The Billionaire & I by Dami241

"Move out the way you deranged cocksucker!"

The taxi driver singlehandedly manoeuvred his way through the morning New York rush hour traffic. My fingers gripped the rough leather of the passenger seat as the car swerved to the right again. I was overwhelmed but grateful.

"Sorry miss!" He yelled.

"It's no problem," I assured him, then checked my watch for the fifth or maybe fiftieth time since entering the taxi. I was officially ten minutes to my first day of work. Great.

"Dieter & Leona, miss," the driver announced as the vehicle came to a screeching stop outside the tinted skyscraper.

"Thank you so much," I checked the meter and handed him a twenty-dollar bill, "keep the change."

I couldn't afford to act in the role of a philanthropist and give away my change to taxi drivers but it didn't matter much right now. I was too late and thankful to be concerned about my financial strains. I half-heartedly watched as the cab sped off before turning to face the large building behind me. It was as high as all the other skyscrapers in the vicinity, yet more daunting.

Dieter & Leona was a large technology marketing company that started from nearly nothing in the 1980s and grew to be the corporate giant it now was decades later. It was owned by the Russian couple, Dieter and Leona Lukas, who came to New York in the early 2000s with nothing but a dream and a whole load of luck.

This was why I was lucky to have received the 'congratulations!' email two weeks ago. It had been another day of unsuccessful interviews and zero callbacks when I saw the mail congratulating me on my new employment as a sales analyst in their secondary sales department. I'd been ecstatic and shocked.

Staring up at the sleek building felt surreal-this was truly happening. Several other skyscrapers lined the streets; this avenue was known for quite a good number of vivacious billionaires and businesses. Apple Inc. was just down the street. People of different ages and races moved about in their numbers while I stood frozen in the middle of the sidewalk. It was a miracle no one had bumped into me yet. Snapping out of it, I checked my watch again and groaned. I had no time to fret. It was now or never. My feet quickly carried me up the stairs that led to the entrance of the building.

Was I terrified? Yes.

Nonetheless, I carried myself with the amount of confidence only a latecomer could muster and walked past the revolving doors. The cool air instantly engulfed me and I welcomed the temperature difference with a sigh. I'd been running since I woke up twenty minutes late this morning. Looking around, the lobby was also filled with people of different calibre, carrying papers, files, laptops and earpieces around. Everyone looked busy.

"Good morning," I greeted one of the ladies behind the long reception desk.

"Good morning, welcome to the Dieter & Leona mega tower. I'm Ishanel, how may I help you today?" She sounded like a robot from a sci-fi movie and I couldn't shake off the feeling she'd likely fail a ReCaptcha test.

"I'm Ophelia Duhamels, I was interviewed for the sales analyst job about a month ago and received the email that I could start work today two weeks ago," I said all under a single breath.

"What department please?" She asked.

"The sales department, the secondary department," I replied and she nodded then pressed a few keys on her keyboard.

"I'll call Mary and she will be here to assist you in a bit," she finally smiled and I nodded. I took the time to observe my surroundings. Two ladies both in black pantsuits passed by talking about their respective weekends. Their weekends sounded awesome.

I crossed my feet and looked away. My weekend was spent mostly in anticipation of today. When I wasn't losing my shit over the start of my new job, I thought about how my rent would be due soon. Then I remembered my new job and anticipated it even more. It was a depressing cycle but I'd seen worse days. Today finally came and as though my plight wasn't hard enough, the universe snoozed my alarm. The universe, not me.

"Miss Duhamels! For a second I thought you weren't going to show."

Looking up, my eyes met the pretty red-haired woman who approached me with a wide smile. I immediately remembered her as the lady who'd interviewed me nearly a month ago. She was smiling, maybe there was still hope.

"I'm so sorry for being late, alarm and traffic issues," I explained and internally prayed my spot hadn't been given to someone else already.

"It's alright, I understand," she waved her hand dismissively then steered me in the direction of the elevators, "I've been pretty busy, trying to sort out some other company issues."

I nodded in understanding. Relief instantly filled me. I couldn't afford to lose this job.

The red numbers of the digital counter on the elevator slowly decreased from twenty-five till it showed 'L'. About half a dozen people exited the elevator before Mary and I, alongside other employees, were able to enter. Her phone rang but she pressed the button for the fourteenth floor and smiled at me again before answering her call. We stood at the front so my reflection was visible to me through the reflective surface of the doors.

My pink top was still neatly tucked into my grey knee-length skirt. I'd had this outfit ready since Friday, and paired it with my trusty black pumps.

I unnecessarily adjusted my pale blonde hair and fumbled with my fingers. The elevator stopped at the fourteenth floor and I breathed out before following Mary--who was still on her call--out.

"I'll call you back in a few minutes," she said and ended the call then turned to me, "I'm sorry, we're busier than normal today," she sighed.

"It's no problem," I reassured her. As long as I still had the job, I was good with anything. She smiled and clasped her hands together. It was time.