Chapter 8:

I take a deep breath as I open the door. "You wanted to see me Mr. Hale?" The atmosphere was tense and I wished that it would swallow me whole.

He looks up from his desk, his eyes blazing at me. "Sit down Miss. Daniels."

I take hesitate steps to his desk and I sat. "Yes, sir?"

Please don't bring it up, please let me get a pass don't bring it...

"Why are you late?" He questioned automatically, placing his pen down from signing papers.

"Well I was stuck in traffic and-"

He interrupt me. "Miss. Daniels I have a strict policy about my staff, and especially my personal assistant I don't want it to happen again- go to Miss. Jones she will show you your office. I have a meeting at 10:00 and I need to you to be there to take notes, we will go over them later, I prefer you to be there early." He threw information at me like I was a dictionary.

"Yes, Sir."

"You are dismissed."

Well who pissed in his cheerios. "Okay." I awkwardly stand, making my way out the door.

"Do you know a lady by the name Miss Jones?" I asked the receptionist.

"Yes she is right down the hall take a right." She didn't look up from her paper, she must of have had to work for awhile.

"Thank You." I round the corner to see a sign ''.

Knocking on the door twice, I hear some shuffling going on inside the room. "Come in." I hear a soft voice command me, I quickly open the door.

"Miss Jones?"

She looks up. "The one and only what can I do for you?"

"Mr. Hale said I should come to you, for you to show me my office?" I didn't want to sound demanding.

"Miss Daniels right?"

"The one and only." I saluted and she laughed at my wittiness.

"Follow me Miss Daniels."

"Please call me Embre."

"Embre." She looks to me, smiling at my gesture. I wanted to be like around here.

Miss. Jones walks out of her office, and into a different room a few doors down from hers. "This room is yours."

It read:

"Thank you."

"I assume he already warned you about the meeting that was taking place?"

"Yes ma'am, he did."

"Okay. I will be one training you for the next couple of weeks and I will be with you in the meeting but I will stop attending once you get the hang of it Okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Honey, I'm only 29 you don't have to be formal."

"Okay." Walking into my office. My eyes widen, I didn't know it had to be this big. I thought it was going to be a shoe box since I was new and all.

My eyes drift around to the fact that it looked halfway similar to Landon-Mr Hale- office. I wondered if I could redecorate it.

Rounding the table, I see a tall tan chair staring back at me but before I could even feel the material

I'm dragged out of my thoughts by the intercom.

"Miss Daniels?"

I jumped.

"Yes Mr Hale?"

"How do you like your office?"

Oh he's being kind now. "It's okay, am I allowed to redecorate?"

"As you see fit ma'am, the room number we are meeting in is 4135."

"Okay thank you, I'll be on my way."

"The supplies you will need is stacked already for you so-"

"Did you do that for me?"

"I didn't do it for you, it's required of me to provide it for my staff."

"O-Okay, well thank you anyway." I could hear him set the phone down, disconnecting him from my office.

"Don't worry, he's always like that." Miss Jones comments. "It's going to take someone special to break that man."

You've got that right.

Opening my drawer to see it filled with supplies that I would need, but I didn't have time to admire it as I grabbed a folder that was filled with paper and two different colored pens and a highlighter.

"You ready?" Miss Jones closed her office door before directing us both to the room.

We were the first two people to enter and it a few short minutes everybody else seemed to have filed in. "Who's this?" One of the men asked and I look around puzzled to not see my boss but all to soon, Mr. Hale is the last one to enter.

"That is my personal assistant Miss Daniels. Please have a seat gentlemen." Dismissing the man that asked who I was as if I was interrupting.

The dull meeting was happening, I'm taking notes on everything I thought was important, so basically everything. I took note that Miss Jones was making a Venn diagram, listing the pros and cons and what was the same.

Noted.

From the deals- that some of the men wanted to make with him- the percentages-that they wanted to go half on- the name branding, the sales, the inventory.

It was a lot of information.

My head was beginning to hurt, bringing my hand up to rub my temple.

I could always feel a pair of eyes lingering on me, making me want to sink into my chair. But I had to keep it professional and keep myself together.

Looking up I saw Landon looking in my direction and I turned to see a man to my left, talking back to him and I realized I was being paranoid.

Shifting my eyes back to him, his shifted as well to me while he still conversed and I took a deep breath before breaking the eye contact.

So you weren't paranoid.

When the meeting is over, Miss Jones hands me her notes that she took herself and I let her know I was grateful for her assistance.

