Resisting the Boss

by Humphreys, K. L.

  "Good day, Meera." I end the call and dial the ground floor reception, there's three receptionists down there one of them can get what I need.

  "Good Morning. Limited Fractions, Keeva speaking, how may I help you?" Her Irish accent thick, when she first started working here, I found it hard to understand a word she said.

  "Keeva."

  She intakes a sharp breath, "Oh, Mr Theroux. How can I help you?"

  "I need you to go to the Apple store." I instruct her and immediately discern her heels clicking against the tiled floor. "I need you to buy a laptop, tablet, and a phone. I have a new assistant, as things stand she'll be here longer than a week. You are aware of the protocol."

  She doesn't even hesitate. "Yes, sir, of course, do you need me to call Harry?"

  "No, I'll call him, I'm going to need to speak with him personally."

  "Okay sir, if there's anything else, please let me know." She tells me softly and I end the call.

  There's a soft knock on the door, "Enter." I call out.

  Ms Evans enters the room, a coffee in hand and a warm smile gracing her face. "Here, Mr Theroux. Mr Lexington is on his way up."

  "Send him in when he gets here."

  She turns on her heel, "Of course, Mr Theroux." She leaves my office.

  Just as I take a sip of coffee, my cell rings. Glancing down at it, Callum's name flashes on the screen. I ignore it, I'll call him back later. Now isn't the time, I'm not in the damn mood to listen to his latest antics. Every day brings a new one, he's worse than me, he's the biggest playboy around, and that’s saying something seeing as he’s my wingman.

  There's a knock on the door, and I'm going to get annoyed if she keeps knocking. "Enter." I growl.

  "Oh, I'm sorry, Mr Theroux. I just wanted to make you aware that Mr Lexington is running behind, he's had to take an important call."

  "Ms Evans." I call out, "You don't need to keep knocking, there's a phone for a reason."

  Heat rises through her cheeks, "I understand that, Mr Theroux, but I'm unsure what button to press to talk to you. So until I learn, I'll be knocking." There's steel to her voice and I like it. She's not going to be a push over.

  * * *

  Walking out of my office, I’m surprised to spy Wendy sitting at her desk. Glancing at my watch, I notice that it's ten after six, she should have been gone over thirty minutes ago. "Ms Evans?"

  She glances up at me with a smile, "Yes, Mr Theroux, is there anything that I can help with?"

  "No, I'm on my way out. What are you still doing here?"

  Her brows knit together, "I hope you don't mind that I'm staying behind, it's just that today I spent most of the morning trying to figure everything out and by the time I had it all done, I was behind. I'm just organizing your calendar, Mr Theroux, I'll have access to it and if you check your cell..." She taps on her keyboard, her tongue darting out of her lips. "You'll also have access to it. Please keep an eye on it. I'll be updating it frequently and if you could too, it would save us both a lot of headaches."

  I sense there's a little dig in there somewhere. She's still upset because I didn't inform her about three appointments I had today that weren't written down. My other assistant preferred using a diary instead of using technology.

  Sighing, I take my cell out of my pocket and peek at it. I do in fact have access to the calendar. It appears good, something that I could definitely use. "Okay, Ms Evans, I'll update it if I need to."

  She smiles, her eyes full of relief. "Great, it won't take me long to input the rest of this month’s appointments and meetings. I'll send the remaining emails for today and then I'll leave."

  "Have a good evening, Ms Evans." I say to her as I walk toward the elevator. It seems so far so good with her, she's gotten off to the best start that any of my previous assistants have, but we'll see, it's only been a few hours.

  Exiting the elevator, my cell rings glancing down, Callum's name flashes on the screen. Shit, I forgot to call him back earlier. "What's up, man?"

  "About damn time, Jameson." He bites out.

  "I've been working, who's pissed you off this time?" I smirk, no doubt it's a woman.

  "Claudette."

  I cringe at that name. Damn that women is a pain in the ass. I learned a long time ago to steer clear of her. "What’s she done now?"

  "She's pregnant."

  I'm stunned.

  "Dude, fucking say something." His voice rising, he's panicking, not that I blame him.

  "How?"

