Chapter 2
At exactly 8:13 the following day, Jane stepped into the elevator. She pushed the button for the thirty-seventh floor and smoothed her suit jacket. She could see her reflection in the shiny walls of the elevator, and she cringed a little. The suit really was much too big on her, and she supposed she should have chosen something that fit her. But to find a Dawson suit in a thrift store was a bloody miracle, and Maria had said that wearing something from their clothing line would make a good impression on Mr. Dawson.
She squared her shoulders and leaned forward to check her make-up. She was wearing a minimal amount - only a bit of mascara and a touch of berry coloured lip gloss. After the layers of make-up she wore at the club all night, she liked to give her skin a break. She was starting to second guess her decision, though. Most women in the office wore tailored suits, and their make-up was flawless. That’s probably what Mr. Dawson was expecting.
It was too late now. The elevator doors opened, and she quickly checked for stray strands of hair that might have fallen from the twist before stepping out. As the company”s president, Mr. Dawson had an office on the top floor of the building. He shared it with a few other executives, including some of the designers and her current boss, Mark.
She smiled at the blonde woman sitting behind the desk in the reception area. “Hello, my name is Jane Smith. I have an appointment at eight-thirty with Mr. Dawson.”
“Have a seat, please. He’ll be with you shortly,” the woman said without looking up from her computer screen.
“Could you tell me where the ladies’ room is?” Jane asked.
The woman pointed down the hall, and Jane quickly walked to the bathroom. She slipped into the accessible stall, hung the jacket on the hook on the door and used the toilet. She adjusted the two clothespins she was using to keep the skirt”s waistband closed around her waist and leaned against the wall for a moment. She took a few deep breaths before murmuring, “You can do this, Jane.”
She stepped away from the wall, her eyes widening when she felt the resistance and heard the ripping noise. She peered over her shoulder and cried out with dismay. A second hook was positioned lower on the wall she was leaning on. It had caught in the rip in her skirt and tore it even more.
“Shit!” She muttered and unsnagged the fabric from the metal hook before hurrying out of the stall. She turned and peered at her ass in the mirror before groaning.
“No, no, no,” she whispered. The rip was so large that she could see the edge of her underwear and the length of her nylon-clad thigh. There was no way the suit jacket would cover it.
“Think, Jane!” She said fiercely as she held the ripped edges together. Maybe she could ask the receptionist for some tape. She could tape it together.
Tape isn’t going to stick to the fabric, you idiot!
“Oh God,” she moaned. She checked her watch. It was 8:17. She had precisely thirteen minutes to fix her wardrobe malfunction.
“Stapler! I can staple it together!” she said. “Just staple it and - ”
“Honey, stapling isn’t going to help.”
Jane whirled around. A tall, chubby woman with long blonde hair and light blue eyes stood in the bathroom doorway. She smiled at Jane before crouching in front of her. She examined the rip as Jane gave her a look of panic.
“I – I have an interview with Mr. Dawson in,” she glanced at her watch, “eleven minutes, and I ripped my skirt. Could you do me a huge favour and ask the receptionist if I can borrow her stapler?”
“I told you, stapling isn’t going to work.” The woman wore an off-the-shoulder blouse with a long skirt and a tape measure around her neck. She rummaged in her skirt pocket and produced a small plastic box of pins. “Luckily for you, I have some dress pins with me.”
“Oh, thank God,” Jane breathed. “Are you – do you work in the design department?”
“Something like that,” the woman replied with a grin. “Hold still, honey.”
She knelt and stuck her hands up Jane’s skirt. The bead bracelets around her wrists jingled as she pinned the skirt closed with practiced ease. She stood and studied her handiwork. “There, that should work. As long as you don’t do jumping jacks in the interview.”
Jane turned and stared at the rip. It was still apparent that there was a tear in the fabric, but neither her underwear nor her thigh was showing, and the jacket would cover the worst of it.
