"I really want to go for it,” she replied.
“Do you think you’re over Braxton?” I asked.
"Who? Who's that? I've never heard of a guy by that name." Erin laughed, and I laughed with her. It was refreshing to hear her so happy.
"Well, I don't really get being in-love with two people at once, but if you're happy, I'm happy." Maybe my subtle prying would get more information out of her.
"Honestly, I'm learning as I go too,” she replied. "Thanks for the support, Sascha."
"Anytime." Even though I was happy for Erin, I needed to get in the shower. "Erin? Sorry but I have to go. Busy day tomorrow."
"Oh right, you have that interview tomorrow, yeah?"
"Yeah,” I said, even though just being reminded of it made me nervous.
"I'll let you go then. Good luck!"
"You too, now that you have two men, and all."
"Oh, with Caleb and Jackson to keep me busy, I'll sleep soundly," Erin said, coyly.
I felt a pang in my stomach. Even though I was happy for her, I still wanted something like Erin had, even with just one man. We both said goodnight to each other, and after finishing my shake, I showered and tucked myself into bed at 10:00, sharp. As I lay there, I couldn’t help but wonder about a relationship with two men. It seemed sort of exhausting and like jealousy would play a role, but what did I know? I put it out of my mind and decided to make sure I was rested for my interview. It was my dream to get this job, and I wasn’t going to get it if I stayed up all night worrying about my friend’s relationship. I closed my eyes, snuggled into my covers, and drifted off to sleep.
* * *
In the middle of the Las Vegas strip sat the high-rise building in which Calliope Publishing resided, a well-known publishing house that any editor would dream to work for. I looked up at the skyscrapers that seemed to shoot into the heavens. It made me feel small, but I bolstered myself with confidence that I was larger than all of that. It was time to nail it.
I took a deep breath and stepped inside, taking one last look at the strip before entering.
My hands started to shake as it was now beginning to feel real. My heels clacked on the marble floor that was so clean I could see my reflection in it. There I was, my Givenchy blazer paired with an A-line skirt. I could barely see my blouse when looking down because of my cinched waist and large breasts. I traced the lines of the marble tiles until I stared directly into my dark blue eyes. I looked good. I was ready.
Soon I noticed myself being distracted by my own reflection, but I knew it wasn't because of vanity. I really didn't want to mess this up. Calliope Publishing only hired top-notch writers and editors, which meant that other talented young interviewees had once walked these halls just as eager as I was. There must have been thousands of new applicants that clacked their own heels along this floor, excited for their first interview only to be rejected. They would never walk these halls again. That wasn’t going to be me though. The junior editor position went to the best of the best, and my grades and references meant that I had to be among the best, right? I wanted to be a realist, and not too cocky, but I really felt I had a shot at this.
Looking ahead of me, I took in the room. It had the same floors, but besides the wall-to-wall windows that framed the room, there was little at reception except for some scattered, well-upholstered chairs and a desk against a floor-to-ceiling accent wall that was labeled with "Calliope Publishing" across it. Beyond the accent wall, I could see a reading nook if I really crooked my neck, but there didn't seem to be anyone sitting there. I also noticed that besides myself, there was no one else in the room. No other guests, no assistants, and no receptionists; all I could hear was my beating heart. If it weren't for the clearly labeled plack on the wall, I would have thought I was in the wrong place.
"You seem lost, дорогой, do you need some assistance?" I heard a gruff, deep voice echo across the empty room. When I looked over to where the sound came from, my eyes went wide with shock. He was tall and solidly built, like he could easily bench press me with little effort. He had blond hair and blue eyes with a slight accent I wouldn't have been able to place if it weren't for the Russian he spoke.
When I locked eyes with him, finally, he gave me a sly smile. I let out a shaky breath. He was the most gorgeous man I've ever seen.
Ian
While taking the elevator down to the main floor, I couldn't help but be excited. What a hilarious prank it would be. I'd turn the corner, and the new interviewee would see a gorgeous tall, dark, and handsome man standing before her, instead of a cool, but haughty receptionist. I chuckled to myself. I couldn't wait. Before the elevators reached the receptionist desk, I quickly glanced at myself to make sure everything that needed to be in place, was in place. Then, I stepped out to greet Sascha, who was standing in the middle of the room with her head in the clouds.
"You seem lost, дорогой, do you need some assistance?" I remarked, smiling as I did so. Sascha glanced up at me, looking me up and down. I couldn't help but do the same.
* * *
There's an old saying that you can tell a lot about a woman from looking at her, and from the look of Sascha, I could tell that she would look better in my bed than on my floor. She was likely shy, a little high strung, maybe, judging from that high-ponytail she placed neatly on the back of her head. I wondered instantly what it would be like to pull it gently while I rammed her from behind, or, once I was done, running my fingers through her hair until those long tresses splayed all over my sheets. Then, as I traced my eyes over her breast, to her torso, and finally to her heels, I could see reflected from the marble, red panties.
I shot my eyes back to hers; I should remain professional. I walked up towards her, hand outstretched as I got closer, and smiled.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ian Holder, HR Manager." Sascha took her hand in mine and gave a no-nonsense firm handshake. My mind started to wander once more to what else her hands could do, but I came back to earth once I noticed her cute, confused expression.
