Boss Read online

Looking around closely, I had not observed any sidelong glances or sly movements close to me that generally was someone snapping a photo or video. TMZ had not been camped out, waiting for my arrival or even any second-rate paparazzi hoping to make a buck. My suspicions had amplified when I gave my name to the guard and he didn’t make a peep. Of course, I am sure the chastising I gave him was partly responsible for him not making a sound or raising an eyebrow but nonetheless. Was I going to be invisible enough here at Monroe Enterprises that I could get in and out virtually unscathed? I hadn’t even seen them yet, but I know they were there silently biding their time until I arrived on the thirty-eighth floor.

  “Ainslee, if you’re ready?” Regina nods toward the elevators, and I stand to follow her. This seems like a dream, being in this building and seeing myself going up the elevators as a woman and not a little girl in pigtails. Upon entering, it seems we are headed to the fifteenth floor. Of course, this is a guess since the sheer amount of bodies in here makes me feel very much like a sardine in a can. One can barely breathe, much less see the numbers ticking by on the top of the door. The man in front of me is so toweringly tall, I wonder how he is going to exit without slamming his forehead on the door. He’s also stunning. Tall and lean with blond hair with some highlights—but not those creepy, bleached tips that were such a phenomenon in the late nineties. I’m standing behind him so close, I get a whiff of his cologne, and it’s delicious, not too spicy or musky. The thing I notice the most is his shoulders; they are so broad and defined that I’m wondering why he isn’t playing for the Patriots instead of punching numbers at Monroe Enterprises. My mind has already placed him firmly in the accountant category because despite his striking appearance, he is a dud in the wardrobe department. This man is actually in a seersucker suit. I haven’t seen anyone over the age of twelve wear one, and even then, it was only on Easter or Passover, depending on who’s party we were at. It’s wonderfully adorable and so completely out of place here, I can’t help but let out a small giggle.

  Mr. Seersucker Suit turns his head, and shit, I’m officially a goner. Piercing cornflower-blue eyes sparkle at me, framed with lashes so long it should be indecent on a man. He regards me with amusement and smiles, flashing me the straightest, whitest teeth. His lips are even a dark hue of pink, and I am flabbergasted because he is just fucking beautiful.

  “Ainslee, this is our floor.” Regina is tugging my sleeve and giving me an odd look. I can’t blame her. I was clearly in la-la land with Mr. Seersucker Suit.

  “Excuse me,” I say, edging past him but quite honestly not going out of my way to not brush against him too much. He maneuvers his body to the side and sweeps his hand out in a grand gesture that brings me into an even bigger fever pitch. A gentleman at Monroe Enterprises, well fuck me, hell has indeed frozen over this morning.

  “My pleasure,” he says to my back as I pass, and the southern lilt of his voice gives me chills and causes tingling in places that have been dormant for some time. This is the real deal accent, so slow and soft and liquid it pours over me, and I am almost about to initiate another exchange just to hear it again. However, blast the fates, the doors close, and my sexy Southern Seersucker Suit Man goes along with them. Making a mental note to casually inquire as to what floor accounting is on to Regina, I follow her down a beautifully appointed hallway to her office.

  Watching her walk so assuredly makes me realize I need to adopt a similar stride. Mimicking her, I strut my stuff. Catching a glimpse of both of us in the glass panes of the offices I clearly see this a maneuver that will need to be carefully rehearsed. She looks like a runaway model on the catwalk, and I look like I had one too many daiquiris on spring break in Cancun. Deeply grateful that there seems to be few colleagues here to have witnessed my wannabe charade, I’m relieved when Regina walks into an office at the end of the hallway. I’m impressed.

  A twinge of sadness hits me swiftly as I realize I’ve been here before, many years ago. Dad loved to have me help. I delivered holiday cards to all the employees before Christmas, flowers to the mothers on Mother’s Day, and balloons to the newly married or engaged. Without a shadow of a doubt, I knew despite the sheer number of employees he had, he would know one personal tidbit about everyone he encountered. A memory takes hold of me and while I know Regina is speaking to me about something, and I should be paying attention, I feel myself being sucked into the memory.

