by Tia Wylder
“He takes after you. Both of you eat like pigs,” Svetlana teased, moving to her own breakfast of scrambled eggs. Jackson and Klaus exchanged a look before turning to Svetlana and loudly oinking like pigs. They continued until she erupted into giggles, holding her hands up in surrender. “Alright, alright! I get it. No wonder this place seems like a pigsty,” she grinned. The three fell into a comfortable silence, enjoying their breakfast until Svetlana’s phone began to chime. She drew it out of her pocket, swiping the screen to read the message. “Ugh. Melissa says the office is already in crisis mode. Looks like you’ll be getting an early start as future boss of daddy’s business,” she hummed.
“Mommy and daddy’s business. You hold just as much of a share as I do at this point,” Jackson murmured, rising to his feet and putting their dishes in the dishwasher.
“Who is Melissa, mom?” Klaus inquired absently, already distracted with his own personal tablet; though he was more interested in racing games than organizational skills.
“She’s your mom’s personal assistant. Like what your mom used to do for me,” Jackson grinned, nudging Svetlana in the side. “Here’s hoping we don’t have a repeat scenario,” he murmured under his breath, just loudly enough for Svetlana to hear. She rolled her eyes, chuckling under her breath before shifting away from the table.
“Alright boys, get your bags. Klaus, is that what you’re wearing? I told your father to get you dressed,” she whined.
“He said he wants to be a fun boss,” Jackson retorted. Klaus smiled proudly, hesitating for a moment before grabbing a small blanket off the couch before they slipped out the door.
“I think a fun boss would wear a cape,” he declared, tying the blanket around himself. Jackson and Svetlana exchanged a look, and as Jackson fastened the young boy in the back seat, Svetlana slipped into the driver’s seat.
“That’s your son” Svetlana said drolly.
Jackson chuckled before tousling Klaus’ hair. “What? You don’t want to claim him? He’s your son too,” Jackson riposted.
Klaus bubbled with amused laughter as the older man got in the passenger seat and fastened his seatbelt. Within moments, they were going down the highway towards the office building where their story began.
As Svetlana pulled into the parking lot, Jackson wasn’t awfully surprised to see her young, blonde assistant waiting for them. Svetlana breathed a sigh, slipping out of the car and approaching the younger woman.
“What does mom do here? I know she used to be your assistant, but she seems to do a lot more, now,” Klaus murmured, causing Jackson to give pause as he made to unfasten his seatbelt. The older man smiled genuinely, looking in the direction Svetlana had gone.
“When we got married, it didn’t feel right for your mother to be my assistant anymore. She could offer the company a lot more. Now, she runs things alongside of me, and profits have never been higher,” he hummed, opening Klaus’s door and allowing the young boy to hop out. The two circled around the car, with the young boy gripping his father figure’s hand tightly.
“Melissa, honey, I got here as quickly as I could. You know we agreed that I could bring Klaus in today, to show him around a bit. He’s eager to take his place as future head of company, and it’s never too soon to get a head start on business know how,” Svetlana explained exasperatedly as the two males stepped up behind her. The younger blonde assistant fretted, looking over her tablet before seeming to notice Klaus. Her expression brightened, and she crouched in front of the young boy to get a better look at him.
“Oh, Svetlana! This is little Klaus? He’s such a handsome little boy,” she cooed, and Klaus reddened in embarrassed delight. Svetlana cleared her throat, and Melissa rightened herself.
“Yes, that’s the man of the hour. He’ll be in the office with Jackson and I for most of the day, so I trust you won’t mind helping keep an eye on things,” Svetlana gave her an alert gaze. Melissa smiled, saluting awkwardly before seeming to realize that was a foolish gesture. She awkwardly dropped her hand to her side, smiling nervously at her bosses.
“Of course. Anything for you, Miss Wethers. I’ll go fetch coffee for Mr. Wethers and yourself, and maybe a carton of milk for my future boss…?” She trailed off, obviously eager to please. Jackson chuckled, resting a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder.
