Page 4 of Catalyst

“He’s a brilliant, kind, and exacting man. He will expect perfection in all things unless something is out of your control. He’s a phenomenal boss but can be a bit of a grump when he’s stressed.”

Tessa continues, telling me more about how Adam prefers his office to run, what he’ll expect from me, as well as things that are a surefire way to piss him off. The main takeaways I’ve gathered are to be thorough with his schedule and to take the extra time to ensure the job is done accurately the first time.

Then she goes through all of my job duties, explaining how the calendar system works, how bad Adam is at keeping up with it, and all the important projects they’re focused on right now. It all sounds really straightforward and similar to other assistant jobs I’ve done.

“Unfortunately, you’re stuck training with Matthew and me this week since Adam is in New Orleans. The timing on this trip is not ideal, but if we get past the courting stage, it’ll be worth it.”

As the morning progresses, we stick to the couch to keep Tessa comfortable. She teaches me how to use the coffee machine and explains that making coffee for Adam is a necessary evil if I want to keep my office even remotely tidy. Apparently, he’s not very good with all the buttons, and things tend to explode on him.

I help Tessa put together a few equipment contracts, answer emails, and basically do her job alongside her. I wish I would’ve had this kind of training at my other jobs. It would’ve made the transition a whole lot easier.

I can guarantee Tessa is training me this way so Adam and I are better equipped to work with each other. I’ll be able to handle anything he sends my way, and he will be able to do his job without worrying about me doing mine.

“Do I smell fresh meat?” a deep voice teases from the doorway, startling both of us. Matthew Ellis comes striding into Tessa’s office, his arrogance and swagger entering the room before he does. He sets two bulging plastic bags on the coffee table and then drags one of the chairs in front of Tessa’s desk closer to the table so he can sit.

“And you must be Ms. Trunchbull,” I retort, citing the burly headmistress fromMatilda.

Matthew busts out laughing.“Yes! Finally, a temp who has some humor. I’m Matthew, CFO, co-owner, and all-around funniest Ellis, if you didn’t know that already.” Matthew winks, a cheeky grin on his face. He holds out his hand, and I give it a quick shake as I introduce myself.

“I brought lunch and a message from Adam that says…” Matthew pulls out his phone. “Go home, Tessa.”

Tessa’s eyes roll so far back into her head, I’m surprised they didn’t get stuck back there. “Yes,Dad.”

Matthew laughs as he types, most likely relaying Tessa’s response.

Tessa turns to me to explain. “I’m on half days right now to keep my stress load minimal. I usually head home after lunch every day, which is why you’ll be stuck with this buffoon in the afternoons. I also have you set up to work with some of the other admins this week to get the lay of the land.”

My respect for Adam has grown by leaps and bounds today. From what I can tell, he genuinely cares about his employees. Just the fact that Tessa’s paid maternity leave is three months instead of the usual six weeks is astonishing. She told me she’s using her accrued PTO to finish out the year and get more time with her babies, which is why she’ll be gone for five months.

Matthew slips his phone back into his pocket and then starts dishing out the lunch he brought. “Ellie, I didn’t know what you’d want, so I got a little bit of everything from the Mexican place off Peach. Hope that’s okay.”

“I love that place! They have the best margaritas.”

“Accurate.” Matthew salutes me with his taco. If the rest of this week is as fun as I’m having today, I think I’ll be just fine in this job.

CHAPTER3

Adam

I click my pen,the noise echoing around my empty office. I flip it through my fingers until I chuck it onto my desk. Fidgeting isn’t my norm. In fact, I abhor the practice. It drives me crazy when I’m sitting in a meeting and someone keeps clicking their pen incessantly. Or tapping their finger or bouncing their knee. I grimace at the thought alone.

I wouldn’t say I’m nervous, just on edge. I’m supposed to meet the new temp today, and from what I’ve heard, Elliana will do well here.

I got a full report from both Tessa and Matthew, not to mention the emails I received from the people she shadowed.

Elliana Lancaster.

Twenty-seven. An associate’s degree in business administration from the community college in Westlake. Excellent experience as an assistant during her time at the temp agency.

Her résumé sits in front of me, teasing me with how little information it holds while still telling me everything I need to know. She’ll do well here based on what it says and from the feedback I’ve received from the people I trust. Let’s hope she lives up to the hype.

My trip to New Orleans was a success, but it means we’ll be busy over the next few months. Negotiations on the contract will take some time, then we’ll do a final run-through in person.

I’m going to need Elliana to be on top of her game if I want this project to go smoothly.

Talk about pressure for the new girl.

As the morning drags on, activity buzzes outside my office as people start their workdays. Elliana and I are meeting soon to start the get-to-know-you process. I figured I’d walk her through what happened in New Orleans, as well as the upcoming projects on my list. I’m sure Tessa went over a lot of it already, but I want to make sure we’re on the same page.

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