Kim #4
People stopped by throughout the day. Other executives, assistants, and people who seemed to have no purpose other than getting a look at the new VP. I fielded their questions politely.
"No, Mr. Dubois isn't available right now."
"Yes, I'll pass along the message."
"No, I don't have his schedule yet. I just started today."
Around noon, I decided to check if Xavier needed anything. Lunch, maybe. Coffee. Something to justify my presence outside his door.
I knocked. No answer.
I pushed the door open slightly and found him at his desk, surrounded by papers.
His jacket was off, draped over the back of his chair.
His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing forearms that were more defined than I'd expected.
He was frowning at a document like it had personally offended him, a pen in his hand, making notes in the margins.
He looked up when I entered. The frown disappeared. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and his eyebrow arched in a suggestive manner.
"Well, hello there." His voice was different than it had been at the bar. Lighter. More playful. "May I help you?"
"I wanted to check if you needed lunch or coffee."
His smile widened. His eyes did a quick sweep of my face, my body, lingering just long enough to be noticed. "Only if you're on the menu."
I stiffened. "Mr. Dubois. I'm your secretary."
The smile faltered. He sat up straighter, blinked, and for a moment looked genuinely confused.
Then embarrassed. "You're…" He cleared his throat.
"Right. Yes. Of course, you are." He ran a hand through his hair, making it even messier.
"I didn't... I wasn't paying attention when I came in. I apologize."
So he hadn't seen me at my desk. Hadn't registered my presence at all. I wasn't sure if that was better or worse than not being recognized.
"Coffee would be great," he said, his voice more subdued now. "Something sweet, if they have it. I have a bit of a sweet tooth." A pause. "And maybe a sandwich from the place on the corner? If you don't mind."
"It's my job."
"Right. Yes." He was still looking at me with that strange expression, like he was trying to place me and couldn't. "Thank you."
I left to get his order.
The coffee place on the corner was called Bean There, which was the kind of name that made me want to roll my eyes.
But the coffee was good, and the line was short, so I ordered Xavier's drink, a caramel latte, the sweetest thing on the menu, and a turkey sandwich and carried them back up to the twenty-seventh floor.
He took them with a smile and a wink that would have been charming if I was interested in being charmed. "You're a lifesaver. What's your name?"
"Kim. Kim Young."
"Kim." He repeated it like he was testing how it felt. "Thank you, Kim."
"You're welcome, Mr. Dubois."
"Xavier." He made a face. "Mr. Dubois is my brother.” He winked at me. “And I’m way more handsome.”
I didn't respond to that. It wasn't my place to compare looks, or even notice them at all. I just nodded and left him to his caramel latte.
Around three o'clock, while I was still struggling to understand the filing system, a young woman with golden hair and reading glasses perched on her nose appeared at my desk.
She was dressed impeccably, not a wrinkle in sight. She looked to be about my age or maybe slightly older.
"You must be the new one," she said. "I'm Margaret. I work for Mr. Sebastian Dubois."
"Kim Young." I stood to shake her hand. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise. First day?"
"That obvious?"
She smiled. "You still look hopeful. Give it a week." She settled into the chair beside my desk like she planned to stay awhile. "Word of advice. The executive floor has its own ecosystem. Stay out of the gossip, don't take sides, and never, ever comment on family business."
"Family business?"
"The Dubois family." She lowered her voice slightly. "They're... complicated. And everyone has opinions. Best to keep yours to yourself."
I nodded. That tracked with what I'd already observed.
"Also," Margaret continued, "the coffee machine on this floor is terrible. There's a better one on twenty-five, near the legal department. And if you need anything, my desk is around the corner."
"Thank you." I meant it. This was the first genuinely helpful thing anyone had said to me all day.
Margaret stood, smoothing her skirt, and offered me a sweet smile before leaving. I wanted to follow after her, but Xavier was still in his office. I stayed at my desk even as five o'clock came and went.
The floor emptied out gradually. First the assistants, then the junior executives, then everyone else. I watched as they trooped out, wishing Xavier would come out of his office so I could finally go home. By six, the silence I’d appreciated earlier became oppressive.
And my boss was still in his office. Was this intentional? Was this his way of frustrating me? So, he was just as mean and scary as the rumors had said. I was starting to understand why all of those assistants had quit.
