Be My Secretary?

No, you're not imagining this.

First of all, I would like to apologize to all the fans of BMS. It's been five whole years since I updated this story and since then my life has been evolving constantly. I graduated high school, graduated college, moved to a whole new city, and have been trying my hand at being an adult (heads up: it's not easy).

Ultimately, this story was put on the backburner, and eventually I forgot about my account all together. However, I recently started thinking about my creative writing again and realized that I haven't been writing for fun as much as I used to, which I am not OK with. I won't lie, my writing has changed, because I have changed. However, this site gave me my first taste of writing and I want to grasp that fire and passion again. I'm pretty rusty, so bear with me as I start this process again.

So, with further ado, I present to you the next chapter of Be My Secretary. I can't make up for my five years of silence, but for those who have stuck with me and have been looking forward to seeing this story progress, I promise I will finish it. It may be slow, but it's the promise of a lifetime. I can't thank all of you enough.

I hope you enjoy. Xx

ShelbySabaku

Disclaimer: Still no.

Summary: The companies have split. The companies have split. Which leaves Sakura being fought over by seven billionaires so she can be their personal secretary. Whatever that means. Of course though, Sakura being….well Sakura we've got other company owners fighting for the rosette. Who will prevail? Who will fail? Who will annoy Sakura to the point of her ripping out her hair? Let us read.

Of all the workdays, this was the one Sakura couldn't prepare for.

Gaara Sabaku: legendary businessman, ruthless negotiator, and silent but deadly entrepreneur. He was a man that struck fear in competing companies, and never took no for an answer.

Except when it came to Sakura.

"No."

"Sakura."

"No, Sabaku-san."

"Sakura, we talked about this already."

"I know, Sabaku-san."

Gaara growled in aggravated exasperation. This was Sakura, a woman who worked for him for years, attended his sibling's weddings, and even had their numbers on speed dial. She knew everything about him.

And she wouldn't even call him by his damn first name.

"Fine. Be that way if you want, but I will get you to call me Gaara by the end of the day," the red haired billionaire growled underneath his breath. He chose to ignore the pink haired beauty's haughty smile of achievement. She had no idea what she was in for.

"Great!" Sakura clapped her hands together and laughed slightly. She knew that he would be persistent the rest of the day about it, but for now she won this battle, and she would definitely enjoy it. "So what do you need me to start working on?" Once asking the question, Sakura snapped immediately into professional mode. Her goal was simple: work and get out of there as soon as possible. No surprise kisses, no spontaneous cuddles, and definitely no forceful groping. She was so close to the finish line, and she was determined to finish strong and professional.

"There are more merger papers that I need you to look over and fax to other companies," Gaara instructed as the two of them walked down his new office. "It looks like everyone other than the two of us are completely incompetent idiots because no one can do a simple task quickly and efficiently."

Sakura sweatdropped at Gaara's comment. The feisty redhead's standards were exceptionally high, and not everyone could hold up to them. Of course, Sakura could, which was one of the reasons all these reckless billionaires' were so adamant to keep her.

Plus, they were also madly in love with her apparently, but Sakura chose to ignore that.

"Of course, I can't get those done for you immediately Sabaku-san," Sakura replied and quickly looked over the stack of papers.

"I'm sure you can Sakura," Gaara purred and gave her a mischievous side-eye glance. Sakura simply rolled her eyes in response.

"So if there a desk you've assigned to me or," Sakura looked around the office. It was coming along, but Sakura knew that it would be months until it was up to Gaara's standards. Sakura watched as the construction workers visibly tensed as the billionaire walked past them, and honestly she couldn't blame them.

"Desk?" Gaara sarcastically scoffed as they continued to walk down the hall. "You think I would let you sit at some flimsy desk? If it were up to me, you'd be working in an executive suite in the most high-class hotel in the country."

"Alright, well that would be a little bit much." Sakura simply said and took in her surroundings. "Where am I working then?"

Finally, after what felt like forever, the two of them came to a halt in front of a large wooden door. Gaara turned to her completely with a smirk on his face.

"Your office of course Sakura," he winked. "Open the door and see for yourself."

For the first time all day, Sakura hesitated. Only god knew what was behind that door, and judging from the other billionaires' antics, it was sure to be extravagant. After a few seconds, she took a deep breath and turned the knob.

It exceeded expectations.

Sakura's eyes widened as she stepped into the office. It was the perfect size, nothing too big and spacious. It was a cozy corner office, equipped with a plush tan couch and a modern jade desk. She unconsciously stroked the desk as she walked past, enjoying the vases of free blue hydrangeas that sat in the corner. A silver MacBrook pro rested in the middle.

