Eyeing her and her paperwork once more, I think, fuck it. She’s more than won me over qualification wise, and what she doesn’t know I can teach her. “Ms. Campbell, I’d like to offer you the job. Can you start tomorrow at seven thirty a.m.?”
“Wow. Of course, um, thank you so much. I’d be honored to work here for you Ms. Quinn.”
“I’ll get the contract drawn up over the next couple of days, but I need you here ASAP.”
“Is there anything I need to bring tomorrow?”
“Just your social security card, driver license, and your bank details.”
“I can do that.” She picks up her overly large bag and tucks a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear before straightening her clothing. She shoulders her bag and stands up straight, reaching her hand out to me. I take it in a firm grip and shake.
“See you tomorrow.” Turning on her heel, she goes to the door before turning back to me. “Thank you for this chance, Ms. Quinn, I won’t let you down, I promise.”
I smile, watching her leave my office. Once Steven has seen her out and she’s disappeared from view he goes back to his office down the hall.
I grab Margie’s folder and make the short walk to his office and place my new hire’s folder on his desk. “I’ve hired Ms. Campbell, so you can get started on setting up her desk. She starts tomorrow morning at seven thirty.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
I return to my office and start packing up for the day. I pile all my shit inside my bag, place my phone on top, and head out. I stop by Steven’s desk to make sure everything is ready for Margie to start tomorrow, and he assures me it is. Steven is probably the only other person in this place I actually trust. I would have asked him to be my assistant, but he was happy in HR. I say good night to him and head to the elevator. When the doors part, I step inside and lean back against the wall and travel the thirty-four floors to the lobby.
The elevator comes to a standstill and the doors part again.
The only sound in the large lobby is the click of my heels as they come into contact with the marble floor. Saying good night to Barney, the concierge, I head for the parking lot.
Time to call it a day. At least I now have a PA. She was definitely a surprise; now it’s time to see if she’s really as good as her references say.
Six
Reagan
After a peaceful night of takeout, a bottle of wine, and a soak in the tub, I’m refreshed and ready to start the day. Grabbing everything I need, I make my way to the underground lot of my apartment block and unlock my car. Placing my purse on the seat next to me, I start the engine of my sleek black Corvette. This was my present to myself when I got promoted to CEO. Smoothing my palms over the soft leather of the steering wheel, I listen to the engine purr for a couple of seconds before leaving for work.
Stepping from the elevator at the end of the hallway where Life Solutions takes up residence, I make the short journey to where our offices are situated. I push through the glass doors, making the few employees already here doing what they do best, selling and making us money and tapping away at their keyboards, look up and take notice before I make my way around the office. A call of good morning turns my head to where the voice is coming from and I nod my greeting before continuing on to my office.
I smooth my hand over the chrome nameplate when I reach my door, a moment of pride flowing through me. I grab a handkerchief from my bag and polish the plate until it’s gleaming. I look around for Steven before I go inside. When I don’t see him, I push down on the chrome handle and go inside. As I’m putting my bag down, I hear his voice.
“Good morning, Ms. Quinn, I have your coffee.” I turn around to see Steven with a cup in his hand.
I really should give this man a raise.
Taking the cup from him with a nod and a small grin, I take a sip before putting it down on the coaster on my desk.
“Is everything set up for Ms. Campbell?” I ask him, getting right down to business.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Let know me when she arrives.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
“That’ll be all.” Glancing at the clock hanging on the wall, I see it’s only 7:05.
Steven leaves and I sit down at my desk. I take my phone from my bag before setting it on the floor next to me. A message from Everett catches my attention: Lunch later? I’ll pick you up at 12:30.
Skimming my thumbs across my keyboard, I type out a message to send back to him: Depends on where you’re taking me.
He responds: Only the best for my sexy CEO. You may get more than lunch.
A smile on my lips, I reply, I can hardly wait. I drop my phone back in my bag and take a sip of coffee, ready to start the day. Suddenly, there’s a sharp rap on the door.
Steven is waiting patiently on the other side. He knows not to enter my office until I say so. “Come in,” I shout, straightening in my chair.
“Just letting you know that Ms. Campbell has arrived. I’ll show her to her desk.”
“Thanks, Steven. Make sure you get her an employee number and password for the computer and get her set up on the system. When you’re finished, you can show her in.”
With a nod in reply, he closes the door behind him.
Powering my computer on, I wait a second for it to load and then log in to my Hicks Life account. I start on my emails while I wait for Margie.
While I’ve had no PA, I’ve had to manage everything myself, including emails. It’ll be nice to hand them over and get back to doing what I do best: making money. I decide to call a meeting with the whole of HR to find out why I had to waste time interviewing applicants who didn’t have a clue about the business. Once I’ve drafted the email, I send it out.
By the time I’ve gone through the rest of my emails, Steven is showing Margie into my office. I study her a little more closely now that I’m awake and refreshed. She looks a little similar to last night—dress pants, a white tunic and a blazer. Her dark hair is pulled back into a ponytail and black rimmed glasses cover her hazel eyes.
“Ms. Campbell. Good to see you again.” I smile and point at the seat across the desk from me. “I assume Steven got you all set up and ready to work?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Great.” I drag the pile of files that have been sat on my desk and put them in front of her. “So, I shouldn’t need to tell you how to do your job, but all calls are to be announced to me before they get put through. Steven will walk you through the rest and show you around. These files will need filing first.” They hit the desk with a thud. I ignore the slight jump her body makes at the sound and continue. “I’m sure you have your own system to work by, so I’ll leave you to sort your desk out. Do you have any questions for me before you start?”
“Yes. What order would you like them filing in? Her timidness is quaint, but I’m hoping that after being here a couple of weeks that will wear off.