the window and toke in the sites if this town. We get to my apartment and I tell Michael I will be right back. I just want to take off my work clothes and heels and settle into more comfortable clothing. I can see he really did make himself at home because he is on my couch with his feet perched up on my coffee table with a glass of juice near him.
"You took too long and I was thirsty so I just decided to get it myself."
"Wow so this is what you do when you go to your friends' homes?"
"Well I dont really have many friends actually I hang out with my brothers and other relatives. Kristina my sister is actually my best friend." Whoa that is kind of depressing to hear that he doesn't really have many friends outside of his family.
"Why don't you have many friends outside of your family?"
"I had a really complicated and isolated life. You just learn to deal with not always being able to have friends. It is okay really because my siblings and cousins are not so different in age where it would be like me being best friends with a six year old."
"Well I am happy that I can be a non-family friend."
"Me too... I am hungry and I know you are too what do you want to eat?"
"I don't really know I am not familiar with takeout places here." He is the one from here surely he knows some good places to eat.
"Well we could get some Chinese food. I know a really good place to order from..."
"Okay I just hope it doesn't take too long."
Isn't kind of sad Michael doesn't really have any friends besides his family. His life is so isolated through a set of circumstances it sad in a way. Maite feels for him as a friend even though she finds him cute. It may seem a little OOC for Michael to do this but I don't really think so. In his mind he has made a new friend and it makes me him like a young child making a new friend and not wanting to leave that friend because you want to hangout with them all the time. Normally our parents take us home and that's that but Michael is an adult now and doesn't have to answer to anyone in his private time so he doesn't want to stop hanging out with Maite because he will go back to an empty apartment and he tries to prolong it anyway he knows how. Maite on the other hand is happy to have a new friend in a new place and she really likes Michael. She really wants his friendship and she wants to be his friend because to her its sad when Michael says he doesn't really have friends beyond his family.