  He laughs, "Of all people, I never thought I'd have to explain it to you."

  "Ass." I mutter. "I meant how the fuck did you get caught?" He's a stickler for protection, we both are. Never fuck bare.

  "I don't get it. Man, I can't even remember the last time I was with her. She's adamant that we were."

  “Um, congrats? How far along is she?”

  “Six weeks.” I’ve never heard him sound so depressed.

  I frown, six weeks ago? "Dude you brought her to London with you?"

  "What? No, you know I never." Confusion laces his words.

  "Callum, you dumbass. You were in London for a month." I honestly have no idea how he actually owns a company. We were trying to buy a company in London; Callum and I are going into business together. At the moment negotiations are still ongoing but while we were in London we managed to get ahead of the rest of the competition. It should only be a formality now, once we have the terms nailed down.

  He releases a deep breath. "Fuck." he sounds as though he's crying.

  "Where are you?"

  He's quiet for a moment. "At work, what the hell, Jameson?"

  "Meet me at Shakers. We both need a drink." Fucking Claudette, I came to the conclusion a long time ago that she is a bitch but to make him believe she's pregnant with his child, that's just low.

  "I'm leaving now."

  “Meet you in ten.” Fresh air fills my lungs as I step out of my building, glancing across the street, I see that Shakers is starting to get busy already. Everyone in Manhattan is aware that Shakers is the place to unwind after a long day. I notice Callum walking toward the bar, his cell to his ear. He is pissed and all I can say is Claudette had better be careful, there’s no way he’s going to take this lying down. Knowing Callum the way I do, he’s about to destroy her.

  Three

  Wendy

  Rushing into the apartment, my hands full of papers and documents, I almost trip over the coffee table. It's already eight in the evening, I'm so behind today. I don't understand why Mr Theroux needed me to refile everything in his office. I thought I was finished before lunch, I had re-arranged them in alphabetical order. I could have kicked him when he informed me that there was another filing cabinet that needed doing. It was twice the size of the original one I had been organizing. It took me the entire day to have it the way he wanted which meant everything I needed to do today got pushed behind. Thankfully, I have everything done now.

  "Wendy!" Althea calls out, sounding more chipper than she has in a while.

  "Hey, Althea. I'm starving." I grumble as I walk to the couch and release everything in my arms onto it.

  "Me too. So, we're getting takeout tonight." I inwardly groan at her words. While I'd love to, we just can't afford it, since I'm the only one working, which means I'm the only one paying rent.

  "I'd love to but we need to be careful with our money." I hate being the bad guy but it's either that or end up homeless.

  "My treat, Wends." she says walking into the living room. "I finally got a job."

  I smile as I run over to her giving her a massive hug. "Oh my God!" I cry, "That's amazing. Where? Tell me everything."

  She rolls her eyes but she smiles. "Not yet, go have a shower, I'll order us food and then we can discuss everything."

  I open my mouth to proclaim that I can't because I have so much work to do but she raises her finger, stopping me.

  "I don't want to listen to it. Wendy, you've been working for Hunky Theroux for tw
o weeks and he's ran you ragged. You resemble a homeless person, so go and wash."

  I gasp, "I do not look homeless."

  Her hands go to her hips, "Oh, yes you do." Her eyes narrow in on my blouse. "Is that mustard on your top?"

  Glancing down, I see that she's indeed correct, I do have a mustard stain. "Maybe." I shrug.

  "Please, Wends, just go and have a shower. I'll help you with your work later on. I promise. Right now, you need to relax and unwind. I'm not stupid enough to tell you to have a bath, you'd have a meltdown. Now, please go?" she begs, and she's right.

  I've been so focused this past week that I've hardly slept. "Okay." I relent.

  She claps, "Great, I'll order food, it should be here by the time you're finished."

  I pull her into my arms, "Thank you and congratulations. I'm so proud of you, Althea."

  She kisses my cheek and pulls away from me. "Look at us, both working. We're actually adults." Her laughter follows me to the bathroom, she's right. We're both adults and it's a hell of a lot harder than I had ever imagined.

