Anagram

by Sienna Grant

  Reiterating that to Steven, I shut the door and grab her a cup of water from the cooler. I place it in front of her before going back around my desk and taking my chair. A few moments later, Steven comes back with my coffee. I take a much, needed sip of the strong caffeine and mentally prepare to get started.

  Margie smiles widely at me before placing a folder and notepad and pen on the desk. What she lacks in fashion sense she makes up for in competence. Well, that’s a start at least. Our eyes meet and, seeing the expectant look I have on my face, she picks up the folder and hands it to me.

  “This contains references and certificates to show I’ve gained extra qualifications. I’ve studied this position really well and I think I know what you need to be successful in this job.” Her sudden spark of confidence interests me and makes me sit up a little taller, waiting to see what comes out of her mouth next.

  I take the folder from her and open the cover. Sitting there on top, just like she said, is a list of references. I flip to the next sheet, look over the next one, and the next, until I’ve reached the end. She has certificates in most computer programs, and her references are from previous companies where she’s worked as a personal assistant.

  “So, Ms. Campbell. What can you tell me about yourself?”

  She shuffles in her seat uncomfortably, but I put that down to nerves. I smile at her, hopefully calming her enough to go on. She puts her hands in her lap and stills for a second before launching into her history.

  “Well. I’m an only child. I lost my parents in an airplane crash two years ago. So it’s just me now.”

  Now I know why she looked uncomfortable.

  “I’m sorry for your loss.” A tight smile tugs at my lips.

  “Thank you.” Her expression barely changes and keeps her eyes on me.

  “So, if I needed you to work until say, eight p.m., would you be okay with that? This position isn’t quite a nine to five like the others in the office. I’d need you to stay late if we have an evening meeting.”

  “I’m fine with that, Ms. Quinn. I understand the rules of the business. I know as your personal assistant I have to be available to you at all hours of the day.”

  “If I need something done, I expect it right away, I don’t expect excuses. This is a very important business, and mistakes won’t be tolerated.”

  “I understand, Ms. Quinn.” She holds my stare, which is something not many in this office can do.

  “So, what do you know about Hicks Life Solutions?”

  “I know they do mainly experimental drugs for cancer and other terminal illnesses.”

  “I can see you’ve done your homework; I’m impressed.” My cell phone rings from inside my bag, but I ignore it, wanting to know more about the petite woman in front of me. The one who, surprisingly, seems to be winning me over.

  “If I were to offer you the job, how soon could you start?”

  Her brown eyes widen a little but she once again schools her features. “Right away. I’m actually out of work at the moment anyway. I’ve been doing some agency work, secretarial, so I’m available as soon as I’m needed.”

  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.

  “Alphabetical and the filing room is just down the hall. I’ll make sure Steven shows you everything.”

  I take her nod as an answer and go on. “I run a tight ship here, Ms. Campbell, I don’t expect you to sit around with nothing to do. The biggest part of this job is taking initiative, not waiting on me to give you assignments all the time. You’ll be shadowing Steven for the day, so anything you’re not sure about, just ask him.” I stand from my chair and reach out to shake her hand. “I hope you’ll be happy working here.”

  She takes my hand in hers and shakes it with a timid smile. “I’m sure I will. Thank you again for the chance, Ms. Quinn. I can’t wait to get started.”

  I dismiss her with a nod, and once she has all the files in her arms, she leaves my office and goes to her own desk.

  Seven

  Reagan

  Everything seems to be going well with Margie.

  Steven has been in here to give me an update on her progress and I’m pleasantly surprised. While her qualifications made it seem like she could do her job with her eyes closed, I prefer to see it with my own eyes and not make assumptions. I’m not in the business of making assumptions.

  The first half of the day has gone by quickly, and I’ll be out of the office soon. I call Margie to let her know.

  “Yes, Ms. Quinn?” she answers on the first ring.

  “Margie, I’ll be leaving the office soon for a lunch meeting at twelve thirty. Just hold my calls and take messages. I’ll deal with anything that requires my immediate attention when I’m back.”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m not sure what time I’ll be back, these things always last longer than expected.” I don’t want to tell her I’m going to lunch with my boyfriend. My private life is just that—private.

  Grabbing my bag, I say bye to Margie as I walk past her desk and remind her to go to Steven if she’s struggling.

  As I walk out of the main doors of the building, Everett’s jet black, Ford Mustang, is the first thing I see idling at the curb. Opening the door and sliding onto the seat, I drop my bag into the footwell and lean across the center console to kiss Everett.

  “Hmm, I’ve been waiting for that,” he mumbles against my lips, making me smile as I pull away. “Hey, sugar.”

