"Did Ian go over the system with you?" I asked.
"Yes, I was just getting to know it."
"Are you confident with the system, or do you need more time?"
"I’m confident I can-"
"Good." I interrupted. Sascha looked shocked. "Then you already know what you need to do today, right?
"Send rejection emails." I cocked my brow. Had she already read the report for the day?
"Yes, you need to send 37 e-mails to different writers who didn’t make the cut for our company." I set my briefcase on the table behind her and pulled out a stack of manuscripts. The pile was so large that it made a small thud when it hit the desk. "You’ll need to personalize every single one of these manuscripts. Understand?" Sascha looked at the stack before her but didn’t seem to be overwhelmed. This intrigued me, but I chalked it up to the first-day cockiness some of the better interns had. "Can you do that for me?"
"Yes, Mr. Drummond." She turned her body towards me and blinked slowly. A flash of heat surged through my body. My name on her lips sent electricity through my veins and the sheer authority I presented to her made me feel good.
"Good." I took a look at my watch; it was almost lunch. I had gotten in later because of my flight. It was typical for Carson and I to arrive later after coming in from out of town. "I’ll be back after lunch to check on you." I closed my briefcase and retrieved it. “If you need any help, contact Ian.”
After two hours came and went, I decided to check on Sascha. I was surprised that she didn’t contact Ian. If she had, I would have heard of it. Ian was overly excited about the new assistant, and I was starting to see why. Her eyes were exceptionally beautiful, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they would look like staring up at me while she was on her knees. I already got a taste of what that was like with her being so short. She wouldn’t need to bend down far.
My arousal turned into immediate annoyance when I saw Sascha chatting up Noah. Noah was a brilliant intern in his own right, but if they were both wasting the company’s time they needed to be reprimanded.
"What do you think you’re doing?" I asked, sternly.
"Hello, Mr. Drummond. I was just speaking to No-"
"I can see that," I huffed, my anger becoming deeper.
"Mr. Drummond, I’ve completed all the rejection emails," she said, with a sly smile. My eyes went wide with shock.
"I find that hard to believe. Show me." I placed my briefcase on the desk and wheeled around over to her side so I could read what was on the computer. I leaned beside her while Sascha stayed in her chair, showing me her work. She smelled sweet, like citrus and fruit. She had, indeed, completed all the tasks I asked her to do. Noah laughed at my expression.
"Brilliant, isn’t she?" Noah mentioned.
"How did you get these rejection letters done so quickly?" I gasped.
"I mastered speed reading in college," she answered in an almost bored tone. "Do you have any more work for me, Mr. Drummond?" I stared at her, and slowly gave her a smile. I was impressed. Maybe Ian was right about her after all.
Sascha
Ryland left after giving me some more administrative work but seeing the look on his face was a victory unto itself. Outmaneuvering Ryland was the cherry on top of an already great day. I’d pretty much assessed him to be a hard ass, but maybe after getting to know him, he’d loosen up a bit. That square jaw of his going tense made his features pop more than they did relaxed, and the flames behind his eyes were enough to make me melt. Ryland had a way of making you feel dominated.
Noah went back to his desk before Ryland did, but the conversation I had with him was fun and informative. He had been hired this year as an intern, and he told me great things about the company. When I asked him about the C.E.O., he said he had seen him a few times and even introduced himself, but for the most part, Carson was a ghost.
Mystery was an attractive quality in a man, but if you never saw him, he was just flaky. Or maybe, he was so busy that he couldn’t come down and mingle with his subordinates? I finished the other administrative tasks that Ryland had given me and waited for a few minutes to see if any other job needed to be done. I checked my email and my phone, but no one contacted me. With the C.E.O. and C.O.O. being absent, I decided to get to know my fellow co-workers.
I was already acquainted with Noah, so I decided to talk to Oliver and Dante, who were both speaking to each other about an edit that needed to be done tomorrow. When I approached, Dante winked at me and Oliver told me to ignore him while rolling his eyes. Dante said I should take it as a compliment, he only acted that way towards pretty girls. Harvey was up next, but from rumors going around the office (specifically what Noah told me), Harvey and Priya were close and usually seen with each other. Harvey and Priya spoke at length about the job, and how excited they were to see a new face.