  Forty minutes later and I’m walking into the living room. She was right, I needed to relax and having a hot shower did just that. "So give me the deets. Where are you working?" I ask as I sit down on the sofa. Althea tidied up my stack of paperwork, it’s on the coffee table staring at me.

  "I'm on a trial, but it's for a couple of weeks at least."

  I lean forward, reaching for a few of the papers. "Sounds good, so are you going to tell me where?"

  Her smile widens, "I'm working for Chardonnay Halley."

  "That is freaking awesome. Oh, Althea, I'm so happy for you." This is what she's wanted for a long time and I'm glad she finally got the courage to call for an interview.

  "Yeah, I’m aware my dad's name got me the probationary period but I'm going to make sure I get the job because of me and not who my family is. I'm going to be the best damn assistant she's ever had."

  "Atta girl. You're going to be amazing, I know you are. This is everything you've ever wanted and there's nothing holding you back."

  She shakes her head, "Nothing is going to take this from me. I have it in the palm of my hand and I'm going to ensure I keep a firm grasp on it."

  "This is definitely a cause for a celebration.”

  She grimaces, “Maybe not too much of one. I have to be up at six.”

  I laugh, “Welcome to the wonders of being a fabulous assistant.”

  “Dinner should be here in about ten minutes. Now, pass me some of those and I’ll help you get started.”

  I shake my head. “No, I just need to type these up, it won’t take me long. Why don’t you get a head start on tomorrow?”

  “How? I have no idea what I’m supposed to be doing?”

  I reach for the laptop that Mr Theroux gave me and boot it up. “What time does Chardonnay start work?”

  “She’ll be there at eight thirty on the dot.”

  I nod, “Okay, why not ensure that you’ve a coffee waiting for her? Hmm? Check and see if there’s any Holm’s near the office, if there is put in the order now.”

  Her eyes widen, “Wait, what?”

  I laugh. “Oh Althea, you have a lot to learn.”

  She rolls her eyes skyward. “Teach me, wise one.” She bows her head.

  “Ass. Okay, Holm’s are a coffee house that allow you to order. I do it every night, I have a standing order at this stage. I’ll order a cup of coffee, a box of donuts, along with two croissants. When I arrive at Holm’s Coffee House at eight, the croissants are bagged, the donuts boxed and my coffee is on. It takes less than three minutes for me to collect them and pay.”

  “That is a lifesaver and it will totally get me brownie points.” She glances down at her phone, but her head quickly lifts, “How much do you eat in a day?”

  “The croissants are for Mr Theroux, and the donuts are for the ladies down at the reception. They help me out a lot, so I keep them sweet by bringing donuts.” I shrug, it’s something I did as a way to thank them for their help and I do it every day now. The ladies love it.

  “Oh, they have bagels,” she comments, obviously perusing their menu online. “Chardonnay has a bagel every morning. She informed us today, I’ll order that too.” She’s smirking; she’s going to be the teacher’s pet.

  I type out the first document, while Althea organizes herself for tomorrow. My stomach growls, it’s then that I realize I worked through my lunch and never got around to eating it.

  “Ugh, don’t. I’m so hungry. I could eat a horse.” Althea complains. “How long does it take to deliver food anyway?”

  Our buzzer sounds and we both cheer. “Dinner’s here,” she sings and I laugh as she bounces to the door.

  * * *

  “Well, well, who are you?” I glance up from my computer at that deep voice. I’m practically drooling as I gaze upon a tall, dark haired man. He looks like he just walked off a movie set.

  “Callum, leave my assistant alone.” Mr Theroux’s voice calls out from behind Mr Movie Star and my breath leaves me as it does every time I set eyes on him. He’s so gorgeous.

  “Assistant?” Callum questions, “When did this happen?”

  “Last week, is there something you need? Or are you here to harass Ms Evans?”

  Callum saunters over to me, a charming smile on his face. “Ms Evans…” He holds out his hand for me to take. Placing my palm in his, his entire hand dwarfs mine. He brings my knuckles to his lips and presses a soft kiss against them. “It’s an absolute pleasure.” Oh this guy is a charmer, that’s for sure. “What’s it going to take for me to steal you?”

  My cheeks flame. “Steal me?” I squeak pulling my hand away.

