3. Chapter Three
Chapter Three
Lane
I am a morning person. The only way to have a good day is to start it off right, which means staying on schedule and adhering to a routine.
Exactly as I like it. I’m not a man of many words at any time of the day.
Blake turns into the half-circle drop-off area, and I head into the building and up to my floor.
My routine this morning was exactly like all the others. I’ve done this for years and it’s not something I have to think about anymore. I just do it. But this morning is different.
Because this morning, I have a new assistant starting. One I am thoroughly intrigued by. People don’t intrigue me. But Tage Briar does, and I can’t quite figure out why. Which is the problem. I don’t like not knowing things.
I’ve already slept with him, so that’s not it. I’m not one who goes back for seconds, not even in this case. This has nothing to do with sex. Yes, he’s attractive. Yes, we had a great time. But it’s something else. Something deeper. Something just a little more.
Hopefully, he shows. It’s possible he moved across the country after our encounter yesterday morning.
I’m pretty good at reading people, but when we parted ways yesterday, I thought maybe he’d hunt me down and laugh in my face. All morning, I’ve wondered if I’ll have an email waiting in my inbox, telling me I’ll need to interview others because Tage Briar threatened sexual harassment charges.
“Good morning, Mr. Monroe,” David, my bubbly receptionist, says with a bright smile.
“Have you handed in the paperwork for Tage Briar yet?” I question as I stop beside his desk.
David is phenomenal at his job, but he’s too perky to work closely with me, which is why he stays here in the front. He greets others with positivity and big smiles, something I don’t need during the day.
“Yes, sir. I did it before I left yesterday.”
“Great, but I need you to put in a request to bump the salary. Make it ninety-five.”
“Of course, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Just send him directly to my office when he gets here.”
“Sure thing.”
I don’t know what David’s salary is, and maybe I just gave him the idea of asking for a raise. I wouldn’t deny it. He is a valuable employee. Does more than required, and there hasn’t been a single complaint about him since starting here six years ago. Maybe I should give it to him anyway…
The executive suite is farthest away from the elevators.
Tage will be the first person you see when you enter the room, with my office behind him.
To the right, a coffee area is tucked in the corner, just beyond the filing cabinets, bookshelves, and other storage things Tage will need easy access to.
Opposite that is a waiting area with a sofa for guests if they happen to show up too early—which I prefer over them being late.
I step into my office, closing the door behind me and hanging my things in the closet before going to my desk.
It faces the door with my back to the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook Fulton Market, one of Chicago’s premier business districts.
It’s a great area for business, not only because of the modern designs, but because of all the upscale restaurants that make it easy to meet with clients, meaning I don’t have to go too far during the day.
I travel frequently, but that’s scheduled in advance.
We’re currently trying to win the bid for a large resort that’s opening in Miami.
It’ll be the biggest project we’ve ever taken on, and the furthest away, since we stay in the mid-west, but it’s exactly what my company needs to rocket forward in the market.
Even if it’s just that one long-distance job, it’ll help.
Of course, I have my name in the running for smaller projects as well.
At this time, I’m constantly taking on new projects.
I turn on my computer, enter my password, and wait for everything to load before checking emails. There are plenty first thing in the morning, but none are from Tage or Harriet.
David took over Nancy’s tasks after she was let go and will do so until Tage gets acclimated to the position.
It requires extensive training, and had David applied, maybe I would have looked past his bright personality and given it to him.
He is good at what he does, and there’s no doubt he’d do everything I need. It just doesn’t feel like a good match.
As I go through emails, my eyes flick to the clock. We’re getting closer to eight and Tage hasn’t shown up. Does he not know the saying “to be early is to be on time; to be on time is to be late”? If not, he will certainly learn it today.
Eight comes.
Eight goes.
Once the clock hits 8:10, I dial David.
There’s no answer.
I grit my teeth and head to the front, stopping when I hear voices coming from one of the stockrooms. A glance inside shows me who they belong to.
“I thought I asked you to bring Tage directly to my office,” I say as kindly as I can.
David looks up, his cheeks flushing slightly.
“Yes, Mr. Monroe, we were going to be there in five minutes. I just stopped to get him a cell phone and laptop because IT told me the only time they have today to set him up is 8:30.”
“David, I am the CEO of this company. If I want my assistant to be set up on a laptop and cell phone at three in the morning on Christmas while the world is burning, it will happen.”
“Right,” he says with a firm nod. “Of course. I’m sorry.”
“You can go back to your desk. I’ll take Mr. Briar to the office.”
“Oh, but I thought I was training him?” he questions softly.
“Yes, you will be, but I have some free time, and I think it’s the perfect opportunity for us to get to know one another a little better, so I’ll get him started.”
“Perfect,” David says brightly. “I’ll get the New Hire Packet together. Is there a certain time I should take over?”
“Whenever my first meeting is.”
“Okay, Mr. Monroe. I’ll be there.” He moves to walk by me to get out the door, but I sidestep him to stop him.
“When is my first meeting, David?”