Asking any of the employees about the C.E.O. was a wash. Most of them, like Noah, had never had a full conversation with him. Ryland, they knew more about, and they all said the same thing. He was a hard-ass, but a hard worker. He expected quality, and he was going to get it no matter what it took. It seemed to me that Ryland was the face of the company, while Carson did everything from the back end. I expected that Carson would be shyer, or at least more reserved than Ryland. This came as a surprise to me since Ryland was a full two years older than Carson.
I decided to ask Ian about Carson. If anyone knew about him, he would. I thought so anyway, but on the way up the elevator to HR, I started questioning myself. Maybe he barely saw Carson, too, or maybe Ryland gave Ian memos from the C.E.O. and never interacted with him personally. I wasn’t sure. Once on the third floor, I saw Opal out of the corner of my eye, and decided to pretend she wasn’t there. She was a bit of a bitch. She probably didn’t know much about the C.E.O. anyway.
Before I knocked at the door, I heard Ian speak in a foreign language. My guess was Russian, considering he spoke a few words to me when I first met him. I looked up what he was saying on my lunch break, and figured out that he called me “darling,” and “beautiful” multiple times. After realizing that, I felt more nervous to talk to him than I did yesterday. Ian was gorgeous, and to be admired by him was something out of a dream. I knew I was pretty, but I was always too shy to make the first move. I lost in my thoughts when I knocked on the door.
“Ah, yes? Come in,” Ian yelled, and I opened the door. He greeted me with a warm smile before his eyes wandered up and down my body. I blushed and cleared my throat.
“Hi Ian. Sorry to bother you. I wanted to ask you about the C.E.O.”
“What about?” Ian asked, twirling with a pen in his fingers. He was sitting down at his desk, his leg crossed over his knee. Blond locks of hair wandered near his forehead, messy but remained in a style. Ian looked relaxed and in his element.
“Does he ever come into the office?” I said.
“Carson is a law unto himself, he does what he wants, when he wants, but he sure knows how to run a company,” Ian remarked. I frowned. It was good to know that Carson was responsible, but it gave me little to work with. How was I supposed to impress a man I knew nothing about?
“Anything I should know about him?” When I asked more questions about Carson, Ian looked dejected.
“Really, Sascha, it’s rude to talk about another man when there’s a good looking one standing right in front of you,” he joked.
“But, you’re sitting.” I played along.
“Oh, but you admit I’m good looking?” I giggled and smiled at him. He sure was. “Don’t worry about Carson. Just keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll see him soon enough. Do you have anything else to do today?”
“Nothing at all.” I smiled.
“You don’t have to stay. With the C.O.O. and C.E.O. not in the office, there isn’t anyone for you to assist. I’m also good here.” Ian stood up and motioned to the door gently. “Have a good day, Ms. Day.”
“You know you can call me Sascha.”
“Oh, I know.�
�� Ian stuck out his tongue playfully. “But I like your last name.” I stuck my tongue back out at him. At least Ian was playful and fun. Maybe Carson would be similar.
“Have a great day, Mr. Holder.” As I turned around to leave and shut the door behind me, I felt my ass get hot. I knew he was staring at it.
Instead of going home, I decided to go to a bar near the Vegas strip. There were tons to choose from, but most of them were too touristy and expensive. Instead, I decided to go off the beaten path and enter one of my favorites. I stepped into the “Singing Showgirl,” a place with a relaxing atmosphere and good music. Tourists didn’t usually go there, mostly because they didn’t know about it, and there wasn’t a gimmick to it. It was still one of the most upscale bars in the area.
I sat at the bar and promptly asked the bartender for a drink. While waiting, I noticed the man that was there before I was. I didn’t notice him immediately, but then I couldn’t help but not. He was handsome, with a dark Bruce Wayne look to him, suit jacket off, cuff rolled up to his elbow and drinking scotch. His blue eyes behind his rimless glasses gave the impression of a hot nerd. The bartender puts my wine down on the table. The deep red liquid swirled around before I picked it up to my lips.
