by Kelli Walker
“You’ll have insurance as a secretary?” she asked.
“Did you not listen to a thing I said before I left the house? Yes, Mom,” I said, giggling. “I’m going to have insurance.”
“You didn’t say anything about insurance. I would’ve remembered something like that.”
“Maybe I said it in my head. I don’t know. I do that a lot. But yes, this job comes with insurance. And it’s insurance I’ll be able to put you on once I can prove to the insurance company that I provide half of your bills. I’ll also have a 401(k) with a matching incentive plan as well as a salary.”
“I did not know they paid secretaries like that nowadays,” she said.
“Mr. Weber pays his secretaries like that. He’s known for his equal opportunity employment policies. And that includes paying women what they’re worth in the marketplace.”
“Uh huh.”
“Really, Mom? You still don’t like him?” I asked.
“Just… be careful. He’s a powerful man, and powerful men aren’t always what they seem to be.”
“I’ll be careful. I promise. In the meantime, I want you to make today one of your ‘once in a while’ moments and take another half of a pain pill. Nip this in the bud. Because I’m coming home with ice cream later on and I want you to enjoy it.”
“Then I’ll save it for when you get here.”
“Take it now, Mom. Or I’m coming home and sitting with you until you do.”
“Fine,” she said. “Such a slave driver.”
“It’s because I love you,” I said. “Now go. I’ll see you later on.”
“I love you, Tee. I’m so proud of you.”
“Love you too, Mom.”
I hung up the phone and shoved it back into my purse. If my mother wasn’t going to celebrate with me, then the least I could do was flag a cab. I wanted a couple of celebratory drinks before I went home. It had been months since I could afford it. And with the job I was starting in the morning, I could now afford it.
“Taxi!”
“Can you hold it for me, too!?”
I whipped my head around and saw a bubbly blonde running down the stairs of my new workplace. Her skirt was fluttering around her legs and her sparkling purse was dangling from her arm. She had thick eyeliner on and ruby red lipstick and her eyes sparkled a nice green in the midday sun. She ran up to me with her stiletto heels and put her hand on her chest, breathing in and out as if she’d just run a marathon.
“Do you mind if we share?” the woman asked.
“I don’t mind at all,” I said. “Did you interview as well?”
I nodded my head towards the building as the cab driver honked his horn.
“You girls getting in or what?” he asked.
“Or what,” the blonde said. “Hold your horses. You’re going to get paid.”
I grinned as she smoothed her hair back and smiled at me.
“Yes. I did. Got the position, too.”
“Congratulations! Same here,” I said.
“Wait. With Casual Recreations?”
“Yep.”
“Where did they hire you?”
“Mr. Weber’s new secretary,” I said as I held out my hand. “But you can call me Tiffany. Or Tiff.”
“Wow. Nice to meet C.R. royalty,” she said with a broad smile. “Paige Dotson. You're looking at the new Human Resources secretary.”
“Why does it feel like we’ll be seeing a lot of each other?” I asked.
The driver honked his horn again and Paige slammed her hand against the roof.
“We’re coming. We’re coming.”
“The meter’s ticking, ladies,” the man said.
“And you’re complaining about getting paid why?” I asked.
He scoffed and shook his head before I ushered towards the seat.
“After you?” I asked.
“Oh, I love sliding. Thanks,” Paige said.
“You love sliding?” I asked as I dipped in after her.
“Yeah. I don’t really know why. Maybe it’s the way the seat rubs against my legs. I have all sorts of weird quirks.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“I chew on the inside of my cheek when I’m scared. Oh! And my natural reaction to being scared is for my eyes to water.”
“My mother’s like that. It’s not weird,” I said.
“Eh, weird is in the eye of the beholder.”
“Where you ladies headed to?” the driver asked.
“I don’t know where she’s going, but I’m headed to Blackbird Ordinary for a drink,” I said.
“Oh, that sounds fun. A celebratory drink?” Paige asked.
“Oh yes. After being handed a job on the spot? I think I deserve one.”
“Then same here,” she said. “Driver! Blackbird Ordinary.”
“Finally,” the driver muttered.
“So,” Paige said, “when do you start?”
“Mr. Weber asked me to be in tomorrow. You?”
“Same. Thought it wasn’t Mr. Weber who asked. Obviously. It was Mr. Lochter. He’s who I report to.”
“Is that the head of H.R.?”
“For now, anyway. There are already rumors flying that your boss is going to be replacing my boss.”
“Why?” I asked. “And how do you already know office gossip?”
“I’ve been here since nine waiting for my interview.”
“Nine?” I asked.
“I was nervous! Another quirk, I guess. But yeah. Apparently, my boss and your boss have a history. And not a good one.”
“What kind of history?”
“Rumor has it Mr. Lochter worked as an H.R. representative at one of the companies he flipped and things didn’t end well.”
“Whoops,” I said. “I bet that’ll be a fun day in the office.”
“So what made you apply for the job?” she asked.
“I wanted the opportunity to work in the industry and make some connections. I want to open my own health and wellness spa one day.”
