First Impressions Gone Awry

Ethan Grayson had seen it all during his years at the company. He had joined as an intern in his early twenties, working his way up until he became head secretary to the managing director. The job had become second nature to him: every paper in its place, every email sent with perfect grammar, every meeting scheduled down to the minute. Ethan was the company’s bedrock of order, and he liked it that way.

When the previous head secretary was transferred to another branch, it was unsettling—but nothing he couldn't handle. That was, until she arrived.

Ava Matthews blew into the office on a gust of chaos. She was the new secretary, young and energetic, but with an air of unpolished enthusiasm that made Ethan immediately wary. The moment she stepped into the office, he felt a shift in the balance. She wasn’t late, but she had the air of someone who had just sprinted out of a moving bus.

“Hi! I’m Ava!” she chirped, thrusting her hand out to Ethan. Her messy hair had a mind of its own, curling and flaring as if it had been in a battle with the wind—and lost.

Ethan looked at her hand as if it were a foreign object, then back at her face, his expression a mask of neutrality. “Ethan Grayson,” he said, shaking her hand briefly. “Let’s go over your responsibilities.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked briskly toward his desk, expecting her to follow.

Ava blinked, taken aback, but she quickly fell into step behind him. The first day at a new job was always nerve-wracking, but she had no idea she’d be working with Mr. Robot. Ethan immediately launched into a rapid-fire explanation of tasks and office protocols, barely pausing to check if she was keeping up.

“The filing system is color-coded by department,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact. “Green for marketing, blue for sales, yellow for—”

“Wait, yellow for what?” Ava interrupted, squinting at the stack of papers in front of her.

“Operations,” Ethan said with the patience of a man dealing with a particularly slow computer. He looked over at her and noticed her disorganized papers. “You need to sort those before we move on,” he added.

Ava gave him a sidelong glance and muttered, “Sure, because I’ve got time to learn the entire rainbow today.”

Ethan stiffened. “If you want to keep things efficient, you’ll have to follow the system. I’ve worked here for years—trust me. It’s better this way.”

Ava raised an eyebrow. “Better for you, maybe. I have my own methods, you know. Things could be a little more... streamlined.” She offered a tentative smile, hoping to lighten the mood.

Ethan frowned, his brow furrowing in a way that screamed disapproval. “Streamlined doesn’t always mean effective. There’s a reason we do things this way.”

And so, their dynamic was established—Ava, the bright-eyed new hire with too many ideas, and Ethan, the seasoned pro who wasn’t about to let her reorganize his meticulously managed kingdom. By the end of the day, they had already disagreed on how to arrange client files, the proper way to brew coffee, and whether or not the air conditioning was set too low.

That evening, when Ava collapsed onto her couch, she couldn’t help but replay the day in her mind. Ethan had barely smiled, and she couldn’t remember seeing him laugh once. She had tried to be friendly, but it was like trying to make conversation with a brick wall. She groaned, burying her face in a cushion.

Meanwhile, Ethan sat at his desk, meticulously arranging his pencils before packing up for the night. He had to admit, despite Ava’s chaotic methods and complete disregard for the office’s established order, she wasn’t entirely incompetent. If she could just stick to the system, maybe things would be fine. Still, he found himself gritting his teeth every time she suggested another improvement.

It didn’t take long for the rest of the office to pick up on their constant bickering. The managing director, Mr. Lawson loved to point it out whenever he could. By the end of their first month working together, it had become a running joke.

“You two argue like you’ve been married for years,” Mr. Lawson laughed one afternoon after watching them spar over the best way to format an Excel spreadsheet. “Seriously, you’re like an old married couple!”

Ava rolled her eyes, but secretly, the comment stung a little. “We are not married,” she muttered under her breath.

“Thank God for that,” Ethan said dryly.

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