“Relax. She won’t bite your head off. She saves her really hissy fits for when she’s home alone with me,” he grinned. Svetlana snorted, hiding a smile behind her hand. Melissa gave a reinforced smile and nodded before shuffling away. They watched her go, and as they made to follow, Klaus reached out to take Jackson by the hand.
“Dad… when I’m in charge, I’ll get an assistant like her, right?” The young boy inquired. Jackson hesitated before nodding. “Great. I want one just like her,” Klaus asserted with adoration in his eyes. Svetlana rolled her eyes in exasperation as Jackson erupted in laughter.
“Like father, like son,” she muttered, leading them to the office. Jackson couldn’t argue that fact, but then again…
He wouldn’t have it any other way.
*****
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The Boss & The Intern
Chapter 1: Best Foot Forward
“Okay. You are Elizabeth Adams. You are so strong and fierce that your middle name might as well be Tiger. But it isn’t. Keep to the facts.” Elizabeth smoothed out the wrinkles that had formed on the front of her black dress from sitting in the car. Her palms were starting to sweat. Flipping down the mirror on her visor, she tidied up her lipstick and made eye contact with her reflection. “They would be lucky to have you. You’ve got this.” She took a deep breath and fixed a dazzling smile on her face.
Page Industries stretched itself before her. Crisp steel and black walls made it seem intimidating and strong. Butterflies flitted through her stomach, and she fought back an excited squeal. Somehow, even in heels, she managed to take the steps two at a time. The door was harder to open than she had imagined, and it caught her off guard.
Inside, the building sparkled with dark tile that glinted in the light. Elizabeth tugged her dress into place and straightened her shoulders. Brushing a strand of dark hair back into place, she leaned on the receptionist’s desk, “Hi! I’m here for an interview. I’m trying to become an—”
Her bubbly voice was cut off sharply by the receptionist’s dry tones, “Go down to the conference room on the left. Knock before you go in.”
“Oh. Okay then. Thank you!” Determined not to let the other woman’s rudeness ruin her mood, she strutted down the hall and opened the conference door.
“Weren’t you told to knock first?” Bright blue eyes pierced her from behind a long table. A striking man with broad shoulders and a beard that make him look rugged gazed back at her.
Shoot! She hadn’t even been here five minutes yet, and she had already messed up. Pressing her lips into an apologetic smile, she knocked on the door that she was still holding open, “Sorry, I’m just so excited to be here.”
The man in the conference room sighed, “It’s a little late for that now, don’t you think?”
“Right. Let’s start over.” She held out her hand to him, “I’m Elizabeth Adams. I’m here to interview for the intern position.”
“Nice to meet you, Lizzie.” He maintained eye contact as he held her hand in his for just a second too long.
The intoxicating mixture of his eyes and his handshake made her stomach do a summersault, but that was abruptly brought to a screeching halt when he shortened her name. She winced, “Just Elizabeth, please.” He raised an eyebrow at her but didn’t say anything. Unsure of what to do with the silence, words began rattling out of her mouth, “Thank you so much for letting me come in today. I know it might be hard to believe, but this is my dream job. Well, this isn’t, but the job that comes after this one is.”
“So, this isn’t your dream job?” He pulled his arms back closer to his body and leaned his fingers into a steeple.
/> “No, that’s not what I meant.” Elizabeth could feel her cheeks beginning to burn. “I just meant that this is a terrific opportunity. I want to intern here so that I can get my foot in the door to be the next concierge, you know? Page Industries is such a renowned company, and being involved in even a small portion of that would be amazing.”
“So, you don’t want to be an intern?” He wasn’t letting her off the hook that easily. She squirmed under the pressure, and he had to force back a smile.
She was beginning to get flustered. “I’m tripping over my words, but I am the best candidate you will see for this job. I am hard working and enthusiastic. My wanting to move up should be a plus for this job, not a negative. It just means that I must do well here to get to my dream job. If that isn’t motivation enough to make someone be the best intern this company has ever seen, then they don’t deserve to be a part of this company!”
He let a small silence settle over the room. The smile that had been fighting to come out finally crept over his lips into a smirk, “I agree.”
