Chapter 6 Small World

• Serena P. O. V
• *Two months later.*
• The past two months have been hell. Jason got married to his girlfriend in a highly extravagant building in L.A. Their wedding was so lavish that it even made it to the business news as one of the most opulent weddings of the year. His new bride's glowing face made me sick. It was the last spark that made me even more eager to find a new job.
• After going through the interview process in many places, I finally landed in Pequira. Pequira is a tech company specializing in innovative software, AI, IoT solutions, and sustainable technologies. There are few employees, as they only started operating two years ago. Yet, if I look at the background and achievements of the owner, it's a very promising place. I got a positive impression during the interview. So when the headhunter made this offer, I accepted it immediately.
• Moving from a large corporation to a small company is certainly a new challenge. As a senior human resources officer, I had to run the division by myself, with one GA staff member under me.
• The day before my first day at the new office, psychosomatic symptoms struck me. I felt sick to my stomach. Even in the morning, I started to have doubts. Was moving companies the right choice?
• “Fighting, Serena. There could be many hot guys in your new office. FYI, most people who work in tech companies are pretty cool,” Eloise said with a teasing look.
• “Serena really needs the touch of a handsome man.” Renesmee replied to Eloise's words. And she openly gave me her full support, even giving me the lucky charm she got from Monaco.
• “And you easily discarded the handsome man you met in Monaco. These two months, you've been holding back your desires while imagining his dick.” Eloise giggled while patting the dining table.
• I threw a used tissue in her face. I shouldn't have told them about my one-night stand with Leopold. Yet, they cornered me when I arrived at the villa the next day after spending the night at Leopold's place.
• That one-night stand with Leopold actually left an impression on me the next day. With one look, Eloise and Renesmee immediately guessed what had happened to me. They didn't let me go until they forced me to tell them about how good Leopold was in bed.
• Two months later, they couldn't stop teasing me about Leopold.
• I wouldn't have been so upset if they had misdirected their taunts. The problem was that they targeted the taunts very specifically.
• I was unable to forget Leopold. After returning from Monaco, I was unable to sleep due to thoughts of his explicit genitals. Many times, I woke up covered in sweat from erotic dreams involving him and me.
• I even borrowed Renesmee's collection of pornographic movies to fulfill my desire. The result was useless.
• Evidently, a one-night stand isn't for everyone. I definitely couldn't forget Leopold's handsome figure.
• “It sticks like glue to your brain, making it hard to forget the BBC.” Renesmee smiled briefly before spreading chocolate jam on the toast.
• “Shut up!” I snapped emotionally. This morning, I would rather not listen to any form of teasing.
• “I pray that there's eye candy in your office. So you can approach and maybe even make you stop thinking about Leopold. Aren't you tired of self-service while imagining BBC Leopold's dick all the time?” Eloise's epic mocking frustrated me, reminding me of my one-night stand two months ago.
• I could only groan and snort. Again, I couldn't escape the remarks of my friends. Eloise once caught me masturbating while replaying the hottest sex in my life.
• “Don't just pick a man, Serena. Plus, you work for a tech company that's full of single men who don't like commitment. It's better to take care of your pussy than to give it to some random guy out there.” Eloise patted my shoulder and looked at me with a genuine twinkle. The other side of the chatty Eloise is the one who pays the most attention to my condition.
• “Serena will always remember how manly Leopold was,” Renesmee told Eloise, who was eating a salad. Then she turned her gaze to me. “Find an Arab or BBC man, too. Having an American won't satisfy you,” she continued.
• “Damn you!” I cursed, and they both cheered happily. “Oh… Lord. How can I be friends with these two lunatics?”
• Eloise put her arm around my shoulder with a big smile on her face. “You actually seem happy to be friends with me and Renesmee. You should be grateful to live with crazy people like us instead of living in the same house with Mr. General.”
• “Yes, I know that.” Despite questioning my sanity many times, I was grateful to be friends with them.
• I quickly grabbed my tote bag and left the dining room, which was the common room in this house. I originally lived in an apartment with the two of them. Then Eloise was the one who found this house in the city of Santa Clara, and it was quite cheap for working people like us. There were three rooms in the house, so we decided to rent it together. Co-living with these two was the best decision I made.
