FIRST DAY AT WORK

Khloe’s POV

“Oh my God!” I exclaimed, almost tripping as I pulled on my shoes. “I can’t go late on my first day.”

I rushed down the stairs, nearly skipping two steps at once. “Mooom!” I called out, fumbling with my bag.

“Yes, honey,” my mom, Jasmine, replied from the kitchen.

“Mom, I think I’m going to be late on my first day!” I whined, sliding into the dining area. I grabbed some food quickly, stuffing it into my mouth without much grace. Then I kissed her cheek in a rush. “Goodbye, Mom! I’ll see you later.”

“Aren’t you going to sit and eat properly?” she called after me.

“No, Mom! I’ll get some snacks on the way,” I replied, already halfway out the door.

“Okay, bye then!”

I hurried outside, silently thanking God when I saw a cab approaching. At least I wouldn’t have to wait or bother booking a ride. I flagged it down and slipped inside.

“Good day,” I greeted the driver, trying to catch my breath. “Please, Diamond Rush. And if you can, be quick—I’m running late.”

“Okay,” he nodded.

By the time we got there, I paid him and practically sprinted towards the building. Two minutes early. Not ideal, but still better than being late. I reminded myself that first impressions mattered, and I didn’t want to mess mine up.

Inside, I walked straight to the reception desk. “Good morning,” I greeted.

Clara, the receptionist, looked up with a smile. “Good morning! Oh, you’re here.”

“Yes,” I said, smiling back nervously. “Uhm… is Mr. Xavier in?”

“Yes, he is. I’ll give you his schedule and explain other things you’ll need to know.” She disappeared into a back room and returned a moment later with a tablet. “Here you go. This one is meant for you—it has most of the company details. I’ve uploaded Mr. Xavier’s schedule already. You’ll be able to track his meetings, outings, and other things. The rest, you’ll get directly from him.”

“Thank you,” I said, taking it with both hands, like it was some sacred item.

With my heart racing, I made my way to his office. I paused at the door, exhaled deeply, and knocked.

“Come in,” his voice called.

I stepped in and bowed my head slightly. “Good morning, sir.”

“Yeah. Good morning,” he said without looking up at first, his pen still moving across the documents in front of him. “Not quite on time, though.” His brow rose when he finally glanced up at me.

Heat rushed to my face. Not on time? But I was two minutes early! Still, I swallowed back my protest and kept quiet. He handed the signed documents to a man standing beside him—Trevor, his father’s assistant. Trevor left with the files, and finally Xavier gave me his full attention.

“I assume Clara gave you the schedule,” he said, his tone clipped but clear.

“Yes, sir. But she mentioned you’d explain the rest.”

He leaned back slightly. “Okay. I have a meeting by ten a.m. with the owner of those documents. My father was supposed to complete the deal, but something came up, so it falls to me. You’ll come along—you’re my assistant now, so you’ll be in the loop from the start. I’ve already instructed them to prepare a table in the other room. You’ll sit there; sometimes you may be moved here.” He waved his hand casually, as though the decision wasn’t life-changing for me. “That’s all, for now.”

“Okay, sir,” I replied softly.

For the first time since I entered, I noticed his eyes pause on me, lingering briefly on my floral blouse and black skirt. His expression was unreadable, and I wasn’t sure whether to feel flattered or uncomfortable. I quickly excused myself and stepped out.

Breathing out a sigh of relief, I walked until I saw the office space prepared for me. They’d set it up quickly—a neat desk, some drawers, and a phone. I smiled to myself, thanking God silently before I arranged my things.

Just as I was finishing, a knock sounded.

“Come in,” I called.

Clara popped her head in with a grin. “Hey, your office looks really nice.”

“Yeah, thank you,” I said, smiling.

“Oh! Almost forgot—these documents just came in for Mr. Xavier. Since you’re his personal assistant, you should pass them to him.”

“Of course, I will. Thank you,” I said, accepting the papers.

“I think we’ll get along quite well,” she chuckled.

“Yes, I think so too,” I replied.

“Okay then, I’ll leave you to it. Bye!”

“Bye, and thank you.”

I walked back to Xavier’s office, documents in hand, and knocked again.

“Who is it?” he called.

“It’s me, sir. Khloe.”

“Come in.”

I stepped inside. “Sir, Clara asked me to give you these documents—they came in earlier.”

He took them and flipped through with a sigh. “I’ll go through them later. Likely the remaining parts of the ones I signed. Thank you.”

I nodded and was about to leave when his voice stopped me.

“Erm… sorry.”

I turned back. “Sir?”

He studied me with one brow raised. “How do you see your office? Is it okay to your taste?”

“Yes, sir, it’s really nice,” I replied truthfully.

“As my assistant, you’ll have to be comfortable. There’s a telephone there, right?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. I’ll communicate with you through it. That will be all.”

“Okay, sir.”

I returned to my desk, exhaled, and pulled out my phone. I dialed Ayra.

“Hello, Ayra!”

“Hey, sup baby girl!” she replied, her voice instantly bright.

“Fine. How’s your first day going?” I asked.

“Not so good. My boss is a nightmare—arrogant, bossy, sassy, you name it. Finds fault in everything I do.”

I laughed softly. “Oh, sorry. Well… my boss isn’t arrogant. At least not yet. He’s been polite, and people here seem fine with his aura. I guess he’s… nice, so far.”

“Lucky you. I hope mine loosens up. Anyway, talk later, babe. Love you.”

“Love you too,” I said, ending the call.

Leaning back in my chair, I finally allowed myself a smile. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as I feared.

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