Mr.arrogant(6)

Naomi felt as though it was less of an interview and much more of a  conversation with a friend that she was just getting to know. Ms. Klein  asked her if she had any questions about the benefits or the position,  and she asked what she felt she needed to in order to give herself a  good base of information about the job. Ms. Klein seemed impressed with  the questions that she asked and when they were done with them, Ms.  Klein smiled genuinely at her.

"I was given authority to hire whomever I felt was best qualified for  the position, and Naomi, I really have to tell you that I feel as though  you are the best person for this job. It is my pleasure to offer it to  you today. It is yours if you would like it." Ms. Klein said happily.

Naomi felt all of the butterflies in her suddenly come to an immediate  stop and somehow it felt like they all fell right through her to the  ground below. She stared at the other woman and tried to convince her  lungs to take in air. After a few long moments, she was able to take a  deep breath and smile and the shock began to wear off. She was going to  work at Cross Corp. She had gotten the job.

Elation flowed through her like a running river coursing in her every  vein. She had done it, and all the while that she was filling out  paperwork and doing her orientation, she could only think of her parents  and how proud and happy they would have been for her as she reached her  goals. In her mind's eye she saw their smiling faces and she knew they  would have supported her in her decision to work at Cross Corp. They  would have told her that she had earned it, and that she deserved all of  the good that she got.

Her hiring paperwork finished and her whirring thoughts and mind  beginning to finally settle, she realized that she hadn't asked one  considerably important question. She looked at Ms. Klein with a wide  smile.

"Who is it that I've been hired for? Whose administrative assistant will  I be?" she wondered hopefully. In all of the research that she had  done, she had been able to get to know many of the people in the top  ranks of the corporation for whom she might be hired to assist. There  were some she truly hoped that she would be working for, and there were  some who she honestly hoped that she would not get, but in all the  excitement of her new hire, she had forgotten to ask.

She had shared with Ms. Klein all of the research that she had done on  the company, and so it was with a knowing eye that Ms. Klein looked at  her with what could only be called a poker face, and said in a  professional voice that she had not used since she introduced herself to  Naomi, "You will be working for Jonathon Cross as his personal  administrative assistant."

It was clear by the look on Ms. Klein's face that she was curious to  know just how familiar Naomi was with Jonathon Cross and his reputation.  It was clear by the expression on Naomi's face that she was distinctly  clear with Jonathon Cross and his reputation.

She was stunned when the name left Ms. Klein's lips. Jonathon Cross. She  would be working directly beneath Jonathon Cross. The very idea of it  made her stomach turn. He was someone she hadn't expected to be working  for at all. The possibility of her ever even associating with him had  never crossed her mind.

Naomi was more familiar with Jonathon Cross's reputation and lifestyle  than she was any other member of the staff whom she had researched, and  it was not because she did any research on him. It was because he was so  often in the news for having said or done something appalling or  arrogant, and for always being out with different women and never having  a serious relationship.         

     



 

In the business world, he was the black sheep; he was renowned for his  cold as steel and razor-sharp business sense, but he was also notorious  for his unforgiving mouth, his cold shoulder, and his history of  sleeping with women who worked for him; usually ending with disastrous  results. She could not believe that he was going to be her boss. It was  the worst possible scenario at the best possible company.

Revolted though she was at the idea of working for a man like him, she  could not say no to the opportunity to work at his company, and she  considered that it may be possible for her to change her position to  another executive; something she hoped that she could do in a very short  amount of time.

She called the law firm where she had been offered the other job  interview and advised them that she had accepted the job at the  corporation. Then she called Andrea, and Andrea picked up her phone  almost right away.

"Well?" she asked excitedly, "Did you get it? What happened? How did it go?" Andrea asked impatiently.

Naomi laughed. "Hang on! I'll tell you everything. It's both good and bad." She began.

"Good and bad? How is it good and bad? I thought this was your dream job!" Andrea asked in confusion.

"Well," sighed Naomi, "I got the job, which was fantastic. The woman who  offered it to me gave it to me right there as soon as the interview was  done! I was so excited! I've spent the rest of my day filling out  paperwork and doing orientation. It's actually really exciting."

Andrea paused a moment. "Well, what is the bad part? How could there be any bad part at all?" she asked in confusion.

"Are you sitting down?" Naomi asked, lowering her voice as she looked  around herself in the break room to make sure that no one else was  there.

"Oh gosh, this sounds serious. Okay. I'm sitting. What is it?" she asked with trepidation.

"My boss is Jonathon Cross." Naomi moaned dejectedly.

There was silence for a moment on the other end of the line. Naomi knew  that Andrea knew exactly who Jonathon Cross was, and everything that he  did.

"Well yeah, he owns the company with his father …  so he'd be your boss.  He's everyone's boss there." Andrea said with a little hesitation,  obviously lost on the point that Naomi was trying to make.

"No, Andy … . He's my boss. I'm his personal administrative assistant. I'm working directly for him," she said in a low tone.

There was a long moment of silence again, and then a deep groan. "Oh you must be kidding me. That's horrible! I'm so sorry!"

Naomi knew that Andrea would feel just the same way that she did about  it, and that at least was some small comfort. "I couldn't believe it  when I heard it. I almost wanted to ask if there was anyone else in the  whole company who I could work for instead, but then I didn't. I knew  I'd have to just deal with it until I can switch to someone else," she  admitted sadly.

Andrea gave another disgruntled moan. "Well …  you just be careful. He has  a terrible reputation with the ladies who work for him, or under him,  and I mean directly under him."

Naomi frowned and sank down in her chair slightly. "I know. I'm going to  be careful. You know better than anyone that I'm here for the job and  not for any other reason. I don't care what he says or does; I'm only  here to work in a business capacity and not that I expect him to come  after me, but if he does he's going to find out really fast that I'm not  the kind of girl he usually has as his admin."

Andrea sounded relieved. "I'm so glad that you said that! I was worried  for a minute. Not about you, of course, but definitely about him! You  just keep your eyes peeled and watch out for him. Oh … . And  congratulations again on the job! I think … " she trailed off and then  laughed a little and Naomi laughed with her and before too long they  were talking about other things and Jonathon Cross was no longer on  their minds.

Naomi finished all of her initial sign-up work and then Ms. Klein pursed  her lips and walked them to the elevator that would take them to the  floor where Jonathon's office was. Neither one of them said a word  during the entire ride up in the elevator.         

     



 

As she watched the floor numbers above her head light up and grow dim  one by one, as they passed them all, she began to feel more and more  anxious and self-conscious. She knew she had been given the position  because she was qualified for it, but there was some small concern that  perhaps Mr. Cross had instructed that women with a certain type of look  was who he wanted to hire.

She had no idea if she was hired for that reason or for any other. One  thing that she did know was that she had no interest in any kind of  extra-work relationship with him, and she was going to make that very  clear to him, right from the start.

As Ms. Klein and Naomi were riding up in the elevator, Jonathon Cross  was walking through the open office center where many of the women in  the office worked at their desks. As he passed by, many of them eyed him  seductively, smiling and turning in their chairs, showing their crossed  legs, waving at him with their fingers, and asking him how he was and  if there was anything at all that they could do for him.

It was pleasant to him that he was treated with so much deference, and  he knew in his heart of hearts that the deference was solely due to his  position and to his looks, and in no part due to his character, but he  loved it all the same. He had grown accustomed to it before his first  week was even finished at the company, and the longer he had been there,  the more it had become commonplace.