Page 8 of Sassy Love
“I don’t understand?” I ask. She just gave me the job.
“Our business manager quit last week, and we can’t afford to let anything slip. Margins are tight this time of year and with our current contracts, etc.”
“Oh, sure.”
I breathe a sigh of relief as she picks up the receiver and talks softly. God, the last thing I could take would be losing another freaking job. As it is, I’m going to have to allocate twenty-five percent of my wage to Mills. Luckily, she was happy moving in with me after Carlson...
We’ve lived together before. Not long after we first met.
“Sorry about this. I’ll find Nadia to show you around while I take this next appointment,” Serelle says, plucking up the phone again before hitting a button.
I glance around her office from my vantage point at her door. Her shelves are packed with treasures of a life well-traveled. Her sleeveless light-green linen dress hangs off her wiry frame. Her light brown curly hair is like a cloud around her head and shoulders, lined with streaks of silver.
Kind eyes find mine, and she gives me a sweet smile as she hangs up. “Right, about tomorrow, you will have onboarding with whoever I hire today. Along with Nadia, she does all the intakes.”
“What time do you need me here?”
“Oh, half eight should be good. Nadia, will you show Carlie to the executive office, please?”
A meek petite, curly haired brunette with oversized glasses appears in the hall, as if she’d anticipated this. “Yes, hello, I’m Nadia.” She holds out a hand, beaming.
I shake her hand and feel like some kind of Amazonian giant standing beside her in my four-inch heels. Her weathered tweed skirt suit makes me feel overdressed. I offer her a tight smile, and she nods, walking down the hall. We pass the foyer where I first arrived and walk past the front desk. Two guys in suits sit in the plastic chairs, both looking down, both engrossed. One with his phone, the other with a tattered paperback. Neither look up as I cross the small room and follow Nadia into the office.
A long corridor dotted with plain white doors flanks us and I take in my surroundings as much as I can as she prattles on about the facilities.
Copy and supply room to the left.
Break room to the right.
Social workers and a therapists’ suite take up the rest of the doors on the left, which takes us to the end of the corridor that opens up to a large open office floor space.
“Sorry, it’s a little crowded.” She offers up an apologetic smile as we weave through a sea of desks where staff are currently working. They look up as I walk through, nodding with tight smiles.
“Hi,” says an older man, balding with suspicious light blue eyes and a crinkled shirt, crooked tie, and the messiest desk I’ve ever seen. His trash can is full of candy wrappers, which explains the distance between his chair and desk. Stifling a grimace, I set my eyes on the glass-walled corner office that Nadia currently stands in front of.
“This is you, and, well, the business management guy. Whoever that will be.”
“Thanks.” I walk inside to find a large white table that looks more like an old dining table than office furniture. Shelves run along the wall under another large window. Two non-ergonomic chairs, one grey and the other a weird orange color, sit at either end of the table. I wander to the window to find views of the city. There’s one large potted faux fig, a dented trash can that looks like it’s been used as the staff football, and a cart with charging docks where two bricks of laptops sit.
Good lord, no wonder the place is running on fumes. Not exactly inspiring staff morale—or any morale, to think of it.
“Thanks, Nadia. Is it okay if I bring my own supplies in? Laptop, chair, etc.?”
She looks surprised but nods. “Absolutely. You’ll have to get the passwords from the tech guy so you can log in to our systems, but that shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Great.” I give her a smile that is part excitement, part my keenness to make a difference here. Even if it’s only the office decor.
“Well, since there’s only the two of you for onboarding tomorrow, I guess we could do it in here.” She glances around the room.
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll see you out, then.”
We pass the bald candy guy, and he gives me a cringy thumbs up as his gaze drifts up my body. I return a tight smile and pick up my pace, ignoring the uncomfortable heat snaking down my spine. Nadia waves me off as I spill into the foyer. Instantly, cedar and spice hit me. Man smell.
Delicious.
That reminds me, it’s been at least a fortnight since I swiped right. Maybe I should celebrate tonight. I could go for an orgasm or five. The second the thought forms, I remember Mills is waiting at home for me.
