by Nikki Bopp
“It’s okay,” Patrick waves him off and stands up. He straightens his already straight tie and gives me a sweet smile. “I must be off anyways. I’ve got a meeting with the marketing department in twenty minutes. Ms. Ray, it's been so nice meeting you and I look forward to working with you.” When he steps forward, hand outstretched, I quickly get to my feet and offer my hand.
Tight wrist, firm grip, Jenny, I tell myself mentally. So focused on a successful handshake, I nearly jump out of my skin when Patrick leans forward to kiss the space next to my cheek as the French do. I've honestly never seen anyone do it, and I’m not sure how to respond, so instead a “thank you” slips through my lips, making his smile widen even more. I didn’t know that was possible. I can see every single one of his perfectly straight and white teeth, and it’s no wonder that he’s snagged such a lucrative position. Or even the possibility of being with the two other men in the room.
A girl can be jealous, after all. Not me, of course, I don’t need a man in my life currently, let alone three.
“I'll be there in just a moment,” Edward tells Patrick just before he slips out the door, the click of the mechanism loud in the now quiet room.
“So,” Daniel begins, his hands stuffed in his pockets as he rocks back on his heels. “Tomorrow at eight am, then?”
“What's at eight am tomorrow? Another interview?” My questions reverberate through the room, making them seem all the more stupid. I missed something.
“No,” Edward snickers shuffling through some papers on the coffee table between us. “Can you start tomorrow at eight?”
“Uhhh…I’m sorry, what? You're hiring me?”
“Yes, I thought we just went over that. Your resume and experience is not something that we would like to pass on, and as most of your position will be taught on the job, I see no reason why we can't have you start immediately.” Daniel scrunches his nose in confusion, looking towards Edward as though seeking assistance. Edward is engrossed with a correspondence of some sort and doesn’t offer any help.
“Oh..” I trail off, my mind struggling to catch up with everything, and failing miserably. I didn’t expect to be hired after the show this morning, and I'm not sure what to think with this being sprung on me. Eight tomorrow is very short notice. “Um, I don’t think I would be able to start tomorrow,” I tell them in a bland voice while wracking my brain for any ideas about childcare for Eva. I initially arranged for her first day in daycare to be next Monday, figuring that most places would want to start on a new week. I could always reach out to the daycare supervisor and see if they would have the room to start this week, but that’s certainly no guarantee.
“Why not?” Edward asks, lifting his eyes from the page in front of him.
“My daughter. I didn’t expect to be starting so soon, and I’m not sure she would be able to go to the daycare until next week. Or maybe later this week. I would need to contact the daycare to see if they could watch her.”
“Then it's settled,” Daniel proclaims, pulling out his cellphone when it begins to ring. He answers with a snapped “Price.” The other person on the line is either screaming in his ear, or he has the volume up as loud as possible because I can hear the other person talking a mile a minute. “Okay, get it done,” Daniel replies, hitting the end button and replacing his phone into his pocket before focusing back on me.
“So, you will figure out the childcare situation and let me know?” The demanding tone sends an unwanted tingle down my spine. Giving him a nod, I croak out through a dry throat, “Yes, I'll see what they can do.”
“Excellent,” turning towards the door, Daniel calls over his shoulder to Edward. “Make sure she has my cell.” He hasn’t even finished speaking when the door snicks closed behind him. Shock holds me immobile. I'm not sure what the hell just happened, but for some reason, I’m supposed to have Daniel Price’s cell phone number. Edward shuffling more papers jolts me enough to see that he is looking for something in particular.
“I know it's here somewhere,” Edward mutters to himself. After a few more moments of shifting, he lets out a triumph sound and stands up to hand me a single piece of paper. “Here you go. This is the job listing, salary, and benefits.”
“Oh,” I mumble, not interested in looking over the listing again. I received a copy when I was scheduled for the interview, so it's not like I’m hanging around for a bigger paycheck. “And here are our cell phone numbers,” Edward hands me another slip of paper with three numbers listed.
“Ok,” taking a deep breath, I try for a smile and fail if the grimace on his face is anything to go by. “Sorry…I just wasn’t expecting this…”
“Understandable, but you don’t have to worry about that anymore,” the light touch of his fingers to my elbow helps me take the first step forward until we are standing by the now open door to Edward’s office. “Daniel and Patrick were already set on hiring you before this morning. Your outburst this morning was what made me decide. Now, off you go. Let us know about the childcare situation, and we will see what we can do to accommodate.” He gently nudges me into the marble hallway and closes the door behind me.
I must have been standing there for a while because my calves begin to scream in pain, entirely done with a day spent in heels.
What the hell just happened.
Chapter 6
Excitement Jitters
“Have a good evening Ms. Ray,” Ingrid calls, her earlier fatigue replaced by an excited smile. Confusion slows my feet, but she waves away my disgruntled look with a happy laugh. “I'm glad just to have someone taking care of those old coots.” Her words just confuse me all the more, but I turn away, pressing the elevator button, which opens immediately.
