by Sandi Lynn
“Oh, by the way, I sold your dress.” He smiled.
“You did?”
“I had a client come over and she took one look at it and had to have it. I only had to do a few alterations.”
“You didn’t tell her how the dress ditched the groom and ran away, did you?”
He let out a light laugh. “No. I told her I made it for a friend and the wedding got cancelled. So any idea what you’re going to do now? Technically, you don’t have to work, but I know you and you get bored very quickly.”
“I was thinking about getting a job.” I smiled. “Something simple.”
“Like?”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to look online.”
Franco looked at his watch.
“Shit. I have to run.” He kissed my forehead before climbing off the bed. “I have an appointment at the studio. I’ll be back later, and we’ll order in.”
“Sounds like a plan. I’m just going to get settled.”
After he left, I unpacked and put everything away. I felt as if my life was in shambles, but at the same time, I felt free as a bird. I knew eventually this day would come. The day that my father would disown me. I tried to please him once I entered into adulthood, but when the bond between a father and daughter is never established, it’s quite difficult. He would tell you that my little stunt at the wedding was just another cry for attention. I had done some pretty shitty things to get his attention back in the day and that landed me at boarding school in Connecticut, all the way on the other side of the country. So far out of his hair that he didn’t have to deal with me anymore. I accepted it and was now grateful he sent me away or else I never would have met Franco. And from that day on, I never underestimated my father again.
I plopped myself down on the comfy black leather reclining couch, and as soon as I opened my laptop, my phone rang, and it was Franco.
“Hello.”
“Thank god you answered. I got so swept up with you being there, I forgot my design book in my office. Would you be a doll and bring it to me? My client will be here in five minutes.”
“Of course. I’ll be there soon.”
I grabbed my coat, put on my knit hat, grabbed his design book, and hailed a cab to his studio. When I walked inside, Franco was standing there talking with a woman who appeared to be in her early fifties.
“Thank you,” he sighed as he kissed my cheek.
“And who is this lovely young woman, Franco?” The woman smiled.
“This is my best friend, Anna. Anna, I would like you to meet Jules Warren. I’m designing her wedding dress. One that is simple yet classy.” He grinned.
“Nice to meet you, Jules.” I smiled as I extended my hand.
“It’s lovely to meet you, dear. I don’t mean to be pushy or rude, Franco, but I’m on a bit of a time limit.” She heavily sighed.
“What’s wrong, Jules?” Franco asked as he flipped open his design book.
“I’m having trouble finding someone who’s a perfect fit for one of my clients. His personal assistant is moving out of state and he isn’t dealing with it very well. Her last day was today and his company hasn’t found a replacement yet, so he called me to send someone over temporarily.”
“Anna here is looking for a job and temporary is her thing.” He smiled.
I shot him a look. Jules brought her index finger up to her lips as she looked me up and down.
“Hmm. Do you have corporate experience, darling?”
Franco walked over and hooked his arm around me.
“Are you kidding? Anna was the personal assistant to Clyde Baker of Baker Industries for years.”
“Really?”
She seemed highly impressed.
“Yes. I was.” I smiled through gritted teeth.
“Why did you leave?” she asked.
“Well—I’ve been wanting to move to New York for a while, so I took the plunge and here I am.”
She reached into her purse and pulled out her business card.
“Here is my information. Email me your resume and references tonight and I’ll be in touch after I receive them.”
“I will definitely do that.” I nodded.
Chapter Seven
Anna
As soon as Franco walked through the door, I walked over and slapped him on his chest.
“How could you do that to me?”
“What? You said you wanted to get a job and the opportunity presented itself. Besides, it’s only a temporary position. When you’re done with that job, you can take some time off and then look again.”
“How the hell am I supposed to provide a resume? The only company I ever worked for was my father’s!”
“It’s already taken care of, doll. I called my cousin, Lars. He’ll be here in a while.”
“Lars, the criminal?” I cocked my head at him.
“He’s technically not a criminal.” He rolled his eyes as he walked away and into the kitchen.
“Yes he is! He makes fake documents, IDs, passports, and god knows what else.”
There was a knock at the door. Sighing, I walked over and opened it to find Lars standing there.
“Anna, baby. It’s good to see you.” He grinned as he lightly planted a kiss on each side of my face.
“Lars. Nice to see you. Come in.”
“Franco told me you left your fiancé and moved to New York. Bravo, darling.” He smiled. “Anyway, welcome, and this is for you.” He handed me a large manila envelope. “It contains your resume and references.”
I took it from him and removed the papers that were inside.
“Looks nice, Lars. And what if Jules calls Mr. Baker and he tells her he’s never heard of me?”
“No worries, darling. It’s all been taken care of. The number we put down for Mr. Baker is one of ours with a California area code. If and when she calls, my people will handle it along with your references. I’ve also sent that to your email so all you have to do is send it off.”
