Slipping my key into the keyhole of my front door, I sighed. It had been another exhausting day and I couldn’t wait to roll back my sheets and go to bed, although it was a little too early for that. The door squeaked open and I stepped in, turning on the lights as I closed the door behind me. A dark gloomy living room stood before me. I didn’t have the time to do much decorating since I was at work 24-7. I didn’t have time to do anything for myself. It was always work, work and more work. And it wasn’t like I was the manager or anything; I was just the assistant of the most busiest man in Oakland, Johnathan Rodney. He was always occupied with some sort of meeting, or business convention, and I was always occupied with all his work and personal affairs. Hence, I knew everything about his life. We were also very close, so we didn’t have arguments or squabbles. He did his work and I did what I was told to do. I wasn’t one of those inquisitive assistants who wanted to push their noses into everything. That was one of the main reasons why he liked how I worked. I just did my job professionally and didn’t mix my work life with my personal life—as if I had one.

I took off my jacket and hung it on the coat rack. I threw my bag into the couch and walked down the hall and into the kitchen. I opened the cupboard and scanned it thoroughly. There was nothing but canned soup. I sighed and closed it back. I went over to the fridge and did the same.
Milk, Orange juice and a couple eggs lied in front of me.
I didn’t even get to buy the groceries last weekend. Thanks to Johnathan.
I took up my phone and dialed the most called number on my speed dial: Pizza Hut. After ordering a large, cheese crust pepperoni pizza with vegetable and mushroom topping, I went upstairs to my room and changed into my robe.

Just then, my phone rang.
I picked up the receiver and said a quite casual ‘hello’.
The voice on the other end laughed. “Yendi? You sound so different!”
I didn’t reply. I was trying to recognize the voice that sounded so very familiar. And then I did. “Molly? Is that really you?”
“Live and in person!” Molly answered. She was her same bubbly self.
I laughed. “Oh my, Molly! Where have you been? It’s been so long.”
“I know Yenz, I know.” She replied, calling me by the name she used to call me when we were in college. “I have just been so busy that I didn’t realize how much time had passed since we last talked.”

“Tell me about it.” I said. “So how has the amazing New York job been going?”
She groaned. “Don’t even ask about that. I quit yesterday.”


“You did what? Molly, how could you? That has been your dream job since forever!” I exclaimed. I jumped unto my bed on my stomach and flung my legs in the air like I was a college girl again. I felt like sixteen.

“It turned out to be a dirty job that I couldn’t stand. And it’s not because I was disobedient, no, nothing like that. It was all because my boss, Mr. Andrew Taylor, was having an affair with my secretary. He was a married man, for crying out loud! And guess what? They both wanted me to keep it a secret when I found them making out on the copy machine. And it wasn’t only her, either. He was three- timing, if there’s such a word as that, with an intern who was seventeen. Can you believe that, Yenz? I was supposed to stay there? In that defiled working environment? No way.” She finished.
“Wow, what an experience. High school never ends, huh?” I said. “I would’ve done the same thing. So where are you now?”
“I’m home, baby! Back in your community, right behind your house!” she informed excitingly.
I screamed. “Oh my gosh, Molly! Why didn’t you come over? This is great! My best friend is here again! We have so much catching up to do!”
“I know!” Molly exclaimed. “What’s it been? Two Years?”
I nodded as if she could see me. “Yeah, two very short years. It feels like it was just yesterday I was with you at the airport.”
“Yeah. I have to see you, Yendi. Are you working tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I am. But we can have lunch together.” I suggested.
She agreed. “That sounds good. So, I’ll call you tomorrow then?”
“Yeah sure. I’m so glad you’re here, Molly. It’s so good to hear your voice again.”
“You too. I can’t wait for tomorrow. See you soon, Yendi.”
I bid her farewell and hung up the phone. That was the most interesting conversation I’ve had in two years. Wow, I couldn’t believe that she was back.

My doorbell rang loudly. I had almost forgotten the delicious pizza I had ordered. I ran downstairs quickly and scurried to the door.
“Hey Matt.” I greeted the pizza guy that I had become so accustomed to.
He handed me the pizza. “Hi Yendi.”
I smiled, gave him the money, and closed the door. Now, it was time to enjoy the scrumptious pizza that I had almost every night. I sat down and bit into a slice of the tasty snack. Molly was back, and that meant that college girl, Yendi Olsen, was back too.



