"I'm telling you. She's our girl! We should hire her." Lando beamed.
"No, no, no." Chantel shook her head. "Daphne, Brady, and Eileen are all more qualified-"
"She's just as good if not better." Lando commented.
"The others have more experience than her. Lando, she stumbled through explaining her 2 year gap from graduating to applying for a job." Chantel deadpanned.
"Maybe she was on a missionary trip and is humble." Chantel rolled her eyes at Lando.
"You're only interested in her because you like her personality." Chantel scoffed. "Just because you gelled with her and were able to be flamboyant, you like her. The others were being professional and not being relaxed-"
"You just don't like her because she wasn't afraid to disagree with you." Lando crossed his arms, huffed, and settled back in his chair.
"What was that, Lando?" Their eyes snapped to me. It's as if they forgot I was in the room. "Repeat that." I placed my glasses down and stared at him.
"And here I thought you weren't listening." Chantel snidely commented with a smirk.
"We had the standard questions we asked the individuals." I nodded along since I wasn't an idiot. "We came to a question about our social mission and had our bullshit statement about how we stand with women and strive to diminish any forces that try to pull women apart. Stuff about respecting and loving all women. So we asked her about her opinion on the matter and guess what-"
"It's not really exciting." Chantel glared at him.
"She posed the question back at us." I raised a brow at his words. "She didn't think we properly fit the mold of our statement since we didn't publicly disagree with Ed Razik about his comments involving plus size and transgender models. According to her, we agreed with him since we stayed silent. So Chantel asked why she has such strong opinions on who we allow to walk the catwalk and represent us?" Lando paused for dramatic effect while Chantel rolled her eyes. "She told us it would be unwise to segregate an entire section of women since we could profit from them. So by excluding, we were being slightly hypocritical while also hurting ourselves."
"So just because she challenged me, you believe she's better than the others?!" Chantel spoke through gritted teeth.
"The others either shared your opinion or would quickly back down out of intimidation or would tell us what they believed we wanted to hear. She was the only one who stuck her ground and didn't waver under the pressure." Lando wiggled his brows. "The girl thinks before she speaks."
"I'm paying someone to work, not think." They turned to me.
"This girl is not as qualified-"
"Oh, give it a rest." Lando obnoxiously groaned. "You chose the assistant last time and where is? She left after the first day. Let me get the chance to choose."
"You have chosen people before and they were not qualified to work. They fumbled and nearly lost us millions."
"You chose the last 3, so let me have this one and we can tie!" Lando beamed.
Lando gave Chantel a hopeful look, but her stoic facade did not waver. When they heard nothing, they turned to me. Unfortunately, I was already doing other work. Chantel loudly cleared her throat, making me sigh and look up. They were waiting for my answer. I flitted my eyes at the resumes Chantel pushed forth while Lando was backing only one. I met his eyes and spoke.
"You will be responsible for her training and making sure she's up to speed. You will oversee her and assist to her needs. Understood?" Lando pumped his hand in the air while Chantel rolled her eyes.
The two stood when I did. Lando did a little victory dance before walking out the office. Chantel shook her head in annoyance at his behavior. She watched him high five his coworkers and tell them that he won. Chantel crossed her arms and turned to me. I was by the bookshelf, searching for a past issue.
"She will not make it a week here."
"You speak like I'm high maintenance." I smirked at her and went back to searching.
"Your past assistants have a pattern of fleeing." Chantel spoke.
"Not my fault they can't handle the pressure and crumble under a more strenuous workload." I found the magazine and sat back in my seat.
"You have this thing where you don't take any excuses, which isn't humanly possible."
"Because there are no good excuses why an assignment wasn't completed or a deadline missed or-"
"Perhaps, you could be a little more manageable." Chantel spoke.
"Hmm..." I flipped through the pages.
"I'm being serious." Chantel breathed out, making me look up.
"Let me ask you this..." I rested my enclosed hands over the magazine. "Why do they call powerful and high achieving female leaders tough, bitchy, and cold? Because men need something to bring us down."
"I didn't realize it was more of a rhetorical question." Chantel snorted.
"That's one of the things Anna and I have in common... and I fucking hate Vogue." I scoffed.
"That and the major age difference." Chantel added, making me chuckle. "Fine. We'll see how Lando's pick pans out. And then next week... we may have to reach out to one of these people." I nodded and watched her leave.
~~~
Dakota's POV
I was slightly nervous as I stared up at the massive ZYDE building. I received a call a week ago telling me that I got the job. I was shocked because I was sure I pissed off the female interviewer. I knew the guy loved me, but the female glared at me from the moment I sat down. I was grateful it was multiple interviewers because I'm sure she would've sent me out the moment I opened my mouth.
I looked at my phone and noticed I had to actually go inside and start my first day. I took a deep breath and entered the chic lobby. I spoke to the secretary and she smiled and handed me my badge and everything. I was instructed to take the elevator to the 22nd floor. I nodded and made my way into the packed elevator. As the doors were closing, I noticed a woman walking to an elevator that was roped off with security guarding it. She had sunglasses on and that was as much as I could see since the doors closed.
