Chapter 12
KATE
What kind of boss hires someone without taking a look at their resume? I think it's the same type of person who doesn't do any research about their future boss. Although I couldn't figure out how it was possible, I felt calmer. Maybe being alone with him made me more comfortable.
"It's quite clear to me," I said.
"Not to me," he replied.
"Haven't you realized yet that I'm your new assistant, Mr. Ryan?"
"Oh, come on! I'm referring to how this happened."
"Well... I passed the test, and now I'm the new assistant to the CEO of Ryan. Didn't you know I would be your new assistant?" I asked sarcastically.
"Yes, I knew Miss Katherine Collins would start working here today. But I didn't know it was... you."
"I see that you don't usually research your future employees."
"I saw your resume. Your grades. Everything. I received excellent references from the university and many compliments from Miss Swan. But..." He seemed confused. "Did you know you would meet me here today?"
"No!"
"How could I let this happen?" He leaned forward, resting his closed fists on the table, looking genuinely irritated.
"I guess we can just continue as before. As if we had just met. That seems best..."
"Oh, come on!"
"What?"
"This is impossible!"
"So, what do you suggest? That I give up my job because you are my boss? I'm not going to give up on this because of this unexpected situation."
"Unexpected?" His eyes met mine. I could feel the anger in them, not directed at me but at the situation or maybe at himself.
"I just want you to understand that my work and my career are the most important things to me. You are my boss now, nothing more. I can assure you that I'll act in the most professional way possible. So I think we can just get on with our work now."
He inhaled, giving me a once-over. My skin burned with desire. I was getting wet just under his gaze. Damn. It was starting to feel like an impossible mission.
"Sit down." He sighed heavily. "Do you really think this will work?"
"Why not?"
Maybe because, in the last few weeks, you couldn't stop thinking about Mr. Ryan naked.
He sat down, and he indicated one of the armchairs in front of his desk. I sat down and looked at his lips and eyes, imagining his body under the suit. Damn! It was hard to look at him without desiring him. I had to adjust in the chair, feeling excitement between my legs. He leaned forward, searching for something in a drawer, pulling out some papers, and placing them on the table.
"Here's the contract... Sign it."
Sit down. Sign it. Is this how it's going to be from now on? Order after order? Him bossing me around all the time? I guess so. I took the papers and started reading mechanically because I knew he was looking at me.
"Just sign. You must have read these papers; Miss Swan must have given you a copy, right?"
"Yes." He handed me a pen. Could it be that he was even more impatient than me?
"Sign on every line at the end of the last pages."
With some difficulty because of his gaze, I did it.
"Done."
"Very well, Kat... Miss Collins. Miss McCartney will be here shortly to assist you. When I need you, I'll call. You can go back to your desk, which is behind that door. You must have seen it." He seemed a bit dazed, but I couldn't completely decipher him.
"Yes, sir."
That's my cue. I stood up and turned to leave, wanting to run away. I walked towards the door, trying to walk as normally as possible. Since when did walking become such a complicated task?
When I finally managed to leave the room and close the door, I leaned against it and took a deep breath, trying to relax. I saw what must be my desk and approached it. When I sat down on the white chair, the elevator doors opened. Miss McCartney smiled at me, carrying some papers.
"Hello!"
"Hello!" I returned the smile.
She advanced towards his office door, knocked, and then entered.
A few minutes later, she came out and stopped in front of my desk.
"Well, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Meg."
"Kate! Nice to meet you, Meg!" I stood up, shaking the offered hand.
"I guess you got lucky."
She whispered. "He doesn't seem as grumpy today. But anyway, let's get to work."
Meg spent the next thirty minutes explaining the papers on my desk and filling me in on Mr. Ryan's schedule and what the company had been working on in recent days.
"Come to think of it, I don't know if I can say you're lucky, Kate. He's far from being the friendliest guy in the world."
She offered me a kind smile. I was beginning to think it was out of pity.
"I heard some things about him—something about him having a difficult personality."
I tried to assimilate all the information I received about the man I already knew—the man I lost my virginity to. He didn't seem to be all that I had heard about him. Maybe I was completely mistaken; after all, we had only had sex.
"Difficult doesn't even come close. Let's just say he has fired dozens of people in the last few months. And he's been very irritable lately."
"Seriously?"
"You have no idea!" The phone rang.
I answered after seeing that it was him.
"Mr. Ryan?"
"I'd like a coffee."
What? Coffee? Seriously? Was this some kind of provocation? I wanted to tell him it wasn't my job and that I wasn't a damn waitress. But I thought better of it; it was my first day, and I would do anything to make it work, even get a damn cup of coffee.
"Alright, I'm on my way."
That's just what I needed, to become a waitress. Meg was staring at me, waiting.
"It looks like Mr. Ryan wants a coffee." I let my indignation show. She laughed.
"It must be some kind of test. Come on, I'll show you where to go."
"Seriously? Do I really have to do this? Can't he go get it himself?"
"Relax and get ready for worse things."
"Worse things? Alright. Let's go."
We went down to her floor. We passed through a corridor and some rooms where people watched us through the windows. We reached what must be the break room. Meg prepared coffee on one of the machines and handed it to me.
"He likes it strong and without sugar."
Bitter, how ironic.
"Does he make you get coffee for him?"
"No, but I always ask if he wants one when I get one for myself. Being courteous to the devil never hurts, right?"
She accompanied me back to the elevator as we laughed.
"So… can we have lunch together later? Then I can tell you more about your new boss."
"It's a great idea. See you later, Meg."
"Good luck! You'll be fine." The doors closed.
Now, it's just the two of us, Mr. Ryan.
I stopped in front of the door. Damn, I was still trying to assimilate everything. Shit, he's my boss. The man I had sex with for the first time is my freaking boss. What did I get myself into?
I knocked on his door.
"Come in."
"Your coffee, Mr. Ryan." The words came out more hostile than I wanted, as I couldn't control my indignation. I walked to his desk, placing the tray on it. He moved his gaze from the computer screen to my face.
I could almost swear I saw a smile there. I wanted to tell him to go to hell and that I was his personal assistant, not an intern.
"Is everything alright with Miss McCartney?"
Not even a 'thank you'?
"Yes. She updated me."
"Okay."
His eyes were on me, and I couldn't look away when he pressed two fingers to his lips, still staring at me. My heart rate increased.
"Do you need anything else, Mr. Ryan?" I asked before my panties dropped to the floor. He opened his lips for a second to speak but gave up. He shook his head.
"Excuse me." I left as quickly as possible. It sucked to know that he watched me every time I left his office.
Holding onto my desk, I started my work, following the instructions I had received. I checked Mr. Ryan's schedule for the day. Mr. Ryan... It was so strange to call him that. Nothing was scheduled for the day. So I started looking at the files.
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