“Did you just get off work?” the man beside me asked. I turned my head to look at him and our eyes met.
“Oh me? Yes, I just got off of work.” I took a quick sip from my glass before continuing. “How about you?”
“You could say that. I just got off a plane a few hours ago.” He took a sip from his whiskey as well. “But where are my manners? I’m Neil.” Neil stuck out his arm for a handshake, and I shook his hand.
“Nice to meet you, Neil. I’m Sascha.”
“So Sasha, where do you work? Let me guess, you’re a showgirl, right?” I laughed, a little bit flattered.
“What makes you say that?”
“You just look the type. Maybe you dress like an office assistant on your off days.” Neil chuckled and sipped his drink again. I laughed along with him.
“Actually no, I’m not a showgirl. Two left feet, you know. Your second guess was right, I’m an executive assistant at a publishing company. Actually, it’s the most exclusive Publishing Company in Vegas.” I said. Neil cocked an eyebrow looking impressed.
“Wow, what’s this publishing company called?”
“Calliope Publishing, have you heard of it?”
“Only in passing, but what I’ve heard has been pretty good,” Neil said. He started fiddling with his collars, which made my eyes glance over to his arms. He was muscular, and I wondered if he played sports.
“It’s only been a few days since I started this new job, but I still haven’t met the C.E.O. He’s like an enigma, I want to learn more about him, but he’s hard to track down. I still haven’t met him. My co-worker, Noah, seems to think he’s a ghost. I’m starting to think the same.” The man smirked. He placed his empty whiskey glass on the counter and motioned to the bartender.
“Is that so?” he said. There was an odd tone to his voice, like he knew something I didn’t. Maybe he knew Carson? Unlikely, considering his own employees didn’t. “Can I buy you another drink?” he offered as I emptied my wine glass.
“Sorry, I wish I could stay, but I need to get up for work tomorrow.”
“Responsible, that’s a good quality to have.” I placed my empty glass down on the counter and waved goodbye to him. As I left the bar, I started to wonder if my life was playing out like a movie. It seemed everywhere I went, I ran into handsome men. Three in two days, and now I was wondering if, once I meet Carson, he would be the fourth. As I couldn’t afford to stay late, I made sure to catch the nearest bus home.
* * *
Morning came and I felt I made the right choice not drinking. I probably would have been too hungover if I drank with that stranger. Still, he was attractive and it might have been a missed opportunity. Perhaps if I had been bolder, I could have asked for his number, or at the very least, asked him more questions about his personal life. It was rude of me to not even ask where he worked, or about his day. It didn’t matter, though, did it? It wasn’t like I was going to see Neil again. At the moment, I needed to get dressed and start my commute for my second day at work. I was more excited than I was yesterday as I wondered what surprises day two would bring me.
* * *
“Well, next time, I’ll make sure to get your coffee with soy, your highness.” I was in the middle of an amusing conversation with Noah. I’d opted to bring him coffee to thank him for being so kind to me the day before, but it turned out he was lactose-intolerant and needed soy.
Noah laughed. “Maybe I’ll just be the one who gets coffee for us, and you can do something much more low profile, like just show up.”
I giggled. I could tell I was going to like him a lot. “What show up?” I muttered like a caveman. “Me no understand.”
Noah cringed. “Ugh, stop that! I’ll drink the dairy if you stop.”
He grabbed the cup, but I snatched it back. “No! I’ll stop.” He started to laugh, but then his expression suddenly went serious. I cocked my head in confusion. “What?”
A voice cleared its throat behind me. In all honesty, I expected Ryland. His snide behavior and incessant need to see me working non-stop could probably be designated by a clearing of the throat, but when I turned around, my heart settled like a brick into my stomach.
Standing before me, in a navy-blue, fitted designer suit, and a devilish smirk on his face, was the man I’d met at the bar the night before; the man who called himself ‘Neil.’ I understood in an instant that it wasn’t ‘Neil,’ after all. His deep blue eyes and dark hair were so reminiscent of the single picture I’d seen of him, that I couldn’t believe I didn’t put it together sooner.