I had no choice but to call Dani. I explained that I was running late. She sighed but said it was fine. Zoe could have dinner with them. I promised to make it up to her, the way I always promised, the debt between us growing with every favor I couldn't repay.
At 7:23 p.m., Xavier finally emerged.
He looked rumpled. Exhausted. His shirt was untucked on one side, his sleeves still rolled, and there were shadows under his eyes that hadn't been there this morning. When he saw me still at my desk, he stopped short.
"You're still here."
"I was waiting for you." I started gathering my things. "I didn't want to leave in case you needed anything else."
He stared at me. Blinked. "How long have you been sitting there?"
I shrugged. "Since I got you lunch."
"Jesus." He ran a hand through his hair again, adding to the chaos. "You should have gone home. I didn't realize anyone was waiting."
I shrugged, pulling on my coat. "First day. I wanted to make a good impression."
He laughed. "You're already doing better than my last three assistants, and all you did was stay past five."
Really? That was all it took?
Xavier grabbed his jacket, shrugging it on. "Where do you live?"
"Brooklyn."
"Yeah?" He was heading for the elevator, and I fell into step beside him because that seemed to be what was expected. "Where in Brooklyn?"
I gave him the cross streets. Close enough to be useful, vague enough to protect my privacy.
"I'm heading in that direction," he said as the elevator doors opened. "I'll give you a ride."
No.
The word was right there, ready on my tongue. I didn't take favors from men. Favors came with strings, and I'd spent my whole life cutting myself free from other people's strings.
There was also the fact that I’d have to take the subway tomorrow, since I’d be leaving my car here. But it was late. I was exhausted. And Zoe was waiting.
"Okay. Thank you."
The car was waiting in the underground garage. It wasn’t the sleek European thing from last night, but one I could identify. Cole used to drive one just like this. He talked about it a lot, his precious Rolls Royce. Except this looked newer and more expensive.
I was surprised to see him get behind the wheel. No chauffeur. No driver. We didn't talk much. I gave him directions. He nodded, checked the GPS, adjusted the route, and merged into traffic.
At one point, he glanced over at me. "So, your first day. What's the verdict?"
I considered the question. I could be polite. Say something safe and forgettable. But there was something in particular that had irked me all day. This was my chance to get it out in the open.
"The filing system is a nightmare," I said instead. "And the phone manual might as well be written in hieroglyphics."
He laughed. I was beginning to get used to his laugh. "Fair enough."
I looked out the window. I couldn’t understand why people thought he was scary. Apart from the inappropriate flirting, he didn't seem like that kind of person. And if you counted what had happened at the bar, then he might just be a pretty decent human being.
His car rolled to a stop in front of my building. It wasn't a nice building, I knew that. I could see him noticing the cracked front steps, the flickering light in the hallway visible through the glass door. But he didn't comment on it.
"Thank you," I said, gathering my bag. "For the ride."
He nodded. “Goodnight, Kim Young.”
I climbed out of the car. Headed up the steps. Didn't look back.
Inside, I picked up Zoe from Dani's apartment. She was sleepy but not cranky—Dani had fed her mac and cheese, her favorite—and she wrapped her arms around my neck the moment she saw me.
"Mommy," she murmured into my shoulder. "I missed you."
"I missed you too, baby." I held her close, breathing in the strawberry shampoo, the particular warmth of her small body. "So much."
I thanked Dani again, feeling the weight of another favor I couldn't repay, and carried Zoe back to our apartment.
The evening routine was simple. Bath time, where Zoe made the rubber duck have an elaborate conversation with the soap bottle. Pajamas, the ones with the stars that she insisted were magic. Stories in bed, her favorite about a princess who saves herself from the tower without waiting for a prince.
After she fell asleep, I sat on the edge of her bed and watched her breathe.
My daughter. My whole world. Everything I did was for her. Every exhausting shift, every thankless task, every moment I pushed through when my body screamed for rest. All of it was for this. For her.
I thought about my new boss. He wasn't what I expected. I’d expected a monster, someone who’d make me want to quit after five minutes. I hadn’t expected him to be kind enough to give me a ride home.
Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.
I pulled Zoe's blanket up to her chin, dropped a kiss on her forehead, and went to bed myself.