“Then it sounds like you snagged the perfect job. I applied because I needed a job. A community college degree in General Education doesn’t go very far in this world.”
“I wouldn’t think so,” I said with a grin.
“But it’s something in my family. I’m the first to ever attempt college.”
“Then congratulations. That’s a serious feat. Do you know if you’ll ever transfer credits and get a Bachelor’s in anything?”
“I don’t know. I never really liked school. I think I went just to show my mom I could.”
“Did she not think you could?” I asked.
“She didn’t think I had to. My mom’s a stripper, and she says she makes great money, even with her wrinkles. But that lifestyle isn’t for me. I could never get on a pole and dance naked in front of strangers.”
“I don’t blame you,” I said. “I couldn’t either.”
“So, I went to school to stick it to her. And now I got a reputable job at a corporate company. She never saw it coming, let me tell you.”
“Then you’re in need of several congratulatory drinks,” I said, smiling.
“Sign me up!”
The driver dropped us off at the bar and sped off from the curb. I walked with my newfound friend into my favorite place in the whole of Miami and we got a seat at the corner of the bar. The two of us ordered a couple of signature cocktails and talked about our lives. I learned that Paige’s father used to be one of the owner’s of the club her mother used to work in. They were caught having an affair and his wife told him he needed to fire her. She left the club with the last of her earnings and two months later, figured out she was pregnant.
“She sounds like a strong woman,” I said.
“She doesn’t take shit, that’s for sure. She’s rough around the edges, but she’s Mom and I love her,” Paige said. “What about your mom? Is she excited for you?”
“Very. Though she doesn’t like Mr. Weber and I’m not sure why.”
“She’s a mom. She’s not supposed to like any man you work for. Back in her day, men in Mr. Weber’s position took advantage of women like us. Hell, sometimes they still do. It’s why I wanted to work at Mr. Weber’s company. He’s got a zero-tolerance policy for that bullshit.”
“Right? That’s what I keep trying to tell my mom.”
“I bet your dad’s excited though, right? Mine’s always been proud of me, no matter what.”
“Wait, you keep in touch with your father? His wife allowed that?”
“Oh, they divorced not too long after my mom and him did the dirty.”
“And they never married or anything?” I asked.
“Marriage wasn’t ever something Mom wanted. He tried a few times. Proposed and all. But she wasn’t having it. If you want a complicated woman, then go talk to my mom. But yeah, Dad kept in touch with me. Came around when it was important. That meant a lot to me growing up, especially as a teenager. I hated my mom as a teenager.”
“I think all teenage girls hate their mothers,” I said.
“Mm, how’s your drink? Mine’s so good I’m about to get another. Excuse me, sir?”
The bartender looked over at us and his eyes dropped straight to her chest.
“Up here please,” Paige said. “Could I get another one?”
“Sure thing. Your friend want one, too?” he asked.
“Actually, I do. Thanks,” I said.
“Coming right up.”
“Men and their wandering eyes,” she said as she shook her head. “It never changes.”
“Men don’t wander their eyes over me, so I’d have no idea.”
“What? With your curves? You just have to dress them right, that’s all. A pair of tight jeans. A little shirt tucked in. Oh, or maybe a crop top? You look like you have a flat stomach. Mine’s not completely flat, but it’s getting there. I guess I enjoy my Friday night pizza nights too much.”
“Oh, that sounds fun. We should make that a thing,” I said.
“Pizza and beer after a long week at work? I’m in,” she said.
The bartender slid us our drinks and we rose them in the air. I was thankful to have already made a friend in my new place of business. Paige Dotson was unlike anyone I’d ever met, and I had a feeling we were going to be great friends.
“To Friday night pizza and beer, and to all the office gossip we could ever want to hear,” she said.
“And to new beginnings with jobs that don’t suck ass,” I said.
“Here, here!”
Then we clinked our glasses, chugged our drinks, and promptly asked the bartender with the wandering eyes for another round.
Kenneth
“The software was just installed last night,” I said. “You’ll have to create your own username and password, but once you do you can access everything. I wrote your work email down on this notepad. All of my emails will be copied and forwarded to you. I expect you to keep an email folder for these emails that I’ve written down.”
I kept my eyes on the desk and showed her where I’d stashed everything. It was easier than trying to look her in the eyes. Tiffany walked down the hallway at five minutes before eight in the most incredible pair of heels I’d ever seen. Blood red with white backs that matched the outfit she was wearing. White flowing pants with a tight red shirt tucked into a thin light blue belt. Her beautiful tits were on display, her rounded ass seemed voluptuous against the white terrain, and the pops of color made everyone want to look at her.
Myself included.
“I take it all of your calls will be forwarded to my desk for me to field?” Tiffany asked.
“Yes, though your headset hadn’t come in yet.”
“That’s fine. I’ll have plenty to get to know until then,” she said.
“I’ve already synced my calendar with yours, and yours with mine. One of the perks that comes for working with me is that synced calendar. If you have an emergency that has popped up or you need vacation, just enter it into the calendar and tag me in it. I’ll make a note of it, file the appropriate paperwork, and that’s that.”