  “Daddy, who was that?” I’m holding Dad’s hand as we walk through the hallways of his office.

  “That’s Sarah, honey; I believe she works in procurement. She just had a little girl last month.”

  “Oh yes, I gave her a giraffe and balloons. She is so nice. But how do you know everyone? I mean you must have a gazillion people here! You must be the smartest man in the world to know them all.” I smile up at him adoringly, and he ruffles my hair.

  “I’m not the smartest by a long shot, kiddo. But these people all make Adams Enterprises run, and no one man or woman is more important than the next. We’re all a team. If one of us falls, we all fall. Remember that inscription on the plaque in my office at home?”

  “Something about we fall united?”

  Dad looks at me straight in the eye when he says, “It says, ‘united we stand, divided we fall.’ We all hold one another up, and if that breaks down, we all lose.”

  “Ainslee? Are you with me?” Regina is glaring at me, and the edge of annoyance has just about passed into the realm of full on anger.

  “Regina, I . . .”

  “You seem very distracted, and I dare say, a bit discombobulated. Perhaps an early start was a mistake, though I wonder now if any start date would have been optimal. I was explicit in my instructions to you about being prepared, yet you do not seem to be in the slightest.” She says all of this with extreme care to make sure I am listening, and I fear also to see if I am aware of what discombobulated means. Well, so much for thinking of her as a possible ally. The sharks apparently swim freely throughout all the floors at Monroe.

  “Regina.” I am ready to lay down gambit number two for the morning. She is not about to deter my course of action for one minute just because this morning has been a bit overwhelming. I vow to strengthen my resolve. Time to get your shit together, girl. You will not ogle hot accountants in the elevator, you will not let yourself get sucked back into memory lane every time you walk around these hallways, and most importantly, you will not allow anyone to think you are not here to be the best fucking assistant you can be.

  “Regina, I’m distracted because you seemed insistent on leaving me to my own devices in the lobby with the brutish security guard you clearly had to hire without doing a reference check. He seems better suited to bounce patrons from some seedy dive bar than represent Monroe Enterprises. The welcome packet I received was read through quite thoroughly, and every one of the forty-nine pages signed as well as returned in twenty-four hours from courier delivery. Now, I admit between the unprofessional welcome I received and the monotonous recap of all the paperwork, I zone out a bit. But I assure you, as recent magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University, I am neither discombobulated, flummoxed, vexed, or my personal favorite, bamboozled.”

  Steepling her fingers together under chin, she seems to be considering me, hopefully, as a worthy adversary. Or she could be plotting the easiest way to fire me for insubordination. Either way, she turns sharply in her chair and reaches into a massive filing cabinet. Withdrawing a massive,legal-size expanding folder,she plops it down on the desk while steeling me with an unreadable expression.

  “Alright then, Miss Adams, we will proceed. You are aware we have very strict policies at Monroe Enterprises. There are measures that lead to investigation, and if you are found in violation of any one of them, termination is immediate. You may appeal to the board if you believe you have evidence to discredit your termination. While you may find this mundane and extraneous (wow is this going to be a battle of ten cent words? If so, she is going down) I must address the follo
wing. Monroe Enterprises recognizes that if any of the following are breached or violated, you will be placed under immediate investigation. They include violation of the company code of conduct or ethics policy, failure to follow company policy, breach of contract, violence or threatened violence, stealing/misuse of company money or property, falsifying records, extreme insubordination, and harassment of any form. While the investigation continues, you will be put on an unpaid leave of absence until a determination can be made. You have seven to ten business days to file your appeal after the determination. Is this all abundantly clear?”

  “Crystal.”

  “Good, this is your file.” She shows the hulking folder with Ainslee Agatha Adams scrawled neatly on the tab. “You will be on a probationary period for ninety days, at which time a review will be conducted by your superiors.”

