Running From Forever (3 page)

She smiled, appearing not to notice my
borderline anxiety attack before placing it in a scanner. I took a
deep breath. I needed to calm myself down. This was all normal
procedure; it wasn’t like she was doing a complete background check
on me, which that shouldn’t make a difference either—I was squeaky
clean—I’d never done anything illegal… I should rephrase that: I’ve
never gotten in trouble for anything.

She handed me a plastic card attached to a
pull-string clip. “Here’s your temporary badge for entering the
building. You’ll have to stop by Human Resources later to get your
permanent one.”

I glanced at it quickly. It just had my name on
the front along with some other name—maybe the security company? I
didn’t know. “Thank you,” I responded graciously, clipping it to
the top of my skirt. “Am I all set?” I asked, confused since she
went right back to doing whatever she was originally doing on her
computer.

“Oh yes, sorry. You know where you’re going,
right?”

Warmness filled my cheeks as I could feel the
anxiety building within. “No, I’m sorry, I don’t.”

She looked confused. “Didn’t you have an
interview?”

“Yes, but not in person. I’m not from around
here, so it was a phone interview.”

I was never one to sweat, but I was now; like
crazy. I could feel it building under my arms and wetting my hands.
The nerves were climbing again.

“Huh,” she said discreetly, mostly to herself.
“I’ve never heard of Connie hiring someone without meeting them.”
She paused briefly before shaking her head and smiling. “I guess
stranger things have happened. Anyway, Connie is on the top floor,
floor ten. Her receptionist, Sami, will be seated in front of the
elevators to help you the rest of the way.”

Yes. Sami. I remembered talking to her. She was
actually the one that called me, notifying me that I received the
position.

“Thank you,” I told her again before walking
around her desk and through the metal detectors, heading towards
the elevators.

She just smiled in return before returning to
her work.

After pressing the arrow up for the elevators,
they sprang open and I joined the one person already standing
inside. Even though he was incredibly attractive, and smelled of
the most amazing cologne, I acted nonchalant, pressing the number
of my floor then standing beside him.

“First day?” he asked after a few seconds of
standing together.

I looked up at him curiously, trying not to
fidget. “Is it that noticeable?”

He chuckled; a deep throated one that I felt
reverberate off his body. “No. I’ve just never seen you
before.”

“It’s a pretty big building. You know everyone
that works here?” I was quick to respond, surprising myself with my
bluntness.

He smiled again, revealing his flawless teeth.
“No, I don’t; however, I wouldn’t forget a face like yours.”

It was an incredibly cheesy line and with any
other guy, I would’ve rolled my eyes, but coming from his lips, it
was flattering, making my cheeks warm instead and my mouth form a
shy schoolgirl smile.

“Would you now?” I asked, shocking myself with
my flirtatious tone.

The elevator doors sprang open, causing him to
step forward, but he turned when getting to the frame of the door,
holding it open with his hand.

“I definitely would,” he said smoothly. It came
out almost sounding like a purr. Well, at least that’s the way his
voice carried to me. Seductive and low; almost like a whisper.
“Have a good day, Ms. Reynolds,” he added, removing his hand and
taking a step back, allowing the doors to close shut.

I stood there, frozen, after the doors shut, my
hands sweaty, mouth dry, and heart pumping a mile a minute. Who the
hell was that and why did I feel like I just talked to Brad Pitt?
And
how the hell
did he know my name?! It wasn’t something
that I could dwell on because seconds later the doors sprung open
again, revealing my floor this time.

Flustered but holding myself together, I ran my
hands down the length of my skirt and took a deep breath, regaining
my professional composure before putting one foot in front of the
other and a smile on my face as I walked towards the front
desk.

“Hi, I’m Kayla Reynolds,” I greeted the young
receptionist. As soon as I spoke, I realized how he knew my name.
He read my badge.
Duh.

“Yes, Connie’s new assistant!” she greeted me
warmly and stood to shake my hand with an exuberant smile. She was
beautiful, with long, dark hair, soft curled at the ends, blue eyes
and incredibly long eyelashes that I wondered if were fake. She
looked the business professional part, as well, in black pants and
a fitted short-sleeved top.

I smiled back, shaking her hand. “That’s
me.”

“Well, I’m Sami. I work up front, obviously,”
she began to tell me, coming out from behind her desk. “I’ll show
to where you’ll be working.” She motioned for me to follow her.

After only a short walk down the hallway, we
came to a stop in front of a door with Connie’s name written on the
front and windows spread along the side, allowing you to see in. To
the right of the door sat a plain white desk with only a computer
monitor and telephone on top of it.

“So, this is yours,” she said, pointing to the
white desk. “And
that
,” she narrowed her eyes at my new
boss’s empty office, “is Connie’s.”

“Is she here?” I asked, kind of surprised that
she wouldn’t be here to meet her new assistant on the first
day.

She snorted like I told her a joke. “No.
Connie’s very seldom here. She graces us with her presence maybe
once or twice a day. Be happy with that.” She nudged my elbow with
her eyebrows raised and a knowing smirk. The expression on my face
must have shown my confusion because she continued. “That wasn’t
Connie that did your phone interview. It was her old assistant.
Arianna had to jump ship…literally. Something about her husband in
the Marines and getting stationed with little notice…I don’t know,
but Connie was pissed and told her that if she wanted the rest of
her vacation pay she needed to find someone new ASAP that could be
here Monday. So she did.”