“You do?” The fire that had blazed in her eyes as she was talking softened.
“I agree that you are the best candidate I am going to see for this job, because you are the only candidate I am going to see for this job.”
“What?”
“You already had the job before you even came in here. Why do you think I was here to meet you?”
“I just thought this was an interview.” Elizabeth’s mouth gaped open. She got the job? “Wait. You made me go through all of that when I already had the job?!” Embarrassment colored her face.
He chuckled, “One of my perks. Make sure you see Adeline on your way out. She’ll give you your schedule. You start tomorrow.”
He pushed himself away from the desk and opened the door to leave, but she stopped him, “I’m still confused. ‘One of your perks.’ What does that mean?”
A young woman with a clipboard caught him at the door, “Mr. Page, could you look over this paperwork, please?”
He took the clipboard and glanced over it, “I’ll get this back to you later, Miranda.”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened, “Mr. Page?!” She trailed after him, star struck. He was much younger than she had imagined.
“You know, for someone who says she has a dream job with my company, you don’t seem to have done much research.” He gave her one more smirk before disappearing into an office. The nameplate beside the door read his name in bold, silver letters: Derrick Page.
Having trouble catching her breath, Elizabeth wandered back to the lobby. She had just had an interview with the Derrick Page. It was hard to keep her mouth from gaping open. Her feet carried her on autopilot towards the front door.
“Do you want your schedule or not?” The woman from the front desk glared at her and waved a piece of paper at her.
Oh! She had completely forgotten about that. “Thanks.” She smiled victoriously as she looked down at the piece of paper clutched in her hand. She did it. She got the job!
Elizabeth bounded down the steps leading up to the building. Was it just her, or was the sun shining brighter now? Everything seemed cleaner and more vibrant. Trying to keep her composure, she managed to wait until she was in her car before she squealed with excitement. Best. Day. Ever.
The memory of Mr. Page’s eyes staring into her, almost laughing at her, made her shiver. This was certainly going to be an interesting experience. She revved up her car’s engine, and it sputtered out of the parking spot towards her new home. The realtor was supposed to meet her there in about half an hour to hand over the keys. Today was going to be full of blessings, in more way than one.
When she eased into the driveway of her new home, a brick mailbox greeted her beside a ‘SOLD’ sign. This was it. A shiny, red convertible was parked on the street. The realtor must already be inside. Elizabeth slid slowly out of her own blue clunker, taking in the sight of her soon-to-be-official home. Beautiful grey siding trimmed with pristine white trim cast a cool shadow over her. It was classy, inviting, and all hers.
“Hello?” She opened the door and peeked around the frame.
“Oh! You caught me.” Greta Kane leaned out of the kitchen. As far as realtors go, she was the most thoughtful in the business. A tray of warm chocolate chip cookies was nestled in her hands. “There is the lady of the hour. You told me you had a job interview today, right? How did it go?”
“I nailed it.” Elizabeth beamed at her, eyeing the cookies.
“Then let’s celebrate!”
Grabbing one of the cookies, she took a big bite, “Oh! Hot, hot! But good. So good.” The chocolate was molten deliciousness in her mouth.
Greta clapped her hands, “I’m so glad you like them. Okay, are you ready to sign the papers?”
“Yes!”
Greta slipped a stack of paper in front of her and handed her a pen. “The former owners are out of state, so it’s just us today. I need you to sign and date where I placed the sticky tabs, and then we’re done.”
Elizabeth grasped the pen in her hand. Her hand shook. This was the biggest step she had ever taken. It was normal to be nervous, right? The ink glided across the page. It was done. It was official. “Well, looks like I am an official member of the he-woman-homeowner’s club.”
“Perfect. Let’s go over a few final things, and then I’ll get out of your hair.” Greta led her to a control panel on the wall. “The Jeffersons had a security/sprinkler combination system installed not long ago. To set it, you just punch in 5513 followed by the ‘arm’ button. If you need to turn it off, type in 3155, and then you just have to punch the ‘off’ button. For emergencies, hit 5529. That will set it off immediately and call the authorities. The security company has already been notified that you are the new owner, so they shouldn’t give you any problems. I wrote it all down on a slip of paper over there, so you should be fine.” She pointed to a sticky note by the sink.
