“You came close,” Rex said.
“Not close enough. I can’t think about this right now.” I was already getting a migraine.
“Hey, at least you came out of it looking great. I wish I’d seen you last night. I bet you were stunning,” he said.
I smiled. He knew how to lift my spirit. “Not to brag, but I kinda was.”
“Kinda? Look at you. Your eyes, your face, your hair, I would’ve loved to see you in that dress.”
I had tossed the dress on the couch, which reminded me, was I going to have to return it? It was probably the most beautiful and expensive dress I’d ever worn.
“Hey, how about we go out for a drink? My treat.”
“It’s ten in the morning,” I said.
“So what?”
So, it was too early to drink. But then again, who was I kidding? It was probably going to be the highlight of my day.
“Okay,” I said as I got out of bed.
After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, I reached for my phone right at the same time it started ringing. I looked at the screen and noticed it was a private number calling.
“Give me a minute,” I told Rex and picked it up.
After a moment, an English accent spoke. Oh God, it was Francis. “Mrs. Gallagher is requesting your presence at the Gallagher mansion.”
“She is?” I asked in surprise.
“You should get here as soon as possible,” Francis said.
“Okay,” I said as he hung up.
I didn’t know why Mrs. Gallagher wanted to see me, but it made me nervous.
“Are you okay? Who was that?” Rex asked.
“Francis, the Gallagher’s butler. Mrs. Gallagher wants to see me.”
“Oh, that’s good, right?”
“I don’t know. I honestly have no idea.”
“You need to go.”
“I’ll call you after the meeting.” I kissed his cheek as we walked out and parted ways.
On my way to the Gallagher’s, I kept wondering why she wanted to see me and I couldn’t think of one good reason. All I could think about was the kiss. Whatever bravery that had come over me and driven me to kiss her was long gone. I was scared shitless. What if she slapped me with a sexual harassment suit? No, I wouldn’t worry myself.
I would drive there and hear out what she had to say. I tried not to think about it the rest of the way. When I drove my car into parking, I took a few deep breaths and got out. I remembered the first time I’d driven there late for my interview. Gosh, it felt like ages ago. Had it only been a week?
As I headed towards the large entrance of the house, I grew more and more anxious. I pressed the doorbell and waited. Francis opened the door and let me in.
“Mrs. Gallagher’s office,” he said.
I looked at the intimidating stairwell and felt like David in his duel with Goliath. After the first step, I told myself it wouldn’t be bad news if she’d called me there. Bad news could be delivered via phone calls so this had to be a good thing.
I confidently headed to Mrs. Gallagher’s office and knocked. After the second time without a response, I walked in. There was no one in the office. Francis had probably gone to let her know I’d arrived. Good, a little time was exactly what I needed.
I’d never been in that office alone. Every time I went there, Mrs. Gallagher was always present and my gaze usually stuck to her so I never got a chance to look around the surroundings. There was a large library cabinet with quite an impressive collection of books on the entire left wall, a brown leather couch with a small table and a lamp on the opposite side, probably where she sat when she read her books. But her desk was the centre piece in the office and quite an impressive one too.
The large window behind the desk made me wonder what it faced. If my office faced a tennis court, what view did this one have? I was about to check when the door opened and Mrs. Gallagher walked in.
I grew instantly tense and waited as she walked past me and headed to her desk. That magical scent of her fragrance sweetly assaulted me again as I confidently looked up and watched her. She was casually dressed in a summer dress that looked wonderful on her. After getting used to her official outfits, I hadn’t imagined she could pull off a laid back and relaxed look in such an appealing manner.
“Congratulations, your project was a success last night,” she said.
“Thank you.”
She sat down and summoned me to approach her throne. I walked closer as she placed an envelope on the desk right in front of me.
“Your pay for the week,” she said.
My pay? This meant I wouldn’t have to camp out on Rex’s couch. Oh, thank goodness. However much it was, I knew it’d cover me for a while until I found another job.
“Aren’t you going to take a look?” she asked.
I smiled at her and said, “I trust you.” It was meant as a joke but she didn’t smile and I felt stupid. “Thank you for taking a chance on me,” I said before I turned to leave.
“See you tomorrow,” she said.
I froze in my step. “Tomorrow?”
“You have somewhere else you need to be?” she asked.
“No, I just thought…” I trailed off.
“I would like you to continue working for me, Olivia.”
I smiled, feeling a great rush of warmth overcome me. “I would be honored,” I said.
“Good, see you then.”
I nodded and when I turned to leave, she added, “Don’t let what happened last night repeat itself.”
My heart started racing at the statement as the memory of the kiss came back to mind. “I’m so sorry about that,” I said, trying to sound as professional and emotionless as possible. When she failed to respond, I left her office. I couldn’t believe I’d gotten the job. I was going to be working for Amelia Gallagher.
“Hey.”
I stopped downstairs at the voice and turned to face Amelia’s daughter.
“You must be the new girl,” she said. “I’m Adrianna.”
“I’m Olivia.”
“Did you get the job?”
