BEYOND THE BOARDROOM

Katherine awoke well before daylight, too agitated to go back to sleep. Moment was her first day as particular clerk to Alexander Greene, the fabulous CEO of Greene Enterprises. She had been featuring of working at his company ever since she was a little girl bedazzled by the flashing Greene halls dominating the megacity skyline. The job felt like her fortune. Katherine took redundant care getting ready, picking out a crisp white blouse and skirt, adding tasteful plums her grandmother had given her, and arranging her hair just so. This was the day she had been staying for her whole life.

The majestic Greene structure sounded to impend larger than ever as Katherine approached, polished shoes clicking on marble bottoms. The spectacular lobby with its soaring ceilings and massive artwork bullied Katherine with its sheer majesty. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the golden elevator that whisked her up to the hallowed superintendent position. Other aspirants had coveted this job, but Mr. Greene had seen commodity special in her. She only hoped she could live up to his great prospects.

Katherine envisaged Mr. Greene rising from his office with a warm smile, taking her hand and saying "Drink to the platoon, Miss Dawson!" But the Alexander Greene who coolly saluted her was far different from that kindly imaginary master. His sword slate eyes were cold and setting, his handshake brisk and insouciant. Taken suddenly by this bite event, Katherine plodded to keep up as Mr. Greene summarily outlined her secretarial duties in his cavernous corner office. No warm grins, no offer of mentorship or advice. Just cropped directives delivered while he glanced impatiently at emails on his computer screen.

Greene concluded his curt exposure by giving Katherine a quick stint of the administrative sect. She could scarcely concentrate on his instructions, stealing ganders at the satiny ultramodern art that adorned the hallway walls. This was the top bottom only the most elderly Greene officers and trusted sidekicks could pierce. Katherine reminded herself how lucky she was to walk these snotty halls.

Settling in at the modern office outside Mr. Greene's office, Katherine precisely arranged her inventories and diary. A print of Mr. Greene with the mayor reminded her of this man's immense status and power. He'd erected this company from the ground up through sheer fortitude and vision. She knew so important rode on her performance. The study was both thrilling and intimidating.

Any daydreams Katherine harbored about relating with the fabulous Mr. Greene were snappily extinguished during the morning superintendent staff meeting. Barking orders and grilling each superintendent on daily figures, Mr. Greene was a comprehensive, no- gibberish fireball. He'd no tolerance for defenses or inefficiency. But when the VP of Manufacturing mentioned conceivably demanding to close an underperforming Midwest factory, Katherine saw the first crack in Mr. Greene's granite like facade.

Agitating the 200 pious workers who would lose their jobs, Mr. Greene's eyes compactly clouded with empathy before continuing their usual flinty light. Katherine left the meeting induced her first print of her master as cold and impersonal was maybe unseasonable. There sounded to be further to this man than first met the eye.

During lunch break in the bustling hand cafeteria, Katherine asked fellow registers what the real Mr. Greene was like behind unrestricted doors. She learned of his inexhaustible work heritage erecting the company, but also his turndown to show vulnerability lest anyone see it as weakness. One stager adjunct commended that Mr. Greene no way let his guard down, not after being taken advantage of early in his career. Intimately, Katherine wondered what painful gests in his history had caused Mr. Greene to block his true tone behind walls of determinedness.

In the following weeks, Katherine sought openings to engage Mr. Greene in further than a insouciant manner, hoping to regard the man beneath the austere CEO armor. She donated for redundant duties, delivered his favored coffee order precisely on time, and dressed in her most professional vesture. On late nights finishing big systems, his rigid veneer would sometimes soften with fatigue, and Katherine lived for these moments. Under the bedimmed lights she detected flickers of the compassionate man she suspected Mr. Greene kept hidden down.

The first real crack in Mr. Greene's facade came on the evening they worked so late that the entire administrative sect stood empty save for the two of them. When Mr. Greene himself offered to order regale brought up to the office, Katherine knew the long hours had worn down his defenses. Over takeout cartons from his favorite eatery, their usual formality faded down. Full of wine and sick pleasure, Mr. Greene asked Katherine about her career Bourne. Admitting she hoped to be an administrative herself one day, his expression turned thoughtful and wistful. To Katherine's surprise, he told her she reminded him of his youngish tone – empty, but willing to outwork anyone to get ahead.

Katherine left the office that night feeling near to Mr. Greene than she'd have imagined possible weeks prior. But the coming morning, the tender man who had opened up to her under the cover of night was gone. Formerly again Mr. Greene was curt and distant, buried under the ceaseless pressures of running his conglomerate. Their intimate late- night discussion may as well have no way happened.

Baffled but not dissuaded, Katherine studied her inscrutable master more nearly than ever at the coming company-wide meeting. She watched for the fewest crack in his impenetrable veneer. But when he erupted in fury at a superintendent's mistake that had bring the company millions, Katherine quailed. This wasn't the sensitive man who had commiserated with her over takeout and wine. This was the ruthless commercial Goliath who clawed his way to the top by any means necessary.

But flashing back the weight of 200 jobs lost on Mr. Greene's heart, Katherine cleaved to her belief that a feeling heart beat under the cold CEO facade. There was a soulfulness and perceptivity to this man that she had been privileged to regard, if only fleetingly. She resolved to remain patient and caring, ready to console the real Mr. Greene when here-emerged from behind the emotional armor he wore like an alternate skin.

Katherine lost count of the gloamings she dallied late, buzzing Mr. Greene to ask if he demanded anything before he left for the night. She lived for the unguarded moments where gratefulness softened his expression and he wished her a sincere good night. On other nights, he brushed once with nary a word, his face a gravestone mask formerly more. But Katherine would not relinquish stopgap. She'd mince down at his walls sluggishly, gently, until the real man was uncovered. Until he could trust her with his full and true tone.

Stepping out into the bite night air when her long day eventually ended, Katherine glanced up at the Greene Enterprise structure, its loftiest bottoms still blazing with light. Nearly over there, she knew Mr. Greene sat alone in his sprawling office. Her new charge was clear to help this complicated, antithetical man crop from the fort he'd erected around himself over long times of immolation and treason. It would bear horizon less tolerance and compassion. But Katherine knew the real Mr. Greene was worth the trouble. She'd devote herself fully to uncovering that man – no matter how long it took.