“Thank you so much, I appreciate this.” Jane grabbed the suit jacket from the stall. The woman eyed the clothespins around the waistband of her skirt as Jane pulled on the jacket and buttoned it. It hung from her petite frame, and she tried to adjust it as the woman watched.
“Don’t take this wrong, honey, but your outfit is too big.”
“I know,” Jane said.
“So why are you wearing it?”
“It’s my only suit.”
“Did you order it online from the website? Because we have a super easy return policy.”
“No, I bought it at a store.”
“The sales lady really should have made you try on a smaller size,” the woman said with a low laugh.
Jane blushed as dull embarrassment went through her. The woman frowned and touched her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t making fun of you. You look lovely, really.”
“I don’t,” Jane said. “I know I don’t, but I was told that wearing one of the Dawson suits would give me a better shot at getting the job. I need this job. You have no idea how much I need it.”
She stared at the floor in embarrassment. “Only Dawson suits are so expensive, and I really couldn’t afford one, but then I found this at a thrift store. I figured wearing a Dawson suit that was a little too big was better than not wearing one at all.”
She gave the woman standing in front of her a bleak look. “I look stupid.”
“You don’t,” the woman said. “A little pale, maybe, but not stupid.”
She grasped Jane’s shoulders and straightened her. “Now, chin up and shoulders back. Look confident, act confident, and you’ll do fine in the interview. Don’t let him intimidate you. His bark is worse than his bite, okay?”
“Okay,” Jane said. “Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome. Good luck, honey.”
Jane smiled at her and walked carefully back to reception. A woman stood next to the desk chatting with the receptionist, and she looked Jane up and down. A flicker of amusement crossed her face, and Jane blushed again. The woman also wore a Dawson suit, but it was from the latest line and fit her perfectly. The dark green complimented her tanned skin and blonde hair, and she was tall with lush curves. Jane crossed her arms over her small breasts and tried to stand slightly taller as the woman smiled at the receptionist.
“Will you please tell Mr. Dawson that meeting with him today was a pleasure, and I look forward to working with him?” She gave Jane another quick look before heading to the elevators.
“Follow me, please, Miss Smith.”
Jane followed the receptionist through the maze of hallways. At the end of one were two large double doors with an alcove in the wall just outside them. A medium-sized desk and two filing cabinets were tucked into the alcove. The receptionist knocked before opening one door. Jane took a deep breath and walked into the office. She jumped a little when the door closed behind her and cleared her throat. Her palms were sweating, and her knees were knocking together from fear.
Mr. Dawson stood up from behind his desk, and she walked toward him and held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Dawson. I’m Jane Smith.”
“Good morning, Ms. Smith,” he said politely.
A shiver went down her spine when his large hand swallowed hers. She stared wide-eyed at him for a moment. She knew he was handsome from seeing him at the staff meetings, but this was the closest she’d ever been to him, and a weird weakness was stealing through her limbs. His dark hair was cut short, and he had clear blue eyes and tanned skin. Despite the earliness of the day, dark stubble covered his square jaw, and his broad shoulders perfectly filled out his suit jacket.
She realized she still held his hand and dropped it, wincing when he discreetly wiped his hand against his suit jacket. They stood in awkward silence for a moment, and she tried to remember to stand straight when his gaze swept down her body.
“Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Dawson.”
“Please, have a seat,” he said.
She sank into the leather chair in front of his desk and made a loud squeal, and jerked wildly when one of the dress pins holding her skirt together punctured her right ass cheek.
* * *
Luke frownedwhen the woman sat in the chair and squealed loudly. Her thin body jerked in her too-big suit, and her pale face turned even whiter. She stared at him with wide eyes, her lower lip trembling and her hands squeezing the arms of the chair.
“Ms. Smith? Are you okay?”
“Fine. I – I’m fine,” she gasped out. Sweat was beading up on her brow, and she chewed at her bottom lip as he studied her.
“Are you?”
