The bell on the elevator chimed and she stepped onto the unfamiliar floor. She approached the reception desk, looking around in awe. She would've thought there'd be boxes everywhere, but it looked as if the area had been set up for years.
"Hello, I'm Jennifer Stellar, the new executive assistant for Mr. Anderson. I'm not sure where my office is," she said to the lady behind the desk.
"It's so nice to finally meet you, Jennifer. I hope you don't mind me calling you by your first name. Our boss has always allowed us to be somewhat informal. My name is Nancy, and I came with Mr. Anderson from Chicago. Let me show you to your office," the woman said.
"Informal is always good, so I don't mind. It's very nice to meet you, too, Nancy," Jennifer said. Nancy led her around the corner and opened a door. Jennifer loved the space. "It's beautiful," she sighed.
"If you need to make any changes, I'm sure Mr. Anderson would be fine with that. He likes his employees to be comfortable, as we're all here a lot," Nancy told her.
"This is a lovely office. I'm sure I won't need to change a thing."
"I'll leave you to get settled in. Let's do lunch together later this week to get better acquainted," Nancy said, and with Jennifer's encouraging nod, she left.
Jennifer walked around the large room and over to the enormous windows to look at the view. It was breathtaking and she was delighted at the sight of the famous Space Needle building. She finally pulled herself away from the view, and sat. Her seat was plush, and it molded to the contours of her body, applying pressure where needed. A giggle escaped before she could stop it. She grinned and spun her chair in a circle, letting out her inner child.
Trenton walked through the connecting doors to the sound of a giggle, then stopped in his tracks. Spinning in a chair, only a few feet from him was the girl from the park. Her face was lit up with joy and she was so stunning he had to fight the urge not to yank her from the chair and crush his lips on hers.
He was glad she hadn't yet noticed him. It gave him time to control his features. Once he had himself under control he cleared his throat to alert her of his presence, then waited until she turned. He was thinking this was going to be quite entertaining.
Jennifer turned at the sound and stared in horror. Her feet were still off the ground and her chair spun around again, before she managed to pull herself together enough to put her feet down and stop the spinning chair. She stared at the man before her, not knowing what to say. What was he doing in her doorway?
Her mouth dropped open as she started putting two and two together. He'd been at the park with Lucas Anderson and they had similar features. They must be related in some way. Did he work for the company? Was she going to have to see him on a daily basis?
"Wh … what are you doing here?" she asked, not really wanting to hear his answer.
"I'm at work, and what are you doing here?" he returned.
"I … I just started today," she stuttered. She wanted to know where he worked, but didn't think she'd be able to get the words out.
"And what is your position?" he asked with a smile.
"I'm the executive assistant for the president," she stated with a confident smile. She was feeling better now that the shock was wearing off. Her words came out as a challenge. She was proud of her new position.
"Really, and have you met him, yet?" he asked, trying to sound surprised, like she was getting one over on him.
"Yes, at the interview. George Anderson is an amazing man, and I'm proud and excited to be working for him," she said. She'd instantly liked both George and Joseph Anderson. She'd always been comfortable with older people, as they seemed much less judgmental.
"George isn't the president," he stated, popping her bubble. Her brows puckered and she looked at him like he was insane. He had to be trying to deceive her. George was the one who had interviewed her. She tried to remember her interview, word for word, but she couldn't remember him actually saying he was the president.
"Of course he is," she said, but not as confident.
"Believe me, I know he isn't. He retired years ago, and though he's still the majority owner in the corporation, he's more of a silent partner, dealing more with personnel situations and behind the scenes issues," he told her.
Trenton found he was enjoying her confusion, and watched as she tried to work out what he was saying. She still hadn't put all the pieces together. He was thrilled to find the spitfire from the park was his assistant. He found himself glad to be in Seattle. He was with his cousins, who he loved, he'd spoken with his siblings more over the last month than in the last several years, and he was intrigued by a woman. Things were looking up for him.