Love In The City

The Assistant

                                                             Raul POV

   I awoke at six and jumped out of the bed. I had a meeting with the Krieger’s in an hour and I couldn’t be late. After a quick shower and getting dressed, I had about twenty minutes to be there. I grabbed the file off the table where I laid it last night after studying it and headed out the door.

I somehow arrived ten minutes early, though I wasn’t sure how. I sat in the small conference room and waited. A few minutes after the older balding man entered with his son.

“Hope we aren’t late.” James Krieger shook my hand.

“Not at all, I haven’t been here long myself,” I said.

“I take it you received the files in time?” The younger Krieger, Jimmy asked me.

“I did and I would be willing to extend the agreement out on one condition,” I said.

“Sure, what is that?” James Krieger asked. He had handed over the company to his son, but it had been losing money in the last few quarters. I had a lot of respect for his father and stepped in to help them turn it back around.

“I need to do an inspection of this new proposal you have. Is there a good time I can come check out the site?” I asked.

“Sure how about next weekend?” He asked. Next weekend was my time with Mari and I couldn’t do it then.

“That won’t work for me, is there a weekday I could come out?” I countered.

“Well, we would like you to experience all it offers, is there a better weekend you could do it?” Jimmy looked up from his laptop he was setting up on the table.

“I suppose this weekend could work, but what if we did maybe Thursday through Saturday would that work out?” I wanted Sunday off to relax and catch up on other projects I had been neglecting this past week. I also spent my weekends with Mari.

“That will work; I will send all the information to your office,” Jimmy reached into his briefcase and handed me a folder.

We talked a while longer before ending the meeting. The folder contained the monthly finance reports from the Resort. Hopefully, this new project would be just what they needed to get them out of debt. If they couldn’t get out of debt, the company would go to me. Though I normally wouldn’t mind that deal I liked the Krieger’s and wanted them to succeed. He was an old friend of my fathers.

I stopped off and grabbed a cappuccino on the way to the office, and though I barely had any sleep, the day was turning out good so far.

It was almost nine when I entered the office, and I was glad I didn’t have any further meetings until lunch.

“Hey there Boss how was your mini-vacation?” Mrs. Violet the Receptionist asked.

“It was good, we went to Disney. I’m of course drained, after the long drive back, do I have any messages?” I sat my briefcase on top of the desk.

“I have forwarded all calls to your Assistant as per Mr. Donovan,” She said.

“That’s right, I almost forget she was starting today. I guess I better go introduce myself.” I headed back towards my office balancing my briefcase in one hand and my coffee, I nudged my door open. The desk to my right where my assistant would sit was empty. I hope she wasn’t slacking on her first day.

Opening the second door to my private area, I placed my briefcase next to my desk and sat down my coffee.

“Sir, your ex-wife is on line one, Do you want me to put her directly through or send it to your assistant?” Violet’s voice came through the intercom.

“Put her through please, and for the last time she was not my wife.” Well, so much for my cheery morning, I thought as I picked up the receiver and greeted Elizabeth.

“You could have called my cell phone,” I told her.

“I tried it goes straight to voice mail.” She said. I glanced down at my phone and mentally cursed. I must have forgotten to charge it last night. I would just have to send my assistant for a charger, I couldn’t go without my cell phone today and it was too far to drive back home for one.

“I know it's our turn to drive her down but...” She began.

“Elizabeth, I run a business and I have picked Mari up the last three times. I can’t keep missing work, it puts me behind. You will bring her down.”

“Raul I can’t. Brian has a Business dinner on Friday.” her whiney voice used to affect me but now I only found it irritating.

“Brian can attend his dinner, but you will bring her here. I am not playing anymore, ever since you married him you have shunned your obligations and if you don’t start remembering I will sue for sole custody.” Soon I needed to have a conversation with her and get visitation in writing. I am tired of the back and forth.

“You know I love her, how could you say that?” Elizabeth said.

“I know you love her but it doesn’t change the fact that I am the only one giving up things for her. You put your husband first over our daughter and it is going to stop now. You can keep her this weekend and bring her next if that helps. It will allow me to catch up on some things here,” I had been making the drive for the past month and it was affecting my business.

“Very well, can I drop her off early next Friday?” Elizabeth's voice was back to normal now that she got her way.

“Yes, and Elizabeth, don’t play games with me, I expect you to be here when you say you will be here,” Just then I see a head of soft brown of curls alerting me I wasn’t alone. I assume the woman was my new assistant.

“I will be there around ten on Friday, should I just come to your work with her?” She asked me.

“Yes, I will see you Friday and Elizabeth, make sure you pack plenty of clothes for her, and a dress,” I hung up with Elizabeth and got up to greet my new assistant. I hoped she didn’t mind running an errand on her first day, even if it was a part of her job. I just hated being the jerk boss.

“Excuse me, you must be my new assistant,” The woman sat at her desk with her head engrossed in what looked like files. When she looked up, I’m immediately taken back by her beauty. She wore her curly hair down, framing her face perfectly, and those eyes, they looked so familiar.

“It’s you? There is no way I will work for a jerk like you!” She seemed angry, and I didn’t understand why. She looked so familiar, and I realized just how familiar she looked. Then she slapped me. Yes, the woman actually slapped me. “Let me guess playboy you don’t even remember my name?”

Oh, I remember her alright. It hadn’t even been a week since I left her in the hotel room. I was going to kill my partner right after I fired my new assistant.