me.”
What? “I’m sorry?”
“My assistant just quit, and I’m getting buried with more work than I can manage with each passing day. And I know it’s not a post-graduate-level job and you’re probably overqualified for it, but I’m being straightforward, working for me would provide you with a stepping-stone in your career path. I could give you some great work experience and introduce you to some important people.”
He was right. While she hadn’t counted on doing the work of an assistant after she graduated, working for Jamie Sellers would be a golden opportunity she couldn’t turn down. Her thoughts turned to the stack of job ads that she had printed, waiting for her on her desk. And then she pictured the faces of the twenty-seven other people in her graduating class, all of whom would be vying for the same jobs in a matter of weeks. Maya could guarantee that none of them currently had Jamie Sellers on the phone offering them a position.
“So how about it?”
“I’m still in school.” She closed her eyes, hoping he wouldn’t change his mind and hire someone who was actually available right away. “I still have finals.”
“That’s fine. I understand that. We can work around your class and exam schedule until you finish up. I’m just afraid that if I wait much longer, I’ll be buried alive in stacks of paper,” he chuckled, before pausing. “So, you’ll do it?”
Maya remained silent.
“Ms. Connor?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Shock had her sitting up straight, eyes wide. So, she took a deep breath, confident that her life was about to change. “I’ll do it, Mr. Sellers. Thank you for the opportunity.”
Jamie breathed a sigh. Was he holding his breath? “That’s great, you won’t regret it. Why don’t you call me back tomorrow morning, anytime between 9:00 and 12:00 would be great. You can talk to my secretary, Mary. She’ll be expecting your call and she’ll get your information and find a convenient time for you to come in for a face-to-face.”
* * *
A FEW DAYS LATER, Maya sat in the waiting area of Jamie’s office. She drummed her nails on her thigh and thought about how quickly her life was changing. In just a few days she would finally be finished with her degree. After years of hard work just to put some letters after her name, being so close to the end felt incredible. Maya Connor, MBA. To top it all off, she would be skipping the grueling cycle of résumé writing and job interviews to start her career right out of the gate as Jamie Sellers’s assistant.
Sitting outside Jamie’s office, about to start her career, was exciting. She had been surprised when she was told to meet him at Swerve Nightclub. The evening that she’d kissed him, she had caught a final glimpse of him, as he climbed the stairs, but she’d had no idea that those stairs led to the swanky, upscale, trendy offices and waiting room that the space above the club boasted. The large panels of glass, most likely double-sided and definitely soundproofed, looked down on the club, and she could see it all from a different perspective. From the vantage point of her chair in Jamie’s waiting room, she was brought back to the night she and Abby had been here. She could see the booth where she and Abby had sat and the dance floor where they had gyrated and swayed the night away. She saw the bar where she had kissed Jamie. She flushed slightly at the memory. She wondered whether or not he looked out those windows at her after he disappeared up the stairs. Of course not, she scolded herself. Don’t be ridiculous, Maya.
She covertly sneaked glances at Mary, the somewhat older, but still quite beautiful, receptionist behind the desk. She was perfectly coifed, styled and polished within an inch of her life. Of course she was. Jamie Sellers’s office gatekeeper could only be the pinnacle of style and grace.
She thought about Jamie’s reputation. It’s not like she had Googled him, but—okay, she’d Googled him. A quick search had revealed many news stories. Well, mostly postings on Montreal Secrets, in which he was reputed to have bedded all sorts of famous, glamorous and beautiful women.
Maya looked down and took in her own suit. A gray jacket and slim pants and a white blouse paired with some killer dark red heels which normally made her feel like a million bucks. She thought the ensemble was stylish and had always felt comfortable in it. However, next to Mary she felt bland and boring. She sighed quietly and consulted her watch, while her left leg twitched up and down—a nervous tic she had been scolded about since childhood.
Maya was nervous. She knew that she was overqualified for the job, but a small part of her thought that maybe, just maybe, she had been hired because she kissed him. Had her parents been right? Had he hired her because he thought she would be easy access for a little afternoon delight in the office? I mean, he probably thinks I’m some easy girl who wouldn’t think twice about lifting her skirt for her boss. Her nerves somehow turned to anger. How dare he? Well, I’m here to work, and if he’s just looking for some office sidepiece to fill his needs, if that’s what he thinks I’ll be, he’s wrong. I’ll show him just how hard I can work as his assistant.
“Jamie’s running a little late this morning,” Mary told her, interrupting her thoughts. “He shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Thank you,” she responded with a small smile, grateful for the break from her thoughts.
“Can I get you anything? Some espresso or sparkling water?”
“No, thank you. I’m fine.”
Something buzzed on Mary’s desk. She touched a button on her headset. “Certainly, Jamie. She’ll be right in.” She turned to Maya. “You can go in now.”
Maya stood and brushed imaginary lint from her pants and jacket. “Thank you.” She pushed through the heavy door. And with her heart pounding against the inside of her chest, she walked slowly into the large office. She took in her surroundings and she was astounded by what she saw—a seating area with a sleek leather couch and armchair, a wet bar with a small selection of premium alcoholic beverages and a kitchenette with an espresso machine. One large window showed the city skyline for miles.
“Oh, wow, what a view,” she spoke softly, to herself.
He was seated at his desk, his face obscured as he looked down at some documents. His dark hair was shiny from the sunlight that was pouring in. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn’t even register her appearance in his office until she was standing in front of the desk. His head rose and she was hit with that face once again, making her gasp a little. His light blue eyes, high cheekbones, straight nose and that strong square jaw which seemed to be perpetually covered with a five o’clock shadow, even at ten in the morning, all combined to send her uncontrollable hormones into a tizzy.
“Ms. Connor,” he said with a smile before standing to shake her hand. “Thanks for accepting my offer and for coming in today.”
“Thank you so much for the opportunity.”
He smiled again, his white teeth glistened. “Please sit down. I’ll just go through the details of the job and expectations, and then you can head over to HR to get settled away with your compensation and other personnel details.”
Maya relaxed when he started talking about the job. Of course, he would be professional. He didn’t hire her to be his personal bedmate. He was a businessman, after all. He passed over documents and folders and explained what each one was. She nodded, attempting to keep it all straight in her head.
“If