“Yes.” She shifted in the chair, and a flicker of pain crossed her delicate features before she straightened her shoulders and sat perfectly still.
“Right,” he said. There was a file folder on his desk, and he opened it and produced her resume. He studied it for a moment before looking up at her. “You work in the finance department currently.”
“Yes, that’s right,” she said. “Kyla is my supervisor.”
“Why do you want to leave finance?” He asked.
“I feel I’m better suited to admin work,” she said.
“You don’t have admin experience on your resume,” he said. “Just waitressing. Did you graduate from college?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Graduate high school?” He asked, even though he could see it on her resume.
She flushed deeply before nodding. “Yes, of course. I planned on taking the administrative assistant program at one of the community colleges, but circumstances happened, and I needed to find a job rather quickly. I waitressed for a few years until I applied for the data entry job here at Dawson’s Clothing.”
“Why did you want to work for Dawson’s Clothing?” he asked.
“Well, I’d been looking for an office job, and I have an interest in fashion.”
“An interest in fashion,” he repeated. His eyes dropped to her suit jacket. It drooped on her thin frame, and the sleeves were so long they nearly covered her hands. He could see a flush rising from her chest, and she cleared her throat again.
“Yes, I follow a lot of fashion blogs, and I – I try to keep up-to-date with the current fashions.”
“Indeed,” he said. The woman wore a Dawson suit, but it was from a line they had discontinued, and the drab grey colour did nothing for her. Sweat started dripping down her temple, and she wiped it away as he continued to study her. She was much too thin, with dark shadows under her eyes. The way her collarbone jutted out, and the sharpness of her cheekbones indicated a possible eating disorder. Her hair was mousey-brown, but her eyes were a rich, dark brown, and she had incredibly long lashes. Her skin was pale but flawless, and she had nice, full lips. She was rather pretty, he mused inwardly, if you looked past the exhaustion etched across her face.
“I work long hours and can be demanding of your time. Are you prepared for that, Ms. Smith?”
She nodded. “Yes, absolutely.”
“You’ll also be expected to do some personal errands for me. Will that be an issue?”
“No.”
“Are you certain?”
“Yes. I’m ready to do whatever it is you need.” She shifted in her chair, and another flash of pain flared in her eyes. “My time is flexible.”
She cast her eyes to the left as she spoke, and he sighed irritably. The woman was lying to him. Why, he didn’t know, but did it matter? She was not suited for the job. She was a scared little rabbit, and he needed an assistant who wouldn’t cower in fear when he spoke to them. It wasn’t in his nature to be nurturing or patient. He’d spend his valuable time handing the little bunny rabbit in front of him tissues for her inevitable bouts of sobbing instead of getting his work done. It was better to leave her in Mark’s department. He had an easy-going nature and all the patience in the world. He glanced at his watch and decided to end the torture for both of them.
“Well, thank you for meeting with me, Ms. Smith. It was a pleasure.”
Her lower lip began to tremble again, and he watched with mute horror as tears welled up in her eyes. “I – the interview is finished?”
“Yes,” he said briskly as he inwardly prayed she wouldn’t burst into tears. “Thank you for your time. Maria will be speaking with you in a few days.”
He stood, but she continued to sit, clutching at the arms of the chair as she stared up at him with a look of desperation that made his stomach clench oddly.
“Mr. Dawson,” she said anxiously, “I know I – I don’t have much experience but - ”
“You have no experience.”
“Yes, right, but I promise you that I’m a quick learner and a hard worker. If you hire me, I won’t let you down. I’ll do whatever you ask of me, and I – I won’t complain about the long hours or hard work. Please, Mr. Dawson, I’m asking you to give me a chance. I’ll make a great assistant. I really will.”
Her begging made him increasingly uncomfortable, and he cleared his throat loudly. “Ms. Smith, I have a hectic day, so…”
She slumped in her chair and then stood, wincing a little. She blinked rapidly, holding back the tears with apparent effort.
