AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He stops in front of me and gives me a slow nod. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Mr. Donnelly,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Call me Zane,” he says, and a smile twitches at the corners of his mouth. “I was on my way to work and saw you. Figured you could use a ride instead of walking in those treacherous things.”
When he points down to my heels, I laugh. “They aren’t that bad, believe me.”
“Let’s get to work. I have a meeting in an hour, as you know, and I need you to be there.”
I nod and follow him to the limo, where I slide into the luxurious leather seats. As the car moves, I look out the window and see the world whizzing by in a flurry of color.
We arrive at the office and Zane leads me up to his office on the top floor. He motions for me to have a seat, and I settle into one of the plush leather chairs facing his desk.
“Willow,” he says, his gaze meeting mine, “I need you to be my eyes and ears here. You will be my assistant, but make no mistake, you will also be my confidant. I count on you to be discreet and reliable.”
“I understand.”
He nods and continues, “I expect the utmost professionalism. If I am not satisfied with your performance, you will be replaced.” His eyes are serious, but I detect a hint of a smile in the corner of his mouth.
“I won’t let you down.”
“Good,” he says, standing up. “Now, let’s get to work.”
Without another word, he ushers me out of his office, and I follow him down the hall.
“I’ll need you to get refreshments for the meetings. Across the street, the coffee place knows their orders by heart since we go often. Just take this piece of paper and give it to the barista. She’ll know what to give you.”
Okay I’m his assistant, but somehow I didn’t picture myself being a coffee runner. Sure, we see this in movies all the time, but real life? Isn’t that for like interns?
I take the paper from him, smile, and turn on my heel to head over there. Mr. Donnelly, I mean Zane, pays me very well. So well, in fact, I can afford to get a nicer apartment, but figure it is better to hold off to make sure this works out.
I wait for my turn to cross the street, and the barista must have watched me come out of the building, because she doesn’t greet me, but instead holds out her hand. “Oh, here you go.”
She looks it over and then makes the order. I people watch while I wait, feeling out of place. Who the hell pays almost ten bucks for a fancy coffee? Rich people fill this place. Most are talking on their phones in one hand, and briefcase in the other.
The baristas hand me two cup holders of drinks. “If you want to, next time you call it in about ten minutes before you head over here and we will have it ready.”
Good suggestion, but I didn’t mind waiting.
As I get back into the conference room, people are already sitting in the chairs. I glance at my watch and then set the coffee on the table. The meeting isn’t supposed to start for another half hour.
“Good morning. I’ve got your coffee while you wait,” I say, reading the names and handing them out to the three men and two women.
This is my repetition of the day and after the fourth conference, I have it down pat, but how does Zane drink all that coffee and not have the jitters? Don’t get wrong, I love coffee as much as the next person, but four cups in five hours would have been bouncing off the walls and yet he seems perfectly stable.
I tidy up the conference room and make sure that the refreshments are taken away. Mr. Donnelly comes up to me. “Thank you for all your hard work today. I have something I want to show you. Please, follow me.”
We pass through a series of rooms, each more impressive than the last, until he stops in front of an enormous set of double doors. He opens them with a flourish and gestures for me to enter.
The room is huge, the walls lined with shelves of books and paperwork. In the center is a large mahogany desk, and behind it sits another large leather chair. A laptop rests on the desk and I can see the colors of multiple screensavers flickering across the screen.
“This is where you will do most of your work,” Zane says. “The desk in front of my office can be used when you prefer, but my old assistant liked this one better.”
I nod, taking in the office. It is larger than my own apartment, and filled with the latest technology.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he says, turning to leave. “I have a meeting to attend to.”
I watch as he walks out the door. Here I am, working in one of the most powerful offices in the city. I have a chance to make my mark and prove to myself that I am capable of succeeding in this environment.
