Chapter 5
Ihad just arrived at my office bright and early when the knock on my door sounded. I didn’t respond, knowing whoever it was would wait until I did. However, it was soon pushed open, startling me.
When I saw that it was Gloria, I relaxed and gave her a look.
“You know how I am about my mornings,” I said, and she laughed.
“Yes, Sir, I am very aware. You need your coffee and half an hour to settle in. Well, you have one, and well, today”s settling-in is going to be a bit different.”
After handing over the cup, I accepted it and took my seat, and she did the same.
“Candidates,” she told me. “I sent you the email with the list yesterday. Did you take a look?”
“Not yet,” I replied because I hadn’t even seen the email.
“Well, I have one additional candidate sent over by the agency, so why don’t you take a look and then give me your response? We need to hire someone today, or we’ll have to send you another temporary person again.”
Sighing and knowing she wasn’t going to relent because this was bothering her, I took a seat and accepted the folder. She watched me, and I wondered why until I opened it and saw the name and photograph written.
It took a while, even though she looked very familiar. But it wasn’t long before I was able to connect the two faces.
“Isn’t this?—”
“Exactly,” she said, excited. “The woman we ran into at the restaurant yesterday. The one that was having a hard time with the robots and the wine?”
“Hannah Walker,” I read, and she nodded.
“Hannah Walker. Professional secretary for the last four years. You”ve already met her, and we know why she’s looking for another job.”
My gaze narrowed as I stared at her, and then what I had done the previous night in the shower stall came to mind. It was a bit embarrassing, so I shut the folder and gave it back to Gloria.
“No,” I said, and she was taken aback.
“What? Why?”
“She seems to have a lot of drama surrounding her.”
“Not true,” she said. “You saw the drama, and it is unfortunately a standard one we just happened to notice. And since you aren’t going to be that way to her, then what’s the problem here? Plus, you saw how she didn’t jump at the opportunity to put her boss in trouble even though we gave her one. She silently decided to leave immediately. That”s the kind of person that would be good around you.”
I turned my attention to my desktop, and even though it seemed as though I wasn’t paying her any attention, the truth was that I was.
There really was no reason to say no despite the fact that I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about facing her. She was too beautiful, too much of a distraction.
“Pick someone else,” I told her. “Preferably male. Anyone from the list will do.”
Gloria went silent for a little while, and when I looked up again curiously, I could see her eyes narrowed.
“Do you really have a problem with working with women? The second secretary you fired was a man and if you pick a guy now after firing him and the other three women and admit you have problems with him, you know what kind of rumors will spread.”
I understood completely what she meant, but truly it was immensely difficult to endure, especially the fact that I had to be in court in the next two hours, and I had to prepare for it.
Sighing and needing the peace so I could get ready for my day, I finally conceded.
“Sure, do whatever you need to.”
“Yes!” she exclaimed excitedly, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Please be tolerant of this one. No matter what, let’s give it three months?”
“I”m not going to suffer through incompetence just to quash any rumors that I might be sexist.”
She gave me a nervous look, but in the end, she smiled.
“She’ll be fine. It’ll work out well. Everything will be fine. I”ve already arranged an interview with HR, and she said she can be on her way right now.”
“She quit her other job yet?” I asked; however, she didn’t have a response.
“I didn’t ask. Maybe not? Maybe she just took a sick day or something to ensure that this one worked out first.”
I nodded, and she soon exited the office. About half an hour later and just before I left for court, there was a knock on my door.
It was small and faint, but as usual, I didn’t respond. I expected it to be Gloria, but since no one barged in like she would, and the knock simply just came again, I looked up, knowing it was a guest. And of course, there was no one to inform me of this since she obviously hadn’t filled the empty secretary position in my front office.
Sighing, I put the document aside and responded.
“Come in,” I said and moved my attention to my computer. The door was opened and then shut quietly, and then the soft clicking of heels came closer and closer to me. At first, I was too preoccupied to pay it any mind, but eventually, I looked up as the noise registered, and I couldn’t help but frown. It was then I recalled what was happening, and who I had settled with Gloria earlier on today would be coming to take the role as my secretary.
She had a smile on her face and her hair pulled backward, and she seemed even more gorgeous now that I was seeing her once again in the light of day. This definitely was an association that was not going to work because how the fuck was I supposed to keep my eyes and hands off her.
It especially annoyed me because I didn’t think I had ever been so blatantly attracted to someone from the get-go in my life. Perhaps the circumstances surrounding how I had met her yesterday contributed to my attraction and interest, but whatever it was, I knew that I needed to find my way out of this. But now that she was already here, and given the warning Gloria had given earlier, I knew that I couldn’t blatantly send her away. I had to find another way or at least make her want to leave on her own, and then it wouldn’t be my fault. Decided, I looked away from the screen and gave her my full attention.