Page 4 of His Assistant

The woman gives me a look that says I should follow him. So I do.

His office is at the end of the hall, behind thick glass doors. It isn’t flashy, necessarily, but it’s ten times the size of any office I’ve ever worked in. His desk is a dark wood backed up against a wall of windows. I try not to gape at the incredible view.

He gestures to the chair across from his desk. I sit. He doesn’t.

“You handled that issue well,” he says, watching me.

“Thank you,” I answer nervously, not sure why he’s brought me here.

“You stayed calm under pressure, including your own personal agenda.”

“It was an easy organizational problem.” I shrug humbly.

“A problem that wasn’t your job to fix, but you did anyway.”

He leans against the front of his desk and folds his arms, looking down at me. “The job you came to interview for pays $62,000 a year.”

I nod. “That sounds right.”

“My executive assistant left unexpectedly yesterday.”

That’s not what I was expecting him to say at all.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” I say, trying to follow his thought process.

“I need someone who learns quickly,” he continues. “Someone organized. Someone who can keep their head when other people lose theirs. Most importantly, I need someone who can start right away. I don’t have time to conduct interviews.”

He’s direct, even though I’m not sure what he’s being direct about. Surely he’s not insinuating that I should be his assistant.

“You could promote from within?” I suggest.

He smiles at me wryly. “Or,” he says slowly, “I could give the job to you.”

“I don’t have that experience,” I gasp, too shocked to say anything else.

“You have enough,” he answers, still clutching my résumé in his hands.

“That’s kind of you to say, Mr. Vieri⁠—”

“You’ll have to call me Dominic,” he says with a smirk. “We’ll be working very closely together, and I hate being called Mr. Vieri.”

“Well, Dominic,” I try, but his name feels strange in my mouth. “It’s a kind offer, but⁠—”

“Before you say no, I should tell you the pay is more than double what the other position offers. Better benefits, too. Long hours, but I have a generous overtime policy.”

I swallow hard and try not to look like I have dollar signs in my eyes. It would be stupid to take this position without knowing what I’m getting into. I spent hours researching the other job. I know all the ins and outs of the Hospitality Department. I know nothing about working for Dominic Vieri.

“How generous?” I hear myself asking.

2

DOMINIC

It only takes Sofia three days to stop asking where things are. She’s a quick learner. Either that, or she’s trying to prove that she doesn’t need any help. Either way, I admire that about her.

Most new hires ask too many questions. They want reassurance, guidance, and proof they belong. Sofia doesn’t. If she doesn’t know an answer, she takes the time to find it. If someone gives her the wrong one, she checks it against the work until she has a solution.

I had the instinct when I hired her that she’d be good at the job, but I never expected her to be this good. That’s why I trust my instincts.