MAVIS was wondering why there was no result on Google and Facebook showing about her supposed-to-be boss—Rush Dela Vega. She wanted to research about him before sleeping, but she didn’t see any information on the internet about him. There was no picture of her boss on the portfolio that Miss Chua gave her. The portfolio only includes what his hobbies, likes, dislikes and his schedule are. Even the company website of the Dela Vega Corporation has no picture of the CEO.

            Mavis wanted to see Rush Dela Vega’s face so that she could be ready even before she meets him in person. She always wanted to be prepared and ready. According to her best friend Nyx, she saw Rush Dela Vega on a gala last year, but why doesn’t he have a single picture in the internet? These days, it’s already impossible to not have a picture in social media that’s why she couldn’t help but wonder about her new boss’s identity.

Before Mavis went home earlier, Miss Chua and Mr. Castillo toured her around the DV headquarters. She was told that Rush Dela Vega went on a site visit that’s why she couldn’t meet him. But Miss Chua and Mr. Castillo already briefed her about what she needed to do as an executive assistant. They have also given her tips.

            Mavis was planning to read Rush’s portfolio on the weekend but because she’s curious about his personality, she immediately read it. She didn’t get to ask who compiled the portfolio of her supposed-to-be boss, but the details in the portfolio were all specific. From how he wants his coffee—if it isn’t from his favourite café, you’ll be dead—to how he wants his day-to-day activities to go by. It was like a thesis paper on Rush Dela Vega.

            She was in the middle of reading it all when her phone beeped. It was an indicator that she has a new email in her personal one. It was from Miss Chua.

---

From: Daena Jade A. Chua

To: Mavis Policarpio

CC: David R. Castillo

Subject: IMPORTANT: Report to work tomorrow

Miss Policarpio,

Apologies for suddenly springing this up on you, but can you possibly make it to work tomorrow? Maybe you can arrange for an early exit from Avira? Our CEO is very adamant that you report to work tomorrow.

Please reply back as soon as you can.

Regards,

Daena Jade A. Chua

Human Resources Director, Dela Vega Corporation

---

From: Mavis Policarpio

To: Daena Jade A. Chua

CC: David R. Castillo

Subject: RE: IMPORTANT: Report to work tomorrow

Miss Chua,

It’s sudden, but I’ll see what I can do. Will get back to you as soon as possible.

Regards,

Mavis Policarpio

---

From: Mavis Policarpio

To: Daena Jade A. Chua

CC: David R. Castillo

Subject: RE: IMPORTANT: Report to work tomorrow

Miss Chua,

            Good news! My boss approved of my early exit. I’ll just need to file the last two days of my stay in Avira as vacation leaves. I can report to work tomorrow.

Regards,

Mavis Policarpio

---

From: Daena Jade A. Chua

To: Mavis Policarpio; Rush Dela Vega

CC: David R. Castillo

Subject: RE: IMPORTANT: Report to work tomorrow

@Mavis Excellent news! And on that note, we’re pleased to officially welcome you to Dela Vega Corporation. I know I already said that this morning, but this made it more official. Welcome to the team.

@Rush, I’ll ask IT to make her an email now. Hopefully, it’ll be ready by tomorrow. Mavis already has your portfolio, so please email her if you still need to add something important.

Regards,

Daena Jade A. Chua

Human Resources Director, Dela Vega Corporation

---

From: Rush Dela Vega

To:Daena Jade A. Chua; Mavis Policarpio 

CC: David R. Castillo

Subject: RE: IMPORTANT: Report to work tomorrow

@Daena, no. Ensure that it’ll be ready within this day. Otherwise, how can she make my shortlist for tomorrow?

@Miss Policarpio, welcome to the team. I have nothing to add. Just follow what’s exactly listed in the portfolio.

Rush Dela Vega

CEO, Dela Vega Corporation

---

From: Mavis Policarpio

To: Rush Dela Vega; Daena Jade A. Chua

CC:David R. Castillo

Subject: RE: IMPORTANT: Report to work tomorrow

Noted, Sir.