"Do you like it?" Gaara asked exactly, holding his breath waiting for her answer. He could see from her initial reaction that she was pleased, but he needed to hear her say it.

"It's really nice," Sakura nearly whispered and gave a small smile to her boss.

Sakura's eyes immediately went to the photographs on the desk, which only consisted of her and Gaara attending work events and weddings.

"Nice touch," Sakura said dryly presenting one of the frames to Gaara.

"Didn't want you to forget about me while you were working," he shrugged and smirked.

"I'm pretty sure you cropped Sasuke out of this one," Sakura said while examining each photo.

"He was bringing down the photo."

Sakura couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the comment. One particular photo made her smile, one of her, Gaara, Temari, and their brother Kankuro posing together at his wedding.

"This was a nice night. Kankuro looked very dashing." Sakura smiled and looked at Gaara.

"I like that photo. You fit in with the family well," Gaara smiled and his eyes softened at her.

Immediately upon seeing his expression, Sakura cleared her throat and sat down at the desk.

'Ugh, even the chair is so comfortable,' Sakura thought to herself.

"Well I'm going to get started on these reports," Sakura told Gaara, who nodded in response.

"I'll let you get to work then," Gaara said but didn't move from the doorframe.

Sakura watched him, expecting him to leave. This was a huge amount of work, and she needed to get started immediately if she wanted to finish relatively quick.

"We will get lunch together," Gaara told her. It was more of a statement than a question.

Sakura wanted to object at first, but she decided it was only fair since the other billionaires have dragged her across the city on numerous occasions.

"Fine, but only if you let me work in piece," Sakura said sternly.

"Deal," Gaara smirked and promptly walked out of the room.

Much to Sakura's glee, things were actually going quite well.

She was nearly done with the assignment Gaara gave her, and was confident she could knock out a few more tasks before the day was over.

'I really am the total package,' Sakura thought to herself as she typed on her laptop.

"You most certainly are," a droll voice said snapping Sakura out of her trance.

"Oh my god did I say that out loud?" Sakura semi-screeched and looked up from her keyboard.

There stood Shikamaru Nara, dressed in a crinkled white dress shirt, loose tie, and well fitting dress pants. She should have known Shikamaru was there, because immediately upon seeing him she could smell the faint stench of cigarette smoke.

"Nara-san, what are you doing here?" Sakura cocked her head to the side, genuinely confused.

"Hm, Gaara is using the same team as I did to construct his office and wanted to seethe at me in person for it taking so long" Shikamaru said and casually walked into her office, scrutinizing every detail.

"He chose today for you to come by?" Sakura asked with suspicion? If she knew Gaara, and she did, he would never allow another man into his office if she was working.

"No, he asked me to come by last week but it was too troublesome," Shikamaru shrugged and plopped himself down on the couch. "Mind if I smoke in here?"

"Don't you even think about it," Sakura threatened, her eyes transforming into slits.

"Chill out woman I'm just playing," Shikamaru rolled his eyes.

"So does Gaara even know you're here?" Sakura leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. She already knew the answer.

"No, thought I'd stop by to say hi to you first," The lazy billionaire replied.

"Well you said hi, so go speak to him," She eventually stood up in an attempt to shoo him out of her office.

"He's just going to bitch and complain about something that's completely out of my control, what's the point?"

"Well if you're not going to speak to him, then leave. If he catches you in here, then I'll have to endure the bitching and complaining," Sakura said glancing at the door.

"You signed up for it."

"I mean, not really."

Shikamaru hmm-ed, but offered no further reply. He just needed her to take a few more steps forward. Then, as if Shikamaru controlled her movements, she did.

'Gotcha,' Shikamaru thought and quickly grabbed her hand.

Sakura squealed as she toppled onto the billionaire's lap, who immediately grasped her waist.

"Let go, Gaara is absolutely going to kill you in cold blood if he sees this," Sakura wriggled in his lap but stopped when he cleared his throat.

"If you keep doing that I'm definitely not going to stop, so sit still for a second," Shikamaru drolled and looked at her eyes in explanation.

Sakura's face tinged pink, and she grudgingly did as she was told.

"So, has this little inane experiment helped you make any decisions?" Shikamaru asked and glossed his eyes over her smooth, creamy legs.

"Ugh no, if anything I'm even more confused." Sakura complained and looked off in the distance with despair.

"Troublesome woman, it's not rocket science, you could always just apply to other companies with no connection to those idiots."

"Like I tried with you? Look where that got me," Sakura exclaimed and motioned to their position. "Plus, the amount of wrath that all of you would inflict on that poor person would be ruthless, I'd be wracked with guilt."