“Thank you so much, Greta. I really appreciate everything you’ve done to help me.”
“Oh, honey, it’s my pleasure! If you need anything else, just let me know!” She gathered her briefcase and a copy of the signed papers.
Elizabeth walked her out, “Bye! Be safe!”
“You, too!” Greta glanced at Elizabeth’s car, “You might want to put that in the garage. The homeowners’ association can get a bit nasty about older models.”
“Oh, okay.” Her car wasn’t that bad, was it? It had a few dents and dings, but it still ran just fine. She watched Greta drive away with a honk, but now she was worried about her car. “One thing at a time. New job, new home, new me.”
It was strange, living alone. The house was so empty right now, aside from the cookies. It would be better when the movers showed up. Once the house was full of her things it would feel like home. Her eyes glanced over to the neighbor’s house. It was dark cobblestones with brown shutters and meticulously maintained flowerbeds. A black roof with overhanging porches made it seem formidable and removed. It was practically a mansion. Maybe Greta was right. Maybe she should move her car out of the driveway. Before she could make up her mind, a yellow moving van pulled up outside.
“Hey! Are you Miss Adams?” A man in the passenger seat rolled down his window.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“We’re in the right place.” He signaled for the driver to kill the engine. The man climbed out of the van and opened the back. He began unloading her boxes and roughly tossing them on the lawn.
“Hey, if it’s not too much trouble, could you be a little gentler with my stuff?” She winced as another box thudded to the ground.
“So, listen.” The driver waddled over to her. His t-shirt was stained with sweat and mustard. “Turns out the price we quoted you only covers moving your stuff from your old place to the new one. It doesn’t cover us taking it inside.”
“What?! What happened to the curbside service you advertised?”
“You’re looking at it. We take your junk f
rom one curb to another. Curbside service. It’s in the name, sweetheart.” He waggled an eyebrow at her, “But, you know, if you wanted to throw in another couple hundred bucks, or maybe a date, we could take it inside for you.”
Elizabeth wrinkled her nose in disgust, “No thanks. I’ll do it myself. Just try not to break anything.” She shivered with revolt and took a few steps back.
By the time they had unloaded her boxes, the sun was high overhead. Elizabeth groaned as she looked across her lawn. It looked like a very boring birthday party had exploded presents everywhere. Wrapping her arms around the one closest to her, she lugged it inside and placed it in the living room. She marched determinedly outside to pick up another load.
Her phone rang in her pocket, “Hello?”
“Miss Adams, this is Tyler Banks with Goodwin’s Furniture Outlet.”
“Oh, great! How are you doing?”
“I’m well.”
She squinted her eyes, “Your company doesn’t do curbside service, do you?”
“No ma’am. We bring your items inside for you. I was calling to let you know we are having a little scheduling issue, and your furniture won’t be there until tomorrow. Will that be an issue?”
Elizabeth wiped some sweat from her brow and stared at the mess of boxes she still had to bring inside. Her heart sank. “Um, no. No problems here.” Disappointment dragged her down.
“Okay, we will see you tomorrow then.”
“See you tomorrow.” The line fell silent. She slowly lowered the phone from her ear. No furniture until tomorrow? Her day had started out so good. She couldn’t let these little hiccups bum her out. She could just have a sleepover in the living room using her comforter. No big deal. She could still do this.
Trying to keep her spirits up, she grabbed another box and hauled it inside. It wasn’t so bad. It would just be for one night, anyway. She could manage that. A smile drifted back across her face. It was still a good day. One by one, the boxes filled the living room. Elizabeth was covered in sweat, but she just had two more boxes left. Unfortunately, she had saved the biggest ones for last. The sun had sunk to late afternoon now, and the temperature was beginning to drop gradually. As she paused to catch her breath, a sporty car zoomed into the driveway of the cobblestone home next door.