Page 36 of Company Ink

"Mhm," I hum, starting to see why people avoid Blake. The man is harder to read than Egyptian hieroglyphics. "So... how long is Nancy gone for?"

"However long it takes to get her affairs in order. I'm not at liberty to discuss the nature of her departure. But I anticipate she should be back within two months."

Two months with a human-robot? Great. I have the equivalent of a blow-up doll as one superior and Commander Data as the other. That's just peachy.

"Is there anything you'd like for me to work on for you?" I ask, opening my notebook.

"A few things," Blake begins. "Seeing as it'll be virtually impossible for you to conduct the same duties as Nancy while also working forAdrian, your tasks will be primarily to organize my meetings and plan Client Appreciation Night. I'll most likely require your help with some paperwork as well, but I'll assign that on the day. You should already have access to Nancy's hard drive and files."

I scribble down everything he's saying as fast as humanly possible. I hope I'll be able to read my notes later. Blake continues, "There's an emergency meeting scheduled for tomorrow morning with Wagner Corp. I'll need you to procure catering and refreshments, as well as set up the boardroom accordingly. Nancy should have notes on the preferences of the Wagner executive team. Please make sure you read them carefully. Everything must be perfect."

Perfect? Yikes. Clearly, I have big shoes to fill. "Wagner Corp?" I ask, jotting down the name of the company so I can Google them later.

"Yes, we're currently representing them in a merger with Lance Foundation," Blake trails off and gives me a detailed and meticulous run down of both companies and their respective operations. By the time he's finished, I have four pages of notes, my hand is cramped, and I really need to pee.

"Alright, I think I'm good to go," I say, rolling my neck in an attempt to loosen the kinks. "Is there anything else you need from me today Mr. Pearson?"

"No, I believe we've covered everything urgent. I'll email you if anything else comes up."

"Okay, cool." I stand up and head for the door. "Oh!" I turn around. "One question."

"Yes?" Blake perks up an eyebrow. "What is it, Cassandra?"

"Nancy's office...am I allowed to use it?"

"Of course," he says and a wide smile spreads on my face. "That is if it's okay with Adrian. I wouldn't want to step on his toes seeing as I've already borrowed his PA."

My smile fades into a frown. "Thanks, I'll check with him."

"We'll talk soon, Cassandra," he says kindly.

"You can call me Cassie," I inform him with a smile.

Blake smirks, looking at me with surprisingly bright eyes. "Goodbye,Cassandra."

I purse my lips. What am I going to do? Spaz out at him for using my full name? It's not like I hate it—I've just always assumed it sounded boring; although, the way Blake says my name, with such fluidity and grace, it's starting to grow on me.Cassandra the Great!Has a nice ring to it.

I exit his office and walk back to my desk, plopping myself down clumsily. That didn't go as badly as I thought it would; Blake's...bearable, odd...but bearable. Plus, it doesn't hurt that he's easy on the eyes. No. We're not doing this again, Cassie. Disregard appearance. Focus on something else. Anything else for God's sake. I seriously have an issue. Do I need counseling? No. That's silly. It's completely normal to admire the beauty of others; it's human nature. That's right. It'snatural. Completely and utterly normal. I take a deep breath and pull up the messenger system. I've got bigger fish to fry anyway. Here goes nothing.

Cassandra Carrington: Can I move to Nancy's office? Mr. Pearson said it's okay with him

I get a reply immediately.

Adrian Cavallero: No

I scoff.

Cassandra Carrington: why not?

Adrian Cavallero: Because I said so

Cassandra Carrington: That doesn't seem like a good reason

Adrian Cavallero: I'm your boss, I don't need a good reason

Cassandra Carrington:ugh

Adrian Cavallero: Don't roll your eyes at me

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