Michael
A half-hour later, I was at my desk. I’d only finished about half the smoothie. A few days away from it had made my taste buds turn against it. I choked down the rest of it, not delaying the inevitable. The chalky after taste was still in my mouth when I picked up the phone.
I called Sandra first. She answered on the third ring.
“Hello?” a muffled voice said from the other end of the call.
“Sandra?” I asked, checking to see I had the right number.
She coughed and loudly cleared her throat. I pulled the speaker away from my ear.
“Yeah, boss. Sorry. I’m getting a cold.”
Getting? She sounded like hell. I rubbed my forehead, feeling the beginning of a headache. She spearheaded all of the interviews for the assistant position; I needed her well, like now.
“Are you healthy enough to chat?” I asked firmly. It was rhetorical and she knew that.
There was a shuffling sound on the other end. “Of course I am. What do you need?”
“How many interviews are set up for tomorrow?” My headache grew at the thought of entertaining interviews. I needed to find someone to weed through the interview process. I mentally made a note to make that happen the next time we needed someone new.
“Three in the morning and three in the afternoon. I had to schedule them around a few phone calls.” She coughed and it sounded like something that had just crawled out of the crypt.
I nodded. Breaks were a necessity. I needed time to pace the floor and decompress from the ignorance that I was sure would abound while entertaining a new wave of people who thought they knew what hard work was. “And how about the rest of the week?”
Sandra gave me a quick outline of my schedule. With the abbreviated work week for Thanksgiving and my trip to Bar Harbor, I knew I’d be coming home to a jam-packed calendar. Which was fine with me. I liked being busy around the holidays. It kept me focused and there was less time to think about Cynthia or Lisa.
“Did I get any messages while I was gone?” I asked after she finished with the schedule.
“Several, but they can wait until tomorrow,” she said. “I did want to ask you about one. Sal Rossi, he’s a potential client. He seemed very insistent on speaking with you as soon as possible. I informed him that you were out of the office. Would you like me to schedule a phone call tomorrow with him?”
I chewed the name over. It sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. “Yes, schedule a phone call for tomorrow. I don’t want him to look elsewhere before I get a feel for him.”
“I will contact his assistant today.”
“And after that, get some rest. I need you alert this week.”
There was a muffled cough on the other end. “Okay, Boss. I will.”
“Talk to you tomorrow, Sandra,” I said and hung up the phone only to pick it back up to call Sam.
He answered on the first ring, “Sir?”
“Send some chicken noodle soup over to Sandra’s and a care basket.”
“Right away, Sir. Is that all?”
“For now.”
I put the phone down and jotted the name ‘Sal Rossi’ on the notepad on my desk. I stared at it for a minute, as if the answer would jump off the pad. Why did that name sound so familiar?
My phone rang and I checked the caller ID. It was my brother, Fredrick. I grabbed the receiver. “Hey you. Happy belated Thanksgiving.” A smile lifted my lips in anticipation of talking to my brother. We only had one another for most of our lives, at least until I met Cynthia and he met Tara. Sadly enough, both of the women from our pasts were gone, and much of our stability and happiness went with them.
“Same to you, Michael. What’s going on with you? Did you fall off the grid for a while?” Thumping music colored the background on his end.
I spoke louder to make sure he could hear me. “I went to Bar Harbor, remember?”
“I know that. I meant the two months I heard squat from you before that.”
Preparation for the Bar Harbor trip on top of my own work had made the days speed by. Had it really been two months since I’d seen Fredrick?
“I’ve been busy. You know that. Let me make it up to you. How about lunch this week?”
“You got it. As long as you’re paying.” Fredrick laughed at his own joke, a little too hard.
“Do I ever not pay?” I rolled my eyes.
That made Fredrick laugh harder. We were both successful and wealthy, independent of each other. His club, Kadia, was one of the prime clubs in the City, and though it had some nefarious dealings, the clients seemed to enjoy the edge it provided.
“How’s business?” I asked.
Fredrick went on about all the women he’s slept with over the past two months. He had a habit of mixing business with pleasure. And women flocked to men who could get them free drinks and private rooms in the hottest club in New York.
My eyes wandered to the note on my desk. “Hey. Questions for you.” I interrupted him as he started to tell me about another one of his sexcapades. We were honestly getting too old to be sharing our bedroom stories. “Do you know someone named Sal Rossi? He called the office looking for me. And I swear I know that name from somewhere.”