“Good morning,” he announced. “You must be Sascha.” He held out his hand. “I’m Carson Werner; C.E.O.”
I eyed him with wide eyes. Was I being tricked or did he truly not recognize me from the night before as I bad-mouthed him? I analyzed the grin on his face and the small fires burning behind his eyes. He definitely recognized me and this was all part of some game he was planning to play. Well, if he thought that he was going to catch me with flapping gums, he was sincerely mistaken.
“I am indeed. Sascha Day,” I replied, reaching out and shaking his hand, deciding it was best to keep up his charade for now. “Lovely to meet you.”
Carson
To say that Sascha had done well in her first two weeks would be a severe understatement. Communications around the office were the best they’d ever been as she streamlined workflow, not to mention client satisfaction was through the roof because editors were now speaking with them directly due to a system she’d implemented. She was a spitfire and damn good at her job. Someone had even made a passing comment that I was spending more time in the office as of late, and as I approached her with my blood pumping a little faster, I had to admit that she was likely the reason.
“Good morning, Sascha. Were you able to get those client surveys entered?” I asked as I passed her desk, not paying her nearly as much attention as I wanted to.
She looked up with me with a stone serious expression. “Wait, you mean you didn’t want me to wallpaper them all over your office?” She turned back to her computer with a curt shake of her head. “Boy are you in for a surprise.”
As much as I hated it, a chuckle escaped my lips as I continued without responding. I thought I might spend my time keeping her on her toes, but I actually found myself trying to keep up. She had a dry, sarcastic sense of humor that was right up my alley and she didn’t shy away from giving it to me straight either.
She was an impressive creature.
“Tall, double, half-calf latte for my queen.” I stopped just shy of my office door as I heard Noah’s voice enter the otherwise quiet office, apart from the clacking of Sascha’s computer keys. She’d forged bonds with all of the editors there, but had grown closest with him.
“You are my hero,” Sascha responded. “How can I ever repay you?”
“I’m a pretty needy guy,” Noah quipped back.
“Oh, I’ll do anything,” Sascha said, with a suggestive tremor to her voice; at least that’s how it sounded to me.
I entered my office and closed the door behind me, trying to ignore the deposit of frustration in my stomach. I wasn’t a dumb guy. Noah was a charismatic, good-looking, take-home-to-mom-and-dad kind of guy. Sascha was, in a word, a bombshell. When two such people got together, often there was chemistry, and why shouldn’t there be? Something about it annoyed me outside of what I was comfortable with. Sure, she and I would often lock eyes, and that secret of having met in the bar travels silently between us. She’ll bat snarky comments at me like a day at Wrigley Field, and we could go tit-for-tat in a battle of wits, but she was close with Noah in a way that I suppose I found myself jealous of. Was it just because I was her boss that her shoulders always sat a little further forward than when she was with Noah? Was there something fundamental about him that she preferred to me? I cursed myself for mulling over it like a schoolboy. Who did she think she was creeping into my mind the way she had? Someone needed to be taught a lesson.
* * *
“I believe we have a new secret weapon, gentlemen.” Ian lifted his wine glass in the air, and Ryland, Sascha and I lifted ours to clink against it.
We’d just finished having dinner with a few big investors and they went nuts for Sascha. She’d only been at the company a few weeks, but she answered any questions thrown at her with the confidence of myself or Ryland. She told jokes with a level of intelligence and sophistication that the investors clearly didn’t expect of an assistant, and had even managed to perfectly walk the tightrope line between being flirty and being friendly. I could see the investors watching her with a dazed gaze by the end of the meeting, but whether they signed on the line for us or for her, they signed, and that was all I cared about. Ian had suggested we stay for a little longer for a few celebratory drinks, and I certainly wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to sit with Sascha in her professional, yet sexy, black dress. ‘A few,’ had turned into about six each and everyone was feeling pretty good.
Three Bosses’ Assistant: Love by Numbers Book 2 Page 3