The next morning, I was busy at work once again; and I couldn’t wait to have lunch with Molly. I sat at my desk professionally and studied Mr. Rodney’s agenda for the day. He had a meeting with an associate at ten, a business conference at twelve, he was scheduled to appear on a talk show at one and he had a photo shoot at four. What a busy day.
Just then, the busy man himself appeared at my office door.
“Ms. Olsen, how are you doing this morning?” he asked me, walking over to my desk.
I smiled. “I’m doing rather well, Mr. Rodney. And you?”
“I’m good as always.” He sat down in the chair adjacent to my desk. “You’re looking quite lovely today.”
I blushed slightly. “Why thank you, sir.” I looked down at my gorgeous purple dress and lavender full length coat, joined by my violet heels. “You’re looking pretty good too. Love the suit.” I complimented.

“Thanks. So what are my plans for the day?”
I scanned my computer. “You have a meeting in an hour, sir. Followed by a conference at twelve. I’ll page you the others.”
He smiled, displaying white pearly teeth. “Okay, good. How about you? Do you have any plans? I ask you every day and it’s a negative answer but something tells me that you’re up to something today.”

“Oh really? What tells you that?” I asked teasingly.

“It’s that glow on your face. You look quite happy about something to come.” He replied.
I giggled. “Well, actually, I’m meeting my best friend that I haven’t seen for two years for lunch today.”
“I’m very glad to hear that, Ms. Olsen.”
“Why is that?” I asked.
He hesitated and then got up. “Let’s just say that there’s this part of you that’s screaming to be let go of. To be free.”
I didn’t say anything.
He continued. “You’re a very young girl. How old are you? Nineteen?”
I laughed. “I’m twenty one, sir.”
“Exactly, very young. So act young, you know you want to.” He smiled and then stepped out of my office.
I sat there, dumbfounded by what he had said. I had a part of me that needed to be let go of? What the hell? What was he talking about? I knew deep down that some parts of what he said was right. I hardly knew myself anymore. I used to be this crazy party animal back in my college days, and now, here I was being a nerdy workaholic who hardly could find time for a manicure.
I sighed sadly at the thought of who I had become. I couldn’t remember the last time I went out and had fun. I couldn’t remember the last time I did anything.
I kicked my desk madly. Molly must have had tons of fun in New York, being her normal out going self, going to parties every weekend and dating like crazy.
Me?
I haven’t had a boyfriend since my last year of college two years ago. And it’s not like I couldn’t get one, because I’m extremely hot. I had the most gorgeous mahogany hair and blue eyes, a nice tall petite physique and a smile that could kill. Hence, I was unbelievably stunning.
So, what have I done to myself?
I turned around in my swizzle office chair to face the full length mirror behind me. I was still a heartthrob…but I was hiding behind a face filled with stress and depression. I had allowed Mr. Johnathan Rodney to change who I was. No, Mr. Rodney did nothing.
I changed myself…and I wasn’t happy about it.
I needed to find who I was again. The person whom, even Rodney, saw was disappearing.
I spinned around to my desk and took up my phone. I had to make an appointment with my lost hairstylist.


“Yendi!” Molly yelled from across the restaurant we had planned to meet.
I screamed and ran towards her with my arms opened wide. “Molly! Oh gosh, Molly! You look amazing!” I embraced my best friend from middle school.
“You too! Oh gosh, I can’t believe we’re together again!” she exclaimed.
We jumped and hugged each other for another minute.
“I love what you’ve done with your hair!” I complimented. “Pink streaks are so hot! Especially since you’re a natural blonde.”
She laughed. “Thanks. I did it last month. You look…”
My eyes lowered. “I look awful, I know.”

“No Yenz,” she corrected. “You can never look awful. You just look different.”
I led her over to a table in the back of the restaurant.

“I’m just so busy lately, I can’t find time to do anything.” I sulked.

“I can see that. Oh no Yenz, don’t tell me you’ve become a workaholic.”
I hesitated. “Well…define workaholic.”
She chuckled. “Who are you? And what have you done with my best friend?”

“I’m still right here…just behind paperwork and office meetings and everything Johnathan Rodney.” I informed honestly.

