Chapter 14. Attitude Shock
Lilly Bradley
I wanted the ground to swallow me up and spit me out far away from there. My heart pounded as I heard that Leah's blind date was none other than my new boss. "Lilly, you and your big mouth."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Johnson." I extended my hand in introduction, and of course, out of politeness, but he showed no interest in responding. "You've just arrived and you're already fired," I thought. His eyes fixed on me for a few moments in silence, even the woman next to me noticed what was happening.
"Jackson?" she called him by his name, and he quickly reacted.
"Yes?" he answered with a question, ignoring me.
"The new administrator is introducing herself. Don't give a bad impression of the company. What will she think?"
"That it's my private elevator." Maxima let out a laugh.
"Don't be like that, she got lost and took the wrong elevator."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was private. It won't happen again," I tried to apologize, but I felt it wasn't necessary.
"And I'll make sure of that," he replied with a hardened jaw. What is wrong with this man?
"Yes, yes, you definitely will," Maxima said. "Come on, Lilly, I'll show you your new office on the twentieth floor of administration." Then she looked at the man in front of us. "Where will you be? I want to discuss some matters in private."
"I was going to your office, but I see you're busy. I'll see you later."
"Fine, I won't be long." The man entered the elevator again, but not before signaling with his fingers that he would be watching me. How immature! I politely ignored his gesture and followed Maxima.
After a tour of the twentieth floor and meeting my colleagues, we finally arrived at the office. It was very bright, had basic furniture, and a direct line.
"After lunch, Andrea will come to show you the new codes to enter the system. In the meantime, I'll give you a brief introduction. This position involves managing the financial administration of our clients' properties and handling payments related to the properties. With your work experience, this should be a piece of cake for you, right?" I smiled.
"I'll do my best. You won't have any complaints..."
"That sounds perfect, but I have to warn you about something," I tensed up hearing her. What should she warn me about? "Have you noticed that you're now the only woman on the administration floor?" I hadn't really noticed that until she mentioned it.
"Yes," I replied, and she sighed.
"The warning comes now," she looked at me intently.
"You're already alerting me," I joked, and she let out a little laugh.
"Well, I chose you for your experience, your good recommendations, and I know I shouldn't say this, but I love the British accent," we shared a playful laugh. "Just kidding, it was all purely professional. I'll just give you this warning: Jackson Johnson tends to be rough, obsessive, secretive, and can get on your nerves sometimes. But he's a good boss, the benefits are excellent, better than the competition. Without a doubt, you'll like working with us."
"From what I've seen so far, I like it," she smiled, but that smile quickly disappeared.
"Many have left this company because they create a romantic and hopeful story in their heads," I frowned. "They fall in love with the boss and it ends badly."
"Fall in love? With that arrogant attitude he has...?" I cursed internally. "Sorry, I didn't mean to disrespect my new boss."
"Don't worry, Jackson can be arrogant when he wants to be. But as I said, he's a good boss. You'll get to know him little by little, but remember, don't fall like the other women."
"Believe me, the last thing I want right now is anything romantic with anyone, and much less with my boss." I shook my head as I made a brief pause. "Besides, it's neither ethical nor professional," I smiled confidently. "So, that's out of the question."
It was lunchtime, and I walked toward the lobby, hoping Leah would answer my call, but she didn't. This new job was really keeping her busy. So, I decided to send her a text saying I wouldn't be going to lunch. I resumed my walk back to the office, planning to order takeout and eat there. A handsome young man was in the lobby, signaling to me. I looked around to confirm if he was talking to me, and he nodded that he was. So, I approached him.
"Hi, are you new?" he asked. I nodded with a half-smile.
"Yes, I'm one of the administrators." He fell silent, as if frozen in place. "Is something wrong?"
"You're foreign, is that an English accent? From England?" he asked excitedly.
"Yes, I'm from London."
"Oh, that's very sexy," he commented with a smile. "I've never met anyone from England before, only seen it on TV." His smile widened, making him look like a catalog model, only missing the wind blowing through his hair. "Lilly, wake up," I told myself, clearing my throat.
"By the way, since I'm new and not from here, do you know a good place for takeout?" He nodded, looking for something in the lower part of his desk, then slid a small piece of paper across the surface to me.
"This sheet has the numbers of all the restaurants in the area. I recommend Luigi's portobello pizza. It's the best in New York."
"Thanks, you're very kind." I took the paper and headed to the employee elevator. When I got to the office, I sighed, realizing I'd be eating alone. I ordered a chicken salad and a lemon tea. Twenty minutes later, there was a knock at the door. I looked up from my phone and realized who it was. I stood up awkwardly, dropping my phone under the desk.
"Mr. Johnson," I said, recovering.
"Isn't it your lunch break?" he asked. I nodded quickly.
"Yes, I'm waiting for it." He raised an eyebrow, and I got a good look at him, remembering the man from the dinner and comparing him to the one in front of me. They looked the same, except for his abrasive attitude.
"Do you know we have an employee dining area? A cafeteria and places to sit?" I then understood his attitude.
"Oh, God, is it forbidden to eat in the office? If so, I didn't know." I tried not to feel uncomfortable.
"I prefer that the offices don't smell like food. That's why there's a dining area for you employees."
"Okay, thanks. I'll just wait for my food and eat in the dining area." His eyes scanned me.
"By the way, we ask that your clothing be as unprovocative and professional as possible."
I looked at my outfit. What was provocative about it? Didn't my blazer look executive? Or my dress pants? Was my blouse without cleavage provocative? I furrowed my brow, confused by his comment.
"What part of my clothing is provocative?"
"Your defiant attitude doesn't fit with my company, Miss Bradley." This made things worse. I widened my eyes, annoyed by his tone. Internally, I told myself to bite my tongue and not respond.
"Excuse me?" But I couldn't hold back. I had to show him I wasn't being provocative or defiant.
"I think you heard me perfectly."
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow.
"What do you have against me? I'm not being defiant, nor am I dressed provocatively. This is personal."
"You knew who I was, didn't you? Is that why you came here? You're just like all the other women, only looking for..." I raised my hand, interrupting him.
"Wow, do you think you're the last Coke in the desert? You have quite the ego, but let me tell you, you're wrong. I didn't know who you were, I didn't even know your name! So don't insinuate that I'm following you or that I'm here because of you." I let out a laugh that faded after a couple of seconds. I placed a hand on the surface of my new desk and gave him a look. "I'm Lilly Bradley, and I don't need to chase any man to get a job."