  She thrust a piece of paper at me that I had not received. It ominously said at the top Terms of Ninety Day Review. This was a major surprise to me as there was no such document in my welcome packet, and a probationary period has never been brought up. Desperately wanting to address this with Regina without seeming like I was nervous, I casually brushed my hair back and pretended to peruse the document with feigned interest. Yet, a very alarming bullet quickly shattered that notion.

  “Could you please explain to me the meaning of the fifth bullet outlining immediate dismissal during the ninety-day period? This seems to go against the entire process you so painstakingly laid out to me.”

  “You are here on a trial basis as an employee of Monroe Enterprises. You will not be offered a permanent contract to continue here until you have been evaluated in a review with your superiors. This is completely standard for all new hires. If you have any reservations, you are welcome to consult an attorney. I’m sure your family must be acquainted with a few.” The smirk she gives me lets me know I’m not as invisible as I imagined. It also lets me know that whatever lingering feelings I had about Regina Marlo are quickly confirmed. She is a stone-cold bitch, though perhaps not such a bad role model to have while here.

  “It’s fine. After ninety days, my performance will more than speak for itself. Might I borrow a pen?”

  Signing with a flourish, I handed her back the pen and await the next hurdle I am going to have to jump through. She carefully places my documents in the folder and shoves the cabinet door with a bigger slam than I imagined she would for such a refined woman, making me wonder if she thought I would refuse to sign and simply leave. Before I know what’s happening, she pushes back from her desk and starts a frantic pace to the office door.

  “Excuse me, where are we heading now?” I scurry behind her, but wearing fucking four-inch heels on polished marble floors isn’t exactly easy to sprint on. The door to human resources opens, and she continues her hissy fit of a march straight to the elevators jabbing at the up button.

  “Regina?”

  “You know, perhaps we should try to keep things a bit more professional, Miss Adams. My skills appear to be lacking when it comes to new hires these days. Seems I am either inclined to hire brutes or young women looking to prove a point. Address me as Miss Marlo from now on. I certainly don’t want to hold up any of your time today, so I think it’s time to meet your new bosses.”

  “Bosses?”

  “Yes, Miss Adams, bosses. We’re on our way up to the thirty-eighth floor.”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  “NOW? I had assumed today would just be about going over . . .” I start to say policies when I realize my mistake. Shit, the plan to slowly immerse myself today and take as many mental notes as possible was now an official bust. My need to be a badass bitch has apparently overridden my need to stick to my carefully calculated plot. This was a showdown I was in no way ready for. The men of Monroe Enterprises, or as I have nicknamed them—the four horsemen of the apocalypse. I had minimal dealings with them growing up, and other than an article in Money or Forbes or even occasionally People, I had not set eyes on them since I left the city. However, I was about to see what I had gotten myself into when I reached the thirty-eighth floor.

  “I am to understand you requested to be Mr. Monroe’s executive assistant originally. May I ask why, given the history?” Regina, excuse me Miss Marlo, was no longer keeping up pretenses and honestly, it was a relief.

  “I admire Mr. Monroe’s drive, and his place in the real estate market obviously speaks for itself. It’s no secret I would like to see my family back in the market as well, if only in a smaller capacity. The opportunity arose to come back to the city, and it seemed like a good fit.”

  Miss Marlo clicks her tongue in an unbelieving gesture, but the doors open, so I have no time to analyze if she bought it or not.

  “Well, as you have heard, Mr. Monroe has chosen a different candidate, so you will be reporting directly to Mr. Mancini, our Chief Operating Officer. However, the assistants on the thirty-eighth floor do share responsibilities, so it will not be unusual for you to have duties with the other three officers. You will consider them all your superiors and report to each as such.”

  “Like to share, do they?” My double entendre falls flat as she shoots me a look like I’m a complete trash bag. “I’m sorry. I was wondering if it might be possible to work for Mr. Wells instead of Mr. Mancini? My minor was in finance so getting the chance to be on the financial end of things would really help advance my knowledge.”

  “We can address it with Mr. Wells, but I make no promises.”

  “Thank you, Miss Marlo.”

  “And if I may offer a suggestion? Decorum, Miss Adams. I would make that my order of the day. Now, if you can please compose yourself; let’s meet your new bosses.”

