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Prologue
Lana
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jessica demands as she storms into my room, banging the door against the wall as she enters.
I reluctantly turn around from my closet to look at her, rolling my eyes at the conversation we are about to have for the ten millionth time.
“And good morning to you, too,” I tell her with a cheerfulness that I definitely don’t feel. After a restless night of tossing and turning, I’m not in the mood to deal with this right now. My energy levels are already completely zapped, and Jessica is here and on the attack.
I sit on my bed, press my back against the headboard, and mentally prepare for the lecture. My usually calm, collected, and impeccably dressed best friend is looking especially ready for battle today.
I don’t have to wait long for it to begin.
“You know this is a bad move, Lana. Jake Anders will eat you alive! You have no business going through with this.” She looks at me pleadingly. Jessica has been my best friend since we were five years old, and I knowshe is worried. But I can’t help but feel irritated that we are having this conversation again. She won’t be able to talk me out of my plan, but she’s not giving up easily.
Sighing, I bring up my legs and cross them in front of me. I lean in, prepared to at least pretend to give her my full attention. “Okay, let me have it,” I tell her.
Jessica rolls her eyes. “Look, it’s not like you don’t get it. You know this idea of yours is insane. If you get caught, it could ruin everything for your uncle.”
“So, I won’t get caught. Not until I want to. Jake Anders doesn’t know me, and he won’t suspect a thing.” I say it so confidently that I almost believe my words.
Even as I speak with confidence, I know the idea has a pretty low chance of success. I won’t admit it to Jessica, but I really don’t have a plan at all. Just maybe a little rough outline. Whatever it takes, I will save my uncle’s business. Jake Anders won’t even see me coming. I feel a little twinge of guilt at my thoughts, but there is no way I’m about to let my uncle lose his business to some Wall Street billionaire whose biggest financial worry is whether or not he should buy another jet.
Jessica huffs out a deep breath. “Well, if you are determined to go through with this psychotic plan, I guess I better help you.” She pauses, rolls her eyes, then walks to my closet. “I guess we better find you something amazing to wear for that interview!”
I breathe a sigh of relief. I knew I could count on my best friend.
Chapter One
Lana
The wait feels endless, though I’ve actually only been here ten minutes. When I applied for the position at the Anders Group, I was sure I’d never even get a phone call, much less an interview. But here I am, fidgeting with my necklace, tapping my toes, nervous that any minute someone will tell me I’m a fraud and need to leave. I have no idea how I will manage to pull this off.
No experience as an executive assistant…Check.
No experience working with a CEO…Check.
No experience in pretty much anything on the job requirements list…Check.
A resume that has been padded to show expertise in all of the above…Check.
There is absolutely no way this will ever work.
As I look around the waiting room, I’m impressed and intimidated by my surroundings. This place screams money. The plush, comfortableblue velvet chair I’m sitting in probably costs more than I make in two weeks. I don’t know anything about art, but the dozen or so paintings look beautiful and expensive. And who ever heard of a glass chandelier in an office building?
“Ms. Jacobs… Ms. Jacobs!” Lost in my thoughts, I barely hear my name being called. Looking up, I see a woman impatiently scanning the waiting area. Her hair is pulled back in a tight bun, her makeup perfectly applied, and she is dressed in a classic blouse and pencil-straight skirt. She obviously means business. Although we appear to be close in age, her demeanor makes her seem so much older.
I jump up too quickly, and my heel starts to slip on the smooth marble floor. I grab the arm of the chair and, luckily, save myself from further embarrassment. I look up to see Ms. Tight Hair Bun Lady looking at me with raised eyebrows. If I didn’t know better, I’d have sworn I saw the side of her mouth turn up in slight amusement.
Feeling like a total klutz, I quickly say, “I’m here. That’s me. I’m Lana Jacobs.” I straighten up, smooth down my outfit, and walk toward her.
She looks at me for a few seconds and then nods as she turns and begins walking. “This way, Ms. Jacobs.” We pass through the travertine-marble-tiled waiting area into the main lobby and stop at the bank of elevators. “I’m Liz Blakely. I will be conducting your interview today,” she tells me as we walk into the elevator.
“I thought my interview was with Mr. Anders,” I respond, confused.
“Your first interview is with me. If you pass through to the next round, you will meet with Mr. Anders. We received over a hundred resumes on the first day the job was posted. Only the top three applicants will make it through to meet Mr. Anders.”
She glances at me. I do my best to hide any trepidation that her words cause. However, I’m not sure it works because she elaborates, “We were very impressed by your resume. You are one of the few that made it this far.”
