Page 4 of Hooked on Lane

I tapped away at my computer, attempting to get through my never-ending email inbox. Despite my best efforts, the task seemed insurmountable. My eyes darted over to Laura, my best friend who had been stuck with Mr. Curran since day one. He was notorious for losing his temper, especially when the job wasn’t going perfectly, and he loved to yell right outside his office door in front of the entire staff. His office door slammed open almost every day as he bellowed criticisms of her work, regardless if she’d done anything wrong or not. He stomped around, face red with anger and spit flying from his lips. Everyone else averted their gaze to avoid becoming a target themselves. He was a complete menace.

Mr. Curran perched behind his desk since dawn, wearing a pair of glasses on the edge of his nose and a deep scowl that never seemed to fade. Laura stayed until late in the evening to keep up with him, her eyes heavy and back aching from hours of sitting at her desk. Her hours were much longer than mine. Hell, Mr. Curran doesn’t believe in work-life balance. If there was work to be done, they were staying until it was completed. Whereas, my boss strutted in a bit before eight in the morning and left by six every day, never staying past seven.

My gaze shifted from one end of the inbox to the other, watching as the number of emails dwindles from over a hundred to thirty-four. I knew what was coming—Mr. Longford wasgoing to announce his retirement to the clients. His replacement would need to be briefed to take over all his ongoing cases. I could just imagine competing firms biding their time and waiting for this news so they could swoop in and try snatching up our corporate clients with lucrative offers once they got wind of his retirement. It was such an underhanded move, but part of the game.

I read two more emails marked urgent, archiving them in a folder before standing up and walking over to Laura’s cubicle. We were like sisters, but right now her focus was on her computer—her fingers typing away as she bit down on her lower lip. “Did you know Mr. Longford is retiring?” She looked up, pausing from her work with a small shrug of her shoulders. “Yes, didn’t you?”

I waved my hands in frustration as she was still typing. “I’m his assistant! You would think I would be the first to know.”

Laura’s slender fingers stilled on the keyboard, and she grinned. Her eyes sparkled, as if it was a secret shared only between us. “Can you believe our luck? A guy that looks like that graces us with his presence. You are so lucky!” She wiggled her eyebrows before turning back to her computer.

Her sharp wit and quick tongue made me chuckle every time. She made me laugh even in the darkest of days at work, which was no small feat, considering most of the men had a permanent scowl on their face. Some of the newer partners were good-looking, but their attitude was less than desirable. It was all about how much money they were bringing in and they rejected any other topics of conversation in favor of self-aggrandizing stories about their achievements. They overestimated their worth compared to their salary.

I rolled my eyes and took a drink of my lukewarm coffee. “He’s just like all the rest,” I muttered under my breath. “I’ve got enough work to keep me busy for a year, and now I’ll have evenmore. But what choice do I have? Gotta pay the bills somehow, right?”

She leaned back in her chair. “Look, I don’t want to be negative Nancy, but Mr. Longford’s replacement is going to have it rough. The last three new guys flamed out within a month, and I’m stuck picking up their slack every time, because you know how my boss loves to work eighteen-hour days.” She glanced toward her boss’s office behind her. “It’s exhausting. If I didn’t have to worry about bills, I’d be out of here faster than you can say ‘overworked and underpaid.’”

Her computer chimed, the familiar sound of receiving a new email. Laura shook her head and continued typing. “Mr. Curran is on a warpath today. I swear he has emailed me twenty times already, and I haven’t even had time to finish my first cup of coffee. Why can’t he be the one retiring?” She patted her leg and leaned back in her chair. “Oh wait, there is always a chance I would get stuck with someone even worse.”

Mr. Curran strolled out of his office and his eyes landed on me. His pinstriped suit was immaculate, his expression scary. The disapproval was radiating off him as I sat on the edge of her desk. Laura peered up as his eyes shifted between the two of us. I chose my words and met his gaze without flinching. “Anyway, I’ll get out your hair.” I stepped away from her desk and his stern gaze followed me until I was back in my chair.

I contemplated all the changes that would come with his departure. Laura had been working longer days and I would soon be in her shoes.

As his assistant—oh, wait… Stupid me, I just assumed I was staying on as his assistant, yet I hadn’t even thought to confirm that with them.Surely they wouldn’t be letting me go?My fingers tugged at the hem of my shirt as I thought about my future with this company. What if he already had his own assistant? There would be no room for me.

I took a deep breath and tried to swallow the anxiety bubbling up in my throat. Years of experience had taught me to expect the needs of my boss. As Mr. Longford’s assistant, I was his scheduler, excuse maker, even wedding gift sender when necessary. I knew everything about his personal life, including what groceries he ordered.Pathetic, right?I started thinking about Mr. Kneeland. He was in his late thirties, had brown hair, a bit of scruff, and big brown eyes. Judging by his looks, he had no problems getting attention anywhere he went, and that worried me. Dealing with crazy ex-lovers or clingy one-night stands was not my thing. That was where I drew the line.

I stared at my computer, clicking away as emails and phone calls flew in from every direction. Suddenly, Mr. Longford and Mr. Kneeland emerged from the conference room, laughing uproariously. They walked right past my desk without stopping and went into his office. I took it the meeting went well.

My mouse pointer drifted over the home icon on my desktop before I double-clicked and brought up the shutdown option. I detached my phone from its charger, slipping it into my purse as I grabbed my keys. My work day was done, unless Mr. Longford had a last-minute request. I was looking forward to a long soak in the tub. The chair squeaked as I rolled it beneath the desk.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

He called out to come in.

I stepped in, my eyes shifting around the room. He was sitting at his desk with a pile of paperwork in front of him, his glasses perched on his nose. He waved me forward until I was standing next to Mr. Kneeland, who was sitting in a chair in front of his desk.

“Things going well today, sir? You seem more chipper than usual.”

He removed his glasses. “It’s all because of this guy. You’re going to like him. He has an old soul despite his young appearance.”

Well, there went my worries. “So, you are keeping me on as your assistant, then?” My eyes landed on his.

“I wouldn’t dream of anything else. Taking over his spot are some big shoes to fill, but hopefully you can keep me grounded. The master scheduler, he calls you.”

Before I started here, Mr. Longford had an assistant who couldn’t for the life of her keep his schedule straight. She kept overbooking him for meetings, and when they let her go, he found my application. “I'm great at making sure you don't have to be in two places at once.” Mr. Kneeland was staring at me, and I didn’t dare meet his eyes. “Well, it was nice to meet you.”

“I’ll see you in the morning with another cup of coffee. I stop on my way to work, so I can save you a trip. Mr. Longford said your favorite is a venti mocha with extra whipped cream and two extra shots of espresso?”

A grin crept onto my face. “Precisely, sir.”

“Oh, and don’t call mesir. No offense to my partner here, but I’m not a sir. You can just call me Lane.”

He wanted us to be on a first-name basis after one day?

“Understood. See you tomorrow, Mr. Longford and Lane,” I said, shutting the door behind me before grabbing my purse off the floor and racing for the elevator.

Tomorrow should be interesting…

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