There was a long pause on the other end. Had I dropped the call?
“Fredrick?”
“Yeah, Michael. You might want to be careful with that one.”
“Yeah? Why is that?”
Fredrick sighed. “I don’t wanna get involved. Call Demetri about this.”
I sat back in my chair. Demetri Demarco was a dangerous man that we dealt with from time to time, but only when we needed to. He was head of the Castaletta Syndicate, a Chicago Mafiosi family that had survived a lot, and still kept their various businesses thriving.
Did this Sal guy know about my relationship with Demetri? Is that why he contacted me? The guy sounded like bad news, and I wasn’t necessarily interested in stepping in shit when life was going well.
The conversation sobered up, and I promised that Sandra would set up lunch with Fredrick later in the week. If my brother was concerned about this Sal character, then I should have been too. We said our goodbyes and hung up.
I stood from my chair and went to the glass wall that stretched from floor to ceiling, giving me a landscape view of the City.
I raked my hands through my hair and smoothed down the ends. What the hell was going on? I debated on ignoring the phone call from Sal completely but I was also curious. I’d talk to Demetri first and see what was going on.
To stop myself from dwelling, I went back to my desk and focused on work. I didn’t want to talk to Demetri yet, though I had a feeling Fredrick was already on the phone with him. I loved my brother but he had a tendency to stick his nose where it didn’t belong. It was my fault for asking, but I had to figure out how I knew the name. My business might be at risk if it turned out bad, so I didn’t care about ruffling feathers to get the answers I needed.
In the hours spent catching up on work, the phone only rang twice. I was used to the long hours working, but after being around so many people in Bar Harbor for those few days, the loneliness was more noticeable.
I sat back in my chair, releasing the tension in my shoulders. I already had the love of my life once before. But it would be nice to have someone to spend the holidays with. I picked up my cell and flipped through my contacts. There were a few women that I could call up that would be thrilled to spend time with me.
I stopped on Natalia’s name. My finger hovered over her number. She was always up for a good time. And she’d be the perfect distraction.
RaineyAn ear-piercing alarm shattered my peaceful sleep. I sat up in bed and attempted to catch my breath after being startled awake. I’d set Killian’s ringtone to be the most annoying sound on the planet, so I’d know exactly who it was when he called. Hearing it that early in the morning wasn’t the most pleasant way to wake up. I grabbed my phone, ripping the charger from the socket. I pressed the END button and tossed the phone on the bed before throwing myself down on my back again. I shoved my hair out of my face and tried to calm my racing heart. It was a shitty way to wake up and he probably thought it was some sort of hilarious joke.Why the hell was Killian calling me so early? I glanced over at the clock and my heart ramped up again.Shit! Shit! Shit! I launched myself off the bed. Why didn’t my alarm go off? I grabbed my phone again and checked the clock app.Damn it!I accidentally set it for six p.m. instead of a.m. It was a good thing I pulled out my clothes for the inte
RaineyTwice on the way to the train, Killian’s ring tone blared from my phone again. I didn’t need his shit today. I pressed END every single time. Even though he wouldn’t stop calling, he didn’t leave a message or send a text. So obviously whatever he needed wasn’t that important or else he’d try to find another method of contacting me. The only emergency I cared about was Tanner and he was safe with my parents. If I picked up the phone Killian would say something stupid and mess with my head somehow.It was only during those last months of our marriage that I realized how much he held me back in life. He had been the one to go to college while I was stuck paying the bills by taking odd temp jobs. Then when Tanner came along, Killian didn’t want me to work. It was only later that I understood that he wanted to be the big-shot breadwinner with a wife at home who would be at his beck and call. I had drive once and it took spending everything I had (plus money from my parents) on a law
MichaelMy first interview wasn’t until nine. Normally I would have arrived at the office by seven. Today was different. I stayed up until midnight, catching up on all of the work that I missed while I was in Bar Harbor. I wanted to hold onto that last bit of vacation, so I took my time getting ready. Being the boss definitely had its perks.I chose one of my favorite Italian suits to wear today. It was comfortable and that’s what I needed to get through all of these interviews.On the way down to the lobby, I decided to treat myself to breakfast and I knew exactly where I wanted to go. While I enjoyed the fresh selections of food in Maine, I missed the typical New York staples in my diet. And the one at the top of my list was Beth’s Bakery.My phone lit up with emails the second I stepped outside. My driver, Constantine, was standing by the car waiting for me. The cold breeze chilled me and I hustled to the car.“Good morning, Constantine.”He tipped his hat to me. “Hello, Mr. Carrin