"Whatever. Your call, just make sure you choose me," The Nara smirked and quickly rubbed her leg.

"Oh shut up," Sakura rolled her eyes.

"What the hell is going on in here?" A snarl immediately took over the room, which prompted both Shikamaru and Sakura to visibly tense. As if she was on fire, Sakura lept from Shikamaru's lap.

"Gaara, please don't freak out. I fell, and Shikamaru just, he just, um," Sakura franticly attempted to come up with an excuse, but fell short.

"He was just being Shikamaru Nara, cunning, manipulative, evil," Gaara continued to seethe. If looks could kill, Shikamaru would have died twice over.

"Troublesome," The Nara muttered, clearly perturbed that him and Sakura's moment was officially over. "I'm leaving," He stood up and raised his hands in a truce. "It was good seeing you Sakura," he said to the pinkette and quickly squeezed her hand. "Gaara, if you have something to complain about, leave a message with my temporary secretary."

"Get out before I call the police," the redhead growled at the brunette. Mimicking an owl, Gaara turned his head completely as Shikamaru walked out the room, grabbing a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket.

Once Shikamaru was out of sight, that's when Gaara turned back to Sakura, who physically gulped awaiting a verbal lashing.

Gaara stood silent for a moment, regaining his composure. Once he clenched his fists and opened his eyes, Sakura could see that he had calmed down. She needed to do some damage control stat.

"Lunch?" Sakura threw a finger-gun at him, hoping he would let this go for now.

Gaara nodded. That damn Nara ticked him off big time, but he would make sure his appearance didn't interfere with his day with his precious pinkette.

"Alright, great let's go! Your pick!" Sakura quickly grabbed her belongings off the desk and raced out of the office, leaving Gaara alone in her office.

"So, I went through the files and faxed them over to the companies. I also called them to confirm they received them, but got a few answering machines so I left a voicemail and told them to either call or email you later. I have a few more to do, but once I get back they'll be done immediately." Sakura said as she picked at her bento box.

Her and Gaara didn't have much in common, but their love of good sushi was definitely a common trait. She remembered the first time she caught the redhead enjoying a platter of sushi from one of the best restaurants around, and he let her dine with her in his office when she shyly shared that it was one of her favorite foods.

"Great, but I don't want to talk about work," Gaara said with no emotion.

For what felt like the one hundredth time of the day, Sakura gulped. "Alright," she replied slowly. "Then what do you want to talk about?"

In the back of her mind, she suspected she knew what he was going to bring up. That heated conversation in the parking lot, where he asked her to marry him, was always lurking in the corners of her brain. She still had trouble maining her composure in front of him, but she refused to let it affect her professional attitude.

"I have a feeling you know, but I'll humor you," Gaara set his utensils down and looked her dead in the eye.

"I want to marry you," He said completely serious.

Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had to just face the music and turn down one of the world's most influential businessmen. Totally casual right? Happens every day.

"Sabaku-san, you know that I cannot do that."

"I absolutely do not know that."

"You do."

"I don't."

"You do!" Sakura exclaimed a little too loudly for the small restaurant, which caught the attention of fellow diners.

"Explain to me why."

"Sabaku-san, this is an interesting situation all of us are in to say the least," Sakura searched through her mind in order to gather her thoughts. "I understand you're concerned about losing me as a part of your team, but marriage is certainly not the obvious choice. That's a sacred oath, and personally I'm a little offended that you would ask such an important question so spur of the moment, without any thought at all."

Sakura's speech revved her a little bit, making her grow irritated at the situation. Sure, marriage was something Sakura would like to experience eventually, but she needed to focus on her career, her finances, and her future. Plus, with all these hormonal men prowling around her, the thought of her being able to even date was next to impossible. Frankly, Sakura wasn't getting hitched anytime soon, much less to a temperamental redhead who doesn't take it seriously.

Gaara listened to her without any interjection, but showed no emotion during her speech. Finally, once she was done, and had visibly calmed her nerves, he reached into his pocket and placed a black velvet box in front of her.

"What is this?" Sakura asked without making any movement to reach for the box.

"Sakura you're not daft, stop acting like it," Gaara muttered and drummed his fingers on the table. "Just open it."

Sakura hesitated, suspiciously eyeing Gaara the whole time.

"Please," He finally said, leading Sakura's eyes to widen.

Finally, Sakura reached for the box and held it in her hands. It was soft, plush like his seats in his previous office. She took a deep breath, and opened the small container.

In that moment, Sakura felt like she could faint.