“Oh gosh, Johnathan Rodney’s your boss?” Molly asked surprisingly. “He’s yummy.”
I laughed. “I missed that about you, Molly. And I can’t be crushing on my boss.”
“Of course you can be. He’s totally crushable.” She laughed.
“He’s totally my boss.” I replied.
“And he’s totally hot…and you’re with him everyday. That must be like heaven.”
I shook my head. “No Molly, because I don’t like him.”
“You don’t? Why not?” she asked me sadly.
“I like him as a boss and a friend, no doubt about that. But nothing pass that line. That would be awkward.” I answered.
Molly raised her hand in the air and signaled the waiter. “Not if he likes you back.”
“Oh, I don’t think so.”
“You never know…” she sang teasingly.
The waiter came to our table and we both ordered the special Italian dish.

“Molly, stop that. I don’t like him like that, and he doesn’t either.”
She drank a mouthful of water which the waiter had carried with him. “Well have you asked him?”
I hit her playfully. “No! I’m not stupid.”
She giggled. “Oh listen to yourself. You used to be so confident and Yendiesh. What have you done to yourself?”
I groaned loudly. “Why does everyone keep asking me that question?”
“Sweetie,” she began. “You’re stunning, we know, but look at your hair—it’s a mess. When last have you done it?”
“A long time ago. But, I made an appointment with Betty a while ago, so can we not get into this?” I said embarrassingly.
She smiled. “Okay, fine.”
I thought I wanted to change the subject, but I stuck to it. “Do you know what Rodney said to me this morning?”
Molly leaned forward to hear what I had to say. “Spill,” she said.

“He said that I needed to let go and act younger. Isn’t that like totally demeaning?” I asked unhappily.

“You see? Even he sees that. And it’s not demeaning if it’s true.” She answered honestly.
“But he had the guts to tell me that in front of my face!”
“If he didn’t then he wouldn’t be a good friend now, would he?” she asked.
I threw back my head. “I guess not…”
“Good girl.” She said.
“So, enough about me. What have you been up to? Where’s your boyfriend?” I asked, leaning forward inquisitively.
She sighed. “I don’t have one for now. I met someone in New York though.”
My eyes lit up. “Really? C’mon tell me about him.”
“Well, I met him at work. He worked at the station beside mine, and I always saw him watching me. Normally, I would ignore him. But one day, I went straight up and asked him if he was watching me. He confessed embarrassingly and also said that it was because I was so breathtaking. Oh Yendi, the moment he said that I was drawn unto him. I’m a sucker for dreamy guys. So, we eventually began going out and I moved into his apartment…”

“You did what?” I asked astonishingly.

“You heard me. I moved in. We were perfect together, Yenz. You should’ve seen us together. We were couple of the year.” She finished.
“Then, what happened?”
She sighed. “I can’t do long distance relationships. I don’t have that trust in me. When I was about to return here, I had to break it off with him.”
I sympathized with her. “That’s sad.”

“I know,” she agreed.
Just then, the waiter returned with our meals and we dug in hungrily. Molly and I both loved Italian food. We used to go to the Italian restaurant on Fourth Avenue every Friday, back when we were in college. After Italian, came pizza and then ribs. It was strange how we had the same taste in food. And even stranger how we kind of resembled each other. We were often mistaken for sisters everywhere we went.
“So Molly, what are you going to do now that you’re back in California?” I asked, chewing my food.
She swallowed. “I don’t know yet. I might go job hunting tomorrow. Do you know anywhere that needs a columnist?”
The waiter revisited our table, advertising a new wine. Molly was quick to give in, and he poured us each a glass, leaving the bottle on the table.
“Well, you could check out ‘The Chic’ that’s next to my workplace. I hear that they’re always in need of new writers.” I informed. I took a sip of my wine. “Mmm, it’s good.”
Molly tasted hers too. “Yeah, it is. And I think I might even visit them when you’re going back to work.”
“Sounds good.” I answered. “Oh I have to page Rodney now to tell him about his other plans for the day.” I took out my pager and typed in the message.
“This food is amazing!” Molly exclaimed.
I nodded. “Yeah, because it’s Italian. It has to be amazing.”
Molly laughed. “It’s like they knew we were coming because I’m sure they don’t always put Italian on the menu.”
“I’m sure too.” I spooned another mouthful into my mouth.
Suddenly, my pager beeped. It was a reply to my message from Rodney.
I read it out loud. “Thanks for reminding me, Ms. Olsen. How would you like to appear on the talk show with me in half an hour?”
I screamed. “Oh my gosh, I’m going to appear on The Ellen Degeneres Show!!”
Molly screamed with me. “That’s great! In half an hour? You better go now.”
“But what about our lunch?” I asked jumpily.
“We can have lunch together anytime, but this is a one in a lifetime chance!” she reminded me excitingly.
I shrieked happily. I sent a ‘YES!’ to Rodney and jumped up from the table. “I’ll see you later, Molly.” I hugged her and ran off.
“You go girl!” she yelled after me. “I told you he liked you!”
I spinned around quickly. “No he doesn’t! We’re just friends!” I laughed and left the restaurant. Surprisingly, a sleek black limo was outside waiting for me.