When I nodded, she smiled in what appeared to be amusement.
“No judgment on you, but don’t get too comfortable. Her assistants never last.”
“Oh.” Was she trying to gauge my reaction? I really couldn’t tell. “Good to know,” I said, confident I’d last longer.
“I tried working for her as an intern…”
Oh, she wanted to chat. I wasn’t sure I was supposed to fraternize with the Gallagher family.
“I couldn’t handle the pressure. There is never-ending work to be done,” she said.
It was better than moving from one job to the next. “That’s kind of why I like the job.”
“Hmm, you’re weird.”
No, I was broke with student loans to pay. With a consistent source of income, I could stabilize my life. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth like this pretty little princess staring back at me with soft grey eyes.
“Nice talking to you, Adrianna. I have to go,” I said and walked out.
I called Rex on my way and he suggested we go out and celebrate. Any other day I would’ve taken my books and started studying for my exams, but I was in a celebratory mood and I deserved a break after the busy week I’d had.
As I drove away from the Gallagher residence, I couldn’t help wondering how many of Amelia Gallagher’s assistants could say they had kissed the queen and lived to tell about it. What had I been thinking? And where had I gotten the guts to do such a thing?
I’d been confident all through the night, floating around the crowd beside Mrs. Gallagher, meeting so many people, hearing so many interesting stories. Stories I could only dream about but never live to see. It’d been a wonderful night and being beside Mrs. Gallagher had been a bonus.
Working for her was going to be both challenging and inspiring. Challenging because of how demanding she was as an employer, not to mention my disturbing crush o
n her and inspiring because of the people I’d come to meet and maybe even places I’d get to see.
Chapter Three
“Egypt?”
I was handed a first-class plane ticket and informed I was traveling to Cairo. Mrs. Gallagher was absent so the news came from Francis. He had the plane ticket waiting for me first thing Monday morning when I walked into the mansion.
I’d known travel would be part of the job but I’d not expected it so soon.
“Why I’m I going to Cairo?”
“You’ll get your instructions here.” Francis handed me an iPhone.
My flight was in an hour. I needed to go back home, retrieve my passport and be at the airport in due time for travel.
I hadn’t signed any employment contract, so I wondered if this was another exercise by Mrs. Gallagher. Even though she’d said I’d gotten the job, the only way I was going to be absolutely sure was if I had physical proof and that meant my signature on a piece of paper.
“There is a driver waiting for you outside, ready to take you wherever you need to go,” Francis said.
A driver? How convenient. I needed to get moving.
“Thank you, Francis.”
A sleek blue BMW was parked outside waiting for me. A man dressed in a black suit stepped out when I approached the car.
He was a good-looking man in his early forties. He had the same serious expression as Francis. It made me wonder if I’d also get that look if I worked for Mrs. Gallagher long enough.
“Ms. Williams?”
I nodded.
“My name is James Holliday, I’m your driver.”
He was polite, with a pleasant smile as he opened the back door for me.
“Thank you, Mr. Holliday.”
“James will be just fine.”
I nodded and sat on the soft black leather. James got in the driver’s seat. As he drove out of the Gallagher residence, it felt like the car was flying. I could hardly hear the engine or the motion of the vehicle. The car must’ve cost an arm and a leg, but I had to admit, those Germans knew what they were doing.
“Where would you like me to take you today, Ms. Williams?” James asked.
He was looking at me through the rearview mirror while keeping an eye on the deserted Gallagher lane.
“Please call me Olivia.”
“Olivia,” he said.
I saw him smile with his eyes and realized he was nothing like Francis. He was warmer, definitely friendlier.
I gave him directions to my house and he nodded, paying attention to the road as I took out the iPhone to figure out what my mission to Cairo was.
As soon as I accessed the device, it pinged with an email from Mrs. Gallagher. It had specific instructions on where I was going, where I’d be staying, who I’d be meeting and his contact information.
When I opened the plane ticket to check how long my flight to Egypt would last, I found a platinum credit card. I had to admit; this was probably the best job I’d ever gotten by far.
First class plane ticket, all expenses paid for and my own personal driver. This was going to be interesting.
On my way to the airport after picking up my passport and packing a few outfits, I called Rex to let him know what was happening.
“I’m going to Egypt!” I said when he picked my call.
“What? When and Why?”
“I’m heading to the airport right now. I’m not sure yet why I’m going, I just have some contact information for when I get there. Mrs. Gallagher sent me.”
“Shit, that’s awesome.”
“Mrs. Gallagher is full of surprises.”
“How was she this morning?”
I wished I’d seen her. My sight and my being were thirsting after her. “I didn’t see her.”
“How long will you be in Egypt?”
“My flight is about twelve hours long, so give or take, a day or two.”
“It would’ve been awesome were you going to stay longer so you can go sightseeing.”
“Yeah, but even then I wouldn’t be able to afford it. I doubt Mrs. Gallagher would take it too kindly if I spent more than I’m supposed to.”
“Oh well, try and enjoy whatever free time you get. Take some pictures so I can pretend I’ve been there too. Have an awesome trip and call me the moment you get back,” he said.
