Page 8 of My Favorite Boss

She turned and walked away, and I almost groaned at the slit up the back of her skirt and the way the material hugged her ass.

I headed into my office and hung up my coat, then sat at my desk. Ms. Myers walked in, carrying a steaming cup of coffee and setting it down, then took a seat in the same chair she’d been in on Friday. She opened a notebook, her pen poised.

“What shall I call you?” she asked.

“My name,” I said drolly.

“First or business?”

“Business.”

“All right, Mr. Bane. I have my morning mapped out, but is there something you need?”

I pushed the coffee toward her. “Very pretty coffee, Myers, but I like it black. No milk, no sugar, no foamy designs needed.”

She frowned, looking disappointed. “I thought so, but I wanted you to see how great I can make a cup look. I’ll drink it and bring you a plain black one.” She paused, then grinned. “If you want to impress a client with my coffee skills, just let me know.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” I replied dryly, trying not to notice how lovely she was when she smiled. “Normally, the only things needed to impress them are my skills, but I’ll keep that in mind.”

I stared at her, waiting. She met my gaze. Her dark eyes were warm, framed by long lashes. Very little makeup again, which somehow suited her more than a heavy hand with the eyeliner.

I sighed. “I still have no coffee.”

“Oh, right.” She sprang from her chair, rushing away.

I shook my head and, curious, took a sip of the foamy coffee. I had to admit, it was tasty. There was a slightly creamy edge to it, as well as a flavor I couldn’t place. Both countered the normally bitter brew that wasn’t unpleasant. My phone buzzed, and I looked down, scrolling through the messages. One was from my mother, demanding to see me. I went past that one, not wanting to deal with her and her orders at the moment. The rest, I could handle later.

Myers walked back in, carrying a steaming cup and setting it down in front of me. Her eyes widened. “You drank the first one!”

I glanced down, surprised to see I had indeed drunk it all.

“I was desperate,” I said dismissively.

“Did you like it?” she asked eagerly.

“It was passable.”

I picked up the fresh mug and took a sip, pausing before speaking. “Much better, Myers. Now, sit. I need to go over my expectations.”

She sat down, clearly unhappy, but picked up her notebook.

“Ready.”

MAGNOLIA

The office hummed around me, a constant background noise. People were in and out of Mr. Bane’s office all morning. I met the partners, other assistants, and some staff members. Most seemed pleasant. A woman came from the IT department, looking hesitant as she walked into the office.

“Hi,” I said brightly. “I’m Magnolia.”

“Rylee Jenkins. I have a new computer for you that Mr. Bane ordered.”

“Great. This one is awful.”

She grimaced, setting down the laptop and speaking quietly. “The last temp kept destroying the equipment. Like, daily. I refused to give her new purchases. But Mr. Bane says you’re good.” She met my eyes with a droll wink. “Coming from him, that is high praise.”

I decided right then that Rylee Jenkins and I were going to be friends.

She departed after giving me a quick run-through of the new machine. I sighed in happiness, trailing my fingers over the keyboard. I would be so much more efficient with this one.