  “Yes, Ms… What is your name?”

  I smile, “Wendy.”

  “Yes, Wendy, what will it take to steal you away from Jameson to come and work for me?”

  I laugh, "Although, I very much appreciate the sentiment. I'm actually quite happy here."

  His eyes widen, "Jameson, is she for real?"

  Jameson smirks, "Yep." He pops the P. "Ms Evans here, is actually the best assistant I've had. She's very efficient."

  "Please tell me you’re banging her."

  I blink. "Excuse you?" I cry in outrage.

  "Oh, shit." he murmurs and Jameson takes a step backward. "I didn't mean anything by it."

  "Do you ask every one of his assistants if they’re sleeping together?"

  He glances to Jameson who's having a hard time trying to keep a straight face. "No, ma'am."

  "Just to set the record straight. Mr Theroux is my boss and I’m his assistant. That is all and that's all there ever will be."

  I am probably protesting a little too much but I don’t want anyone to assume we are having sex.

  It would give the impression that I only got this job because I was sleeping with the boss.

  "Shit, I've a big mouth," he comments. "I apologize, I never meant any offense. You could totally do better than Jameson anyway."

  I smile, there's something about Callum that's fun. "No offense taken."

  "Again, want to explain to me what you're doing here?" Mr Theroux asks him with raised brows.

  "Dude, did you forget? We have a conference call in less than ten minutes. You said we'd do it here."

  Jameson scrubs his hand over his face. "Fuck."

  I shake my head. "There's nothing on the calendar." I tell him.

  He glances at me. "Ms Evans." He has that tone, one that says he's not in the mood.

  I raise my hands. "Fine, I'll postpone your other appointments. How long do you think the conference will go on for?" I hate this, now I have to apologize to people I had booked in to meet with him because he forgot about this.

  "Hopefully an hour." Jameson says.

  "About three hours." Callum replies at the same time. "Fucking hell," he mutters. "Jameson, what the hell is wrong with you? You're never usually this forgetful. Good night last night? What was her name? Britney? Brienn
e? It was definitely Br... something."

  Pain hits me in my chest. Why am I so bothered by hearing about him and another woman?

  "Her name was Belinda." Jameson growls, "Ms Evans, cancel this morning's meetings please."

  My eyes widen in surprise, he said please. "Certainly. Mr Theroux, would you like coffee?"

  He nods appearing relieved. "That would be good. Also, if you could get some food."

  "There's two croissants on your desk but I'll get something more. Callum, is there anything in particular you'd like?"

  He shakes his head and winks at me. "No thank you, Wendy." He walks into the office leaving Jameson and I alone.

  "Ms Evans..."

  I cut him off, "Will you please call me Wendy? Ms Evans sounds stuffy."

  He's silent for a beat before nodding once. "Fine, Wendy. Can you ensure that we're not interrupted please?"

  "Certainly." I reply instantly, I'll order the food, then call down and ask Babette to pick it up for me. She loves being able to escape the mayhem of the office.

  He stares at me, almost as if he wants to say something else. He turns and walks into his office, the door closes and within seconds it frosts up so that I can no longer peer inside.

  I quickly order the coffee and add some bagels and cakes to the order unsure what they'll like but knowing that even if they don't eat the cakes some of the staff will.

  "Hey, is Babette there?" I ask Keeva as she answers the phone.

  "Hey, Wendy, she sure is. Going stir crazy as usual."

  I laugh, “I have a job for her, if she’s free? Mr Theroux is having a conference and I’ve placed an order at Holm’s.”

  “I’ll get her right on it. She’s going to love you.”

  I shake my head, she’s only been in for an hour and she’s already dying to leave. “Thanks, Keeva.”

  “Anytime, Wendy.”

  Ending the call, I begin calling the people Jameson had meetings with this morning, hoping that I can get them to reschedule.

  The phone rings and I answer it. "Mr Theroux's office, Wendy speaking. How may I help you?"

  "Wends, you are a freaking genius." The sound of Althea's voice makes me smile. "Having the coffee and bagel ordered not only gave me brownie points for having them waiting for her, but also for being early. No one else entered the office until eight thirty."