“What kind of vacation time do I have, by the way?” she asked. “I haven’t gotten an offer packet or anything like that.”
“You won’t with me. Since I hired you so quickly. The average time I offer is four weeks of paid vacation, one week of half-pay sick leave, and one week of unpaid emergency medical leave.”
“Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“I typed up all of my expectations of you and left it in a document on the home screen of your computer. It’ll outline everything I expect you to be able to keep up with after a couple of months of adjustment. But it covers a range of things. Answering phone calls, scheduling meetings, accompanying me on business trips, taking notes in investor’s meetings. Things of that nature.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll make sure to read it through.”
“And now that you’ve thoroughly looked at your desk for the past twenty minutes, why don’t I show you around the floor you’ll be working on?” I asked.
“Sounds good to me,” she said.
I could tell Tiffany wasn’t a morning person. Which was fine with me. I hated people who were overly peppy in the mornings. She walked alongside me, her head on a swivel as I slipped my hands into my pockets. Her heels clicked softly along the floor as we headed for the penthouse level lounge, and my eyes swept over her body as I ushered her in.
“After you,” I said.
“Thank you, sir.”
“You can drop the ‘sir’. It’s not necessary.”
“Then what would you like me to call you?” Tiffany asked.
“‘Kenneth’ is fine.”
“Okay… Kenneth.”
My name sounded so sweet falling from her lips.
Fuck. Why did I hire her again?
“This is the lounge. No one ever uses it, but it’s here for your lunch breaks or any other break you might need from all the stuffy people who work on this level with us,” I said.
She giggled and it swept a current of joy through my body. I wanted to make her do it again.
“All the vending machines take a card, and I try to stock as many healthy options in them as I can. But of course, a few sodas and some chips do make it through from time to time,” I said.
“Guess we can’t all be winners,” she said with a grin.
I looked down at her and saw her shoulders moving. Laughing at her own joke. She didn’t take herself too seriously.
I enjoyed that, too.
“Follow me. I’ll show you what’s on the other side of this wall. Which is really nothing but the bathrooms.”
“You want to personally show me the bathrooms?” Tiffany asked.
“It’s better than sitting at my desk and fielding the mounds of emails that came in last night before I set up your email to work. So, yes.”
She giggled again as I ushered her out of the lounge. Her hips swayed lightly with every step, fluttering her pants around her toned legs. Her shoulders were rolled back and her hair fluttered down between her shoulder blades. A beautiful cascade of raven black hair that glistened underneath the fluorescent lighting of the office space.
“One rule I keep with my companies is no one ever works past six. I don’t do it, so no one else does. You need to be in my eight o’clock in the morning every morning and you’re never to stay past six.”
“Trust me. That won’t be an issue,” she said.
“Oh?” I asked.
“I take care of my mother. She’s got a bad back, so working late isn’t something I can do from an office. My home, sure. But not from here.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. When you say ‘take care of her’, do you mean financially? Because if you do-”
“I can put her on my insurance, yes. I’m already looking into it.”
“Good,” I said. “I make it a point to make sure we have the best insurance this company can afford. I’m sure your mother will find s
ome relief with it. If I ever need you past six, I’ll specify and give you time to make the necessary arrangements.”
“What kinds of circumstances would require my presence past six?” Tiffany asked.
“Conference calls with overseas business associates, usually. If I don’t travel to them but need you in a formal meeting, it’s usually done in the conference room on the level below us. I’ll show you where that is later.”
“Because the bathrooms are more important,” she said coyly.
“Exactly. Oh, and another thing. I ordered you a new office chair. It should be more comfortable to sit in and easier on your lower back. That and the headset should be here once we get back from Switzerland.”
“Switzerland?” Tiffany asked.
She stopped beside me and I craned my neck down to look at her.
“You have a passport, right?” I asked.
“I do. Though I’ve never used it.”
“Good. You’ll be needing it. We’re flying out early Monday morning for a round of meetings. It’ll give you a good idea of how the corporate monster of health and wellness operates. I’ll need you there to take notes and help me keep organized while I pitch ideas, toss out old contracts, and rewrite them to suit the trajectory of the company.”
“We’re going to Switzerland,” Tiffany said.
“Is there a problem?”
Her bright green eyes looked up at me and I saw the shock roll across her features. It was amusing. Unfiltered. She looked cute when she was shocked. Her lips parted slightly and her cheeks tinted pink from the whiplash of the job she’d agreed to. I slipped my hands in my pants and gave her time to process, then watched her slowly come to as she cleared her throat.
“Right. What time should I be ready to go for this trip?” Tiffany asked.
“I need you ready by Monday morning at four. We have a straight shot flight on my jet into the Zurich Airport.”
“Your jet?” she asked.
“Mhm.”
“Is this not a business trip?”
“It is. The company will be paying for all of it. But I have my own jet so I choose to fly privately. I let the company I’m working for advertise on it and it gets them to pay the jet fuel. The first item on your list once you become familiar with the computer at your desk is to book our stay for the week. Monday through Saturday. We’ll be landing back in the States early Sunday morning and you’ll have that Monday off to recuperate before you’re back in the office on Tuesday.”
