Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
EVIE
My first day goes well—I think—but I’m determined to make my second day even better. Everett lets me drive his car to the office, and I stop by a little coffee truck on the way in.
There’s no better way to make sure I’m alert and productive.
Two lavender lattes. These are the perfect drinks for spring… unless they’re not. What if Theo doesn’t like lavender? He seems like the kind of man to drink black coffee. He probably drinks hot coffee all year, not iced coffee. Never iced.
Too late. The iced drinks are already back in my hands. If I order something else, I’ll be tardy. That’s even worse than bringing lousy coffee.
No. This is good coffee. Great coffee, even. If he doesn’t like it, I’ll drink them both.
I’m still questioning it when I enter the lobby. This time, I’m alone, and I go out of my way to greet the receptionist.
“Good morning!” I flash a bright smile his way.
“Hey there!” He leans in, and I can tell he wants to continue the conversation. “You’re Theo’s new assistant, right? Evie?”
“That’s right.” I lean on the desk, taking a moment to catch my breath—and to avoid giving Theo his icy, sweet latte.
He lets out a sigh of relief and pretends to wipe sweat from his brow. “Thank God you’re here. I tried helping him with some of your tasks last week, and let me tell you… I don’t envy your job. Not one bit.”
“Oh!” I try not to let my shock show, but the nervous laughter escaping my lips may give me away. “Well, I’m happy to help in any way I can.”
That feels like the right thing to say.
“And I’m sure you’ll do great. Definitely better than me.” He leans back and tilts his head. “Sorry. I don’t want to make you late.”
“No problem. I’m a little early, anyway.” I was twenty minutes early, but I spent the first ten sitting in my car. Now, I’m right on time, but the ice in the drinks is melting, so I scurry off to find Theo.
He’s in his office, already on a call. His voice is a low rumble, professional but raspier in the morning.
I slip inside and set the coffee on the desk, prepared to leave, until he holds up a finger.
There I stand, frozen by the silent command.
“We’ll be there,” he says. “Seventeen days in total. My assistant will set up lodging and tickets. Just make sure everything else is ready.”
Right. Another thing for me to figure out. I’ve found flight tickets and hotels for my trips, and I wasn’t lying about finding the best deals, but who am I kidding? Theo doesn’t care about good deals. He’s probably used to the finer things in life.
I don’t want to disappoint. Oh, I’m stressed. Having a company credit card only makes me more stressed. It’s too much power.
I’m still frozen when he ends the call.
“What’s this?” Theo smiles and swirls the ice around his cup.
“Um… that is a lavender oat milk latte.” I blush from head to toe and squirm in my spot. Even the sweet smell of lavender can’t calm me now. “I thought I would surprise you.”
“That’s awfully nice of you, but you don’t have to get me coffee. I don’t want you to feel like you have to do personal tasks.”
My lips pop open. He doesn’t like it. I got the wrong drink, and now he’ll never let me get coffee again. “I know. This was nothing. I wanted to… well, I wanted to thank you. That’s all.”
He tilts his head, and his eyes drag over me. “Sit down, please.”
I listen, finally defrosting enough to take the seat across from his. Considering how often I am perched right here, it’s becoming a usual seat.
“If you don’t like it,” I say, “you don’t have to drink it. I wasn’t sure what your order was, and I know it’s silly… so silly…”
He takes a slow sip. “The drink is delicious, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that I don’t want you to make a habit of getting my coffee.”
“Like I said, this is my way of thanking you. That’s all. It’s not part of my job, I know.”
His expression softens. “For what? You don’t have anything to thank me for. You earned this job, and you’re the one helping me out.”
“I’m not thanking you for hiring me. I’m thanking you for, well… for yesterday.” I shift in my seat. “The situation with Rod was awkward, and you helped put a stop to the awkwardness.”
A steely glint flashes across his gaze. “I was doing my job. Keeping a safe work environment is an important part of that.”
“I know, but… there’s no saying how that would have ended if you didn’t show up.”
“You don’t have to worry about Rod anymore. He’s been let go.” His jaw ticks. “I would never let anything bad happen to you, Evie.”
“I-I know that.” Because he’s Everett’s friend, right? Everett probably threatened him into being this nice to me.
“Nevertheless.” He smiles, and some of my tension fades away. “You’re welcome—and thank you for the drink. I do like lavender.”
“Are you sure? Some people say it tastes like soap—”
“Then I guess I like the taste of soap.”
I bite the inside of my cheek, suppressing a smile. “You know… you’re not what I expected a CEO to be like. I thought you would be different at work, but you’re still the same.”
He lifts a brow. “Is that why you’re sucking up to me?”
“Sucking up?” My mouth opens and closes, and then it opens again. “I’m doing my job, sir.”
He groans. “You’re not going to start calling me sir.”
I giggle. “Sorry. I was trying it on for size.”
And it suits him, but not in the way it’s supposed to—more in a way that makes me press my thighs together.
“I already told you this isn’t part of your job.” He opens his laptop and turns it to face me, showing me his schedule for the day. The bright light of the screen shines in my face. “But if you’re trying to get on my good side, you’re doing it.”
“I’m not!”
“If you say so.” He waves a hand, dismissing the topic. “I need the flight and hotels booked by the end of the day for these dates. Got it?”
I nod. “Understood. Do you have any requirements?”
“No. Pick anything you see fit. It doesn’t need to be too extravagant.”
“Then, should I be economical in my choices?”
“Somewhere in the middle is fine by me. We want to put you up somewhere safe, right?”
He’s making it about me, even though this is all about him. It’s his company and trip; I’m just tagging along to keep his schedule intact.
“Sure,” I say. “I got this.”
