But the guy who greeted me was wearing the most ridiculous costume, making me titter slightly. He had a chauffeur’s cap on complete with a three piece penguin suit and a twirly moustache like a circus barker.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?” I asked, struggling to keep a straight face.
The man merely bowed, immune to my repressed giggles. He probably got it all the time. Instead, he gestured with a white gloved hand to a black sedan at the curb, bowing at the waist.
“I’m here to take you to work,” he said with a pseudo-British accent. “Mr. Martin’s requested that I escort you to and from Luxor Corp. every day here on out.”
I frowned. Was this some sort of joke? I’ve never had a car pick me up before, it’s always public transportation for me. Besides, how did he pick me out of the morning rush crowd? I could have been any of the women walking by.
“How do you know who I am?” I asked suspiciously.
The chauffeur merely bowed again.
“Mr. Martin asked me to look for a beautiful young woman and you’re the only possible candidate this morning,” he said graciously. “Mr. Martin described you as ‘ravishing,’” he added.
I colored, my insides growing warm.
“Oh my god, he did?” I said softly, eyes wide, heart beating a million miles a minute. And when the chauffeur nodded and smiled, I slid into the car then, letting the luxury surround me like a down blanket. Wow, it was so fancy inside, buttery leather upholstery, free bottled water and classical music playing in the background. But how had Nick known where I lived? How did he know about my heinous commute?
Suddenly my cheeks colored. Of course he knew, the alpha male was my boss, he knew everything, from how much I made to where I lived and what school I attended. It was probably all available to him at the touch of a keystroke on the Luxor mainframe.
But as the scenery whizzed by bringing me closer to work, sheer happiness began to suffuse my body. Joy that the big man cared about me, had ordered car service for me, that he was concerned about my safety, my well-being. I smiled, blissed out, leaning back in the soft upholstery, beaming with happy vibes.
And the shockers didn’t stop there. When I waltzed into reception, still floating on cloud nine, Norma signaled to me.
“Tammy, I’ve got your new keys right here,” she said, jingling a chain at me.
“Oh what for?” I paused. “Am I getting a locker somewhere, maybe in the company gym?”
And Norma smiled gently at me.
“No, HR’s placing you in an executive suite for the time being. Have you heard of Le Meridien Hotel?” she asked, confidentially lowering her voice. “Luxor keeps a couple apartments in the hotel for VIPs,” she confided. “And you’re going to be living in one of them.”
My cheeks colored as I gasped.
“But- but why?” I asked. “I’m just a no one from the typing pool.”
“Who knows?” smiled Norma. “But take it from me, my dear. Count your blessings. Maybe it was a mistake by HR, a glitch in the computer, but no need to let on.” Switching back into a normal volume she said, “The movers are packing your stuff up now, it’ll be at the Meridien by close of business today.”
And my mouth positively gaped. Movers were at my shabby home right now packing my stuff? I was moving into a luxury apartment by the end of the day? It was like Cinderella leaving her hovel and being magically transported to the palace.
Zombie-like, I walked to my cube, unseeing, unhearing, dropping limply into my chair. There could be only one explanation for this. Nick. Mr. CEO must have arranged it all, the car, the new housing, the movers, everything. Scratch that. He must have told someone to do it, and presto, it was done.
I stared blankly at my computer screen, my hand limp on the mouse, unable to focus. What had I gotten myself into? What had started out as a fling with the boss was now turning my life upside-down with new digs, a new commute, a new everything. Was I ready for this? Was this what I wanted, to have an alpha male in charge, taking care of me, keeping me?
But another rush of happiness suffused my form, washing over my body in waves, my eyes growing bright, sparkling as I thought about the billionaire. Nick cared. He really cared about me, wanted to make sure I was safe, that I wasn’t killing myself getting to work each day, that I lived in a nice place instead of a rat-infested hidey-hole up in the Bronx.
And it made me so happy, made me feel like I was really someone, that I mattered to someone. I’d never had this feeling before, I was always an afterthought, my parents working class folk who were too tired trying to put food on the table, the few friends I had disappearing after a few years. This was the first time that someone out there was paying attention, making me feel special and wanted.