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Ms. Galena shook her head. “Floral? No. I’d like you to wear a black dress. And be sure it’s fitted, just like that skirt.” Crossing her arms in front of her, Gabriella added, “Will that be an issue.”
“No, no. I’ll make it work.” Sofie smiled confidently, but her thoughts raced in the back of her mind.Shit! I don’t have a black dress. But I think Ask does! I’ll have to check with her as soon as I get home.Sofie was committed to impressing Ms. Galena, and whatever the solution and whatever games Gabriella was playing with her, Sofie knew she would show up the next day in a fitted black dress.
9
“Ahem,” Gabriella cleared her throat, summoning Sofie’s attention. She knew she didn’t have to try too hard; her assistant was naturally responsive whenever Gabriella needed her. Sofie’s mindfulness was impressive, and Gabriella appreciated how well-suited she seemed for this position.
Sofie turned towards Gabriella, asking sweetly, “Yes? What can I help with?”
“I looked at your Pink in the City Gala seating plan. I’m pleased that you were able to take on this responsibility, especially with such short notice. But you need to fix some things.” Gabriella held a copy of the seating chart in her hand, placing it face up on the desk. Curling her finger towards Sofie, Gabriella ordered, “Come here.”
Sofie stood and approached the Gabriella’s desk upon command. Gabriella’s gaze was transfixed on Sofie’s shapely body.Today she looks particularly fetching;I love that red color on her. But I wish the outfit was a better fit.
Sofie’s lovely glossy dark hair was loose, cascading down her shoulders with her hairline pulled back by a hairband. Gabriellagreatly enjoyed being able to admire her lovely assistant from day to day, and it brought Gabriella joy to observe Sofie following orders regarding her appearance in the office.
But as much as Gabriella noticed Sofie’s valiant efforts, she was sparse with her praise. In her experience, too much appreciation eventually made people lazy and apathetic. For her, this was true in both business and personal matters.No, it’s best to keep Sofie guessing; that’s the only way she is going to continue to try. Besides, she gets a lot of pleasure from pleasing others as is, so I don’t need to overextend myself.
Gabriella commented with Sofie in front of her, pointing at the document, “See this section? This is all wrong. We can’t have our most valued event sponsors sitting near the band. They won’t be able to hear anything.”
Gabriella’s eyes traveled across the page. “And look, you have some of the top models seated with random magazine staff. No, no, no. The girls need to be seated with guests of their caliber. Please correct this immediately.”
Gabriella impatiently pushed the seating chart towards Sofie, who graciously addressed the comments. “Absolutely, I will take care of that right now. And thank you for the feedback. I understand what you are saying.”
Wordlessly, Gabriella nodded, motioning for Sofie to return to her desk, considering her comments. If Gabriella was being completely honest, Sofie had created a great first draft of the seating plan. But Gabriella knew even before she had seen it that she would find fault with it. She needed to keep Sofie trying for her.
The edits noted were not as dramatic as Gabriella made them seem, but Gabriella enjoyed pushing Sofie’s buttons to see how far her assistant would go to achieve perfection. For Gabriella, it was a test of loyalty and determination; it amused her to see Sofie squirm a bit.
Over the past few weeks, Sofie had impressed Gabriella with her work and commitment to excellence.
I know I’m tough on her. To be fair, she is a perfect fit for this role. She is intelligent, creative, and responsible. She hasn’t given me any attitude and follows exact orders. And I’m not going to lie; it’s quite a turn-on to have this beautiful woman at my beck and call.
“Oh, I forgot to say; remember when you asked me to look into details of the upcoming staff meeting?” Gabriella heard Sofie ask. Gabriella had assigned her assistant to explore location options to host the group. She had provided Sofie with a basic outline and budget but did not provide much detail. Gabriella was curious to see how Sofie would handle the task without a lot of direction and how self-sufficient she could be.
“Mmm, hmmm?” Gabriella murmured; her eyes glued to her computer screen. “What about it?”
Gabriella heard a pause before Sofie answered. “Well, I hope you don’t mind, but I found the perfect location; it’s a small loft space only a block away from the office. Apparently, the owners of the space specialize in day rentals and particularly team meetings.”
Once Gabriella had realized that she needed to get her staff in shape, she decided that an off-site meeting was best. Her reasoning was that by pulling employees from the office, the group could enjoy a fresh environment where they could brainstorm and communicate more effectively. Considering that Deluxe was a trend-setting scripture of the fashion industry, a day away from the office could help get those creative juices flowing.
Sliding her reading glasses to her nose, Gabriella turned to face Sofie. “Is that so? Go on.”
She watched as Sofie inhaled nervously, seeming to brace herself. “So, I didn’t want to bother you, and since you had givenme a company credit card, I—” Sofie hesitated. Her expression was one of trepidation, which both amused and irritated Gabriella.
“What? What did you do?” Gabriella asked Sofie impatiently. “What happened?”
Sofie looked away, shrugging her shoulders. “I reserved and paid for the location. Ihadto—it’sperfectfor what you were looking for, and from what I read, the spot is in high demand.” Anxiously biting her lip, Sofie added, “Is that okay? I have all of the information, and the photos of the space are gorgeous. Here, look.” Sofie rushed over to the boss’s desk, handing Gabriella her tablet.
Instantly, she knew why Sofie was nervous. Sofie had assumed that maybe Gabriella would be upset at Sofie for making a decision on the spot without asking for permission. But to Gabriella, that is precisely what she wanted Sofie to be confident in; making certain decisions that didn’t require emotional labor from Gabriella.
Taking the device, Gabriella perused the images of the office space.She’s right; this is absolutely perfect. Oh, and I love the French windows. It’s the perfect combination of stylish and serene.Keeping her face expressionless, Gabriella waited a few seconds before responding. Gabriella wanted to make Sofie sweat a bit but was pleased with her choice.
Finally, Gabriella asked, “So, you paid for this on the company card and booked it without checking with me?”
Wide-eyed, Sofie froze; Gabriella could tell she was intimidated and she liked it. In a meek voice, Sofie replied, “Yes, I did.”
She didn’t want to torture Sofie any further, so Gabriella responded, “Excellent. This is perfect for our staff meeting. I’m glad that you had enough confidence and foresight to make a decision on your own. Good work.”
Sofie sighed audibly; it was clear that she had been harboring concern over her choice, but Gabriella saw that as a positive attribute. Shelikedthat Sofie cared about her job and, more so, about Gabriella’s opinion.