“Gee, Lars, you did all this so quickly. Thank you,” I spoke in a sarcastic tone.
“Quick is my specialty, and since you’re a close friend of mine, I’ve decided not to charge you.” He hooked his arm around me. “I take care of my friends.”
I gave him a smile so fake, my face hurt. Grabbing my laptop and sitting down on the couch, I opened my email and forwarded my resume and references to Jules. Within a few minutes, she emailed me back.
Anna,
It is my pleasure to offer you the personal assistant position we discussed. You will report to Carter Capital tomorrow morning promptly at eight a.m. I’ve listed the address below. I’ve also attached some forms I need you to fill out and sign for our company. Please remember that this position is temporary, and a permanent replacement can be found at any given time by Carter Capital. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Jules Warren
The next morning, after showering and putting on my black pinstriped pant suit, I poured myself a cup of coffee and leaned up against the island. This wasn’t what I had planned to do my first morning here in New York. Damn Franco for opening his mouth.
“Good morning. Oh, look at you. All business-like and ready to go.” Franco grinned before kissing me on the cheek. “How did you sleep?”
“I slept okay.” I twisted my face.
“I know that look, Anna. It’s your bummed-out look. What’s wrong?”
“Nah, it’s nothing.”
“Come on. Talk to me.”
“I can’t stop thinking about how my father fired me for not marrying Matthew.” I took a sip of my coffee. “What parent does that to their child?”
“Working for your father was the only thing you’ve ever done that was expected of you. You could have worked anywhere after college, but you decided to stick with the family business because you knew it was the right thing to do. I’m sorry, darling.” He hooked his arm around me. “But you weren’t going back anyway, and you knew tha
t.”
“I know. But he didn’t know that. Anyway, I’m off to work. Wish me luck personal assisting whomever it is I’m personally assisting.”
“Probably some really old-ass dude who’s going to sexually harass you.” He smirked.
“You’re probably right.” I rolled my eyes.
Chapter Eight
Anna
I stepped inside the tall building that was located at 100 Park Avenue and took the elevator up to the thirty-first floor. As soon as the elevator door opened, I was promptly greeted by a woman who looked to be in her twenties with long black hair and a massive amount of lip injections.
“Welcome to Carter Capital. How can I help you?”
“I’m Anna. Jules Warren sent me over.”
“Hold please.” She held up her index finger as she picked up the phone on her desk. “Follow me.” She brightly smiled.
I followed her down the long hallway, past numerous cubicles and offices, until we reached the desk of a woman named Tori.
“Hi, you must be Anna. I’m Tori.” She extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Tori.”
“I’ll show you to your desk. Mr. Carter is in a meeting right now down in the conference room, so I’ll show you the ropes until he returns.”
I gave her a pleasant smile. I was starting to think that maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Oh wait. It wasn’t my idea. But it was different, and it could be kind of fun. Plus, it was only temporary.
“Chrissy was extremely organized and she’s going to be missed. She left step by step instructions for whomever took over.” She picked up a piece of paper from the desk and handed it to me.
“Yes, she was very organized, but I do see a few things that could be modified.”
“Mr. Carter won’t like that. So please, just stick to the list. And remember, you’re only a temp,” she spoke in a snotty voice.
“Right.” I gave her a fake smile.
I wanted to tell her who I was and what I really did. I took a seat behind my new desk, which felt weird because I wasn’t used to working on this side of an office. The phones started to ring and I quickly answered them in the precise way that was on Chrissy’s instruction sheet.
“Good morning, Carter Capital. Mr. Carter’s office, this is Anna. How may I assist you?”
I took down message after message and stacked them neatly in a pile on the left hand side of the desk per my given instructions. I think Chrissy had OCD. I sat there and wondered when my old-ass boss was going to return. I’d already been here two hours and I had yet to meet him.
“Excuse me, Tori? Can you please direct me to the restroom?”
“Right around the corner.” She smiled.
After I was finished, I walked back to my desk and Tori was standing there with her arms folded.
“May I help you?” I asked.
“You were in the bathroom approximately seven minutes, two minutes over the allotted five-minute bathroom break time.”
I stood there and narrowed my eye at her.
“I apologize. I didn’t know there was a time limit on bathroom breaks. Chrissy failed to mention that on her eagerly over-organized instruction sheet.”
“Well, now you know. What were you doing in there for seven minutes?”
Was she serious? This was going to be fun.
“Well, if you must know.” I smiled. “I was getting myself off.”
She swallowed hard as she stared at me with a look of disgust on her face.
“Oh come on, Tori, don’t tell me you’ve never—”
“Mr. Carter needs you to bring him a file to the conference room,” she quickly interrupted as she picked up a file folder from the desk and handed it to me.
“Are you going to tell me where the conference room is?” I arched my brow.