He looks up at me with a sheepish smile. “Oh, right. Sorry. Ten, sir.”
“See you at ten.” I step aside and bring my attention to Tage.
He’s dressed similarly to how he was yesterday—dark slim slacks, a pressed button-up, but there’s no tie today. But the look on his face is almost disgusted.
“Little aggressive, don’t you think?” he asks.
“I don’t know,” I say. “I thought I was being nice.”
“I’d hate to see you angry.”
I chuckle. “Yes, I think you would. Let’s go.”
He follows me down the hall and to the office.
“This is the executive offices,” I say as we enter the large room.
“This is your desk. You’ll be the first point of contact when people come in.
I have a very short list of people who are allowed to go directly into my office, a list of people who will be let in directly after you call, and everyone else is told to sit and wait until I open my door to get them. ”
“Do you have this list handy?”
“Not yet. But you’ll get it at some point today.”
He sets down the phone, laptop, and chargers on the desk that once belonged to Nancy. Her nameplate is still there. I pick it up and drop it into the trash. It lands with a loud thud.
“You’ll get a nameplate, and when IT comes, they will set up the desktop for you. David will go over your day-to-day duties later.”
We walk over to the small coffee area. Tage’s gaze moves around the same way it did in my home the other night, only there isn’t as much disappointment on his face. I don’t know what that means.
“When you come in, the first thing you’ll need to do is start the coffee,” I say, as I get the machine going. “I need a cup no later than 8:15, and I never, under any circumstances, schedule a meeting before nine. I don’t care if they threaten to leave.”
“How do you take your coffee?” he asks.
“Black.”
“Easy enough.”
“You’d think.”
He watches me as I prepare the machine, his gaze intent. He pays attention, but can he replicate it? Time will tell.
“This will be the only time you see me do this, so please ensure you’re paying attention.”
“I know how to make coffee,” he mutters.
“Yes, but this is my coffee.”
As it begins to brew the cup, I face the filing cabinets.
“We keep all of the client files here. I like them under constant supervision. There are backups in our cloud system, of course, and part of your job will be adding updates or new clients to that. I don’t trust software systems enough, so everything that is in there will be in here, and vice versa.
These cabinets stay locked. The key should be in your desk, and the only other person who has one is me.
You’re familiar with the stockrooms, though the one with supplies is across the hall from where you were, and anything you or I need will be there.
If at any point throughout the day I am out of my office, I expect you to ensure my supplies are stocked. ”
“Okay,” he says with a small nod.
The coffee finishes, so I take it, and we go to my office.
“You, of course, can make yourself as much coffee as you need, and there are snacks up here as well. It’ll be your responsibility to place the order for that.
David will tell you when the shipments arrive, so you can plan which day the order needs to be put in.
If there’s anything you like, specific coffee flavors or snacks, feel free to order it.
As long as I have what’s there now, I don’t care what you add.
” I sit behind my desk and gesture for him to sit across from me.
“Every morning at 8:30, I expect a rundown of my day. That will be done face-to-face, but if you need me throughout the day, call. If it needs to be discreet, knock.”
He nods in understanding.
“How much of a job description did you get?” I ask.
“Not much,” he says. “I was just told it was an assistant position and my resume fit what was needed.”
“There is traveling required; hopefully that won’t be a problem? It’s all paid, of course.”
“No problem.”
So, no family then? No spouse? No pets? He really traveled here from Boston all alone?
“You will accompany me to most meetings, though at this point, most are virtual, so you’ll sit in here with me while I attend them.
We have someone who takes notes at our inter-office meetings, Sadie.
She’s fantastic. She will send everything along to you, which you will look over and then file away. ”
“Is her job only to take notes?” he asks.
“Mostly. Why?” I raise a brow. “Are you looking to change positions already?”
“Just wondering how spoiled you are.”
“Spoiled?” I nearly bark.
“Well, it seems you have someone for everything around here. I mean, you’re paying me ninety thousand dollars to pour coffee and take notes. And I—”
“Ninety-five.”
His eyes widen. “Excuse me?”
“I increased your salary to ninety-five thousand this morning.”
His nostrils flare, as he takes in a deep breath, his jaw clenched. How different he is from the other night in my bed, to now. Like two completely different people. I guess I can’t fault him for that.
“Why?” he grits out.
I grin. “Because I can.”
“Throwing around your money doesn’t impress me.”
“Who said I’m trying to impress you?” I scoff.
“Why else are you doing it? It doesn’t make sense. If you want to sleep with me again, you—”
“This is not about that,” I say sharply. “I made that clear yesterday.”
“Then. Why?” he demands.
“And let’s make another thing clear, Mr. Briar,” I say, ignoring his question. “If I wanted to sleep with you again, I’m sure you’d oblige.”
His cheeks redden with fury. A slow smile creeps across my face; something inside me satisfied.
“Let me know when your phone and laptop are set up.”
I walk to the door and open it. He gets up but doesn’t move, thinking something over for a long moment before turning on his heel and walking out of the room.