• We became friends while studying at Stanford University. Although we majored in different subjects, it didn't lessen the intimacy between us. Due to our busy schedules, we had limited interaction despite living together.
• There are many people who are fortunate to have been born into a warm family. As for someone like me, who was born into a dysfunctional family, it forced me to look for a family in another form. Here, my second family is Renesmee and Eloise.
• ***
• I arrived on time at Pequira's office on the 30th floor of the WeWork Revenue Tower in Silicon Valley. I stepped nervously into Pequira's office. I hoped my first day would go well.
• “Hi, Serena.”
• I turned around and faced Mr. Raymond. “Hello, Mr. Raymond. Good morning.”
• He was the Chief Technology Officer at Pequira. When I first met him during the test interview, his good looks immediately struck me. Yet, he is not my favorite type of man.
• I let out a harsh sigh as my mind started comparing Mr. Raymond to Leopold. I knew they were not the same.
• “Welcome, Serena.” He shook my hand firmly and with the firmness of a leader. “Thank you for joining Pequira.”
• I nodded with a genuine, friendly smile. “Thank you as well for the opportunity you have given me, Mr. Raymond. I hope I can contribute to the company.”
• “Of course, I look forward to your good progress in Pequira.” Mr. Raymond smiled formally.
• Mr. Raymond escorted me indoors and presented me to his staff. Sarah, the head of the design division, greeted me enthusiastically. I have a positive feeling about Sarah, even though we just met. And there was also Harry, whom I knew before. I had met him when he accompanied Mr. Raymond during my interview, and we had a little chat after that.
• “So, as you know, they categorize Pequira as a unicorn company. We need your experience and skills as Pequira is currently recruiting many employees. And we believe relying on a third party is no longer enough.” Mr. Raymond took me to another room filled with one person. “This is Olivia, the head of finance, who has been with Pequira for the past two years. You will be working with Olivia more often in handling employee salaries.”
• The shady-faced woman smiled and greeted me warmly. “Hi, Serena. It was nice to see you. I hope we can be good coworkers.”
• “Hi too, Olivia. Thank you for the kind words.” I returned the handshake and smiled with relief. The Pequira employee's warm reception dispelled my negative thoughts.
• Olivia nodded encouragingly. “Next week, there's a general affair staff member who will be joining Pequira. He'll be a staff member in your division.”
• I nodded. Mr. Raymond had already explained this when I received the offering letter. When I heard it again, my stomach was in knots once more.
• “I'll discuss the full job description when my partner arrives. Meanwhile, Harry will help me you set up an office account and email. Have a good first day at work.” Mr. Raymond left me to go, which was still awkward on the first day of work.
• My position as head of human resources allows me to have a private room, so I can focus more on my work. Luckily, my coworkers from other divisions were very welcoming. As Pequira's product manager, Harry was very knowledgeable about the company. He told me many things that I understood a little. At least my nerves were starting to ease.
• Mr. Raymond sent a meeting invitation after lunch. This was my first experience working in a coworking space. Each company has its own space. Yet, there are common areas throughout the building. Including the meeting room.
• Mr. Raymond was already waiting in the meeting room. I was a little late because I had to find this room. The mature man was not sitting alone. I saw another man sitting with his back to the door. If I look around at his posture, I feel familiar with that figure.
• “Welcome. I've been waiting for you since fifteen minutes ago.” Mr. Raymond smiled formally as he asked me to sit in an empty seat.
• “Thank you, Mr. Raymond. And I'm sorry I'm late because I was looking for the meeting room,” I replied politely after sitting down. I felt embarrassed arriving late on my first day of work, so I looked down as soon as I entered the meeting room.
• “Leo, this is our new employee, who is the head of the human resources division. Serena Voss, please introduce yourself confidently,” Mr. Raymond commanded, and I promptly complied.
• I raised my face and sat up straight. A professional smile was on my lips. Yet, my smile quickly faded as soon as I discovered the identity of Pequira's big boss. This revelation caused the carefully crafted words in my mind to crumble.
• None other than Leopold.
• My one-night stand partner two months ago, during my vacation to Monaco, turned out to be the CEO of my new workplace.
• If I look at his eyes, which widened when he saw me, it seems like Leopold also realized who I was.