Returning back to my office I didn't even get a chance to feel how soft the plush chair as the intercom went off.

I almost smacked my head against the desk but I take a deep breath and answered it. "Miss Daniels speaking."

"Miss Daniels my office now." And he ends the call.

Let's see what the devil himself wants now.

Arriving at the office, I was met with the same shit I see everyday and quite frankly I was becoming bored.

"When Miss Daniels arrives send her to my office." I gave direct orders to the receptionist and didn't wait for a response.

Setting my phone down on the table, I sat in my chair before closing my eyes.

There she was again invading my thought process.

All I could see was her and it was becoming absurd that she had control over me the way she did and we barely even touched.

I forgot what she felt like against me and it made me yearn for just a graze of her hand against, but I had to slow down.

"That's not how you get a girl Landon." I opened my eyes, sitting up to get some work done. "Don't scare the poor girl."

I heard a faint knock and looking at the time, I frowned seeing she was late. "You wanted to see me Mr Hale?" Her light voice chimed into my office.

I could tell she was late by how flustered she looked and I was deciding if I should let her off the hook but would she take me seriously if I did?

"Why are you late?"

She stuttered. "Well I was stuck in traffic and-"

Lay it on her. ". "Miss. Daniels I have a strict policy about my staff, and especially my personal assistant I don't want it to happen again- go to Miss. Jones she will show you your office. I have a meeting at 10:00 and I need to you to be there to take notes, we will go over them later, I prefer you to be there early."

"Yes Sir."

"You are dismissed." I didn't want to be an asshole to her but she needed to take this job seriously even if I enjoyed just looking at her.

She left in a hurry and I sighed before leaning back again. "That was too harsh." It was, and I knew it but it wasn't my job to apologize to her.

I heard her communicating with Miss Jones and I almost laughed at her returning Miss Jones words back to her. So she was witty?

I pressed the button to her office.

"Miss Daniels?"

"Yes?" She almost shouted back to me and I knew she didn't pick it up instead she let me talk out in the open.

"How do you like your office?"

"It's okay." Her voice sounded shaky. "Am I allowed to redecorate it?" Of course they were allowed to.

"As you see fit ma'am, the room number we are meeting in is 4135."

"Okay thank you, I'll be on my way."

"The supplies you will need is stacked already for you so-"

She interrupted me. "Did you do that for me?" She sounded genuinely pleased that I had her office stacked.

"I didn't do it for you, it's required of me to provide it for my staff." Lies.

"O-Okay, well thank you anyway." I placed the phone back down.

Getting up, I ran my hands down my suit to straighten it out before leaving.

I had just missed her as I watched her figure behind Miss Jones, she had a light skip in her step.

The elevator door opened the reveal all 12 men I was meeting with today. "Gentlemen." I grimaced, shaking all of their hands. "4135, I will be with you shortly."

I needed a damn drink.

"What's up L, hows everything going?" One of my close business friends bro hugged me.

"Fine, hows your wife?"

"She's doing great, she's ready to give birth any minute now."

"That's good." We made our way to the office.

"When you going to settle down? I think it's about time."

"That's what they all think, I'm 25 years old."

"Turning 26, you're not getting any younger and you have the soul of a 60 year old man."

I chuckled at that joke. "Funny."

"And who's this?" I heard someone comment and the last one to enter I see they are talking about Embre, she looked uncomfortable to say the least.

"That is my personal assistant, have a seat gentleman." I was stern in driving the attention away from and she had the look of gratitude on her face.

I got down to business quick and fast as I could, and from the corner of my eye I would watch Miss Jones and her take notes. She was paying close attention to what Miss Jones was saying to her, and I smirked knowing she was taking this seriously.

She felt my gaze-I know she did- and I deviated my attention to the man sitting next to her, and she looked as well to see who I was addressing.

Come on look back to me.

Her attention shifted again to me and on cue my eyes caught hers in a stare off.

I continued to have my conversation but I refused to look away from her, she was a sight for sore eyes, my eyes.

She broke away first and our bubble collapsed with her. I adjourned the meeting because quite frankly, I didn't plan making any deals with these men anytime soon, they would have to come back another day.

Once in my office, Miss Jones walked in. "Sir, do you need to get Miss Daniels for you?"

"No it's okay, I'll get her myself." And with a curt nod she took her leave.

Pressing the button to her office, I waited for her to answer so she could hear me only.

"Miss Daniels speaking?" She sounded irritated, for what?

"My office now." I ended the call.

Let's see what she has learned.