MichaelThe traffic downtown was heavier at this hour, but I wasn’t in a rush. I still had plenty of time before the first interview. And I ate the bagel slower than normal to extend the experience.While driving around Bar Harbor, the people smiled and waved as you passed. In New York, everyone’s heads were down, focused on where they needed to go. The friendly faces were nice, but I felt more at ease with the scowling New Yorkers. This city was full of businessmen and no one bothered to notice another suit or luxury car.Even in the traffic, Constantine managed to get me to my building by eight-thirty.He opened the door for me as I was dusting bagel crumbs from my coat. I stood up and took my briefcase from him.“Have a great day, Constantine,” I said, adjusting my overcoat.“You too, Sir. Six o’clock pickup?”“Yes. I will have Sandra call you if that changes.”“Have a good day, Mr. Carrington.”I nodded and headed toward my building. Another perk of showing up later was less traff
RaineyI couldn’t stop staring at the gorgeous man walking away from me. That was Michael Carrington? My almost-future boss? I remember seeing a small picture of him in the article I read and he was classically handsome, but he was even more attractive in person. And genuinely nice. His dark hair barely touched his shoulders and it looked incredibly soft. His eyes were so blue, like the ocean. He had seriously lucked out in the genetics department.Hell. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to apply for the job. He was dreamy on a level I wasn’t used to contending with. He’d be professional, right? I wasn’t at all his type. I was homely. Comely. Just me. My thoughts shifted and I realized I’d pushed on his receptionist in front of him.How long had he been standing there listening to me? I tried to think about what I said to the poor woman that had to put up with me. I hoped I didn’t say anything rude. Although if I had been rude, I doubted he would have given me the interview. Why did he give
RaineyMy mouth dropped open as I looked down. He’d spilled his coffee all over my coat. The liquid moved down my chest and I knew it had soaked through my brand new white shirt.“If I could be even sorrier than I already was, I would be,” he said, equally as stunned.Shit! I had no time for this. I picked up the two last pieces of mail from the ground and headed for the doorway.“Here’s a napkin,” he said, fishing in his bag for one.“I have to go,” I said.“Are you sure?” he asked. “Again, I’m so, so sorry. I can pay for the dry cleaning.” He was sincere but I didn’t have the time to get his number for him to pay. I had to go if I was going to pay for anything in the future. “It’s fine. It was an accident.”I pushed through the door and the cold air stung at my already tearful eyes. I couldn’t believe this happened to me! And before an interview that could change me and Tanner’s life. I steadied my breath while keeping a brisk pace to the building. If I had been paying attention to
MichaelEvery ounce of relaxation my body felt after Bar Harbor had been completely obliterated after the three interviews that morning. I wanted to have hope that at least one of them would be qualified but I didn’t get that impression from them. The first two were kiss-asses and while I didn’t normally care for a stroke of my ego, I didn’t need that from an assistant. We were to be in close quarters with each other on a daily basis, so I needed to feel comfortable with them instead of hiring a yes-man.Admittedly, I had been slightly distracted during all three, constantly thinking of Rainey and our meeting earlier that morning. She was able to carry herself professionally with a determination I didn’t see in many women. She had something driving her and I wanted to know her motivation for this job. Coming down to the office to fight for an interview impressed the hell out of me.Though selfishly, I offered her the interview having no intention of hiring a woman as my assistant. At
MichaelI knew I wasn’t supposed to ask her age, but I didn’t intend on hiring a woman. If I offended her, she could drop out of the running herself.“How old are you?” I asked.She flinched and I had to hold back a smile. I wiped my hand over my mouth to erase it and waited for her answer. Watching her hesitation at revealing her age created a thrill inside of me. I casually leaned against the front of my desk thrumming my fingers on the surface, patiently waiting for her answer.“I’m twenty-nine,” she answered.I couldn’t help the surprise from my face. She barely looked twenty-five. There was no way in hell I should have asked her that, but I had to know. Would it come back to bite me in the ass? Maybe. “And you just graduated?”She let out an exasperated breath. “Yes. Are you set on repeat?”A bark of laughter spilled out of me. She was a little firecracker. I smiled broadly and straightened my spine, looking over her resume again. “Why did it take so long for you to get your degr