“Thanks, Grandma,” I say while putting my hair up in a ponytail. I am wearing a black, slim skirt with a white blouse and flats because as much as I love wearing heels, I can never bear the pain of my sensitive feet buried inside of them for hours. My feet always end up numb with an unbearable burning sensation, but since today is my first day, I would like to be as comfortable as I can. I slide on my beige coat and head toward the door after kissing my grandma goodbye. I take the next available bus to get to D.E. Adams Inc. which is in lower Manhattan. Normally, it would take about forty minutes to get to my destination, but in order to prevent being late, I decide to leave at 7 a.m., simply because you never know with New York traffic, and being late on my first day would reveal that punctuality isn’t one of my strengths at the end of the day, which is wrong because if there is one thing about me that I share during interviews with pride is my always being on time attitude.
There is no way I can afford losing this job with the salary I will be getting. It is perfect for me and Grandma and would allow me to save enough money for her heart surgery. The longer we wait, the worse it gets for her. Despite the uneasiness that sat in my stomach ever since stranger David told me about Mr. Adams being boring to work with and an asshole, I promised myself I wouldn’t let it get to me even if it is true. I can deal with boring, but asshole? I am not too sure I can handle it, especially after my dreadful experience with Mrs. Davidson. The last thing I want is to work with an ignorant douchebag.
I sigh at the thought and decide to pull my earphones out of my purse so I can listen to some music, hoping it will help reduce my stress and stop me from overthinking about how things will go with Mr. Adams. I look through the vast windows of the bus, and once again, my brain brings me into daydreaming about that night, at the bar where I met the captivating stranger that I approached. Now that I think about it, how the hell was I even able to do that? I was never the type of girl to make the first moves, especially when the guy is dressed in a fancy suit and shows nothing but trouble. Men like David are heartbreakers, and girls like me tend to be their victims, their ideal prey. And just like my grandmother raised me to stay the hell away from powerful and conceited men like him, I decided to completely ignore my values, follow my dare, and go speak to him. Damn me, and damn my overly melodramatic character, who happened to get hooked on him just from one goddamn conversation that barely lasted fifteen minutes. I’ve never approached a guy in my whole life, I guess it must have been the alcohol that made me crawl to him with no delay, wanting to chat with him so bad, like everything about him whooped for my attention. I even had filthy thoughts about him throughout the whole weekend, where I imagined myself straddling him while he fucked me like there was no tomorrow. It is the first time that someone has this much outturn on me. I kept imagining his naked body on top of me, riding me, sliding inside of me like the horny little girl that I am, maybe Jason was right, it is probably time for me to give this virginity up instead of fantasizing about a stranger who I still happen to know absolutely nothing about. He could be married for all I know, and if that is the case, I want to curl up in shame for envisioning myself riding another woman’s property.
I get out of the bus and glance up the tall, glass building of D.E. Adams, Inc. I get in to the lobby and notice a picture on my left of the CEO, an old man, probably in his sixties. As I squint down, I see a brief biography. As soon as I read his name, passion takes hold of me as I am reminded of the gorgeous man my brain has been in deep cogitation about. David Eliot Adams.
It just had to be a David.
I groan as I walk toward the security guard, a very welcoming, black American man who greets me with a smile that washes the tension away instantly.
“Hi, today is my first day, my name is Alyssa Thomson,” I say with a modest smile.
“Mr. Adams’s new assistant?” He hands over his hand in order to shake mine.
“Yes, it’s me.”
“My name is Tony,” he adds. “I am the security guard here, ma’am, welcome.”
“Thank you.” He is indeed a very welcoming gentleman.
“I will call Mrs. Sofia Alvarez,” he says while dialing a number on his phone.
As I wait for Mrs. Alvarez to come down, I look around me. The inside of the building is beautiful, and every single person that walks passed me looks proper, in classy and expensive clothes. These people know how to dress, I take a quick glance at how I am dressed and instantly regret not wearing heels. I look like a small, little girl next to all these attractive people.
“Hello,” a soft voice comes from behind me. I turn my head and see a middle-aged woman, dark-haired with a beautiful smile, dressed in a classy, expensive, red dress.
“I am Sofia Alvarez, I am Mr. Ainsworth’s assistant. Mr. Adams told me to show you around as he is currently in a meeting for the next hour or so,” she adds.
“Thank you, I am…”
“Alyssa,” she adds. “I know.” She smiles. “Beautiful name, by the way.”
“Thank you,” I say, my voice timid.
So far everything is good, both Tony and Sofia seem to be very friendly people. I start praying Mr. Adams will be just as nice and that David is just a rude man who probably had his own personal reasons for not liking him.
We take the elevator together, and she shows me around. I realize how simple I look compared to all the good-looking women in fit dresses and high heels. She introduces me to everyone, and she makes sure everyone says hi to me, people are nice here, some give me dirty looks at how cheap my fashion taste is and some don’t even bother to take the time to gaze at me which makes me feel much better. All I know is that I definitely needed to step up my fashion game and start dressing a little fancier going forward.
