Replacing my ex

Chapter 10

Three days later, I was on my way to Legacy Tower for an interview. It was for the executive assistant job opening that Viola’s friend Jay had told us about.

It still felt surreal.

Only three days ago, I had been sitting across from Sam and Viola, trying to convince myself that my life wasn’t falling apart. Now I was dressed in the most professional outfit I could put together, carrying a folder containing my resume, and heading toward one of the most prestigious buildings in the city.

After Viola had texted Jay on Sunday night, he had gotten my number from her the following morning and called me almost immediately. He had sounded friendly and surprisingly straightforward.

The opening, he explained, was for an executive assistant to the CEO of Legacy Incorporated, a man named Cole Sterling.

“I’m texting you the job description now. Please send me your resume and we can go from there,” he had said.

“I can do that now,” I had replied. Then, after hesitating, I added, “I should tell you, though, there’s a three year gap on my resume.”

There had been a brief silence.

“I worked for my husband’s real estate firm, Miller Holdings, from the ground up,” I explained awkwardly.

“But I didn’t have an official title because… well, personal reasons.”

It was difficult explaining the situation without getting into details I wasn’t ready to share.”

“Yes, Viola mentioned that,” Jay had replied carefully. “A little tricky, that…”

My stomach had clenched.

“But send it anyway,” he continued. “Legacy Incorporated is also in the real estate industry, though on a much larger scale. I can probably make it work.”

I had received an email the following morning scheduling a meeting, which I was now heading to.

Legacy Tower rose above the surrounding buildings, all glass, steel, and sharp architectural lines. It looked less like a workplace and more like a monument to money and power.

I stood outside for a moment, looking up at it.

“Okay, Lila,” I whispered to myself. “You can do this.”

I straightened my shoulders and walked inside.

The lobby was just as intimidating as the exterior. Everything was polished. The marble floors, the enormous reception desk, even the people walking around seemed to move with purpose.

After presenting my identification and being cleared by security, I was directed to the recruitment department.

I was asked to wait in a lounge area while someone came to get me. I sat with my hands folded neatly over my lap, trying not to fidget.

A few minutes later, a woman approached.

“Miss Lila Storm?”

I immediately stood.

“Yes.”

“Please come with me.” She gave me a professional smile before turning toward the hallway.

I followed her into a conference room decorated in tasteful shades of black, white, and grey. It was elegant without being warm, much like the building itself.

A large table dominated the room. Already seated on one side were a man and a woman.

“Please, have a seat,” the woman said.

I thanked her and sat opposite them.

“Good morning, Lila,” the gentleman said with a smile.

“Good morning, sir,” I replied politely.

“I’m Jay Wright. We spoke briefly,” he said.

Recognition immediately softened my nerves.

“Of course. Thank you so much for the opportunity to interview, Mr. Wright.”

“Please, call me Jay,” he said with a kind smile. “With me here is my colleague. I’ll let her introduce herself, and then we can start your interview.”

His colleague introduced herself as Scarlet, and the interview began.

To my surprise, it went smoothly.

They asked about my experience at Miller Holdings, and I explained the responsibilities I had handled. Although I had never held an official title, I had done almost everything short of signing documents as the company’s legal representative. I had managed schedules, coordinated meetings, dealt with clients, organized property transactions, communicated with contractors, reviewed documents, and handled crises.

I knew how a real estate business worked. More importantly, I knew how to keep things running when everything around me seemed determined to fall apart.

By the time the interview ended, I was cautiously optimistic.

“Thank you for your time, Lila,” Scarlet said.

I stood.

“Thank you for considering me.”

“You can wait in the lounge area for further instructions.”

I nodded and left. The waiting was agonizing. I tried scrolling through my phone. I tried reading the messages Viola had sent me. I even tried counting the lights in the ceiling.

Nothing helped.

About half an hour later, the same woman who had escorted me into the conference room returned.

“Lila?”

I stood immediately.

“Please come with me.”

I followed her back inside.

Jay and Scarlet were still sitting at the table.

Scarlet smiled.

“Welcome back, Lila.”

Something in her tone made my heart start beating faster.

“Jay and I enjoyed our chat with you,” she said, “and we would like to offer you the position, if you’ll take it.”

For a moment, I simply stared at her. My brain seemed to have frozen.

“Thank you.”

It was the only thing I could manage.

Sliding an envelope towards me, she said,

“This is an offer letter confirming your employment and your contract, which you may take with you and read through at leisure. If you find the terms to be satisfactory, please sign both copies and return one to us.”

She smiled.

“Otherwise, congratulations, Lila.”

I picked up the envelope.

“Thank you, Scarlet,” I stammered.

Scarlet then excused herself, leaving me alone with Jay.

He watched me for a moment before smiling.

“Shocked?”

“‘Shocked’ would be putting it lightly,” I admitted.

“Not that I’m complaining.”

He chuckled.

“We’re desperate.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s comforting.”

“I’m serious,” he said. “And I must tell you, Lila, this won’t be easy.”

My amusement faded.

“Like I told Viola, we’ve had… challenges with this role,” he continued.

“Challenges?”

He nodded. “We’ve had to be generous with the salary and benefits as a result. But even that hasn’t changed the situation. Seven assistants before you have quit.”

“Wow.”

“That’s the reaction most people have.”

I looked down at the envelope in my hands.

“Regardless, Jay, I’ll take it.”

He looked surprised.

“I’m as desperate as you are. Maybe more,” I said.

That earned a laugh.

“And I’m tenacious,” I added. “So don’t worry. I’ll manage.”

“Let’s see how it goes.” He smiled, though there was something almost sympathetic in his expression.

“In the meantime, I’ll give you as much information as I can to help you succeed. Although your boss is…”

He paused.

“Unpredictable?”

“That's one word for it.”

I wasn't sure whether to laugh.

“Since there’s no one around who has held the position before, I can only do so much. Will upstairs might be able to help. I’ll let him know.”

He proceeded to walk me through my responsibilities, emphasizing that I needed to be punctual and proactive, and warning me that my hours might not be conventional. I took notes of all his advice, determined to do well.

Several times, Jay stopped and looked at me.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Because you can still change your mind.”

“I’m sure,” I said.

“Last chance.”

“Jay.”

He laughed.

“Okay. Just making sure.”

At the end, we went through the offer letter and contract together, and I signed it. When I saw the compensation package, I nearly stopped breathing. The salary was far more generous than I had expected, and the benefits were equally impressive. If I hadn’t already been determined to take the job, the compensation alone would have convinced me.

On the other hand, why was it so high? What exactly was this boss like?

After completing the paperwork, Jay took me to the security office, where I received my clearance and access credentials. Then he showed me my new desk. It was located directly outside the CEO’s office.

The next morning, I arrived at Legacy Tower at exactly 7:00am, two hours before the official start time of 9:00am, just as Jay had advised. The office was quiet.

I set my handbag down, removed my coat, and took a deep breath. This was it. My first day.

I had barely settled into my chair when the intercom rang. I jumped slightly. I pressed the button.

“Good morning,” I said tentatively.

“That’s no way to answer the phone,” came a deep, gruff reply. “Get in here now.”

The line went dead.

I stared at the intercom. Was that my boss?

I swallowed. Stunned, I stood up and walked into the CEO’s office.

“You’re late!” he said as soon as I entered the room.

Which would have been shocking enough without the additional, truly mind-blowing fact that the CEO, my new boss, my intensely demanding new boss, was the exact same gorgeous stranger who had lent me his jacket outside the club on Friday night.