Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 292(@200wpm)___ 234(@250wpm)___ 195(@300wpm)
That morning, I was willing to bet I became the first boss to serve his future assistant pancakes.
He looked extremely satisfied. “Thank you.”
I plated two pancakes for Julia too, and she mirrored him once again with a quiet, “Thank you.”
Three
“Name your price for a minimum of one year of around-the-clock employment with me, because I’m not letting you go,” I said as soon as we left the suite.
“A million dollars.”
“Done.”
“Dude, what the fuck. I was kidding.”
“I wasn’t.” I pressed the button for the elevator and faced him. “But don’t call me dude again. It’s sir or Mr. Delamare.” Then I handed him my work phone and a whole lot of information. “All work-related matters come through here. You’re in charge of it. The code is sixty-four, thirty-four. You’ll find my meetings and appointments in the calendar—which is synced with Mathis’s calendar—same with birthdays and other reminders. And speaking of Mathis—you need to talk to him immediately so he can get you travel-ready for us.” I paused briefly, moderately impressed with how he appeared to process everything without an ounce of confusion on his face. “Passwords and account details are in the app with a padlock on it. Every morning, I want a briefing of the day’s schedule. A week’s notice is required for birthdays, two days for private appointments, such as the doctor or dentist. Everything related to travels is Mathis’s responsibility, so just coordinate with him.”
“Yes, sir. Understood.” He followed me into the elevator and rubbed his forehead. Under his arm, he carried a paper planner. I didn’t know people used those these days. “But I was seriously kidding about the pay. I’d do it for half. Hell, I’d—”
“I would’ve paid the double.” I shrugged. “You’re not the best negotiator, are you?”
He shot me a frustrated look. “Dude. Halt. Stop. I was shooting blindly back there.” He gestured toward the suite.
“Good aim.”
“You don’t get it. Are you sure you wanna hire someone who’s never done this before? Even I’m on the fence, though not about the tasks—”
“What is it, then?” I wondered.
He released a breath and watched the elevator display flash with each floor we descended. “No amount of money will erase the fact that I’ve never been away from my family for more than two weeks at a time before,” he said. “I can’t fuck off for a whole year.”
I frowned at him. “You don’t think I will keep you away from them, do you? There are holidays and plenty of opportunities for you to fly out here for a quick visit.”
“Oh. Oh.” He appeared to have just lost an insurmountable weight off his shoulders. He shot me a dopey grin. “Do you think I’ll be able to go home once a month? Like, just overnight or something like that.”
I nodded slowly, thinking. “That would be your jet lag, not mine. But it should be doable. We have this week to negotiate the terms, then I want everything in writing.”
“Copy that.” He nodded and pinched his lips together, as if he was trying to hide his smile. It was sweet. “Can I ask you some questions in the car? I’d like to get to know you better so I can anticipate your needs.”
Sweet Jesus, those were the magic words, weren’t they?
“Sure.” I exited the elevator and checked my watch. Right on time. Mathis should be outside waiting.
“Before our flight tomorrow, I want you to pull some quarterly reports from the hotels that’ve undergone renovations in the past ten years,” I said, getting in the car. One meeting down, three to go. “The quarter before and two quarters after renovations. Start with the West Coast locations.”
“Yes, sir.”
I side-eyed him as he made notes in the planner. He had my phone open on the page too. “You’re not going to ask if you need verification at headquarters?”
“No, sir,” he replied. “A man looking for answers doesn’t want questions.” He slid me a little grin. “It’s better I ask someone else about this. In short, I’ll figure it out.”
Hm. Interesting. He wasn’t wrong, of course, but it was his first day. I’d never had an assistant before who hadn’t been trained by the previous assistant.
That was a terrific phrase, however. A man looking for answers doesn’t want questions. I bet Hilton would be sad to lose such a service-minded employee. I smiled to myself and peered out the window.
“Back to personal matters,” he announced. “How do you like your coffee?”
“Black, simple. I’m not fussy when I’m traveling,” I replied. “It irritates me when I’m in a lunch meeting and someone has to order an organic soy mocha latte with a double shot of vegan espresso. Christ. Just order black, with milk or sugar. Nobody wants to know that you only shower once a month or that your wife’s put you on a new diet.”