“Of course,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. It was a pleasure to meet you today, Mr. Dawson.”
She held out her hand and kept her gaze on his chest as he shook her hand.
“You as well, Ms. Smith.”
She nodded, and he watched as, limping slightly, she left his office.
* * *
With her asscheek on fire, her stomach rolling with nausea, and hot tears sliding down her cheeks, Jane hurried down the hallway. She had pooched the interview in the worst way, and she desperately wanted to get to the washroom, pull the pin out of her ass and sob for the next twenty minutes. Kyla wasn’t expecting her back from the interview until nine, so she had plenty of time to fall apart before returning to work. She had no idea how she would pay for the increase in Mama J’s care, and she tried to ignore the panic fluttering in her chest. She would think of something. She’d get a third job if she had to.
How, Janie? You barely get four hours of sleep a night as it is. How are you going to work a third job? Face it, girl, this job was your only chance, and you fucking blew it. Mama J is going to end up in some horrible nursing home, and it’s all your fault. After everything she did for you, you’re going to let her die in some place where they won’t even care about her, where they won’t -
“Hey, how did it go?”
She stumbled to a stop, squinting through the tears at the woman from the bathroom. The woman’s eyes widened, and she touched Jane’s shoulder.
“Oh, honey. What happened?”
“I – I didn’t do very well.” Jane wiped at the tears on her face. “He ended the interview after less than five minutes. When I sat down, one of the pins poked me in the butt, and it hurt like hell and was distracting, and I - I…”
She covered her face with her hands. She wouldn’t cry in front of this woman, no matter how kind she was.
“I’m sorry, honey,” the woman said.
“Me too,” Jane sniffed. “I should go. I need to pull a pin out of my butt, find a Band-aid, and get back downstairs. Thanks again for your help.”
“Wait, just a minute. Let me - ”
“I’m sorry. I have to go.” Jane ducked around her and limped down the hallway, praying she’d make it to the bathroom before she really started crying.
* * *
Luke lookedup in surprise when Amy walked into his office without knocking. She sat down in the chair and stared at him.
“Ames? What’s wrong?”
“How did the interviews go?” She asked.
“Terrible,” he said. “The first one was Lisa from marketing. She has plenty of experience and would do the job well, but she also made it clear she hoped we’d be more than boss and employee.”
“Ooh,” Amy said. “How deliciously naughty of her.”
“Sleeping with the employees is not a good idea,” Luke said.
“Probably not.” Amy waited a moment before saying, “What about the second one?”
“Even worse. A Jane Smith – what kind of name is Jane Smith, by the way – from the accounting department. She nearly started crying during the interview.”
“Were you mean to her?” Amy asked.
“What? Of course not,” Luke said. “I barely said anything to her. She just sat in her too-big, discontinued suit and tried to tell me she was interested in fashion and would be a great assistant despite her zero experience.”
Amy scowled at him. “Maybe you should give her a chance.”
“Why? Let her stay with Mark. He’s all about giving people chances, and I’m all about getting the job done, remember? This woman was so flustered and sweaty I’m surprised she even remembered her own name.”
“You make people nervous, Luke.”
“That’s not my fault,” Luke said.
“It kind of is. You could try being less brusque.”
He gave her a puzzled look. “What’s gotten into you, Amy? Why do you care who I hire as my assistant?”
“I met Jane in the bathroom before the interview. She had a rip in her skirt and was panicking. I pinned her skirt for her.”
“Okay,” he said. “So what?”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “She told me she knew her outfit was too big but that someone had told her if she wore a Dawson suit, it would give her a better chance at the interview.”
“She should have bought one that fit then.” Luke scrolled through his emails.
“I don’t think she has a lot of money,” Amy said. “She said she bought this one at a thrift store.”
“I don’t want an assistant who buys her clothing at thrift stores,” Luke said. “I meet with potential investors all the time. I need an assistant who looks like she can afford to wear our clothing.”
“You could give her a clothing allowance.”
