The Billionaire Wins the Game(2)
When she stepped onto the twenty-fifth floor she was momentarily paralyzed with fear. It was the most beautiful office she’d ever seen. The doors opened up to a massive lobby area, with a round cherry wood desk. Behind the desk was a stunning blonde who looked more efficient than Amy ever hoped to be. White marble columns flanked the entrance way, leading to the offices. Exquisite paintings hung on the walls, adding a depth of warm color. In the corner was a seating area with soft leather furniture and an antique coffee table with a priceless chandelier acting as a centerpiece. She felt increasingly frumpy and inadequate as she stepped forward.
“Can I help you?” the woman asked Amy.
Amy snapped out of her temporary paralysis and walked forward. “Yes, I’m Amy Harper. I’m the new executive secretary for Mr. Anderson. I start today,” she finished with as much confidence as she could rally.
The woman looked at her blankly for a moment before finally reaching for the phone. “Mr. Anderson, I have Amy Harper here who says she’s your new executive secretary.” She paused for a few moments, “okay…yes, sir.”
She hung up the phone and turned back toward Amy, “Mr. Anderson says he already has an executive secretary and has hired no one new. He also said if you’re a reporter trying for another story on his family, all his answers are no comment.” The woman looked dismissively at Amy and then said “have a nice day, Ms. Harper.”
She didn’t give Amy another glance. She just turned toward her computer and acted like Amy wasn’t in the room. As far as she was concerned Amy was dismissed.
“Um, excuse me,” Amy looked at the secretary’s name plate. “Shelly, I was interviewed last week by Mr. Anderson. He told me to be in the office at eight A.M. sharp, so you may want to just check again,” she said a little bit more powerfully. Shelly glanced up, as if shocked the disturbing woman was still there.
Just then the elevator chimed and in walked an older woman with smiling blue eyes. “You must be Amy. I’m sorry I’m late. I got stuck behind a car accident,” the woman said as she approached. “My name’s Esther and I’ll be working with you this week, getting you trained to be on your own. Joseph called me and let me know he found my perfect replacement,” she said with humor in her voice.
Amy took a deep breath and felt relief the job wasn’t only in her imagination. “It’s so good to meet you Esther. I was a little nervous when Shelly said there wasn’t a job,” she finished, not even glancing at the secretary.
Esther looked over at the woman in question with disapproval. “She answers the phones here, temporarily, and didn’t know I’m retiring. I’m sorry about any lack of communication,” Esther said. It was obvious there wasn’t any love lost between the two of them.
“Walk with me and I’ll show you your new office. You should love it but if you want to make any changes please feel free to do so. You’ll be spending many hours in there, as I’m sure Joseph already told you, so it needs to be comfortable for you.”
They walked down the hallway and through a large oak doorway into a massive office. Was everything in the building done on a much grander scale than your average place? There were floor to ceiling windows against the back wall, letting the early morning light shine through. She was grateful for the natural light.
In the middle of the room was a huge three sided desk. On the surface sat a top-of-the-line computer and an overflowing in and out box.
“Come in, come in. Have a seat. I’ll show you what you need to get started and before you know it, you’ll be excellent on your own,” Esther said kindly.
The two women worked together the rest of the morning. Amy felt slightly overwhelmed, but she enjoyed Esther’s company and was starting to pick up on some of the tasks they were doing. After lunch she felt comfortable enough to admit to Esther she really wasn’t qualified for the position, but she was a very fast learner and would study day and night to learn the systems.
Esther reassured her that Joseph had obviously seen something in her and he only hired the best.
“Esther, I need those Niles reports, please, and can you cancel my appointments for the rest of the day? I need to go to my father’s.” Amy looked up as the most stunning man she’d ever glimpsed walked through the door. He was looking down at a paper in his hand, which gave her time to secretly observe him from head to toe.
The first thing she noticed was his stature. He had to be at least six foot four, with wide shoulders. Lithe muscles could be perfectly seen, even through the obviously tailored dark business suit, clearly accentuating his golden tan. The outfit was complete with a loosened tie, making him look like he just stepped off the cover of GQ magazine.