New York's Finest

2. Personal Assistant

Aunt Summer and I made our way to her apartment loft, we walked in and she smiled at me. “It’s not much but it’s two bedrooms, two bathrooms, the living room, and the kitchen,” she says. 

“Better than living in a dorm and living off cafe food,” I laugh. 

“Good point,” she laughs. “Well It’s about 6 pm, want to head out and grab dinner?” she asks

“Sure,” I smiled, grabbing my purse as we headed out the door. 

We got into her car and headed for dinner, “So how come you own a car in New York City?” I asked. I had heard it was easier to take the subway everywhere. 

“It’s a gift from being with the company so long,” she says. 

“How is the company?” I ask her. 

“Well, the owner still only comes in at noon and leaves around five. And I work in the IT department so that’s all I really know,” she says. “Other than the fact that everyone is still scared of him and all the young girls who work at the desk want to do him,” she laughs. 

“So the guy who now runs it is scary?” I asked. 

“Well, he’s been running it for about six years now hun. Ever since he took the company from his father and cut all ties with his family,” she says. 

“Yes I remember the whole thing being in the news,” she says thinking back to the year that the biggest businessman in New York had everything taken from him by his 20-year-old son at the time. Brandon Shiner was the reason she wanted to go into business, she also walked away from business when Brandon's son took everything from him. 

Soon enough they pulled into a parking garage and got out, entering a restaurant called Piccola Cucina Osteria. “This is a very nice place,” I commented. 

“My boss owns it, so we get a small discount,” she smiles. 

“What does your boss own?”  I  asked. 

“He owns York technology, York enterprises, and a few small businesses that I heard he bought out of boredom. And he owns a few restaurants. Oh and he owns just about every hotel in New York,” she says. 

“Sure he doesn’t own New York?” I asked. 

“He’s of the founding family of New York hints he’s a York,” Aunt summer says as we are seated. 

As I looked over the menu I remember but Nathaniel said on the plane, he was Nathaniel York and he owned half of New York. No, it couldn’t be the same person, Nathaniel was a businessman, a very young one and it would be odd that her aunt's boss happened to be the man who held her hostage in an airplane because he was worried about not having company. 

“What are you having?” Summer asked me. 

“Pasta,” I smiled. 

Alfredo ravioli?” she asked me with a knowing smirk and I smiled at her. 

As we ordered our food I played with my straw becoming a bit tired. I pulled my phone out checking my messages and sighing. 

“Nothing from Jackson?” My aunt asked me. 

“He thinks that my being in New York is a death sentence for our relationship,” I tell her, putting my phone away. 

“He’s a big baby,” My aunt laughs. 

“Yes because had I stayed in Texas while he went to Ohio it would be so much better,” I say. 

“Maybe it’s for the best that y’all break up. I mean Y’all have been dating since you were both freshmen, maybe New York is a chance for you to find a real man who's serious about who you are and what you want to become,” she says. 

“It’s not that he isn’t serious about me going to business school,” I say. 

“He would rather you stay home and wait around for him and then become his trophy wife when he goes into the NFL,” My aunt gives me a straight look. “You, my lovely niece, are nobody's trophy wife and are way too smart to be one.”

“And I won’t be, Jackson will come around to the idea of us both being at school,” I smiled as our food arrived and we began to eat. 

We didn’t talk while we had dinner and as soon as we were done eating we headed back to the apartment where I began to unpack. Around 2 Am I finished putting away all my things and unpacking the boxes I had shipped ahead of time. 

I lay in my queen-sized bed in my new room and began to drift off to sleep. When I woke up the next morning I found a note from my aunt taped to my forehead. ‘Come to my work and we can have lunch together,’ she wrote. I looked at the clock seeing it was almost noon so I hurried up and got ready before heading out to find the subway towards her work. 

As soon as I arrived I looked up at the large glass building, the one I used to dream about working in for so many years. “York Industries,” the large Grey words on the building say. I smiled and walked through to the front desk. 

“I’m looking for Summer, she works In IT,” I asked the lady. She didn’t look at me, just pressed a button and handed me a pass. “That will open the elevator, Summer is on the top floor,” she says before returning to her call. I nodded and headed to the elevator getting in. I rode all the way to the top and stepped out to see my aunt working on some computer. 

“Who sent you up here?” she asked in a hurry. 

“The lady at the front desk,” I shrug. 

“Go back down before my boss sees you, he already fired his assistant,” she says. 

“Did he also break the computer?” I asked, looking at it. 

“Yes, while he was firing her,” she says. 

I looked at the computer, one of the rules about coming to school here was I’d get a job while I wasn’t in classes. This way I could help Aunt summer with the apartment and my own needs. 

“What’s it take to be his assistant?” I asked. 

“Year of experience,” Summer said and I just nodded knowing I didn’t have it. 

“Are you offering?” an all too familiar husky voice asked from behind me. 

“No, she wasn’t, I’m sorry she’s up here. She’s headed down now, Summer says quickly. 

I turned around and looked up at the tall muscular man, “And if I was?” I asked. 

“Shall we have an interview right here or in my office?” he asks. 

“Neither, I wasn’t really offering,” I say and turn back to summer as if he wasn't there. Summer was glaring at me, probably for the way I spoke to Nathaniel. 

“Well since you are here it’ll save me the trouble,” he says and walks past me. I didn’t follow and he turned to look at me. “Well?” he asks. 

“I don't have the time to work here,” I state, and summer glares at me again. “Fine,” I groan and follow him into this office down the hall. 

I sat down and looked around, “Comfy,” I commented as he has couches and coffee tables on both sides of the large office. 

“Care to try one out?” he asks. 

“Definity not,” I shot back. 

“So what qualifies you to work as my personal assistant?” he asks. 

“Absolutely nothing, unless working in a Starbucks for four years counts,” I said. “I can make a pretty good coffee but I’m sure you need more of a personal assistant than a coffee maker,”. 

“Do you know how to use a copy machine? Answer phones and manage a schedule?” he asked, looking at the schedule left on his desk by someone. 

“Well yes,” I say. 

“Great, you start tomorrow. Bring me your class schedule and I’ll work around it. No dress code, just be appropriate,” he says handing me a piece of paper. 

“What's this?” I asked, looking at the paper. 

“It’s your sign-on bonus, given that you last a year and don’t have to pay it back,” he says. 

I took the paper looking at it and saw the sign-on bonus was 10,000 dollars and my monthly check was 30,000. Why the actual f**k was assistant salary that much? I asked myself. 

“No thanks,” I say, handing the paperback. I saw his eyes flash black with anger. 

“You don’t have a choice,” he says. 

“I’m pretty sure I do,” I laugh. 

“Then let me make the choice away, Either you show up here tomorrow and be sitting at that desk when I get here at noon with your class schedule ready to be placed in my hand, or Summer is fired,” he says and my mouth fell open in shock. “Shut your mouth before I put it to use,” he demands and I close my mouth. 

I picked up the pen and signed the paper before walking out in disbelief, maybe he wasn’t serious but I couldn’t take the chance of Summer losing her job because of me.