A/N: I think this is the first of many Proposal fanfics I'm going to be writing. I'm a huge Sandra Bullock fan and Ryan Reynolds is just super yummy, so this movie was pretty much a godsend for me. Hope ya'll enjoy it!
Don't own anything.
As Andrew stood in the elevator, a smile played on his lips. No, not a smile. It was more of a grin. Each one of his front teeth were showing and you could just see how excited he was form the beaming energy that was radiating off of him. He was finally closer to his dream; touching peoples lives with the written word. It's not what his father wanted but it's what made him happy. Ever since he could remember, he read books and then after he'd read them, he'd write his own ending or his own twist to a scene. He was always a literature geek which didn't phase him. As long as he did something he enjoyed, he was happy. If he was seen as a geek, nerd, pussy or loser for doing it, then so be it.
The elevator bell rang and the doors slid open. He poked his head out and saw Colden Books in big letters above the welcoming desk. His first day as an assistant to a majorly respected Editor, Margaret Tate. He's heard stories about her. She eats children, she pees standing up, the Cold War began when she was born but he didn't believe any of it. Who could be so mean with a name like Margaret? When you hear that name, you think of a sweet, kind, loving lady who will respect you if you respect her back. So, when Andrew got his warnings, he just nodded like he was taking the advice. He really wasn't.
Which wasn't a good idea.
Andrew made it into the room of cubicles. He saw everyone lounging, talking; not working. "Wow, I could definitely get used to this," he whispered to himself as he fixed his man-bag on his shoulder and made his way towards Margaret Tate's office. Before he could even make it ten steps, he was stopped dead in his tracks.
"Andrew, right?" the stranger asked.
Nodding, Andrew formed that grin again. "That would be me."
"I'm Jordan, best friends with Margaret's old assistant. He wanted to give you his condolences," he said. His tone was serious. There was no trace of joking or even a lightness in his voice.
Andrew scoffed a little. "Is she really that bad?" He had to ask. From all the stories he heard to the past assistant giving him condolences, there had to be a little truth in it.
Jordan opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it. He grabbed Andrew's upper arm and pulled him down the aisle between the cubicles real fast. "You'll find out in about ten seconds."
Andrew turned his head around. When he saw Margaret in his mind, he pictured a curly-haired, green eyed, smiley woman. He saw her with an inviting smile and a cute wink after she said a joke. But when he turned his head around and saw what was coming at him, he was completely wrong. She was petite, long legged and there was an malicious twinkle in her eye that just screamed "hate me, what do I care." Andrew noticed how everyone ducked into their seats when she passed and quivered when she looked. It was like a damn movie. The evil boss walked in and everyone fell to the floor.
"Jordan!" Her voice wasn't scary but it definitely didn't sound like an angelic tone. "Where's… whatever his name is… you know, my new assistant." She saw Jordan's finger point towards Andrew and she immediately looked at the floor, to start the quick look see. Beaten up shoes, pants that are too short, a wrinkled shirt, no tie, an okay jacket, a weird ass grin and messy hair. Great. "How fast can you read a novel?"
Her question threw Andrew off. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. When she changed her emotionless expression to sticking her head out and squinting her one eye, he immediately said the first thing he could think of. "How long is the novel?"
A few people groan. Margaret's questions were always answered with a straight forward answer. Never a question. Her brow raised, as she put one hand on her hip. She was going to try this one last time. "How fast can you read a novel?"
Andrew knew he was going to get anywhere with this conversation, so he shrugged and simply said, "a day probably."
"Good," Margaret said before putting all of her weight onto her left leg. "There are three manuscripts on your desk. I don't want to read them so you must. They need to be done by Wednesday night; preferably the afternoon but its your first week so I'll give you a few extra hours. Take a few notes on each; you know the works, the characters, the dénouement, the setting and the flaws with the story. Also, I'm going to need a unsweetened cinnamon light soy latte from Starbucks. I'd prefer the coffee before you finish the manuscripts because, obviously I wouldn't be asking for the latte now if I wanted it on Wednesday. And before you do any of this, I need you to walk into Bob's office over there and tell him to stop bringing interns into the bathroom for fifteen minutes and leaving a mess. We're getting complaints from the custodians." She smiled harshly as she turned on her heal and walked into the her office.
A few people let out a few laughs that they have been holding in for the past twenty five seconds. Andrew turned to Jordan who shrugged his shoulders in return. "What did she want from Starbucks?"
Jordan laughed and when he went to say something, Margaret's door opened and everyone just shut up again. "Oh, and Andrew!"
Andrew turned to the glass door that he now swore was the gate to hell and saw who he now swore slept with the devil. "Yes, Miss Tate?" he asked. You could hear the fear in his voice and you could see it on his face, as well. There was no more grin. There was no emotion, basically.
"Wear a tie tomorrow."
