First Day

                                    

                                          
"Where are you going dressed like that?" 
                          
"Come on, not you too!" Cameron grunted, staring down at his lower body. He was wearing blue ripped denim jeans, a white golf T-shirt, and white sneakers; in contrast to MJ who was wearing a full peach business suit and heels.
                          
MJ rolled her eyes as she combed down her hair in order to hide her bruises. "Cameron, being my secretary and PA means that you are the face of my company, you need to look the part," She said.
                          
"But, it is just going to be the two of us today."
                          
MJ finished up her hair and turned to Cameron, and shook her head in disapproval. "Don't you have proper shoes and a single pair of a suit?" Cameron's cheeks turned red as he scratched his neck, unable to make eye contact. MJ sighed with her hands on her hips as she thought of a solution. "Wait." She frowned, and Cameron grinned as if he knew what was to come. "Didn't I buy you business suits six months ago?"
                          
"You did."
                          
"And?" She folded her arms expectantly.
                          
Cameron sighed and threw his hands up. "I had to sell them to get bail money when Esperanza got me arrested in Mexico three months ago," He said.
                          
MJ dropped her hands and looked around the room. "Don't you at least have a–" She paused and shut her eyes tightly. "Okay, I will get you in touch with my tailor and I will give you my card to get yourself some shoes, shirts, ties...the likes." She waved her hands nonchalantly. "Also, don't worry about Esperanza anymore, Liam is going to be handling her from now on."
                          
"Yeah." Cameron said sadly, playing with his watch.
                          
MJ frowned and walked towards him, and then held his hands. "What is wrong?" She asked, looking down on him since she was wearing heels; they were almost the same height, but he was a bit taller.
                          
"I just don't see the use; she has already ruined my life. Taking her off my radar is not gonna clean my record." He pulled his hands and walked away. "I'll find something... presentable," he said over his shoulder while heading to the bathroom.
                          
MJ sighed in contempt. Alastair was the one who knew how to deal with these things, he knew people who could make dockets disappear and clear someone's record in less than 24 hours. 
                          
They had been tracking Esperanza for over a year now, and MJ had put Cameron in charge since he was into partying and fun, something which Esperanza was into when she was not spilling blood and causing trouble. Cameron always located Esperanza, but each time he was close to catching her, she played one on him and got him arrested for three different crimes.
                          
"I'll be in the car!" She yelled and picked her new handbag and briefcase, and then walked out of the apartment. She found her bodyguards waiting outside, she nodded at them as Jackson, her new driver and head bodyguard, opened the passenger door to her black SUV.
                          
"Good morning, Miss Billings," he greeted, and she nodded in return.
                          
"Cameron will be out in a second," she said before she stepped into the car. 
                          
After a good ten minutes, Cameron finally stepped out of the apartment dressed in a new attire; he had changed into full length khaki pants, a white T-shirt, a blue formal suit jacket, and white leather Supega sneakers.
                          
"Good morning," he greeted the guards and stepped into the back with MJ.
                          
"You look great," MJ complimented with a proud smile.
                          
"I tried," he said with a nervous chuckle.
                          
Jackson took the wheel, and within thirty minutes, they were parked in front of Billings Corporations. 
                          
MJ stepped out of the car and stood at the entrance, Cameron joined her. "Don't worry, you'll do great." She reassured him. "Go right ahead and familiarize yourself with the building, we will meet in my office in a few." Cameron nodded and entered the building.
                          
"Everything is in order, Ma'am," Jackson reported as he stood in front of her, he had sent some of his guys to scout out the building before they arrived.
                          
"Thank you." MJ sighed in relief. "Listen, my b– assistant, Cameron, will have to leave the building at some point. I need your men to keep a close eye on him, I don't want anything to happen to him."
                          
"Don't worry, Miss, we will protect him and you with our lives," Jackson affirmed.
                          
MJ's shoulders relaxed a bit as she looked around the area. "Also, I need some men to watch over my brother, Jorge Billings," she said with a faraway look.
                          
"I'll get on it." Jackson nodded before he left.
                          
MJ closed her eyes and sighed, she stood up straight and squared her shoulders, lifting her head before she walked into the building; thanking the heavens for the silence and solitude.
                          
She took the elevator to the last floor, where her office was located. It was just as she remembered it to be; the floor to ceiling walls on the front and back sides, her huge desk, the office couch, Anita's desk, the cupboards, her awards, as well as the beverage stander.
                          
"Home sweet home," she sighed and walked around her desk. She placed her briefcase and laptop bag on the side, her handbag on the desk, and then plopped down on her chair. She laid back and closer her eyes, enjoying the moment; it had been so long since she had been in her office.
                          
Not even Logan's makeshift office could compare to this; this was her home, her building, her legacy – this was her life.
                          
"This looks good on you." She smiled and opened her eyes, to find Cameron standing in front of her desk, with his hands in his pockets, an uncomfortable look on his face.
                          
MJ placed her hands on the armrests and pulled herself forward, with her legs crossed; she had assumed her businesswoman demeanour. "Are you ready?" She asked.
                          
Cameron exhaled loudly. "I was born ready."
                          
MJ smirked. "Great, because we have a lot of work to do," she said as she picked up her suitcase and placed it on the table. "So, I just found out that the board is holding a meeting to dechair me in two weeks. I want us to go over the figures and sales since they have been in charge; how much we made, how much we lost, and how much we gained." She placed a set of documents on the table. "I've got all their contracts here," she paused as as she set up her laptop. "And I've got the summarized performance records from the last five years, right here."
                          
"What do you need me to do?" Cameron asked while pulling out a chair from MJ's desk, but MJ stopped him.
                          
"No, no, mister; there's no time to relax. Get those boxes on top of that shelf, we are going to go through all those files, word for word, figure by figure until the last one." She pointed at five boxes on top of Anita's shelf, with thick files in them.
                          
Cameron looked at the boxes and back at MJ as if he could not believe the grave he had dug himself into.
                          
MJ gave him an innocent look and asked, "Is there a problem?" Cameron swallowed and shook his head. "Great, because I've got a nasty surprise for our dear board members."