CHAPTER THREE
As Serena drove along Bay Street she was lost in thought. She was on her way to Steele Industries for her first day at work and she was not looking forward to it. In fact, she was busy thinking of ways to derail her father’s plans to make her a 'working woman'. Yes, she'd promised her grandmother she'd give it a try but she hadn't promised she'd be a model employee. Maybe she could get herself fired on day one. She bit her lip, giving it some thought. Was that a good idea, though? Effective today she would no longer receive a monthly allowance and would need to earn her own money. And she'd have to survive that way for the next six months. She shuddered at the thought. She had never felt so trapped in her life.
She found the place easily enough and pulled off the road and into the parking lot where she slid into the last empty spot. The sign said reserved but right then she didn't have time to be choosy. She reached over for her Hermes handbag then slid out of the SUV, the slim skirt of her Chanel suit making it impossible for her to hop down. She put on her sunglasses then slammed the door and walked briskly toward the main entrance, her stilettos tapping loudly on the pavement.
Serena entered the lobby and for a moment was taken aback by the magnificence of the main entrance. The lobby was huge with a high cathedral ceiling from which a massive chandelier hung. The black marble tiles on the floor glistened and as she looked down she saw herself reflected in their sheen. The walls were covered in the same dark marble but those were accentuated with gold trim. The company logo on the wall and the handles of all the doors were in gold. She had to admit the building was impressive.
She approached the massive receptionist desk and, putting on her most formal tone, she said to the woman sitting there, “Serena Van Buren, here to see Mr. Roman Steele.”
“Good morning.” The woman acknowledged her with a nod. “Do you have an appointment with Mr. Steele?”
“Uhh, yes,” Serena said quickly, too embarrassed to tell the woman that she was reporting for her first day at work. “He’s expecting me."
“I’ll have someone take you up.” She directed Serena to have a seat in one of the soft black leather chairs along the side of the wall.
She’d been sitting there for less than a minute when a statuesque woman with raven-black hair exited the elevator and approached her. She was impeccably dressed in a wine-colored suit and matching pumps. She had the body and gait of a model.
“Ms. Van Buren?” The woman’s voice was husky, almost as deep as a man’s. Serena tried to hide her surprise behind a bright smile. She stood up and took the woman’s outstretched hand.
“Yes, I’m Serena Van Buren.”
“Welcome,” the woman said then released her hand. “My name is Theresa Lederman. I’m Mr. Steele’s personal assistant.” Then her brows knitted. “Did you have a problem getting here? We were expecting you some fifteen minutes ago.” The disapproval was evident in her tone.
Serena immediately bristled and straightened to her full height, not that it made much difference since Theresa Lederman had a good four or five inches on her. She gave the woman a frosty look. “I’m not used to driving on Bay Street at this time of morning. I had no idea the traffic was so heavy.” Then she frowned, angry at herself for even responding. She’d never had to explain herself to anyone before. And who did this woman think she was to ask her about being late? She was nothing but a glorified secretary, after all.
The woman looked down at her and nodded. “Well, this is your first day so I can understand. But you will have to head out earlier tomorrow. Mr. Steele postponed a meeting specifically in order to meet you this morning and he’s already lost fifteen minutes.” She beckoned Serena toward the elevator. “Unfortunately, he’d wanted to spend at least an half an hour with you to get you started but now he’ll only have a few minutes.”
“I’m…sorry,” Serena said grudgingly, suddenly feeling guilty for her previous display. She was going to have to check her attitude. She gave an inaudible sigh. Being an employee was not going to be easy.
At the tenth floor Theresa punched in a code and the glass doors automatically slid open. They entered another beautiful lobby, a smaller, more intimate version of the one below. She strode down a hallway then stopped in front of a door and knocked. Serena heard nothing but apparently the woman did because she pushed it open then stepped aside to allow her to enter. “Ms. Van Buren,” was all she said by way of presentation then as Serena stepped into the room she pulled the door shut behind her.