“Sure.”
Rex would’ve loved going to Egypt. Being an artist, I was sure he would’ve been ecstatic to see Egyptian art in its place of origin.
I sent a quick reply to Mrs. Gallagher, wondering where she’d been that morning.
After she’d handed over my paycheck, I’d hoped I’d get to see her often but that hope was dashed now. With the traveling, I doubted we’d get to spend much time together.
She was a very busy person with countless responsibilities. I’d done my research on her and discovered she came from a family of money. Mr. Gallagher’s wealth combined with her own was enough to buy several islands and happily retire for a couple of centuries if not more.
Amelia’s family business was in pharmaceuticals while Mr. Gallagher’s was in the manufacturing industry. Both their businesses were extremely successful and together, they were a superpower.
They owned homes in Europe and other exotic places, super yachts, jets, and technically anything money could buy.
After my research, I had goose bumps all over. I’d known the family was well off, but I hadn’t imagined they were stratospherically successful.
I was more intimidated by Mrs. Gallagher than ever. The upside to her success was that my paycheck had been more than I’d expected.
I was happy because I wasn’t going to be kicked out of my house for a while, and the money was enough to support my needs for now. If I managed to keep this job long enough, I’d end up paying off my student loans and perhaps even live a debt free life at some point.
Having not to constantly worry about where my next paycheck would come from and if it’d be enough to cover my expenses was reassuring. If I had to fly across North Atlantic to keep this job, then so be it.
When I stepped into first class of my flight, it felt like someone had kicked me hard in the gut. I’d only traveled a couple of times back to visit my parents in St. Paul, Minnesota since leaving home to go to school at NYU.
They’d spent every single cent of their savings to make sure I had the education I needed to succeed in life but since it wasn’t enough, I’d differed on some classes to make time for work.
I couldn’t visit them as often as they wished, but they understood it was hard. During my visits, I’d been in economy class and had never set foot in first class until now. The experience was similar to the first time I’d walked into the Gallagher mansion. The overwhelming feeling had me holding my breath as I was shown to my seat.
It was right next to the window with lots of privacy, plenty of legroom and space to stretch out on to. After putting away my carry-on luggage, I slid into the unbelievably comfortable chair which could easily convert itself into a bed and I noticed the wide screen beside it, for entertainment options.
The best part, much to my awe, was the bar. Though it was too early to drink, the twelve-hour flight would give me plenty of time for that later. For now, I needed to note down the information I required for Cairo.
I’d been concerned about getting a visa but it appeared I’d get it at the airport upon arrival. Before takeoff, I quickly went online to read up on Egypt and the things I wouldn’t get to see, just to feel like I knew something about the country.
There was so much information online, I wished I hadn’t checked because all over a sudden, it was saddening to know I’d be so close to all these beautiful, wonderful things; architectural wonders, historical buildings and holy sites, but I wouldn’t get a chance to see them.
I was going to meet a man named Frank Connor, who was an original art dealer and according to the information Mrs. Gallagher had sent me, I was supposed to appraise a piece of art and sign a release for
m, then the parcel was going to be sent to New York.
His information was in the email, though limited, I had to go online and find out who he was and how he looked like so that I’d know him when I saw him.
My flight took off half an hour later and as we ascended, I found myself growing nervous. I didn’t know why, because it was uneventful and even though I was comfortable, I was unable to relax. Later when I was arriving, I realized it was because my body was in constant work mode.
I’d never sat idle for so long without anything to do for as long as I could remember, which made it hard to close my eyes for a nap. I had a couple of drinks to relax, but I only got more anxious so when the flight landed, I couldn’t wait to get to work.
There was someone at Cairo International Airport from my hotel waiting to pick me up. I spotted him the moment I walked out of the airport because he had a piece of paper with my name written on it.
The drive to my hotel didn’t last long but when I alighted, I realized I was tired, probably from jetlag. The receptionist was very friendly. When I gave her my details, she had a porter take me to a suite that was a bit more extravagant than I’d expected.
It was almost six in the morning since Cairo was six hours ahead and my meeting was in five hours so I needed a shower and some rest.
I didn’t have much time to enjoy the ambiance or the luxury as I was too tired to. After a nice warm shower, I got in bed and set my alarm so as not to oversleep. I’d have the experience when I woke up to fully appreciate it, not now with my sleepy and tired senses.
I met Frank Connor at the hotel lounge. He was a tall lanky man whose age I couldn’t estimate because he appeared as though he was in his sixties but something told me he was younger.
I recognized him immediately, thanks to having looked him up online earlier. He was neatly dressed in a suit and was ready to get to work from the moment we met. We left the hotel, but I wasn’t sure where we were headed. I was glad we were using the hotel transport because it made me feel safe.
Unfortunately, apart from a few old buildings that probably held no great story, I didn’t see much on our way. Frank wasn’t much of a talker so the half hour drive was a bit boring. When I asked him about the area, he had only a word or two to say.
Cougar Boss Page 4