I stepped into the limousine with class. It felt so good to be loading unto a limo as if it was apart of my everyday living. It could be apart of my everyday living…if Johnathan and I actually started dating…
I quickly erased the thought from my mind.
Inside the limo, awaited Rodney himself, with a sheepish grin on his face.
I smiled as I turned to face him. “You’re something else, Mr. Rodney,” I said with a laugh. “You knew that I would say yes all along, didn’t you?”
“Of course,” he replied. “Why wouldn’t you say yes? You never say no to me…”
I lowered my head and blushed slightly. “That’s because you’re my boss. I have to do what you say.”
“Oh, you do?” he asked me surprisingly.
“I don’t?” I answered his question with a question.

“Well, I guess…but not really. If it’s something like this, then it’s totally your own decision. I would really like to hear you say no to me, even just once.” He responded.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t worry. When the time is right, I will, most definitely.”
He smiled to himself.
I sat across from him and couldn’t help but to stare at his neatly trimmed figure. Molly was right. He was actually yummy…and delicious too. He had the most gorgeous face in the world—brown eyes that I could drown in, the perfect smile, excellent bone structure, and to top it off was his amazing long tousled tan hair that swept across his shoulders. How could I not have noticed his handsomeness?
I began to realize that I especially loved the days when he wore his hair in a pony- tail. It emphasized his atractivo. He was a very stunning man…and Yendi liked. I couldn’t believe that Molly had to be the one to tell me that. How weird.
I crossed my legs and looked up to see Rodney staring at me. I looked away quickly and awkwardly, but I could still feel his eyes on me, spotting my every move.
I cleared my throat embarrassingly. “Um, Mr. Rodney, when will we be arriving?” I asked to clear the air and to stop my heartbeat from racing as much as it was. I couldn’t allow myself to be distracted from my job, especially when I was Rodney’s assistant. I had to be professional.
He grinned at me weirdly. “I don’t know, Ms Olsen.”
“Well, what time should it start?” I asked again.
“You’re the assistant, you tell me.” He replied without wiping the grin off his face.
I checked my Blackberry nervously. “It begins at one…” I reminded him.
This was going to be a lot more awkward than I thought it would be. With Rodney staring at me so weirdly and smiling at me so often, I was almost positive that he liked me. I didn’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing…
Why does Molly always have to be right about everything??
I blame her. =/


The show took a longer time than we both thought, so Rodney postponed his photo shoot and agreed to let me off early. Phew, I really needed a couple hours to relax and just chill. I couldn’t remember the last time I did that.
We reloaded unto the limo tiredly. Being on the Ellen DeGeneres Show was a wonderful experience. I had a great time and I was extremely glad that Rodney had invited me. What I wasn’t glad about was his new interest in me. It’s not like I don’t like him, but I just can’t picture myself being with my boss of two years…that’s just plain wrong. Why’d he have to be damn hottt???
I kicked off my heels, took off my jacket and began to relax in the limo. I was exhausted. I felt like I would just pass out in my hot ride beside my boss. But I guess that wasn’t professional either.
“Tired aren’t you?” Rodney asked me suddenly.
I jumped at his voice. “Huh? What?” I asked groggily. I felt embarrassed to have replied so unprofessionally.
He laughed at my response. “Well you look like you enjoyed yourself a lot today,”
“Indeed I did,” I whispered. “Fun…”
He laughed even harder. “You know it’s hilarious seeing you like this. I’ve never seen this side of you before.”
“Which side?”
“The laid-back side.” He answered. “I like it. It seems more like the Yendi underneath.”
“I don’t have an underneath.” I replied foolishly. Obviously, I was drunk.
How very unprofessional!!!
He chuckled heartily. “You’re a funny girl, Ms Olsen.”
“My name is not Ms Olsen. It’s Yendi. Yen-di. Ms Olsen sounds old.” I yawned openly.
“Well you’re obviously tired..and drunk. Why don’t you go ahead and sleep?” he offered.
But I was already on that. His offer was just in time, and I fell asleep.