“Down the hall, make a right, and it’s conference room one.” She hastily turned and scurried away. I laughed and headed to the conference room to meet the old man. When I approached, the door was shut, so I lightly knocked on it.
“Come in,” I heard a voice speak.
When I opened the door, I went to take a step in and abruptly stopped as I stared at the man looking down at his phone. He looked up at me and had the same shocked expression across his face as I did.
“Wes?” I furrowed my brows.
“Anna?” He stood up. “What are you doing here?”
“Wes Carter? Carter Capital?”
“Oh no. Are you—”
“Your new personal assistant? Yes.”
My belly fluttered and my lady parts started to spasm.
“You’re not an old-ass man who’s going to sexually harass me,” I spoke. “You’re my one night in Paris stand.”
“What?” He chuckled.
“Nothing.” I shook my head as I fully stepped inside the room.
He walked over to me and gave me a hug.
“It’s good to see you again, but I’m totally confused as to what’s going on,” he said.
“It’s good to see you too. Let me see if I can enlighten you. I’m your new personal assistant hired by Jules Warren.”
“I didn’t know you lived in New York.”
“I just moved here, like yesterday.”
“Didn’t you just get back from Paris?”
“Yeah. Yesterday. It’s a long story.” I waved my hand in front of me.
“You seem to be the queen of long stories.” He smirked.
“To be honest, my life is one big long story.”
“If you just got back from Paris and you just moved to New York yesterday, how did you meet Jules?”
I let out a sigh. “It’s a—”
“Long story. Right?”
“Yes.”
“Something is off here.” His eye steadily narrowed at me. “When I met you in Paris, you certainly did not seem like the personal assistant type. So this is what we’re going to do. You’re going to have dinner with me tonight and tell me all of your long stories.”
“I am?” My brow raised.
“Yes. You are.”
“Well, just so you know, I don’t think going to dinner with the boss is a good idea. People will talk, and I’m pretty sure Tori already hates me.”
He placed his hands on my hips and gave them a firm grip. Fuck. I lost my breath.
“Dinner with me is always a good idea.” He grinned. “Boss or not, I’m picking you up at seven, so I expect your phone number and address sitting on my desk when I return to my office.”
“You’re awful bossy. I’m not sure I’m going to like working for you.”
“You’ll love working for me.” He winked. “That I can promise you. Thanks for the file. I’ll be heading back to my office shortly.”
I gave him a smile, turned, and headed for the door.
“By the way,” I said as I stopped and turned around. “If you’re planning on reading my resume, don’t. It’s all a lie.”
“You lied your way into this job?” His brow arched.
“I did.” I smirked as I walked out the door.
Chapter Nine
Wes
As soon as she walked out of the conference room, a smile crossed my lips. I was in total shock when I looked up and saw her standing there.
“Hey, Wes, here are the numbers you requested,” Christopher spoke as he entered the conference room.
“Thanks.” I took the papers from him.
“By the way, have you met your new personal assistant. Fuck, she’s smokin hot.”
“Yes, I just met her. Her name is Anna.” I raised my brow.
“Really? That’s funny. Wasn’t that the name of the girl you slept with in Paris?”
“That is the girl I slept with in Paris.”
His brows furrowed as his jaw dropped.
“That girl? The one sitting outside your office is the Anna from Paris?”
“She sure is.” I smiled.
“The one who left her fiancé at the altar and ran away?”
/> “Yep. That’s her.”
“Shit, Wes. Did you know she lived in New York?”
“She just moved here yesterday.” I leaned back in my chair.
“And how did she get this job so fast?”
“She said it’s a long story. A story she’ll be telling me when I take her to dinner tonight.”
“Damn. Well, okay. I guess this a good thing she’s here, right? Or not?”
“It’s good to see her again. I really enjoyed our night in Paris.”
“Be careful, Wes. She may take these jobs as personal assistants to CEOs hoping to get her claws into them because she knows they’re filthy rich.”
I finished up in the conference room and headed back. When I arrived at my office, I found Anna on the phone writing down a message. I pointed to my office and asked her to come in when she was finished. Taking a seat behind my desk, I noticed my phone messages weren’t in the same spot they always were but sitting smack dab in the middle of my desk.
“You wanted to see me?” Anna asked with a smile as she stepped into my office.
“Yes. First, didn’t Chrissy leave you a list of specific job instructions?”
“She did.” She grinned.
“Then why are my phone messages sitting in the middle of my desk instead of slightly tucked under my phone?”
She brought her finger up and lightly tapped her lip as she glared at me.
“Perhaps I was wrong.”
“Wrong about misplacing my phone messages?” I asked with an arch in my brow.
“No. Wrong about Chrissy having OCD. You’re the one with OCD.”
“I don’t have OCD. I just like my messages neatly placed in the same spot they’ve been for years.”
“Are you having anxiety because I didn’t place them properly?”
“No,” I spoke as I took my messages and put them in their proper place.