We get to a huge office, all in glass with a breathtaking view, all the way up in the 17th floor. And if I am not mistaken, it must be the biggest office in the firm.
“This is your desk, and that is Mr. Adams’s office,” she says while pointing out at the office sitting right across from my desk.
“Wow, it is big,” I say, amazed by the view and everything surrounding it.
“It is indeed. Mr. Adams is the CEO so I think deserves a bigger space.” She laughs sarcastically.
“Oh, is it the man in the picture downstairs? It said his name is David, and I am apparently Liam’s assistant.”
“Ah! That is the big man, the old CEO, in fact that’s Mr. Adam’s father but he retired about three years ago and handed his son the company.”
Great, so his son must be around David’s age. I never had a young boss so maybe he is a douchebag after all, young billionaires are a big no no. Most of them are arrogant, filthy, and super immature.
God help me.
I smile back, hoping my smile hides away the strain that shows on my face.
“Everything you need is in this binder,” she says, “from how he likes his coffee, to what needs to be done and how it needs to be done.” She points at the big black binder sitting on my desk, and I give her an okay sign.
“And do not hesitate to ask me anything, okay? I am always here to help.” Her tone softens, which releases a little bit of my anxiety. After all, she does seem like a very nice and welcoming lady, my grandma would like her. “My extension is 8874,” she adds.
I suddenly realize that I haven’t been saying anything this whole time. She probably thinks I am an ignorant bitch, but in reality, I am just so overwhelmed and worried about how this day will go, I already feel like I wanna run back to my house, crawl into my bed, and just sleep it all away. But no, positivity is what I promised myself I would start practicing.
New job, new challenges, new beginnings.
“Mrs. Alvarez,” I call her name out as she starts walking toward the door. She turns around, facing me with a humble smile.
“You have no idea how much I appreciate this, thank you,” I say.
“Just Sofia.” She smiles. “And you are very welcome, good luck!”
As soon as she leaves, I let a huge sigh escape my mouth. I don’t know where to start. Mr. Adams could be here any minute. Do I get him a coffee, or did he already get it himself before the meeting? Do I check my emails? Do I even have an email address? What is my extension?
My head is on the verge of exploding. My anxiety is getting worse as time goes by. I take a deep breath and open the agenda to take a quick glance at today’s schedule. Maybe I am off to a good start.
Organize D.E. Adams Annual event, send invitations.
Crap, what a way to start my day. I sit at the comfortable desk chair, and I try to login to the computer, but the screen is blank. I hit the off/on button five times but to no avail. My heart drums while worry starts snaking through my body. I look through all my files, trying to find the IT Department number, but again, to no avail. I decide to try and fix it myself. I stand up and walk around my desk. I get on my knees and creep underneath it so I can play with the wires a little, maybe that would fix my problem. I have never been a good tech person but at this point, I am ready to do anything it takes to scrap out the feeling of desperation and hopelessness that are filling me.
“Need help?”
A deep-toned voice comes from behind me, a voice that I recognize, one that I’ve heard before, it’s a mesmerizing voice that is very similar to the one that made me lose so much sleep over the past couple of days. I crawl back from underneath the desk, and I glance up. I get up immediately while my eyes glint and my jaw drops. I can’t believe I am standing in front of David. I freeze while my skin flushes.
“Is your computer not working?” he asks, ignoring the fact that my face is glowing in surprise and yet to him, it is like nobody is standing in front of him. Unlike me, who feels like I want to disappear without a trace.
But what the heck is he doing here?
“David? What the f…” I start feeling dizzy like the room is spinning around me while I stare at him in disbelief.
“Mr. Adams.” A woman’s voice appears from the doorway, which doesn’t make him spin around or move his gaze off of me.
“Yes,” he answers firmly while his eyes are still glared at me.
“The new deal is up twelve percent, Mr. Ainsworth wanted me to let you know,” she answers.
“Great news, thanks, Maggie,” he says, his eyes still locked on me, I feel them devour me as I look back at him, a look of confusion on my face. His eyes look even lighter in daylight.
This is so intimidating.
I start toying with a lock of my hair, which is something I always do out of nervousness and his eyes shot sparks. It almost feels like everything and anything that I do is making his beautiful eyes even bigger and shimmerier than ever.
Only a matter of seconds ‘till we are alone again, I take one step back that way our bodies are not too close to each other, still drowning in shock as my scalp prickles with shame after figuring out that the man I was flirting with that night at the bar, the man that I have been thinking about ever since our small conversation, is my boss.
“David?” I ask in a striking voice. “You are Mr. Liam Adams?”
He doesn't say anything back.
“Why did you say your name was David?” I take another step back, but this time, I feel a rush of anger run through my body. This man lied to me about his identity and God knows why he would even do such a thing.
I feel so fucking foolish because of him.
“Liam David Adams.” He hands over his hand to shake and I suddenly understand what he is trying to do. He is trying to ignore the fact that we met. He regrets meeting me at the bar and having that sheepish conversation with me, or it could be that he feels abashed that he was flirting with his assistant at a random bar, or maybe he just didn’t feel same way I felt about him.