Stepping inside, I let out a breath of relief when they seamlessly slide close behind me. It's only a couple of moments until they spit me out onto Mia’s floor. There is no screamed greeting this time from Eva, and when I look around for her, it’s to find her sprawled out on a white leather couch sitting catty-corner to Mia’s desk.
“The sugar did her in,” Mia remarks rounding the corner, a coffee cup in hand. She gingerly sets the cup down on her desk as though trying not to wake Eva. “So? What happened?”
I let out a grunt and take a seat beside Eva, lifting her legs into my lap. She doesn’t even move. Her face is relaxed in sleep, mouth slightly parted to allow a line of drool to run down her chin. With her hands clasped together against her chest, she looks like the perfect little angel, my heart clenches. I just want to squeeze and kiss her cute little face.
“Well?” Mia demands stopping directly in front of me, her hands planted on her hips.
“They want me to start tomorrow,” I mumble, still not believing the words.
“What? That’s great!”
“Yeah.”
“Why do you say it like that? This is a good thing, isn't it? Why aren't you more excited? We will have to celebrate.” Mia claps her hands, doing a little jig right in the lobby with a squeal of excitement. A couple of heads poke out of offices down the hallway, likely seeing what all the noise is about, but she simply waves them away without saying anything.
“Yeah, I guess. It just hasn’t hit me yet. It was so weird. Daniel Price apologized for this morning and went on to tell me about my resume and experience and how they didn’t want to pass me up. They want me to start immediately.”
“Wow, that’s so fast!”
“Exactly. I told them that I couldn’t start tomorrow because I would have to see if the daycare would be able to start Eva early. She wasn't supposed to start until Monday.”
“Hmm,” plopping down on the floor with a thud, Mia pulls a chunk of her hair forward, the strands weaving between her fingers as she thinks about my words. Ever since we were little, this was Mia’s sign of deep thought. It initially started with her chewing her hair, but she thankfully got over that and moved to just playing with it.
“What about Breezy? Could she watch her this week?” Mia inquires, her
fingers pausing in their ministration.
“Doubtful. As much as I love the woman, she isn't the most dependable. Look at today.”
“True. What's this?” Mia asks, leaning forward to take the sheet of paper that Edward handed to me before dismissing me from his office.
“Mr. Maccini said it’s the job description and everything,” giving her a nonchalant shrug, I pull my purse onto my lap, nudging Eva’s legs back onto the couch so I can look for my phone somewhere in its unknown depths. It’s still new, and I'm not sure how to work it, but when I bought it, I made sure to buy the toughest case possible because I’m positive I will drop it at one point. Or several points.
Just as my fingers brush against the ribbed edge of the case, Mia lets out a gasp so sudden that I jump and lose my grip on my phone.
“Jenny!” she says, her jaw nearly hitting the floor as her eyes fly over the paper that begins to crumble beneath her death grip. “Oh my gosh!”
“What?” I ask, becoming concerned. Even if they slightly adjusted the job duties, it's not like it’s all that big of a deal. “Lemme see,” I demand, holding my hand out for the slip. Rather than handing it to me, she crushes it against her chest to stare at me with a look of horror.
“Holy Hell,” her voice is soft, a slight waver to it that makes me push forward to snatch the paper from her grip.
“Ow! Papercut!”
“Oh, shut it,” I reply, skimming the information. There doesn’t seem to be anything too exciting; it’s a typical job description.
Senior Executive Assistant
Job brief
You will provide high-quality administrative and clerical assistance to top-level executives.
The Senior Executive Assistant’s primary duties include scheduling meetings, making travel arrangements, and organizing daily calendars. To be successful in this role, you should be proactive, meet deadlines, and communicate effectively. Our ideal candidate also has previous experience as an Executive Assistant and is familiar with office management technologies.
Ultimately, you should be able to identify and address the needs of senior managers and perform administrative tasks to ensure our company’s workflow runs smoothly.
Responsibilities
· Coordinate daily calendars of senior managers
· Schedule appointments and events
· Act as the point of contact between executives and employees
· Make travel arrangements
· Manage phone calls and emails
· Respond promptly to managers’ queries
· Facilitate internal communication (e.g., distribute information and schedule presentations)
· Suggest more efficient ways to run the office and troubleshoot malfunctions
· Review and recommend changes to our company policies
· Assist executives with any and all needs related to the position
Requirements
· Proven work experience as a Senior Executive Assistant, Executive Administrative Assistant or similar role
· Knowledge of office procedures
· Solid experience with office management systems and MS Office
· Familiarity with online calendars and cloud systems
· Experience using office equipment, including printers and fax machines
· Strong communication skills (via phone, email and in-person)
· Experience exercising discretion and confidentiality with sensitive company information
· Excellent organizational skills with an ability to think proactively and prioritize work
· Bachelor degree in business management or equivalent experience
My eyes halt at the changes made in the salary field, my eyes widening at the crossed-out salary that was previously typed, and the new, much larger salary hand-written just below it.
