The Assistant(3)
Author: Elle Brace

Why on Earth will I be needing a spare pair of underwear at work? I thought to myself as I walked over to the room I had seen Mrs. Brown enter previously. “Um, excuse me, Mrs. Brown…?” I knocked on the open door gently.

The woman looked up from the papers in front of her and pulled her glasses back up the bridge of her nose before smiling. “Ah yes, Emily dear. Call me Suzie. Mr. Kingston has briefed you on your job as his assistant, I take it? You’re looking rather confused. Take a seat, I’ll explain it to you in more detail then show you to your new office shortly. Aren’t you excited? This is an excellent job! And great pay, if I do say so myself!” She grinned brightly, and I felt my lips tug into a smile as well.

I mentally agreed with her. It was a great job, I just mentally prayed that I was going to be able to stay sane around the most attractive male in America (literally, he was voted the number one ‘hottie’ in Cosmopolitan).

***

“DID YOU GET THE JOB? IS HE REALLY AS HOT AS EVERYONE SAYS HE IS? DID HE MAKE YOUR HEART MELT WITH HIS CHARM? DID YOU HAVE SEX?”

My best friend’s overly excited voice screeched from my iPhone’s speaker.

My eyes widened at the last question and I felt my cheeks getting warmer. Even though she couldn’t see me, I knew Amy was trying to make me squirm. “You’re so blushing right now. I can feel it in my blood! You had sex, didn’t you?! Was he amazing? Ask him to do me!” I heard her sigh and I almost gagged into the speaker.

“Amy!”

“What?” she said innocently.

“We did not have sex. It was a formal meeting. He’s pretty rude. And throws a lot of… suggestive comments, but yes, I got the job!” I squealed, grinning at the blank television screen in my apartment.

More squealing erupted from the speaker of my iPhone and I felt my hand automatically move the phone away in order to keep my hearing intact. Once she was done, I placed the phone back on my ear. “Thank you.” I laughed as I heard her catch her breath.

“We have to celebrate tonight! I’ll call Molly and Claire! We’ll go down to-” Her voice got cut off by a soft beep and I frowned and looked at my phone. An unsaved number blinked in my face, signaling that there was someone on the other line. “Sorry Amy, there’s someone else on the line and I don’t have their number saved. We’ll definitely go out to celebrate! Text me the details, okay? Bye!” I quickly hung up and pressed the green button to answer the other call. “Hello?”

“Ms. Johnson, I need you to come in to the office immediately.” It was unmistakably Adrian Kingston’s deep, British voice. My eyes widened in shock. “There is some paperwork here that we need to sort through together and it needs to be sent in by tonight. I expect you’ll be here in less than half an hour?”

“Sir, I live a good 20 minutes away from the office. It’ll take me a little longer than half an hour to get there.” I stuttered nervously. A night call already? I still didn’t even know the location to my office properly!

“If you stopped complaining over the phone and got moving, it wouldn’t take long at all,” he snapped. “I’ll see you in half an hour.” The line went dead. I detached the phone from my ear and stared uncomprehendingly at the blank screen, before shaking out of my daze and rushing back to my bedroom to get dressed for work.

I called Amy as I pulled out my white business shirt and black pencil skirt and thrashed my pajama bottoms off. Amy answered on the first ring. “Hey! I just confirmed with the girls, they’re up for it!” she said excitedly.

I groaned as I stubbed my toe on the corner of my bed before zipping up my pencil skirt and tucking the shirt in neatly. “Ames, I’m so sorry. He’s already called me in to fill out some paperwork that needed to be mailed by tonight, apparently. I’m so sorry, raincheck?” I asked as I pulled my semi-dry hair into a sleek pony tail and applying a coat of light pink lipstick. Thank god I had natural ringlets that didn’t frizz after every shower I had.

“Already? Damn girl, you’re going to have your work cut out for you! Don’t apologise, it was your celebration drink, you banana!” She laughed, before gasping. “You better be wearing sexy lingerie! Late nights alone in the office with a sex god? I think I can predict what’s going to happen.” I could practically feel Amy wink as I rolled my eyes and put my black pumps on and grabbed the bag I prepared once I got home.

“Amy, get your mind out of the gutter,” I joked. “Anyway, I have to go. He expects me to be there in less than half an hour. I’m so sorry for cancelling on you girls. I’ll make it up to you guys, I promise!”

Amy scoffed. “Shut up! You’re putting the blame on yourself as if you don’t have a good enough reason to be cancelling! Say hi to the sexy beast for me, will you? I’ll let you go now because you’ve just wasted 5 minutes talking to me.”

“I’m a woman. Multi-tasking is in our blood,” I laughed. “I’m leaving my apartment now. Love you!”

We both disconnected the phone and I made my way to call the nearest cab.

This is how it all began.

Chapter One

“Hi, excuse me. I’m so sorry. I’m looking for…” I squinted at the scrunched piece of paper in my hand, trying to make out Suzie’s cursive writing. “I can’t tell if it’s Alien or Allen?” I laughed awkwardly as I felt my cheeks redden.

The Starbucks employee giggled. “It’s definitely Alien. You should see his face.” She winked. “Are you the new assistant for Adrian Kingston? You are so lucky. He’s literally the hottest male on this planet! I’ll get Allen for you. He’ll make Adrian’s usual quicker than you can blink! For your benefit, of course.” The teenager giggled again, and I found myself smiling at her bubbly personality.

“Thank you,” I told her gratefully. “Can I also get a latté with two sugars, please?”

“Of course! I’ll brew it myself! I’m a mean latté making machine!” the girl declared with a battle cry.

“Lisa, are you making customers uncomfortable again?” A male voice sounded from behind a wall, causing Lisa to run off to the coffee machine and start on my coffee.

“What? Of course not, Allen! I bring the customers in with my charm. It’s your face that makes them uncomfortable.” Lisa laughed at her own joke and I couldn’t help but let out a small giggle as well. “By the way, Adrian’s new assistant is here! She needs his usual – STAT!”