"Nice to meet you, too. I'm Sascha Day," she started, but before she could continue, I decided to explain the situation. Our hands parted.
"You must be confused by my Russian." Sascha's confusion turned to surprise, and then she burst into laughter. Soon, her shoulders softened.
"I'm more confused about why you're meeting me, instead of the receptionist."
"Oh, my apologies, Sascha." I pretended to sound hurt, "If you want me to get the receptionist, I'll let her introduce you to me instead. Why don't we start over? You can exit the building and come back in." To my surprise, Sascha laughed. Her laughter was almost musical. "Or, you could sit at the reception desk and greet me. You could be my own assistant." I winked playfully, but Sascha seemed to be done with pleasantries.
"I would, but I'm here to interview for the junior editors' position," she replied.
"Yes, I'm aware of that. I'm also aware of your long list of impressive references, as well as your top marks. You would be a fantastic editor; any company would kill you have you." Sascha seemed ecstatic. "Unfortunately, there is no space for an editor at this time."
At that moment, Sascha's face fell. "Is this another joke?"
"Not a joke, прекрасный. We're sorry to disappoint you, but it's true. However, we have an opening for an executive assistant." I walked over to the desk and leaned against it. “I’ll interview you right here, right now. If I like you, you have the job.”
Sascha’s eyes went wide. “Wait, seriously?”
“Our last assistant was awful. When we fired him, my cohorts and I thought that we had the time to vet for a new assistant, but suddenly our lives were falling apart. It’s urgent. We have to get someone in here like, yesterday,” I explained. “I know it’s a little unorthodox, but I’ve read your resume and you’re easily qualified for the assistant position, that’s why I didn’t call to cancel.”
“But… I want the Junior Editor position,” Sascha said, and she look
ed truly heartbroken, it actually made me feel bad.
“I know,” I replied. “But there’s something in it for you too.” Sascha looked up at me, renewed interest. “You become the Executive Assistant now, and then when our C.E.O. fires an editor, which he does quite frequently, that job is yours.”
“So it’s a placeholder?” Sascha asked.
“Something like it.” If that made her feel better, I was fine to let her think that. “So? Will you do the interview?”
Sascha closed her eyes and looked deep in thought. My eyes passed over to her lips; they were pursed in a slight frown. Sascha let out a small sigh. I could tell she was a bit put out.
"I’ll do the interview," Sascha said and attempted her best smile. I chuckled at her sour expression and approached her in slow, deliberate steps..
"Great," I said, pointing over to two of our reception chairs. “Have a seat.” She sat down in the chair, and it was adorable the way she creased her skirt and really prepared herself for the abnormal interview I had planned. I sat down opposite her. “First question. Can you tell time?”
Sascha’s mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. “Um, yes?”
“Great,” I said. “Can you write?”
Sascha leaned forward a little bit. “Is this a joke? Are you hazing me or something?”
“It’s not a very complicated job, but our last assistant made it seem like rocket science,” I explained. “So, writing? Yes? No? I’m more wondering if your writing is legible?”
“I’ve always taken it very seriously, as an editor,” she replied, and I chuckled at the jab.
“Good, good. Lastly, are you good at prioritizing? You’ll be assisting myself, the C.E.O. and the C.O.O., so you’ll need to be good at managing a workload,” I said.
“I can do that,” she responded with confidence.
I stood up. “Fantastic! The job is yours!”
Sascha looked up at me, and I could tell she still felt like she might be getting taken for a ride. “Seriously.”
I dropped my jester-esc. personality and spoke to her straight. “Look, in all sincerity, I was planning on offering you this job regardless, but formalities are what they are, and the C.E.O. is big on rules, so I had to do it. Like I said, it’s a real simple job and we just need someone to do it. If you’re serious about the editor job, it’s a good way to get your foot in the door, and really, Carson, our C.E.O., fires editors once a quarter.”
Sascha took another deep breath. I could accept that it was strange. I was prepared to give her the time she needed, but eventually, she looked up at me, and her confused expression had been replaced by a determined one. “I’ll take it.”
“Wonderful,” I said, slightly surprised. “Well, uh. I know this is even more abnormal, but can you start tomorrow?”
“I can,” she replied.
“Well, then follow me, let’s take care of the menial now, so you can hit the ground running tomorrow,” I said, and turned, headed back towards the elevators up.
“Will I get to meet the other two?” Sascha asked.
"The other two bosses are out at the moment. Ryland is our C.O.O. and he should be in tomorrow for your first day, however, you may not meet Carson for a while. He's, well, a bit anal about the company he likes to keep." She smiled at me, but there was still a tinge of disappointment hidden there. "Don't worry, Sascha, I'm sure he'll like you."
The elevator ride was quiet. I took the time to check my suit, and with everything in place, we stepped out and made our way into my office. I could see Sascha eyeing it with some disappointment. It looked like any other office. We weren't allowed to put much personality on the walls, but I did have a few pictures of my family, along with my Lombardi Replica Super Bowl trophy. I pulled the chair out for her and motioned Sascha to sit down as I took my place behind the desk.