Regards,

Mavis Policarpio

~~~

MAVIS made sure to arrive at DV Corp. before eight in the morning the next day. She familiarized herself with her new office and new job to start the day right. Miss Chua had informed her that she left her a box in the lobby receptionist. She already got it earlier. Its content was the credit card of her new boss, a business phone and his calling card. She was impressed on how fast Miss Chua works. 

And because of that, Mavis had already ordered her new boss’s preferred breakfast from the Silver Palace Hotel—which was also a part of DV Corp. She’s just waiting for it to be delivered right now. She had also bought her new boss a cup of coffee that’s already in the heating glass of his office table. She got him a newspaper that has his favorite crossword puzzle—according to his portfolio. It’s obviously her new boss’s habit to solve that paper’s crossword puzzle as a means of conditioning his mind before starting his every day work. She’s just praying that the breakfast delivery gets there first before her new boss does. 

According to Miss Daena, he was really particular, most especially in the morning. 

Mavis was living like a zombie yesterday. She forced her body to adjust immediately so she could come to work today. She felt like someone messed up with her head. She knows that she still hasn’t fully adjusted properly. Because she’s on a graveyard shift, her body was used to be awake in the evening and be asleep in the morning. Thankfully, her former boss agreed yesterday to make her remaining days in Avira as vacation leaves. That’s why when she received the go signal, she was in communication with Miss Chua and Mr. Castillo all day long so that she could be ready today.

Mavis could feel the pressure on Miss Chua and Mr. Castillo shoulders. She felt like their boss was already pressuring them. She had a hunch that her new boss is really the most hardworking individual as told by both Miss Chua and Mr. Castillo. She can’t help but be nervous because he sounded so serious in his email yesterday. But Mavis was fighting it, trying to condition herself that she can do everything that he might throw her way. She’s feeling grateful that she had someone familiar in the same floor as her.

Opposite to the CEO’s office is Mavis’ small office, and on the right side of her office is Mr. Castillo’s office together with his legal team. They were the only ones on that floor because the whole floor is occupied by a huge boardroom, the office of her new boss and his spare room—if ever he couldn’t go home because of work. Come to think of it, it’s already obvious that her new boss is really a “monster” when it comes to work. That’s why she already gave her family a heads up that she really might have no vacations at all. “Might” because even just a little bit, she still had hopes that her new boss was not that cruel.

While waiting for the breakfast delivery, Mavis read the email threads so that she could be updated with the current projects and business dealings of her new boss. So she could also do a shortlist for him today. It’s a good thing that important emails had been forwarded to her yesterday. On top of that, her new boss had also forwarded the emails she needed to prioritize today. That’s why she’s studying his current projects and business dealings so that she could be more ready when she faces him later. 

She doesn’t want Miss Chua and Mr. Castillo to be humiliated in front of Mr. Dela Vega if she has done a mistake. She doesn’t want him to doubt why the two of them hired her. Thankfully, the IT team immediately gave her a company email that’s why she already has an insight on the events that had transpired in the past few days. She remembered the way her new boss said that she needed to have an email within yesterday. She can really feel his seriousness.

Even before Mavis could finish the shortlist, her business phone already beeped. It was a text message from Cindy—the receptionist in the lobby—to inform her that her new boss has arrived. And just like what’s in his portfolio, he arrived exactly at seven-forty in the DV building. 

Mavis rushed to finish the shortlist and she fixed her attire—a millennial pink skirt and white top—before she walked to the elevator of the twenty-fourth floor of DV Corporation to wait for her new boss. She forced herself to calm down because she suddenly felt nervous. She just told herself that it was excitement for meeting her new boss.

She pasted a formal smile on her lips. Five minutes had passed when the elevator door opened. A tall and fit man wearing a three-piece business suit came out of it. Mavis was attacked by the overwhelming scent of musk, wood and mint. It was quite addicting. She forced herself not to move closer and sniff her new boss. He really smelled good. 

Sh*t!