Page 23 of Last First Date

“I’m sure I will end up being one of your regular customers, Alex.”

11

WAVERLY

Igot to work about twenty minutes early. I wanted to get a jumpstart on what I knew was going to be a very busy day. Every day was busy, but today I had to go through old client files and get the names of those who hadn’t used our services in a while. Then the planners were going to have to start making cold calls. I thought it was a horrible idea, but Knox insisted. It wasn’t like we were hurting for business. We had plenty on the books, but that wasn’t good enough for him. My hopes of having a little peace were interrupted by heavy footsteps echoing through the hall. I knew those footsteps. I closed my eyes and prayed for patience. It was a new week. I was determined to make it better.

"Waverly," he said with a hint of surprise. "You're early."

"I am. Do you want your coffee?"

"Yes, please." He nodded. "And can you come into my office? I need to talk to you about something."

And so it begins all over again.

"Be right there."

Taking a deep breath, I poured his coffee into his monogrammed mug. Steam rose in spirals, the rich aroma of the coffee beans filling the office. The office was quiet this early. Most of the other employees wouldn't be in for another half hour or so. Knox was usually in five minutes after I was. This was a big day.

"Thank you," he said as I handed him his coffee. He took a sip and sighed contentedly. "That's good."

I smiled politely and waited for him to say what he'd called me into his office for. "Anything else?"

"Have a seat. Please."

I wanted to pat him on the head and tell him he was a good boy for remembering his manners. I sat quietly and waited for him to tell me what he wanted now.

"I need you to take charge of a grand opening for a small business as a personal favor to me. The team is swamped, and we're on a tight deadline."

I stared at him. I was at a loss for words. "What?"

"It's a small event. You can handle it."

I didn't understand why he wanted me to take on an event. Maybe he was testing me. He thought he could push me to the edge. If I succeeded, would he make me a planner? Was this his way of pushing me out of the position as an assistant so he could hire someone he liked? He could make me a planner and put me on the shelf. I knew that was a strong possibility. I didn't trust the guy.

"Okay." I nodded. "Sure. I can handle that."

"I'll send the details," he said. "I'm sorry to make your first planning job a difficult one, but this is important. You're up against a tight deadline. I'll make room in the budget for an assistant that will help you out."

I nodded, unable to stop the excitement I felt at getting the opportunity. I didn't care how big or small the event was. It was my chance to prove myself. "We'll make it work, no matter what."

A small nod was all I got. “The details will be sent to you.” There was almost a smile, but it was more of a twitch than a full smile. "This isn't going to be a cakewalk."

"I understand," I said. "I'm up for the challenge. Thank you for the opportunity."

Then he actually smiled. It was reminiscent of the smiling pictures of him in his modeling pictures. I noticed the lone dimple that gave him a boyish look. It was sexy. Charming. He was a big tease. For a moment, I found myself admiring the beauty of his natural smile.

Caught off guard by the sudden surge of admiration for a man I mostly loathed, I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks. I cleared my throat, shaking my head to clear the thoughts from my mind.

"You'll need to schedule a meeting with the client to get the details," he said. "I had very little information to go on."

"Were you working this weekend?" I asked.

"Just checking email and stuff," he said. "This client is a friend of the family. There wasn't an option to decline his request."

"I understand." I nodded. "I'll get started right away."

"I was thinking about hiring another assistant to help take off some of the workload from you."