“Get out,” I said calmly. I stared at Janet and pointed to the door. “Now.”
This time, Janet listened. She swallowed and turned on her heel, walking slowly out of my office. I could hear her sobbing again, and I rolled my eyes before closing the door. I kept one eye on her through the glass walls of my office window as I reached for the phone and dialed the head of human resources.
“Hello?”
“Laura, this is James,” I said. “I’m going to need a new administrative assistant, immediately.”
“All right,” Laura said. I could tell by the sound of her voice that she was frowning. “May I ask why?”
I sighed. “Janet’s unprofessional behavior is impeding her work,” I said. “And I don’t think she’s right for the job.”
“Okay,” Laura said. “You know, this is actually coming at a decent time – we had an ad running, and I’ve gotten some resumes this morning. I’ll comb through them and start having people in for interviews.”
“Great,” I said. I leaned forward and peered outside. Janet was sitting at her desk, sobbing. “And please, Laura, would you mind sending security over? We might have a problem with Janet refusing to leave the office.”
“Sure,” Laura said hesitantly. “And James?”
“Yes?”
“I assume there was no…” Laura trailed off and I rolled my eyes.
“No, there was no relationship outside of the office,” I said firmly. “Although I’m sure Janet would have had it otherwise.”
“What?”
“Nothing,” I said darkly. “Thanks again.”
We hung up and I leaned back in my chair, staring at my computer screen. I was angry with Janet, but I was angry with myself, too. Why hadn’t I seen the signs earlier? And what the hell was I doing to these women? It was like as soon as they saw me, they turned into idiots. Would I ever be able to find a decent, reliable secretary who didn’t want to sleep with me?
I just hoped Laura would stick to her promise and find me a perfect assistant.
After security had escorted Janet from the premises, I went out for a long walk. The weather outside was frigid and harsh, but I welcomed it. Suddenly, the idea of going back to the office was exhausting. I thought of the casserole that Anna had prepared for me, and my stomach began to rumble. I’ll deal with all of this next week, I thought as I hailed a cab. Everything will seem better then.
When I got home, I put Anna’s casserole in the oven. Soon, the apartment was filled with the delicious smell of beef and cream and cheese. It wasn’t the fancy cuisine I was used to, but a little comfort food after a long plane trip and an even longer day in the office was just what I needed. As soon as my food was ready, I made myself a big plate and curled up on the couch with a college basketball game in the background. It wasn’t long before the heavy, carbohydrate-filled food made me sleepy, and I wound up passing out right there.
I woke up to darkness. A plate of cold casserole was on my lap and the television was still going, although the game had changed to the late-night news. I groaned – for the first time, I was starting to feel jet-lagged. I barely hard enough energy to carry my plate into the kitchen and take a long shower before climbing back into my bed and falling into a deep sleep.
That weekend, I didn’t do very much. For once, I barely worked. I went out for drinks with Harry (and subsequently declined a strip-club visit afterwards,) and ran in the park, determined to work off all the heavy food I’d eaten abroad. I got an email from Laura – she’d hired a woman to work as my new assistant – and after that, some of my anger dealing with Janet began to lift. I’d make sure that this one was different, I’d make sure not to fuck up. I’d be sure to avoid all comments that could be construed as even slightly flirtatious, and I’d be sure to watch for the tell-tale signs of what Harry had jokingly called The Crush Problem.
And if it happened again, well, I wasn’t sure what I could do aside from requesting a geriatric to be put on my desk. After all the work I’d done for my company in London, the last thing I wanted was a sexual harassment lawsuit staring me down. If I was going to expand Magnate Group to make an international presence, I couldn’t have a single stain on my reputation as CEO.
When Monday rolled around, I was feeling refreshed and ready to get back to work. There was bad traffic that morning, and I walked into the offices just in time to make a nine-thirty meeting with Mark, my primary shareholder. He was waiting for me in the conference room with a cup of coffee.
“Great new girl you have,” Mark said.
“Good,” I said. “I haven’t actually met her yet, I just got here.”
Mark smirked. “I have a feeling you’re going to like her a lot,” he replied. “Now, let’s talk about that Seoul office.”
Mark opened his briefcase and handed me a folio of paperwork. “Take a look at this and let me know,” he said. “I know it seems small, but we’re hoping to expand over the next five years. There’s a plan included with the blueprints.”
I nodded and looked down. The plans for an office were modest but ambitious, and I liked the modern, clean look.
“We need to get a few big tech clients on board,” I said. “That’s the only way we’re going to be taken seriously there. So much of their economy depends on technology development.”
“Yes,” Mark said. He gave me a rare smile. “You did great work in London, James,” he said. “I’m sure your father would have been proud.”
I smiled tightly. Thinking of my father never put me at ease. “Yes, well, I’m glad to be home,” I said, glancing out the window.
Mark got to his feet and closed his briefcase. “I apologize for cutting this short, but I have a doctor’s appointment,” he said. “Why not look over the Seoul paperwork and get back to me by the end of the week – no, wait, after the holiday is fine. I can get the others on board if it’s something you’re interested in.”
We shook hands and I saw him to the elevators before walking to my office. Sure enough, a new girl was sitting at the desk by my office. From behind, I saw that her brown hair was piled into an elegant knot.
“Hello,” I said. I smirked. I knew that I’d made myself a promise, but a little looking couldn’t hurt – from the back, this girl had a dynamite figure.
The girl turned around and stood up. My heart leapt into my throat at the familiar sight of her brilliant green eyes and the light smattering of freckles across her cheeks.
It was Beth.
When she saw me, she shrieked. The cup of coffee she’d been holding crashed to the floor, burning her bare shins. Beth screamed again, this time presumably from the pain, and her eyes rolled back in her head as she crumpled gracefully to the floor.
Chapter Five
Hanna
I recognized him instantly. The tanned skin, the unruly dark hair.