Page 17 of Strings
I breathe a sigh of relief and offer a silent prayer that someone pushes the asshole off his balcony and he never comes back. I hope I never see the sick son of a bitch ever again.
“This is Mr. Bordo’s office. He’ll take it from here. Have a nice day.”
I watch her strut away and wonder why she seems to detest me so much. Was the Photoshop comment really that bad? Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned Tinder. I’ve never had a social media account in my whole life. I thought acting like I knew things would make me seem more normal. I guess not.
“She’s like that with everyone. In case you were wondering.”
I turn toward the voice of a woman who appears slightly older than me. Her smile is bright and friendly and she has the kindest eyes I’ve ever seen. Her blond hair is in a ponytail and her clothes are slightly disheveled and a little too tight in all the wrong places.
“Hi, I’m Amy Farmer, your assistant.” She makes a slight curtsy to me and then wrinkles her face as if she instantly regrets it. I try hard not to smile. “Uh, it’s really nice to meet you, Mrs. Pearson.”
I have an assistant? This is crazy! I try to appear as if I’m not surprised. “Ms. I’m not married. And please, call me…” I almost say Nat, but the image of a bug buzzing around her head makes me rethink my decision. “Talia.” Damn that man.
She smiles. “I’m so excited to be working with you. It’s really an honor. I saw your résumé. Wow!”
I smile awkwardly. “If it’s okay with you, I’d rather forget my past positions and only focus on the present.”
“Of course! Anything you want, Ms…. I mean Talia. It’s such a beautiful name.”
“Thank you. It was my grandmother’s name.”Liar, liar, pants on fire.I can’t help but lie. I’ve done it all my life. It’s easier to lie then to tell the truth. The truth makes you vulnerable. A lie is a layer of protection. I don’t ever want anyone to know the real me. With every fabrication, I place another brick on my wall. No one will ever break through. I won’t allow it.
“Amy isn’t anyone’s name in my family. I wish I had a name like yours. It fits the job so well. It sounds regal and kind of rolls off your tongue like butter. Although I guess butter doesn’t really roll. You can put it on rolls though.”
She pauses and sighs like she’s mentally berating herself. I smirk when she’s not looking. She might actually be the most nervous person I’ve ever met. “Amy’s a great name.”
“It’s a great name for an assistant and that’s what I am. Speaking of being your assistant, I should tell you that my job is to help you with everything and anything you need. I’ve been here for the last ten years, so I’m super familiar with everyone and every part of the job. I’ll do whatever you tell me to, no questions asked. I’ll get you a drink or… Oh my gosh, I didn’t even offer you a drink. Do you want something? Coffee, water, soda, tea? What do you like?”
She doesn’t give me a chance to respond before she continues.
“I guess I’ll find that out eventually because obviously you’ll probably want me to have it ready for you when you get to work, but if you want me to get it now, I can. I can go to the cafeteria and grab something. Or if you’d rather, I could go get you Starbucks. Or do you like Dunkin’ Donuts coffee better? I mean, it sure does seem like people always prefer one way more than the other. Unless you don’t like coffee, then I can get you a soda. Do you like Coke or Pepsi, because, again, it sure does seem like it’s always one or the other. Unless you like Sprite, or maybe you drink diet soda, although you’re really skinny and pretty so you don’t need diet anything. Unless you prefer water. I can get you a bottle or a cup, unless you—”
I interrupt her before my head spins off my shoulders. “No, thank you. I’m fine. And I never expect you to get me anything to drink unless you’re getting something for yourself. We can definitely cover all those details after I meet with Mr. Bordo. I think he’s waiting for me.”
She snaps her fingers and seems embarrassed. “Oh yeah, that’s why I’m here. He got called into a meeting and asked me to start the tour with you now. Is that okay?”
“Sure.”
She fidgets with a button on her sleeve and I can tell she doesn’t know what to say. Then, her eyes widen as if she just thought of a brilliant idea. “Do you want to see your office?”
Glancing around, I see a lot of doors. I make a promise to God that I’ll do the very next thinganyoneasks of me if he keeps me far away from Mercer and his hands. “I’d love to.”
“Great. You’re downstairs on the second floor, so how about we head down there now?”
I feel my shoulders slump in relaxation as I thank my lucky stars. “Downstairs would be lovely.”
Amy seems to notice my reaction. “Are you okay?”
“I’m great—fine. Shall we go?” I motion for her to lead the way. The sooner we get off this floor, the sooner I can forget Mercer.
“Right this way!” She takes off like a bat out of hell. She’s a fast walker. If not for my heels, I might be able to keep up with her, but I doubt it.
She notices I’m lagging behind and cringes. “Oh, sorry. It’s a habit. We’re always rushing around to get things done in Events and I’ve learned to be speedy about everything. I know you wouldn’t think I’m quick because, well… I’m chunky, but I really do hustle. I promise you. I won’t let you down. I’ll work really hard.”
She bows her head in shame and I’m horrified. She seems like such a nice person, and I get the feeling she’s been made to feel like she’s not enough. It sickens me.
I touch her arm. “First of all, I’m not the least bit worried about you letting me down. I can already tell that you’re going to be my best asset here. And secondly, don’t ever lower your head like you’re ashamed in front of me or anyone. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You are absolutely gorgeous and your smile was the very first thing I noticed about you. It lights up a room. You’re perfect exactly how you are.”
“I’m… I’m sorry. I just…”