Whatever reason it is, it shouldn’t matter at all, because this job is important to me and I won’t let anybody take it away from me.
I remind myself as I shake his hand and formally introduce myself.
“Alyssa Thomson, your new personal assistant.”
“Nice meeting you.” He pulls away and starts walking toward his office.
“The IT’s extension is 5689, they will be able to fix your computer for you,” he continues. “I will be in my office. In about an hour or so, I expect you to come and tell me what my full schedule for the day would be like.” He stops halfway and turns around to face me. His brow furrows.
I have no clue how to even login to my email, let alone plan a man’s schedule that I know nothing about. I nod and reply, “Of course, Mr. Adams.” He smiles back at me, gets inside his office, and shuts the door behind him.
I let out a deep sigh, and I try to reassure myself that everything will be okay. David ended up being Mr. Adams, and Mr. Adams is an arrogant, sassy boss, in one hour I am going to be in his office discussing his schedule, and I don’t even know where to begin.
But everything will be okay.
An hour passes by quickly while my head is buried in this binder that Mrs. Alvarez told me about, when the phone rings, which makes me jump out of my seat.
“Mr. Adams’ office.”
“Ms. Thomson, it’s me, do you have the schedule ready?”
Blood rushes quickly through my veins, and my flesh tingles while hearing his voice through the phone. “Yes, Mr. Adams, it is ready,” I say in a shaky voice.
“Good,” he says coolly. “Come on in, please.” He hangs up the phone before I get the chance to say anything back, so I get up instantly, lift my notepad off the desk, adjust my skirt, and before I open the door to his office I let out a deep sigh.
As I enter his office, I can feel heat coursing in my veins, with my eyes locked to my notepad. Without gazing at him, I get closer to his desk and stand inches away from it. I open my notebook, and the pen slips from inside and drops to the ground. I pick it up as quickly as possible and my eyes meet his. He has a neutral facial expression, but his eyes are glued to me. Once again, I feel intimidated and shy. I clear my throat.
“Are you ready?”
He leans back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other. “Whenever you are, Ms. Thomson.”
I nod and start reading the schedule to him. I couldn’t lift up my eyes as the pressure of his gaze studying me was making my anxiety level rises. A couple more minutes, and I wouldn’t be able to hold myself as blood rushed through my body, so I distract myself as much as possible by avoiding eye contact.
“And last, dinner with your dad at 7 p.m. tonight.” I look up. “Anything else you want me to add?” After being done with my morning introduction, I realize that even though his eyes were on me this whole time, his mind wasn’t there at all.
“Mr. Adams?” I wave my hand at him.
“Yes, that is perfect,” he says while crossing his arms over his chest.
“So no changes should be made?” I narrow my eyes and ask, once again.
His cell phone beeps, a sound of a text message or an email so he leans toward his polished desk and lifts up his phone. “No, no changes, thank you, Ms. Thomson,” he adds while his eyes are glued to his screen.
“You are welcome, and um…” I hesitate. “Alyssa is fine,” I say, but he is too busy to pay attention to me, so I head toward the door and just before I step out of his office he says,
“Thank you, Alyssa.” I nod, leave his office, and run to the washroom.
I am sweating, my hands are cold, and my face is pale. I spray some cold water all over my face and neck. What the hell is happening to me? It’s like the world is spinning around me, I am unable to understand exactly why I am feeling the way I am feeling. So many emotions swam through me as I take huge breaths in the washroom. Mr. Adams is unbelievably gorgeous and part of me still can’t undertake the fact that just a couple of days ago, I was flirting with him in a fancy bar because of a stupid dare that my friends gave me. I really wanted to speak to him about that night, apologize, or at least explain myself to him, but maybe what he is doing is the right way of ha
ndling the situation, maybe ignoring each other and pretending like we have never met is key to having a successful boss/employee relationship. From what I read about him online, he seems to be a man with a very good reputation and who would do anything to protect it. Which is why I completely understand his reaction. I just still couldn’t believe that David ended up being him, which is the reason why I can’t gather my thoughts or focus on any task today. I head back to my desk and start reading about the D.E. Adams. Inc annual event that apparently seems to be the biggest event that the company hosts every year.
Liam storms out of his office, and I flinch.
“Cancel all my meetings for the day, I am leaving,” he instructs angrily, rushing through the door without looking back at me. Something serious must have happened. Without saying anything, I indeed cancel all his meetings for the rest of the day, and I take a deep breath.
“At least now I can focus better,” I say to myself while spending the rest of the day learning how to do the job better. I even took some time to google more about him, but besides his good reputation, I couldn’t find anything about his personal life. Most of the pictures I found on the internet are of him being present in different events, from charities to appreciation events. Everything I found was work-related. I take a glance at the time on my computer and my eyes widen. 4 p.m. already? Time flew by so fast. I pack all my things before heading toward the bus station. As I listen to music in the crowded bus, my thoughts are still all about him. I am not sure how I am gonna be able to work in a place where I feel intimidated by my boss, not because he is a mean one, but because he is dangerously desirable, and one thing I knew for sure, that I have some unexplainable fondness toward him.
Devoted To You Page 2