"As your HR rep, I need to go over some boring paperwork. I'll just need you to sign after we go over your requirements for the job."
"And, what are those?" Sascha said with a crack in her voice. She mostly spoke in a quiet whisper since I met her, and only saw her raise her voice when I was getting on her nerves. I made sure to take note of that.
"Typical administration duties like sending rejection emails, answering phones, answering to our every whim, sending paper-"
"Every whim?" Sascha interrupted.
"It's rude to interrupt your superiors," I growled, but I wasn't actually angry at all. I wanted to see her gears turn.
"That's not actually a part of the job; you can't think I'm that naive. Are you still joking? Do you even take this position seriously?" Sascha almost went red in the face, and I couldn't help but burst out in laughter. The harder I laughed, the harder my accent becomes.
"Of course, I take my job seriously, and I hope you take yours just as seriously as I take mine."
"So, not at all?"
"You shouldn't be rude to your superiors." I smiled. The room fell silent, and Sascha, too, burst out in laughter. She was irresistible, from her laugh to the way her nose wrinkled when she got annoyed. "In all seriousness, дорогой, you'll be assisting us in various tasks, including answering phones and sending emails. You'll also, technically, be answering to Carson and Ryland as long as you're in this office. Your salary, tax information, and everything else are included in this document. Take a moment to read it, and let me know if you need clarification."
"I have a question."
"Sure."
"What are you saying in Russian?”
"That's for me to know, and for you to find out." I smiled and winked at her.
Sascha had no questions for me as she read the document silently. I was staring intently at her, in fact, it was difficult to look away. I'm not sure if she was doing it on purpose, but I could see directly down her shirt. Her breasts were perfect bell-shapes and perky. Sascha looked fit, and fit meant endurance. I wondered if she'd be able to keep up with me.
"I'm finished." She placed the documents in front of her, and I snapped back to reality.
"Great," I placed them inside my folder for new hires, and handed her a duplicate copy. "Before you go, I want you to meet the other employees. It will only take a few minutes."
"Sounds lovely," Sasha replied.
I took her to meet the other employees of Calliope Publishing. First, I introduced her to our intern-editors, Noah, Dante, Harvey and Priya. Noah seemed to take an immediate shine to her and was excited when Sascha introduced herself as an editor, but had to correct herself after I playfully jabbed her in the elbow. Dante couldn't help but crack the all-star pick up line, 'did it hurt when you fell from heaven?' Sascha did her best to be nice, but I could see her cringe. Harvey and Priya were both seated together at their desks, discussing their weekend when we showed up. They both hopped to attention when they saw me. Sascha rolled her eyes and I noticed it, but kept quiet. She was going to be a tough one to reign in.
I introduced her to Oliver and Opal next, our resident editors. Oliver behaved himself well enough, but Opal sneered and made a few passive-aggressive comments towards Sascha after I introduced her. It wasn't the first time Opal acted this way to a younger, more attractive female employee. When Opal was out of sight of both of us in the elevator, I expressed my apologies.
"Sorry about Opal, she's nice once you leave her direct sight," I said and Sascha giggled. I made a mental note to reprimand about her behavior later.
Once we were both back in the main entrance, we walked side-by-side towards the desk.
"As you already know, this will be your workspace. Get to know it." I turned towards her and outstretched my hand for a handshake. There was her firm grip again.
"Thank you so much for today; I appreciate you showing me around and getting me familiar with the place." Sascha stepped backwards.
"You can have the rest of the afternoon off. Get a good night's sleep." Sascha smiled, a nervous perk to her smile, and waved goodbye to me. As she left the building, I snuck a peek at her ass
. It was plump and firm, even through that skirt. I bet it would make a great sound when I smacked it. I sighed and leaned against the desk, taking out my cell phone from my pocket. I located the numbers of both Ryland and Carson and dialed a three-way call. Ryland answered first.
"Ian," Ryland remarked.
"'Hi' is never your first option, is it?"
"What do you want?" There was Ryland's short temper.
"Wait for Carson to get on the line first." With that, I heard the phone hang up. I sighed, but with another click, the other line connected, and I could hear Carsons' voice come through.
"Hello, Ian."
"Hey, Carson. I'm going to put Ryland back on the line." Once both of my bosses connected, I readied the excellent news. "I think I found your new assistant."
"You think, or you know?" Ryalnd asked.
"What's she like?" Carson asked immediately after.
"Well, she's no-nonsense, shy, and looks like a model."
"I don't see how her looks have anything to do with her quality of work at the industry." Ryland scoffed.
"You already know about her quality of work, you read her resume," I said, getting a little frustrated.
"We'll see how she fares as Ryland's assistant first." Carson chuckled. Carson knew full well what kind of person Ryland was, and if Sascha could handle him, she could handle anything. "Is that all?"
"That's all," I answered, and heard someone hang up immediately afterward. "Carson, I'll have all of her paperwork filed. She starts tomorrow."
Two Billionaires in Vegas: A Halloween MFM Romance (Love by Numbers Book 1) Page 12