Nestled between two satin cushes stood a ring. A diamond ring. The jewelry wasn't was a simple silver band with a three-carat diamond, but adorned with two small emerald stones framing each side. It was as if both her and Gaara's eyes were looking over it.

God, she hated to admit it, but it was perfect.

"Gaara, I can't," Sakura started to reply, her heartbeat becoming faster the longer she looked at the ring, but he stopped her before she could finish.

"Let me speak Sakura," Gaara said. He cleared his throat, and locked eyes with the pinkette.

"This wasn't a rash decision," Gaara began. "The circumstances of my proposal were unfortunate, and I regret that, but don't think for a minute that I would ask something of you of such importance if I hadn't thought long and hard about it, you know me better than that."

Sakura remained silent, nearly speechless.

"Inside the ring you will see something inscribed," Gaara gestured to the jewelry.

As if she was no longer in charge of her body, she examined the ring closer. Inside, in small italic letters read the date August 23, 2007.

"This was the date we hired you," Gaara pointed out. "That was the day that I saw you for the first time, a day that is one of the most important moments of my life."

Sakura gulped. She was nearing tears.

"You will also see that there is space on the other side of the ring," He continued. "I intend to inscribe that section as well, with the date of our wedding."

Sakura opened and closed her mouth, but words were impossible at that point.

"I will not ask you to answer now Sakura," Gaara said. "You know very well what an impatient man I am, but in this moment I will show you grace. This is not a decision I take lightly, and I do not want you to either, but you need to know that this is not a spur of the moment decision as you put it, I've thought about it for a very long time."

Sakura nodded, but couldn't mutter even a word.

Gaara nodded in return, and pushed his dishes away from him.

"Are you finished?" Gaara asked Sakura, who quickly nodded and pushed her plates away as well.

"Well then, let's get back to the office." He stated and stood up, waiting for her to follow suit.

Sakura stood up, her hands shaking with the velvet box in her hand. She silently followed Gaara out of the restaurant, her mind hazy as a storm.

"Thanks for the ride home," Sakura smiled at Gaara in the passenger seat of his sleek Mercedes.

"You really need to stop taking the bus, for all of our sanities at the very least," Gaara side-eyed the pinkette and glanced at her front door for a moment.

"I'll consider that," Sakura laughed slightly.

Both she and Gaara knew that she would not.

"You did an excellent job, to no surprise," Gaara stated matter of fact. "You managed to accomplish a number of tasks that no average individual would be able to. You are truly one of a kind Sakura."

Sakura blushed slightly at the compliment, and thanked Gaara quietly. She opened the car door, but froze upon realization.

"Wait, I need to give this back to you," Sakura exclaimed and went through her purse. She grabbed the velvet box and handed it to Gaara.

"No, it is yours," Gaara didn't even move.

"Gaara, I can't keep this."

In a slow movement, Gaara grabbed Sakura's hand holding the box and looked deep into her eyes. She gently stroked her hand with his thumb, but never broke eye contact.

"It is yours," He repeated. "Hold onto it until you have absolutely, with no question, have made a decision. Until then, keep it safe, because I don't plan to give a ring to anyone else."

Realizing that there was no point in arguing with him, Sakura put the ring back in her bag, reminding herself to store it in a lockbox when she got home.

"Fine, I will," Sakura agreed. Before stepping out of the car, Sakura turned back to Gaara, and in a flash, leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Don't let that get to your head!" Sakura yelled and quickly ran out of the car into her home.

There sat Gaara, completely frozen, his heart beating a million miles a minute.

The television droned in the background as Sakura laid on the couch, twirling the velvet box in her hands.

'I cannot believe this is actually happening,' Sakura thought to herself.

That moment, Sakura's phone rang, which snapped her out of her dreamlike state. Without thinking, she answered the phone, and immediately regretted that decision.

"Sakura," Pein's voice echoed into the receiver.

"Hi Pein," Sakura replied.

"Are you prepping for your work tomorrow?" Pein hummed on the phone, mischief dancing in his voice.

"Oh of course," Sakura replied with sarcasm.

"It'll be the grand finale of this whole ordeal, are you ready?" Pein genuinely asked.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," Sakura sighed, placing the velvet box on her coffee table. "I have to get ready for bed, I'll see you tomorrow Pein."

"I look forward to seeing you Sakura, dream of me," With that, the phone went dead.

Sakura sighed and leaned back onto the couch, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow was the final workday, and after that she would face a basically impossible decision. She was tired, stressed, and completely confused.

There was only one answer to this: ice cream.

Not like I deserve it, but please review. It's good to be back.