Page 8 of The Billionaire's Contract Baby

She let out a short laugh and smiled.” We certainly can. I just feel overwhelmed at the moment, and I don't want to step on your toes. However, suddenly getting promoted after just spending two days at my previous job is alarming." Her eyes twinkled as she spoke - teasing me to tell the truth.

"Do you want me to send you back there?"

"No, no. Lorenzo, I'm fine here. This job is a great opportunity, and I'm grateful. I just want to know why I suddenly got this great chance. I feel like I'm an imposter and don't deserve it. If I knew the reason, it would ease the discomfort." She leaned forward, her bosom pushing the fabric of her blouse farther apart.

I gulped; she was doing this unintentionally. “I understand. You don't need to doubt yourself, as I believe you're qualified. The fact is, I've been looking for an assistant for a while now, but I haven't been impressed by the people I've seen. Most especially, I need someone I can trust to take this position. Seeing you the other day made me think that you'd be perfect for the job considering our shared history and our… friendship." It was a mix of the truth, and some lies, but it sounded believable. She looked convinced.

"That makes sense. Still, I would have appreciated it if you told me, and I gave you my answer directly. When Edward called me to his office to inform me, I thought I had done something wrong like bringing down the entire Rosii empire. Whew, thank God I didn't." She fanned herself in mock relief.

"You're an interesting woman, Crystal. I wanted to give you a special surprise. Nonetheless, I'm glad you agreed to join me here. It means a lot to me."

"The pleasure is all mine, and I'm glad you can put your trust in me. I won't fail you."

"Good." I pulled out my laptop from my briefcase, turning it on. She looked at me - waiting for my directions. "Since you are my assistant, we would be working closely together. Which includes meetings, travels, setting up my schedule and keeping tabs on company employees. Note, I could have an impromptu flight that would require you to leave your home at odd hours. Hope that won't be a problem?"

"None, whatsoever." She shook her head enthusiastically.

"Good. Let me get you up to speed." I helped her get connected with the company's apps and internal operations. She caught on quickly, able to navigate the programs easily. I shared my schedules so she could arrange them. We got to work immediately. I showed her the way around things she didn't understand and got her acquainted with the company policies and regulations.

After spending most of the morning together, I looked up from my laptop to see her typing a note from a file into her own laptop. Checking my wristwatch, I saw it was past one and it was time for lunch break. "Crystal, stop working for a while. Let me show you around the company, then we can have lunch together."

She stopped typing and flexed her fingers. "Yes, please. I need some break from work, boss." She smiled brightly at the suggestion.

I rose from my seat, shutting off my laptop. She got the cue and did the same. We both made our way out of my office. This time, I didn't hold her hand, but I itched to do it. I opened the door to let her pass through first, and I followed behind. The upper floor was now busy with people walking about from one room to the other. I strode beside her, telling her about the different areas she should note and who were the big players in the company.

We used the elevator to go down to the lower floor. From there, I gave her a tour of the lobby. I could see that she was impressed by the grandeur of the place. The high ceilings, the marble floors, the intricate chandeliers… everything about the space was designed to make visitors feel welcome and at ease. I could see that she was taking everything in, and I was happy to see a wide smile on her face.

"This is the main lobby," I said, gesturing around the room to all the embellishments. "We try to keep it as open and inviting as possible to give visitors a sense of the warmth and hospitality we pride ourselves on here at Rosii."

Crystal nodded, taking everything in. "It's beautiful. Though I saw it before, taking in this sight again is marvelous." Her voice filled with wonder. A woman with nerdy-looking glasses almost crashed into her. Instinctively, I pulled her into my arms. The woman rushed by without apologizing for her blunder. In my arms, Crystal's soft body pressed close to mine. I could feel how stiff she kept herself. For a moment, I relished the opportunity it gave me to have her head resting on my chest.

"Is it safe now?" Her voice was muffled.

"Yes…" I let go of her, feeling her warmth and fresh cologne draw farther away.

I composed myself. From there, I took her to the production area, where we made our wines. As we walked through rows of barrels, I could see that she was fascinated by the process.

"This is where the magic happens. Rosii Wines is a luxury brand, and we ensure to only use the best ingredients to give our consumers a memorable experience. " I said, smiling. I explained the process of how we make our wines, from the harvesting of the grapes to the final bottling. Crystal seemed fascinated by the complexities of it all, and I was happy to see that she was genuinely interested in what I had to say. As we walked through the production area, I could see her taking notes. I knew that she was already adding this fact to the list of things she should understand as my assistant.Good girl.

After the production area, we moved on to the tasting room, one of my favorite places in the company. Here, a team of sommeliers who were experts in the art of wine tasting resided. I introduced Crystal to our head sommelier, who was more than happy to take her through a tasting of some of the best we had to offer. As we sipped the various wines, I could tell that Crystal was enjoying herself. She asked intelligent questions about the different flavors and aromas.

I was impressed by her ability to pick up on the subtle nuances of each wine. I could see that she had a natural talent for the art of wine tasting, and I was excited to see where this could lead. She was flushed from taking mouthfuls of the different savory wines. I waved off the sommeliers and touched her cheeks. She had a hazy look in her gem-like eyes.

"Hey, stay with me. You've had enough. Let's leave. I hope you still have room for food in there?" I rubbed my thumb on her cheek and pointed at her stomach.

She raised her hand and touched my chest. She seemed to teeter. I held her so she wouldn't fall. "The wines are heavenly. I don't think I've had anything like that before. I probably still have spare space for food." She winked as she let out a dazed giggle.

I put my arm around her waist and steadied her as I led her out. I knew how this would look, but I didn't care at that moment. We passed gawking staff who stayed rooted as they saw me lead her out of the building. When we got out, the sun warmed up our faces quickly and dispelled some of the drunken state Crystal was in.

"Oh, my God, I'm so sorry… I don't know what came over me." Her face grew redder.

I pinched it, earning a cute furious look from her. "Next time don't drink so much so fast. Don’t worry, you're fine with me."

She breathed a sigh of relief and closed her eyes to enjoy the heat of the sun. Then she said, "Lorenzo, I have to tell you, I'm really impressed by everything you've built here. Your company is amazing, and you're an incredible businessman. I now have a peek into the mind of one of the most powerful men in America."

I smiled, feeling a sense of pride. "Thank you," I said. "It's been a lot of hard work, but it's all worth it when I see people like you enjoying the fruits of our labor by tasting our wines. I should probably give you some bottles home."

"I would appreciate that. My friend will be thrilled."

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