16. Time To Take On The World

It's hard to believe I start working for Leon Camdon today.

Of all people and places I could've ended up, never did I think it would be here. I thought I'd still be living in my overpriced student accommodation, planning on moving out with my cheating ex while struggling to get by at my cafe job. But as I stare back at my reflection in the mirror, I can't help but feel a little proud of myself.

Even if the circumstances of the job are a little less than legit, I'm still here. And I'm still reaping the benefits.

I chose to wear a loose fitting black dress that falls down to my knees with subtle pleats. I pair it with nude kitten heels and add some mascara. Pretty. My hair looks slightly muddy cause I chose to wash it this morning, but my blonde highlights still filter through.

I'm slightly nervous, especially because I've never been a personal assistant before so I have no idea what I'm doing, but hopefully I'll be able to learn quickly on the job. That's if Leon doesn't try and make things any harder for me, even though I'm positive he will. Especially if he found out I'm still talking to Holland.

Last night he texted me saying he was thinking of me, and that we should go out again sometime. I know that I should stop, but I can't. On our last date, I felt like we actually kind of connected, and for the first time in a long time, I wanted to get to know him as a person rather than just fuck him. I don't know where these feelings are coming from, but they are holding me back from cutting it off. I don't want to.

But it's not like Leon has to know. It's my personal life, and so now that he's my boss, it would be completely unprofessional of him to interfere with it. And if he did, I could just report him. I don't know if that would work considering he is the top boss, but there's HR for a reason, right?

Anyway I'm getting ahead of myself, I don't need to think that far when I haven't even started yet. First I just need to make it to the office and get through the first day.

"I'm off to class!" Rory yells from the front door.

"See you later for movie night!"

I hear the pad of footsteps run over to my room to find a guilty looking face. "I'm so sorry, I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight. The guys want to take me to dinner and then I think I'm going to stay back at theirs. They want to keep an eye on me since the whole club incident." Rory looks sincere in her apology, and yet I still feel abandoned and angry.

It's ridiculous because these things happen and I' not going to get in the way of love and life, but I feel like before I know it, I'm going to lose my best friend to two guys she met the other day.

God, why am I so emotional lately? I must be about to get my period or something because this is not normal.

I flash Rory a smile. "All good, I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Love you," She blows me a kiss and I blow one back before she runs off.

Time to take on the world.

***

I stop in front of the towering building, looking up to the very top floor, which I can barely see from where I stand. No doubt that's where Leon's office is. I can't imagine how nice a view it must be, looking out over central park. I'd kill to see a view like that everyday. But now it's going to be the new normal.

Excitement buzzes in my veins as I move to walk inside. The lobby looks like a fancy hotel reception and the desk at the front is embellished by a beautiful framed artwork. Blues, reds and black are mixed together to create a contemporary masterpiece. From a small glance it looks so chaotic, but the further I stare at it, the more I see its purposeful strokes that line the canvas. It looks sorrowful and the person who painted it must've been going through something. I wonder—

"Hello, what can I do for you?" I'm caught off guard by the chirpy receptionist who looks at me expectantly. Her eyes are wide and it looks like she's had five coffees already. She's got long brunette hair tied back into a sleek ponytail and rocks some amazing winged eyeliner that I could never imagine accomplishing.

"Hey," I say confidently. "I'm Mr. Camdons new personal assistant."

"Amazing, you're smart for showing up early. The past five were fired on the first day because they showed up on time. Mr. Camdon likes his employees to be prompt and arrive early to accommodate for any mishaps."

That sounds like him.

The girl scrunches her face up and that bubbly look is gone from her eyes. "Oh my gosh I am so sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I'm sure that you will make a great personal assistant and there's no reason to doubt that you'll have a long career here at Camdon industries." She rambles on.

"It's alright, I know how he is." I assure, trying to calm her down before drawing any more attention than necessary.

"Perfect—Wait, how—Nevermind, My name is Cassidy and I'm the receptionist here. Mr. Camdon's office is on the top floor, so if you just take the elevator up, then you'll be set to go. He's currently got a temporary assistant working for him so she'll show you the ropes."

"Thank you, Cassidy." I give her a smile. "My name is Phoebe, it's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too Phoebe, I hope to get to know you better! I've got lunch at one if you wanna get a sandwich in the break room together. I can give you all the deets you need to know."

I like Cassidy, she seems like a good person. "Yeah, sure." I wave her off. "I'll see you then."

Just as I'm about to wander off to the elevator, she stops me in my tracks. "I think you should also know that Mr. Camdons current assistant is a bit of a handful, if you know what I mean." She cocks her head slightly, giving me an awkward smile.

I nod my head in understanding even though I don't quite get what she means. I guess I'm about to find out.

I step into the elevator with another businessman and he asks me what floor I'm going to. I tell him the top, and he hesitates, looking at me weirdly, before pressing it. When he gets out he shoots me a quick "good luck". Great, it seems like even his employees are terrified of him.

When I reach the top, I'm greeted by a beautiful waiting room decked out in all white. It's quite serene and peaceful to look at, however it also feels clinical and impersonal.

"You must be... Phoebe." A lady says as she comes out of a door to my left. She's tall and gorgeous like a supermodel. Long legs and a stick-slim body, why is this girl working here and not on a runway?

"That's me, it's nice to meet you..."

"Yes, well you may be early but if you make a single mistake today, you'll be out of here before you can even comprehend it." She sneers at me. Okay, I guess this is what Cassidy meant as a handful. And fine, don't give me your name, I'll just have to call you something else. How about, bitch?

"I will try not to make any mistakes then." I say overly cheerful. Kill her with kindness.

"Sure." She hums. "Come over this way, Mr. Camden would like to speak with you before you begin your training."

She begins walking off, expecting me to follow. I do, but it's rude nonetheless. The hallway is long and at the end of it is a window looking out onto the city view. I could live in a place like this. We stop outside a set of double doors, and she knocks softly on the door.

"Come in." I can barely hear his deep voice from the other side, and yet it made me shiver with anticipation. I'm terrified.

The bitchy assistant opens the door and steps inside, not bothering to keep it open for me. I give her back a quick death stare before my attention falls onto the desk on the other end of the room. Seated behind it is the man who hates my guts. And I can tell from the way he's looking in my direction right now.

"Here she is like you asked." The assistant purrs seductively. Oh, okay.

I move to step further in the room and away from the door, but she moves to stand in front of me instead. Leon looks back down at his paper and waves a hand. "You may leave, however I'd like to have a talk with you after."

The assistant nods her head and turns around giving me a bitch stare.

The door closes behind her and I'm left alone in the room with one of the wealthiest men in america. Despite the room being massive and him being quite a far distance away from me, it feels as if he's taking up the whole room and that every breath I take is because he's letting me.

Leon looks up from his work and his dark eyes rake over me before settling on my eyes.

"It's time you and I talk."