Salary
$42.2k-$57.5k depending on experience/education
$90k-95k
Benefits
· Full coverage medical/dental/vision insurance covered by PRI
· Vested 401k matched by PRI every year
· Three weeks PTO
· Two weeks sick leave
· Unlimited use of PRI company vehicles
“Woah,” I breathe, not entirely sure of what I just read but positive that this can't be happening. There is no way that I can show up and completely flip out on the CEO of the company, only to have him offer me the most amazing position. Not to mention the ridiculously large increase in salary that one of the executives offered. The use of a company vehicle is new, but I’m certainly not going to complain about that. I hate to drive, and especially in a big city like Seattle, where I don’t know exactly where I’m going. “I can't believe it.”
“Neither can I,” Mia agrees, standing up to pace a couple of feet away. “There must be some mistake.” Her words make my excitement fizzle away, my heart aching at the loss. Does Mia think I don’t deserve it? Is she jealous? I can't see Mia being that way, and even though I know her better than myself at times, it's been a long while since we’ve been together, and people always change.
“What do you mean?” I ask, my voice nearly a whisper with my thoughts running rampant. “You don’t think I can do it?”
“No!” Whipping around, she gives me a look like I’m an idiot, “I just meant that I’ve never seen a position within the company with such a high salary unless you're a manager of some sort. Not to mention the benefits, everyone pays for insurance!”
“Oh,” shame washes over me with her words. “I'm sorry…I thought you might be jealous…”
A hiss of annoyance slips from between her plush lips. “How could you think that of me? I would be over the moon excited for you if I thought for one minute that this was real.”
“So, you think they're making fun of me or something? From my outburst this morning?”
“I don’t think this could be anything else,” throwing her hands up in anger, she stomps over to her desk and begins to rifle through one of her drawers, muttering to herself the entire time. Her words send another streak of pain through me, this time full of disappointment and hurt. In the few seconds of shock and wonder, there was a lightness to my day that wasn’t there before.
Perhaps it was the thought of not having to worry about money. The worst thing I can imagine is having Eva struggle because I’m not able to provide the life that she deserves. Of course, she doesn’t need marble floors and crystal dinnerware, but she doesn't need to know the struggle of if there will be a hot dinner on the table, and if mom will be able to take her to see her favorite movie. I know just how difficult that can be, and I don’t want her to know the challenges. There are things that children don’t need to experience.
“Mommy?” Eva’s voice cuts through my thoughts, my body jumping in surprise. I didn’t realize that she was awake, but when I look down, it’s to find her wide brown eyes focused on me, a furrow marring her brow. “Okay, mommy?”
“Yeah, baby girl, mommy is okay. Did you have a nice nap?”
Eva nods her head slowly before rolling forward and launching herself at me. The weight, although not very substantial, sends me sprawling back against the couch. “Woah!”
“I love you, mommy.”
“I love you too pumpkin,” placing a kiss on top of her head, I inhale the subtle smell of her strawberry shampoo, remembering the paw patrol dog on the side that she absolutely had to have. The image makes me huff out a laugh. Before leaving, Eva had the best of everything from Gucci shampoo to body wash from some fancy brand I’d never heard of. And yet, she couldn’t be more excited about buying three-dollar shampoo because it had her favorite hero dog on the side.
Maybe this would be okay, after all. Even if I don’t end up working for PRI, I will be able to find a job that keeps us from living in a box. I will do anything necessary to ensure she has everything she needs, even if it doesn’t bear some famous person’s name on it.
“Aha!” Mia exclaims from her desk, a stap
led stack of papers held triumphantly in her hand. The click of her heels is loud in the lobby as she makes her way back over to us, her nose nearly touching the paper.
“Look at this,” she crows, not letting me see the paper. “This is a list of job openings from last year. It includes responsibilities, reporting manager, and generalized salary outline.”
Why she has this list is beyond me, but I’m not going to argue.
“And?” I encourage her to continue. Hugging Eva tight to my side, I run my fingers through her hair and attempt to work the tangles free. Her whines of annoyance are easily ignored. I don’t need someone thinking I don’t brush my daughter's hair, it's not my fault it always seems to get tangled.
“The only jobs within the company that are even near that salary are the department manager positions.”
“Well, that doesn’t seem right, I wouldn’t be anywhere near that level, especially directly on hire.”
“Exactly,” Mia agrees. She lowers her list to look over at me with confusion. “But why would they do such a thing? Did you get the feeling that they were making fun of you or turning this into some sick game?”
“No, not at all. Daniel Price had just finished apologizing for this morning, and then he started talking about how he didn’t want to miss out on such a prime candidate for the position. He was totally serious when he told me that I started tomorrow.”
“And that’s when you told him that you'd have to check on daycare?”
“Yeah.” We both fall into silence, pondering the weird situation. My first instinct is to hunt down Daniel Price and demand he tell me if it’s a joke, but after this morning, I feel like that would do more harm than good at this point.
“Maybe I should just go with it?” I ask nobody in particular, and Mia only grunts in response.
It’s another few moments before she finally turns her head to look at me, “I mean, you’d be stupid to turn it down if they're serious.”
“I’d have to see if the daycare can start her tomorrow or Wednesday,” I reply calmly, trying not to let my excitement bubble over. Even if this is some sick joke, maybe it's not, though.