It would be easier to do the task if he gave me more to work with, but he’s open-minded, making it much more challenging. I’ll have to do my best.
“We have an all-hands-on-deck meeting in three hours,” he says. “I emailed you a list of calls and appointments to make. That should give you enough to work on until the meeting.”
“It’s more than enough.” I stand to leave. I know how busy his schedule is, after all.
This is my second day, and I need more training, but there’s no time for it. He needs someone to do the job, even though I only half know what I’m doing. I’ll figure it out. It’s like a chaotic day at the bakery. Sometimes, we have to improvise.
“Knock if you need anything,” he says. “Don’t be a stranger, even if you see me on a call.”
“I won’t!”
What kind of boss wants me to interrupt his work? Theo Roche is so strange.
Even though I’m on my own for the first part of the morning, I think I do… all right. Booking the plane tickets is easy. We’ll be flying business class, which takes away a few of my questions. Finding our lodging is harder. Where do I start?
The town we’re visiting is small, so there aren’t as many options as I would like. Theo seems like the person who would be comfortable in a five-star hotel, which isn’t even an option in Kianuu.
There are some decent four-star hotels, and they even have a lovely view. There’s a giant birdhouse hotel, which could be interesting if we were going as tourists, but we’re not. We don’t exactly need a ski resort either, do we?
“No,” I mutter, chewing on my pink pen. “None of these will do.”
My office is still sparse, but I’ve added a few personal touches. A pink pen holder, a set of my favorite pens, and a new notebook I bought for the job.
I tap my iPad screen and scroll down, navigating away from yet another ski resort.
We’ll have to rent a cabin. That option makes more sense, with us wanting to be close to the woods, and there are plenty of cabins to choose from. I click on one with a bright green wall and minimal decor—not quite the rustic cabin I was expecting, but the location is perfect.
I bite the inside of my cheek. There are two options now that I have found somewhere I like the look of. I can go ahead and book it, or I can ask for permission. Asking Theo how he feels about the place is the safe choice, but…
It shows more confidence and initiative if I do it myself. The confidence may be fake, but my initiative isn’t. I will prove myself at this job, even if it means getting out of my comfort zone.
I type the information with shaking fingers, and my eyes blur as I stare at the company credit card. It’s done. We’re booked. I forward the email to him; there’s no time to waste before I move on to the next task.
Holding the phone to my ear, I punch in one of the numbers he asked me to call and ignore my lingering nerves.
A chirpy voice greets me. “Hello!”
I jump and sit up straighter. “Good morning! I’m Theo Roche’s assistant. I’m calling to schedule a speaking engagement for Mr. Roche—”
“Hold, please.”
Static. Elevator music. This is my second day on the job, but I know I’ll have to get used to the annoying jingles they play whenever I’m on hold. I spin in my chair and wait, warily watching the clock. This may not have been the best time to start this task.
Twenty minutes until I’m expected to join the others at the meeting. All hands on deck, that’s what Theo said. Surely, they won’t have me on hold for twenty minutes…
I’m still on hold when Theo pops his head into my office. “Ready?”
I glance warily at the phone. “I’m—”
“Hang up on them.” He smiles warmly. “They’ll have to call you back, and they will. Don’t fret.”
Right—because he’s an important man, and they want him to speak at their university. I’m not used to people bending over backward for my needs, but they may do it for Theo, just as I would for him.
“If you insist.” I end the call and follow him out of the office.
The floor is so big that it’s easy to forget how many people work for him. Now that we are all in the same room, it’s clear. Some people dress more vibrantly and stand out in the crowd; others are casually dressed, but everyone is here.
I’m a number in the middle of it all. Theo? He’s the star.
He commands attention, the room going silent once he clears his throat.
“To start things off, I want to welcome a new face to our team.” His eyes lock with mine, and I melt.
“Evie is my new, wonderful assistant. I know having her around will be a change, but I expect everyone to treat her like part of the family.”
There’s a murmur of greetings.
Notably, Rod isn’t here. I don’t let myself linger on it for long. He shouldn’t have lost his job over an awkward conversation with me, but if he did, that’s his fault. Not mine.
I wave nervously and wait for the attention to move back to Theo. I’ve already met a few people in the room, but there are still many to exchange names with, and so many faces to memorize.
“Are you guys ready?” Theo asks.
It’s a rhetorical question, but a blonde man yells, “Yeah!”
Theo chuckles. “Good, because… we’re going to Finland in two weeks.
” He rubs his hands together. “It’s time for the annual forestry trip.
We’re all going to get our hands dirty. I’m talking about planting trees, chopping the old wood, you name it.
For those new to the team, you may not know why we do this. ”
I certainly don’t. Theo already does enough for his company and the environment. Getting his hands dirty, as he calls it, doesn’t feel necessary.
“My job is more than selling paper,” he says. “It’s more than being safe. It’s doing these things correctly, and part of that is reminding myself I’m not a cog in the machine. If I expect someone to do a job, I have to be willing to do it.”
There’s a small scattering of cheers, but I hardly hear it, locked in on every word Theo says.
“More importantly, I do it for me.” He shrugs. “Saving the planet has always been my dream, and one person can’t do it alone, but I feel a hell of a lot closer to making the mark when I have my hands in the soil.”
More cheers.
My expression softens, lips parting as a fire ignites in me. Seeing someone so passionate about what they do makes me more passionate about my work for Intentional Paper. Theo doesn’t know it, but he’s already teaching me a lot about being an entrepreneur.
Let my passion lead the way. That’s today’s lesson.
He waves a hand. “I won’t yap for too long, but if you want to join us on the trip, please get in touch with my assistant. We’ll be heading out in two weeks, but if you sign up by the end of the week, there’s still time to make room for you. Let’s plant some trees!”