I could feel my stomach churn and every nerve go
on high alert, springing throughout my veins. Just when I thought I
received the position because I interviewed well, convincing Connie
that she wouldn’t be disappointed with my determination to succeed,
I was punched in the gut. She wasn’t even the one that interviewed
me! And how did I not remember that name of the interviewer? I know
I’ve been in a daze lately, but geez, Kayla!
Damn it!
I got
the job because her ex-assistant was eager to fill the position.
Was I even qualified for this job? Who knows if this Connie lady
would like me or if she’d just kick me to the curb at first
glance?

I could feel the blood draining from my face as
the panic continued to set in. I was fucked. Totally fucked. If she
fired me, I didn’t know what I would do. My apartment cost more
than most people’s mortgages and getting this job was like a dream
come true. I wouldn’t find another one in the city. I needed this
job.

Sami’s face turned concerned and she tilted her
head to the side, looking at me in a peculiar way. “Are you feeling
okay?”

I shook my head no, suddenly feeling the urge to
cry, but managed to hold it in. That was the last thing I needed to
do right now, to make a fool of myself. “I just really need this
job,” I managed to get out, my voice a mixture of anger and
sadness.

“Hey, regardless of who hired you, you have the
job. Just know that Connie isn’t the most pleasant of bosses. She
expects you to be at her beck and call 24/7, so be prepared.
Arianna was her assistant for a long time, so I can only imagine
how much shit Connie’s going to give you with you not knowing the
ropes, so just do your job and there’s nothing she can complain
about—though, she always finds something. That’s just the way she
is.”

I took a cleansing breath. She was right.
Regardless of who hired me, I still currently had the position and
I could handle a controlling boss. I just needed to do as she said
and preform my job to the best of my abilities. I could do
that.

“So, what exactly do I do?” I asked, standing a
little taller, regaining my confidence.

“Basically you just run Connie’s schedule.”

Thanks, Captain Obvious. I’m aware of what an
assistant does!
I opened my mouth to ask about my
responsibilities in more detail but then heard the elevator door
chime, followed by clapping shoes on tiles. This caused Sami to
turn in a hurry and practically sprint towards her desk.

“Good luck!” She smiled over her shoulder before
disappearing all together.

At first I questioned her rushed departure, but
then heard her say, “Good morning, Ms. Walters,” cluing me into
why.

Connie was here.

I reminded myself to breathe again.
Deep
breaths, deep breaths.
Still standing, I loosened my hands from
the nervous fists they were and wiped them nervously on my skirt to
avoid shaking her hand with my sweaty one.

It was only seconds later when she came into
view. She was tall and slender with a boyish figure and dressed for
success in a plain but very business-like black fitted skirt suit.
Her hair was short, just to her chin, a plain brown color matching
her brown-almost-black eyes. There was nothing special or
incredibly attractive about her, but she screamed authority. Her
furrowed brows and serious expression told me that she wasn’t one
I’d dare to challenge.

Quickly wetting my lips, I stood as straight as
possible. Although she scared the living shit out of me, I wasn’t
going to let her see it. When she was standing almost in front of
me, her eyes travelled the length of my body, surveying my
appearance. Her head tilted slightly and she let out an almost
pleasant humph. I took it as a compliment.

Turning towards her office, she ordered, “Follow
me.”

I did, grabbing the small notepad and pen from
my purse first, silently thanking Leah for suggesting I bring
it—something told me that I was about to hear my job
responsibilities in thorough detail.

“Listen well,” she said as she set down her
purse, “because I only have five minutes.”

Instead of responding, I just nodded my head
with the pen to the paper, ready to write. I wasn’t about to brown
nose; it was clear that shit wouldn’t fly with her.

“This is your phone.” She handed me the
BlackBerry on her desk. “It’s to be always on. Never allow it go to
voicemail. If I ever get there, count yourself fired.”

I nodded my head again in acknowledgement,
picking it up and placing it on the chair next to me.

“My schedule will be on your desk every morning.
Follow it. If I’m in a meeting, my calls will forward to you. Make
sure my messages are given to me when I’m done.”

I nodded again, scribbling furiously.

“Learn how my day runs because by next week
you’re going to be scheduling it— meetings, dinners, appearances,
etc. Got it?”

Taking a breath, I answered, “Yes, ma’am.”

Without further acknowledgement, she sat down in
her chair and opened her laptop. I stood there for a second,
clueless as to what I should do, but she looked back up before I
could ask, holding her glasses in her hand.

“We’re done,” she dismissed me, leaving it at
that before putting her glasses on and returning to her
computer.

Okay.
I picked up my new cellphone and
turned on my heels to head back out to my desk.

“And Kayla,” she added just before I made it
past her door.

I turned slightly so that half my body faced
her.

“You have two weeks.”

“Excuse me?” The words fell off my tongue before
thinking.

She grinned. Not a friendly one, but devious.
“You have two weeks to prove yourself.”

My stomach was at my feet. I was being put on
probation. My future. My career. Basically my life…was all put into
two weeks. I had two weeks to prove to this evil woman that I was
capable, that regardless of what people thought about me in the
past, I was smart, resolute, and above all else, had a dream that I
was determined to catch.

I could do that.

***

“So how was your first
day?” Leah asked over the phone as I dragged my feet, exhausted,
through the lobby of my building, waving to the lady behind the
desk on my way to the elevators.

“I feel like I ran a fucking marathon
today.”

“That bad?”

“Worse.”

“Is it a lot of work? I thought your boss was
nice,” she rattled off, confused and fishing for more
information.

Stepping into the elevator, I pressed the number
to my floor before sagging tiredly against the wall. Thankfully,
the elevator was vacant, avoiding the weird looks that one might
express seeing my close to death leaning.