again, and it would not be the last time.
Embarrassing, but when didn’t I embarrass myself?
On the tour we stopped by Mr. Gambit’s office.
“Now, you work directly for Mr. Gambit. But mostly you’ll be dealing with me,” she said, a look of warning spreading across her face. “He’s a very, very, very, busy man. I can’t stress that I enough.”
“I could tell you I understand. Three times, if it helps.” I said sarcastically.
“Your wit may be appreciated in other domains of your personal and professional life, but with me, your compliance will be valued above all else.”
Yikes.
“Sorry, I’m just nervous. I won’t do it again, and especially not around Mr. Gambit.” I offered.
She took a glance at the closed door and seemed to resign herself to a humorous thought.
“Well, with Mr. Gambit, you might actually get away with it.” She looked back at me, with an eyebrow raised. If she raised those eyebrows any higher, she was like to bump the ceiling.
“Oh?”
“Just don’t try to be too cute. He’ll see through it.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t forget that he’s probably the smartest man in the building. A self-made billionaire before thirty. Don’t forget who he is. And don’t forget who you are.”
I nodded. And then I froze with terror. It dawned on me that I had forgotten the senior assistant’s name. I subtly craned my head in an attempt to read her nametag – drat! She wasn’t wearing a nametag. Of course she wasn’t wearing a nametag. Everyone here knew her name. She was important. Not like me… the newbie.
“Miss Faro?”
Damn it, she caught me staring. At her chest.
“Is the new junior assistant looking down my blouse?” She asked with a bemused smile on her face. At least she wasn’t angry – it could have gone a lot worse.
“No, I was just noticing how not everyone is wearing nametags.” I tried clumsily to cover up. Hopefully I wasn’t being cute.
“Lillian Stone,” she said, taking my hand. “Call me Lillian.”
Her hand lingered upon mine for a moment, and my gaze gracelessly met hers.
“Thanks, Lillian.”
I withdrew my hand, and she held her gaze for a split second longer than I expected.
This was a strange place to work, I decided. But I guess that came with the territory; high stakes, high tension, high society. And there I was, on the cusp of it all.
Lillian led me past the closed office door, and showed me to my desk. It was out in the open, within eyesight of Mr. Gambit’s room, and just slightly down the hall from Lillian’s station. It seemed like my desk was the smaller, cuter, version of Lillian’s desk. I figured that was appropriate, since she was the senior assistant and I was the junior assistant. I placed my hands along the desk, and nodded in approval. I was unsure of how to react, this being my first real job, and so I awkwardly guessed my way through the day.
“Oh, nice. This will do.” I said, gauging her reaction to see if I was playing my part correctly.
“It’s better than what you’d be offered at most places. And most places don’t have a view like this,” she said as she motioned her hands towards the wide windows that stretched the length of the wall.
Well, she was right. I felt stupid and clumsy as my hands patted down my new desk.
“Oh, no, I just meant that – yes of course, it’s far better than any of the other places I toured.”
I hadn’t toured anywhere else. I hoped my lie wouldn’t bite me in the ass.
“You toured other places, dear?” She said, the hint of a smile forming on her lips.
“Not seriously. Just to see.”
“It’s okay if you did, Emma. I’m busting your balls.”
“Oh, I know. I’m just – being honest. That’s all.”
That crooked smile still hung on Lillian’s face.
“I think I’ve got you pegged so far. You seem to know your way around men, but stumble about powerful women. You’re finding that your cute-but-able-but-kinda-ditzy shtick isn’t working on