  I pull the seatbelt across my body, then he revs the engine a few times. The vibration of the engine reverberates through the leather seat and into me. I swear he does it on purpose. Everett and I share the same love for cars, only his are good old-fashioned muscle cars, I prefer the sportier type. Taking my hand in his, he entwines our fingers and rests them on his thigh.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The Mayflower. I know you like it there.”

  “It has the best Chinese that New York can offer.”

  “We might be able to have dessert too if you’re really lucky.” He smiles lasciviously at me.

  I turn to look out the window and watch the sights of New York as they pass me by.

  “I doubt it, I have to get back today.”

  It’s not too long until we’re pulling up to the restaurant. Everett comes around to my side and opens my door, holding out his hand and helping me out of the car. Rising up onto my five-inch heels, his eyes track down my body until his gaze falls upon my shoes. That sexy smirk pulls at his lips again as he leans into me. “I can’t wait to have those spikes digging into my back again.”

  Shaking off the desire clogging my brain, I smile and move back. “Shall we have lunch?”

  The heat of his hand warms the small of my back as we walk through into the restaurant. I love having his hands on me in any form, but like this, it makes me feel wanted.

  Everett gives his name to the waiter at front of house’ and we are shown to our seats. “would you like to order drinks first?”

  “Oh yes, just water for me please.” I smile at the waiter. Everett orders the same and the waiter leaves us.

  “So, when we saw each other last week, you seemed a little stressed. Is everything alright?”

  “It is now. Although, HR needs a good shake up.”

  “A whole new department?”

  “Hey, it’s not my fault they’re incompetent. Well, most of them are.”

  The waiter comes over with a pitcher of iced water. We thank the waiter after he’s poured our glasses telling us to help ourselves to food.

  Everett and I make our way around the different dishes on display filling our plates with a variety of foods. Scooping some noodles onto my fork, I take my first bite. I groan as the flavors burst on my tongue.

  Everett’s eyes widen and he smirks. “Is that good Rae?”

  “Good? No. It’s amazing.”

  The conversation dies down between us as we eat the fabulous food of The Mayflower.

  “So tell me, why are they incompetent?” He folds his arms onto the table and waits patiently, fixing his green eyes on me.

  “All they had to do was find me five people with the qualifications to be a decent assistant.” I take a sip of water, letting the ice settle against my lips.

  “Not everyone can be a perfectionist like you.”

  “Why not?” I ask, my eyes widening. “I don’t ask for a lot, Ev. And anyway, why shouldn’t I be? You’re a perfectionist.”

  “I am.”

  “I’ve worked hard to get where I am. I demand perfection. If they can’t give me that, they’re working in the wrong place.”

  “You should’ve taken me up on my offer and worked for me. We could have been an unstoppable team.”

  I smirk. “You just wanted me to work for you so you could order me around.”

  “Having you at my beck and call may have entered my mind, I’ll admit it.” He reaches across the table and takes my hand. “You know I love being in charge.” With a smirk playing on his lips, he winks a
t me and ignites every nerve ending below my waist. I try to ignore the flames that are beginning to engulf my core and get back to our conversation.

  Everett doesn’t take his cool green eyes from me, knowing exactly what he’s caused.

  I clear my throat and take another sip of water. “I have an assistant now.”

  “And what’s she like?”

  My gaze stays fixed on Everett’s handsome face as I think of a fitting description. “Plain, reserved, but has great qualifications and experience, and so far, she’s doing a good job. From what I’ve seen today, she’s hardworking, sincere, and listens to what she’s being told. It’s early, but she seems really good.”

  Everett goes up for seconds, but I go to the best place here, the dessert table. I grab a spoonful of marshmallows and head for the chocolate fountain and knowing there’s no limit on what you can have, I have some cheesecake too.

  Taking my seat, I dig in, groaning at the smooth, velvety chocolate on my tongue. I look up and see Everett tucking into his egg roll, I smile at him around my forkful of cheesecake.

  “You know, sugar, if you keep groaning like that, you’re going to make me feel inferior and think I can’t satisfy my girl.”

  Picking up a marshmallow dipped in chocolate I sink my teeth into the fluffy sweet and smile.

  “Maybe we should take the rest of the day off and I can take back my manhood.”

  I swallow what’s in my mouth before I answer. “I told you already, I can’t, as much as I’d love that option. It’s Margie’s first day. What kind of boss would I be if I didn’t go back after lunch?”

  “Fine, if you must. I’ll just have to keep those visions in my head for next time.”

  Smiling, I pick up my glass and gulp down my water. I look at the time and realize it’s getting late. Everett calls a waiter for the bill.

  When we return to my office block, Everett pulls into the parking lot and turns off the engine. I release my seatbelt, twisting my body to face him. “Thank you for lunch, it was amazing.”