The Assistant(55)
Author: Elle Brace

I scanned the website for the small business briefly before groaning. “It’s a shipping business for underwear. Why – Oh, the pay does sound good. Okay, yeah, why not.” I pressed my lips together determinedly, the clicked ‘submit’ on the site, officially sending in my résumé.

***

“I can’t do this anymore!” I exclaimed, tossing my tacky work hat carelessly on Amy’s tabletop before kicking off my flats angrily. “How can one person ‘accidently’ grope the same ass more than 6 times in two weeks?! I don’t care how much money they give me – I’m sick of Mr. Cooper’s wrinkly hands touching me every time we’re in the same room!” I shuddered, before throwing a panicked look in Amy’s direction.

She was giggling at me, and my look turned into a glare. “What the hell is so funny?!” I demanded with wide eyes, putting my hands on my hips.

“You’ve got some blue powder on you. Is that – no, it can’t be. Viagra? Did you and Mr. Cooper do something naughty today?” Amy responded, waggling her eyebrows before bursting into a fit of laughter at her own joke.

I scowled before taking off my work shirt and throwing it at her. “That wasn’t even funny,” I snapped, releasing my hair from its tight ponytail and walking over to her room to put on a comfortable shirt.

“It actually was. You’re just not in the mood to laugh. But anyway, what did I tell you? You’re an idiot for quitting Kingston Corp. In all seriousness now,” fittingly, all laughter began to fade from her expression. ”I think you should quit this job. You hate it, you work really long hours, you have a perv of a boss that is older than my grandfather and you’re doing things that are way beneath your skills! I wouldn’t have let you choose this job if I knew it was going to make you this miserable.”

I sighed and shook my head. “I can’t do that. I need the money. I don’t care how bad it is. Sorry for blowing up at you about it all the time.”

Amy hit my arm lightly. “What the hell am I here for? We vent to each other all the time. It’s a part of the best friend job description.” She winked. “Come on, let’s make some dinner and watch a movie before you go home,” Amy suggested as I pulled my shirt on.

“Good idea. Will you get started? I just need to call my parents.”

Amy nodded and left me alone in the room just as I pressed the call button on my mom’s phone number – bracing myself for a scolding.

She picked up on the fourth ring. “I’m sorry, who is this? My daughter Emily? No, sorry, you must have the wrong number. I don’t have a daughter named Emily. Wait, maybe I do? I wouldn’t know because SHE HASN’T CALLED ME IN FOUR DAYS!” My mom screeched through the receiver of the phone, making me laugh in response.

“Hello to you too, mom.”

“Hello to me too?” she exclaimed. “That’s all you have to say? Is there a man in your life, Emily? Is that what keeps you from calling me? Do you know how worried I’ve been not hearing from you for four days? I thought you were kidnapped or- or- or dead!”

I rolled my eyes. “Mom, I’ve texted you every day.”

“How am I supposed to know that’s you and not some sick kidnapper who’s acting as you so that I don’t get suspicious and call the police?!” she responded skeptically.

I sighed and shook my head at her paranoia. “Would the kidnapper have known that Blake was coming down in two weeks and said yes I’m coming as well? Wait – don’t answer that. I’m fine. How are you and dad?” I asked, desperately trying to change the subject.

“We’re fine. How is your new job?” mom asked. She didn’t wait for a response, however, going right into things I didn’t really want to talk about. “Honey,” she said, “I still can’t believe you quit working for Kingston Corp. You know we got a call from Mr. Kingston himself the other day? Not Adrian Kingston – his father. He asked me if you lived here and when I said no, he told me to try and convince you to go back and work for Kingston Corp again. He told me you were one of the best people on the team, and really helped Adrian Kingston stay out of trouble and run the company well! So what happened? Why would you quit such an amazing job?”

I could practically feel the curiosity leaking out of the pores of her skin through the small device that was pressed up against my ear.

I sighed and bit my lip in thought, trying to think of a way to arrange my words carefully, before responding. “I just didn’t feel like that job was the right one for me,” I finally replied, awaiting her next scolding response.

“You’re an idiot,” mum commented after a short silence, making me almost drop my phone in shock.

‘What?!” I replied with wide eyes.

“You’re an idiot for quitting,” she simply repeated, and I groaned at her words. “You sound exactly like Amy right now!” I mumbled.

“That’s because Amy is right, and clearly has much more sense in her brain than you do! That job had fantastic pay, and was comfortable! You would’ve eventually gotten used to it if you stayed in it for more than a month and a half!” she took a deep breath and calmed down a little. “It’s only been two months. I’m sure Adrian Kingston will take you back, he seems like a lovely young man.”

I groaned. “Mom. I have a job, and I am not going back there. Look, I’ve had this conversation a million times before and I know the drill, but honestly? I’m not going to crawl back and look pathetic. I need to go help Amy with dinner, I’ll call you tomorrow and we’ll talk longer since it’s my day off, okay? I love you.”

“But Emily, you can’t just avoid this conversation because-”

“BYE MOM!” I said loudly, ending the call. I smiled down at the blank screen of my phone before making my way over to the kitchen to help Amy.

“She called you an idiot, didn’t she?” Amy asked with an amused expression once I began peeling the potatoes.

“Shut up,” I mumbled moodily, hating the fact that she was right.

She laughed at my misery before she began to grill the chicken breast pieces. “She’s right, you know. Anyway, first thing Monday morning, you’re going to charge into that lovely underwear shipping office and leave that awful boss of yours – along with that awful job – behind. We’ll start searching for a new job as soon as you quit.”