Lost in You (#Book 2)

Chapter 15

I’m seriously starting to wear down my nails strumming them on desk. I’m not at all sure about my next meeting. This is the first, as part of my new job. I have to look at things from different angle. I’m not the assistant anymore. But still... Tanya, just the person to ruin your day and destroy your self-esteem.

Fortunately, at lunch, Matt and Gina managed to re-motivate me and put things in perspective. They’re my personal coaches. The security guards scared away the last recalcitrant paparazzi. I don’t know what Austin set up, but I was able to come back from lunch break with my friends without a hitch.

In the meantime, I’m waiting… Tanya should have been here a good half hour ago. Just as I’m about to give up, the “ding” of the elevator echoes through the empty room. The VIPER comes out, an unreadable look on her face. She takes in office space, like everyone before her. And if I’m not mistaken it’s surprise that I see on the b***h’s face.

I decided to summon Tanya to “my” new territory so she couldn’t destabilize me too much… Tanya’s eyes fall on me. I immediately feel ridiculous, sitting alone in the middle of this huge empty room. I try not to let anything show, as she walks towards me with her usual grace. An effusion of a heady perfume precedes her. She seems to want to fill the whole room.

“I have a lot of work so let’s get straight to the point.”

I prefer not to say anything. Especially since I’m going to need her. I point to the chair I placed in front of my desk. Tanya looks me up and down as if I were an insect she’d like to squash. I clear my throat, cross my hands and adopt an attitude that is both firm and relaxed. At least I try. Because in reality, I must look tense and probably uneasy.

“I need to recruit several workers to build my team.” I tell her. She raises an eyebrow.

“I got wind of your… promotion.”

I don’t like the way she slowed down on the last word one bit. But I chose to ignore it. “Okay, so as I said, I’m going to have to put a team together, and I want to recruit the best.”

“Needless to say…” her tone is too sweet to be sincere.

“I’d like you to make an initial selection from or staff. Several people could match the profiles I’m looking for. I have a list of positions to be filled.” I hand her a paper that she holds with the tips of her fingers as if I’d spat on it. Or worse. She reads through it in disturbing silence. The moment seems surreal. I almost let out a nervous laugh.

I don’t know what’s more comical, me talking to Tanya as a subordinate or working with her. “I also need you to launch a wave of job interviews and make a first selection. You’ll select the top three, and I’ll then arrange interviews for the final decision.”

She seems shocked that I’m talking to her like this. But I must admit, even if it’s petty, I’m enjoying mistreating her. How many women in the company secretly dream of being in my place, just to have the pleasure of kicking the company b***h’s ass? “Is there a problem?”

She frowns, pushes a lock of hair behind her ear and gives me a carnivorous smile. “Not at all, I’ll get it done, anything else?”

“Yes, Matt Donavan is now working in my department, so please make sure he can start tomorrow.”

She seems about to say something, but she changes her mind. “Very well.”

I signal to her that she can go. When she leaves my floor, I sigh with relief! I was worrying about nothing in the end! That wasn’t so bad. Overall, you could say that the meeting went pretty well and I’m pretty proud of myself. Now that the meeting is over, I have one more thing to do, let Nick know that Matt’s leaving his department.

I’m sure I’ll be able to convince him, as I did with Tanya. But before that, I’d like to take a look at my old office. And take the opportunity to get my box, the one I left there last time. So I go up to Austin’s floor, knowing that he won’t be there to intercept me since he’s still on his trip.

As I approach my old office, my heart starts beating at a hundred miles an hour. She’s there, Miss Brown. I can see her through the window as she’s left the blinds open. I can’t help feeling my heart tighten. I have a hard time identifying the bad feeling that’s slowly taking hold of me. It feels like I’m missing something.

My job as an assistant allowed me to spend time at work with Austin. Our offices on the same floor, and the cuddles that went with it, I’m going to miss that… Now, it’s probably with Amanda Brown that he’ll be most of the time. And I’m a little jealous of her because of that. However, there’s something else bothering me.

I have a bad feeling about her, and yet I’m not one to envy beautiful women. Is it the same as Andrea felt about me when she was convinced that I was just a pushy b***h who was after her brother’s money? Or is it just that I feel like I’m looking in a mirror through her? After all, I was Mr. William’s assistant, before becoming his lover.

But, although the idea springs to mind, I don’t think Austin would play around with Amanda Brown. What we have is unique. I trust him. Suddenly a thought flashes through my mind, what if what scares me, deep down, is that this new position was to distance me from him? Through this promotion, what does Austin really want? To show me he trusts me or to keep me at a distance?