“Since when do we start giving out clothing allowances to employees?” Luke said.
“I liked her, Luke.”
“That’s nice.” He opened an email.
“I think you should hire her.”
“Mm, hmm,” he said.
“Luke!”
“What?” He gave Amy an exasperated look. “Ames, I’m swamped. I have a meeting at nine, and I - ”
“I want you to hire Jane.”
“What the hell for?”
“Because she’s sweet, and I think she needs help.”
“I already give to charity.”
“Luke, I mean it. Give her a chance, will you?”
He shook his head. “She’s not going to work out, and then I’ll have to fire her, and she’ll be out of a job completely. Is that what you want?”
“Mark will take her back.”
“No, he won’t.”
“He will if you ask him to.”
He sighed loudly and sat back in his chair. “I don’t want to hire her, Amy. It’s not going to work.”
“I think it will,” she said stubbornly. “Luke, please. Just give her a chance, okay? For me?”
She gave him a pleading look, and he could feel his resolve weakening. He never could say no to his baby sister.
“Every time she cries, I’m sending her to your office,” he said.
She grinned triumphantly. “That’s fine.”
“I mean it, Amy. And when she fails - ”
“If she fails.”
“When she fails, you have to ask Mark to let her have her job back.”
“No way.”
“Yes, way.”
“I hate Mark, and he hates me. He won’t do it if I ask him.”
“He doesn’t hate you, and yes he will. You two used to be friends, and now you won’t even talk to him anymore.”
She glared at him. “It’s better this way.”
“Is it? It’s been over a month since you started fighting with him. Are you ever going to tell me what the fight was about?”
“We didn’t fight, and it’s none of your business anyway. Are you going to hire Jane or not?”
“Yes, I’ll hire her if you promise to talk to Mark when I fire her.”
Amy hesitated before nodding. “Fine. But only because I know she’ll do a great job, and you won’t be firing her.”
“Whatever, Ames.”
He waited for her to leave and gave her an impatient look when she didn”t. “What?”
“Are you going to call Maria and tell her?”
“You want me to call her right now?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because then she can tell Jane right away. She was upset when she left your office, and I want her to hear the good news today.”
He sighed loudly. “You’re not going to leave my office until I call Maria, are you?”
“Nope.”
He picked up the phone and punched in Maria’s extension as Amy gave him a delighted grin.
* * *
“Hello, Mama J.”
“Janie! How are you, dear?” Mama J gave her a warm look, and Jane breathed a sigh of relief before kissing her cheek.
“I’m great. How was your day?”
“Oh, fine. I watched a movie in the common room with some other residents and worked a little on my scarf.” She stared at the knitting in her lap before stroking the soft yarn.
“You didn’t eat,” Jane said.
Mama J stared at the plate of food. “I was waiting for you. I thought we could eat together.”
“I’d like that.” Jane moved the food tray closer to Mama J and pulled out her peanut butter sandwich from her purse.
“That’s not a very big dinner, dear,” Mama J said as she ate her meatloaf. “Why don’t we share mine?”
“No. This is more than enough.” Jane forced herself to eat her sandwich slowly. When she was finished, she filled her water bottle from the sink in the bathroom and drank all of it, hoping it would help ease the hunger pains in her stomach.
“What did you do today?” Mama J asked.
“I have the most wonderful news,” Jane said. “I got a promotion at work. I’m the new assistant to the president of the company. I start Thursday.”
“Congratulations, honey,” Mama J said. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you. I didn’t make a very good impression in the interview, so when Maria told me I got the job, I almost didn’t believe it.”
“I’m sure you made a terrific impression. You’re such a sweet girl, Janie, and you deserve all the good things that come to you. I love you.”
“I love you too, Mama J,” Jane said. “This new job is just what I need to turn my luck around. I have a feeling that it will only get better from now on.”
Mama J smiled at her, and Jane leaned forward and hugged her. “Everything’s going to work out, Mama J. I know it.”