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Looking at Zane as he walked around the room, Nivea tried to get her mind on business and not his kissable and full lips. Since joining the label, six years prior as Zane's assistant, she had an innocent attraction for him. Then as those thoughts entered her mind, Nivea would be slapped back to reality when she looked down at her plain black pants suit and her minimal make-up, and boring ponytail, and realized Zane was out of her league.
"Starting this month, I want to focus on finding the next big stars! I want everyone on board to start scouting local clubs and attending amateur nights and even scouting all the social media sites, too. In three weeks, we will host auditions, and I need you all to send out invitations to the artists you feel will fit into our family. Then for this year's anniversary party, I want to showcase our new talent for the world to see and since we have about eight months, that means we need to get busy," Zane continued to bring a smile to everyone's lips as the room came alive with whispers and cheers.
As Zane continued to lay out his plan for the party, Nivea took notes and couldn't help the envy she felt. All her life, she wanted to start her singing career, but she always had to put it on the back burner. As the years passed and her career at the record label took off, she threw her dreams in the backseat and focused on her job. Plus, she didn't think Zane would ever take her seriously professionally or personally.
"You know you should be in that showcase?" Raven Owens whispered, drawing her attention.
"You know that will never happen," Nivea replied as she looked over a Zane as he continued discussing his plans.
"I agree with Raven! You should be included," Robin Hill added, causing Nivea to shake her head.
Nivea met Raven and Robin when she joined the label. Raven was the vice president of A&R for nine years, and Robin was vice president of artist development for seven years. Even though Nivea was a personal assistant, they still welcomed her into their circle and family.
Shaking her head, "You both know the label would never consider me," Nivea replied just as Zane finished his speech.
"We'll see about that!" Raven stated, causing Nivea to look over at her wide-eyed as Robin chuckled.
"So let’s get to scouting, and I want reports on my desk by the end of the week about everyone's progress," Zane concluded just before everyone started making their way out of the room.
We are still on for dinner tonight?" Robin asked as the trio stood up from the table and started gathering their belongings.
"I'm going, I could use a drink," Raven replied, causing the ladies to chuckle.
"What has you so stressed out?" Nivea asked as they neared the door to exit the room.
Looking over her shoulder, Nivea followed her gaze to Damien Anderson, who is vice president of the label.
Smiling, Nivea knew that Raven had a crush on Damien, but for some odd reason, Raven couldn't get up the nerve to ask him out.
"We need drinks and intervention," Robin joked, causing Raven to roll her eyes.
Walking out the door, "I'll see you guys later; I have some paperwork to get finished asap," Nivea replied before heading to her office.
Arriving at her desk in the outer office next to Zane's executive suite, Nivea quickly got to work on the reports Zane needed for his next meeting. As she reviewed the information and made updates, she couldn't help thinking about Zane and how much she wished things were different between them.
She knew everything about Zane, down to the medication he took for his allergies. She realized a long time ago that she loved him but never allowed herself to imagine him returning those feelings. There had been times when she thought they shared a special moment, but then it would pass in the blink of an eye, making her think she imagined it.
Shaking her head and finishing her task, "Stop thinking about something that will never happen," Nivea mumbled just as the door opened, and Zane walked in, smiling.
"What will never happen?" He asked, causing her breath to hitch, and she started to cough.
Rushing to her side, "Are you ok?" He asked as he started patting her back.
Having Zane so close and smelling his cologne wasn't helping her situation. Not to mention, having him touching her in such an innocent way was having the opposite effect on her thoughts. Taking a deep breath as she nodded her head, Nivea reached for her glass of water on her desk and quickly took a sip.
Looking up at Zane, "I'm fine now," she stated as she placed her glass back on the desk.
Frowning, "Are you sure? Do you need more water?" Zane asked as he looked down at her.
Taking another deep breath and smiling nervously, "I'm sure! I finished your reports too," she replied, hoping he dropped the subject.
Nodding his head, "I appreciate you getting everything done so fast. I don't know what I would do without you," he said, causing her to look up from her desk at him, to see him staring at her.
The look in his eyes was intense, causing her to look down again in fear that she had imagined it again.
Clearing her throat, "Thank you for saying that! It means a lot," she replied before taking a chance and looking at Zane, who was looking over the reports.
Looking up, "There's no need to thank me! You're a great assistant and friend!" He stated, bringing a smile to her lips.
