Page 8 of Part of Me
Her long, black hair is poker straight and her make-up is always perfect. She is a true beauty, which I tell her weekly. She is wasted behind this desk, but she seems happy enough in her work.
“Tom came home last night and told me that he thinks we need a break. Then I get in to work this morning and Miss Deana calls me to her office,” Maggie says with a sigh. Deana is the owner of this fashion house, so when you get called to her office, you know that it is serious.
“And?” I prompt her, hoping to God that she hasn’t been called in for anything bad.
“And she tells me that she wants me to start to working alternate weekends.” Maggie’s facial expression doesn’t disguise her disgust at this news.
“What? Work weekends?” I say, wondering why this sudden change in office hours is occurring.
“Yep. Apparently, things are so busy around here that we are going to start opening on a Saturday. I’m sure that you will be called to Deana’s office at some point this morning. Just don’t tell her that I told you. I was meant to keep it secret.”
“Oh great.” I am about to ask her whether she is going to look for another job when Leyla, Deana’s personal assistant, comes waltzing over. Leyla is the type of girl that looks stunning, but when she opens her mouth, you just know that she is a first-class bitch. Her short brown hair is always styled to perfection, and her dress sense knows nothing about high street clothes. She is always kitted out in head-to-toe designer labels. I have to refrain from rolling my eyes at the way in which she sticks her nose in the air and totters over on her heels.
“Charlie,” she says as she reaches the reception desk. “Deana would like to see you in her office. Now.” Leyla doesn’t wait for me to answer, and I know the drill. If Deana wants you in her office, then you don’t keep her waiting. I look to Maggie quickly and she grimaces at me. She feels the same way about Leyla as I do.
As I follow Leyla to the lifts, we travel up to Deana’s office in silence. The air is thick with tension, but I always put that down to the way Leyla is with people. She may be good at organising Deana’s diary, but her social skills need some serious fine-tuning. The lift pings open and I follow Leyla out. She leads me to Deana’s office and just waltzes in without knocking on the door first. You would think that Leyla was the brains of this business if you didn’t know any better. She exudes an air of superiority, but I have always been unsure why. As Deana comes into view, I can see slight irritation on her face, but she quickly masks it.
“I have brought Charlie in to see you,” Leyla says, almost as if she is serving me up as a main course.
“Thank you, Leyla,” Deana replies. “You may go now.”
“Oh.” Leyla is clearly put out by this development. I know that on previous occasions when I have been called in here, Leyla has always been present. I stand awkwardly, fidgeting with my hands. I take in Deana’s no-nonsense appearance as I wait for Leyla to leave. Her spiky black hair, her pursed red lips and her black rimmed designer glasses ooze authority. I don’t know how, they just do.
I have never been on my own with Deana, so I am way out of my comfort zone. I wonder if Maggie was in here on her own? Deana watches Leyla as she leaves her office and closes the door behind her. Once Leyla has vacated the room, Deana’s face breaks into a smile, making her look younger than her forty-two years.
“Charlie, please take a seat,” Deana says as she gestures for me to sit in the chair on the opposite side of her desk. I take in a deep breath and make my way to the chair. I sit down and cross my legs as I await the news that I am going to have to start working on a Saturday. “Would you like a drink?” she asks, startling me.
“No thank you,” I reply. I have never been offered a drink before, so this is all new to me.
“Okay. I won’t keep you long as I know that things are crazy around here right now,” Deana begins. “So, Charlie, I have been watching you working for a while now and I have to say that I am very impressed with the way in which you deal with our clients, customers and fashion connections. You always exude a calm persona, and you deal with any enquiries efficiently and effectively.” I try to keep my face neutral at Deana’s words, but I can feel my eyebrows knitting together. I don’t see how this is relevant to the company working extra hours on a weekend. “To cut a long story short, I would like to offer you a new position within the company.”
“Oh,” I say before I can stop myself.
“I would like to offer you the position of being my personal assistant.” Deana sits back in her chair after divulging this piece of information as I sit there, with my mouth hanging open in shock. She wants me to be her personal assistant? What about Leyla? And why the hell would she want me to go from receptionist to PA? Questions run through my brain as I try to process what Deana has just offered me.
“I understand that this must have come as a bit of a shock.” I nod my head at Deana as she continues to speak. “I will give you until Wednesday to think about it, but I really can’t wait any longer.”
“But what about Leyla?” I ask, even though I don’t really give a shit about Leyla.
“I don’t wish to discuss Leyla,” Deana says, her demeanour changing from happy to pissed off with just that one answer.
“I’m sorry,” I say quickly. “It wasn’t my place to ask.”
“The less that you know, the better it is for you. I just need to know whether you are interested in this opportunity or not?”
“Yes, of course I am,” I answer eagerly.
“Great.” Deana starts to flick through a book on her desk. “Come back to me on Wednesday morning at nine o’clock with your answer. If your answer is yes, then I will have everything set in place for you to start your new position the following Monday.”
“Okay,” I reply, feeling completely gobsmacked. I stand up, figuring that I have been dismissed.
“Oh and, Charlie, keep this between just us. I don’t have to tell you about how this development could make things awkward.” I just nod at Deana and turn to leave her office. She doesn’t need to tell me that anyone finding out what she has offered me could make things difficult.
I leave her office and feel Leyla’s eyes narrow on me as I walk past her desk. I don’t say a word. I just make my way to the lift and press the button to go back down to the ground floor. I don’t relish the idea of not being able to tell Maggie, but I know that I can’t betray Deana’s trust in me to keep quiet. She is my boss after all.
Chapter Seven
I get back home at about six in the evening after dodging Maggie’s questions all day long. I feel awful for not telling her what Deana offered me, but I need to keep this under my hat for now. I unlock the front door and walk in to the sound of music playing in the kitchen. I close the front door, take my shoes and jacket off and make my way to the kitchen. I pause in the doorway as I see Luke cooking, his hips swaying slightly to the music. As Drake, ‘Started from the Bottom’ plays, I listen to Luke singing along. He is so out of tune, and it makes me giggle. He turns around in surprise as I burst into full scale laughter at his shocked expression.