  The massive glass door opens as if by magic, and we walk into the most opulent offices I have yet to see. Gilded lighting fixtures, teak flooring, and every single piece of expensive furniture is symmetrically placed. An article in Forbes once mentioned that all the offices in Monroe have been designed to appreciate feng shui and promote a soothing working environment. In my opinion, the feeling of serenity is wasted away by the stark, clinical nature of the offices.

  I observe at least three other assistants in the offices, two female and one male. Interesting. I would never have imagined a male assistant, given the inner dynamics of Monroe, but perhaps this was an intern or a visiting assistant from another department. The two females are identical, ice-blonde hair, rail-thin, and dressed to kill. Both give me a once-over as I pass, and I hear an iPhone text ping, which makes me sure they were assessing my appearance. The slightly older of the two picks up her office phone and begins to speak softly into the receiver. The rumor mill is a buzzing now that the once disgraced Adams has returned. Ridiculous that I could have believed for one minute that my sudden arrival would be treated with anything other than rabid curiosity. Smoothing my skirt down, my confidence gets a little less with each step. I wonder if my appearance is still as on point as when I left the car this morning. I would love to steal a quick minute or two in the restroom to make sure the gloss hasn’t worn off, but Regina has turned sharply, leading me down a long corridor. An image from The Shining ,of the little boy riding his tricycle and seeing the two twins at the end of the hall, comes to mind. Part of me expects one of the four men of Monroe to come out swinging an axe and yelling, “Here comes Johnny!”.

  Regina glances back at me and cocks her head slightly to the left. Questioningly, I look to my left and see nothing but a wall. She exasperatedly tuts her tongue and brushes off the tiniest piece of lint possible from my left shoulder. Immediately I feel like I should make a move to swat her hand or say something, but she’s too quick for me. The door swings open and reveals one of the many conference rooms in the monstrous building. Same mahogany board table, leather swivel chairs, and obligatory projection screen for the mind-numbing hours of PowerPoint presentations. However, this is not an ordinary boardroom this morning. No, today it is the battlefront. The kickoff of the season. Because standing behind each of the four chairs
there they are: the men, the myths, the legends in the flesh and towering over their empire. In unison, they all turn and look at me. The ground seems to swallow me because I’m sinking at the sight of them. Power doesn’t do them justice, nor does it even seem fitting for what they are exuding. Each of them is so glaringly gorgeous and insanely masculine I want to throw in the towel and go. Shut the fuck up, Ainslee, I tell myself. You knew they were going to be a force to be reckoned with, so drop the awe you surely have plastered on your face. You came here to give them hell, not your O face.

  “Miss Ainslee Adams, please meet the top four corporate officers of Monroe Enterprises. Let me first introduce Mr. PJ Haywood, our Chief Information Officer.”

  PJ smiles at me genuinely, and now I know I am going to melt into this floor because PJ is none other than Mr. Seersucker Suit. How could I have pegged this man for a lowly accountant? And what the hell is so wrong with seersucker anyways? The way his jacket strains over his chest and back—nothing wrong with that.

  He walks away from the polished table to come toward me and extend his large hand for me to shake. This man is sincere and genuine; what the fuck is he doing working with Monroe Enterprises still?

  “Miss Adams, it’s good to see you again. I trust the trip to the thirty-eighth floor was less bumpy and crowded than your previous one?” Slowly grinning, I can see his smile is dazzling, slightly crooked, and his lips are so pink, I still think he might be wearing gloss. But the stunning thing is the warmth of his words, the way each syllable rolled off his tongue with that sweet Southern twang I could get lost in for days and still not find my way back from. He will be my toughest mark for sure, but he is still just that, a mark.

  “Mr. Haywood, good to see you again as well. Yes, thank you; the trip up was uneventful.”

  Regina is watching this exchange with a degree of interest and contempt. She was probably expecting a much chillier reception, though I doubt this towheaded sweetheart could give anything to anyone but warm fuzzies. PJ releases my hand and walks back to his position behind his chair.