Because we were in New York, the elevators moved insanely fast. It didn't take long to arrive at the designated floor. The moment it did, I was greeted by the same excited guy. I smiled at the familiar face and approached him. He repeatedly shook my hand and expressed how excited he was for me to join.
"How was the commute?" He spoke over his shoulder.
"Train ride wasn't bad, but there were so many rats." I laughed when he appeared squeamish. "Don't take the subway often?"
"I need to get my steps in, so I walk a lot." He proudly spoke. "So here is your desk, Dakota." He led me to an open space. "The entire office is designed to be an open concept."
"Everywhere except the private office rooms." I pointed at a few. "Let me guess... one of them is yours." I laughed when he smiled. "What about the one in the middle that's all windows, but dimmed so you can't see inside?"
"That's the Chief Editor's office."
"Oh, he seems very removed." I commented.
"Yep and she's your new boss." My eyes widened at his words. "What? You thought I would be your boss?" I quickly nodded, making him laugh. "No, I was just the interviewer. Chantel and I are next in line after her."
"Gotcha."
"Excited to meet her?" I shook my head, making him cackle. "Let's go. You're meeting with her... right now!" He grabbed my hand and led me to the biggest room.
Lando knocked on the door and waited for a reply. A velvety voice allowed us entry. Lando smiled and pushed open the door. He moved out of the way for me to see a woman staring at a few designs before her. I recognized her profile as the woman who entered the building in sunglasses. Her head was lowered as she intently stared at the different pictures. Her hair was held up by a clip and her fingers held the rim of her glasses while her lips puckered forth.
Lando cleared his throat, making the woman look up. My eyes widened and my mouth fell dry when I stared at her. She was absolutely stunning. I'm confused how she's running a fashion and model empire when she should definitely be strutting down the catwalk. The woman released a breath and motioned us to properly enter. The lady next to the Chief picked up the papers, placed them in her folder, and left the room. Lando waited for the door to close before beaming at the woman.
"Meet Dakota! Your new assistant!" He proudly announced.
"I expected. Is it required that I meet my assistant?" Yes, I was taken aback by her rudeness, but her voice was hella sexy.
"YES!" Lando waved his hands around.
The woman's eyes raked over me in complete disinterest. At least, I thought it was disinterest until she looked me over again. And then once more to make sure her vision wasn't playing tricks on her.
"I'm not the best with pleasantries, so..."
"That's why I'm here." Lando smiled. "Meet the stunning Dakota in all her glory! A New York native and graduate of Georgetown. She's won a few accolades in college for her writing and business acumen." I stifled a laugh at his playfulness while the Chief seemed about done with him. "And this is-"
"I don't need an extensive introduction." The Chief spoke.
"Ms. LeClerc." Lando gave me a tight lipped smile.
"Hi, how are you?" I mustered up all my courage and smiled, but she merely raised a brow at me.
"She doesn't like questions." Lando whispered to me.
"Oh." I whispered back. "Umm... hope you are doing well."
"I'm not." Ms. LeClerc stood. "Is that all, Lando? I have a meeting that needs attending."
"Yes, but I booked you for 30 minu-"
"29 minutes more than needed." She gave him a look. "Make sure she's adjusted and ready to work tomorrow." She walked past us.
Well, damn. She seems sweet! Lando awkwardly smiled and led me back to my desk. He pointed to his station and told me to bother him for any and everything. I nodded and allowed him to help me get set up with the IT department. He then showed me all the files that I needed to sign and the dos and do nots of the place. By the time we finished with the onboarding stuff, it was lunchtime.
Lando ordered lunch for us at Ruth Chris. I was stunned, but he reminded me of the company card to use for lunches. I quickly nodded, making him crack a smile. As we waited for our food, Lando started a conversation.
"What do you think of your new boss?" He wiggled his brows.
"Hospitable." I breathed out. "I'm nervous."
"No need to be. Just be an exceptional worker, who doesn't ever mess up or need a break or sleep or eating or anything other than work. Like perfect 100% of the time." He joked. "You'll be fine."
"Is she always that intimidating and cutthroat?"
"That was her on a good day." He laughed when I rested my face on the table. "So what got you into the fashion world?" I lifted my head at his question. "You are into fashion, right?"
"I like wearing clothes." I smiled.
"Oh, baby." He shook his head. "I could tell based on your outfit." I gasped at his words. "You need some help."
"My outfit isn't bad." I defended.
"Not bad for boring office worker at a hedge fund. Bad, for office worker at a global fashion media company. No worries, outfits are in my budget and since I manage you..." He playfully winked.
"I swear this is gonna be like a real life The Devil Wears Prada." I groaned.
"She'd hate that!" Lando laughed. "One thing that's common is every employee's disdain for Vogue and Anna Wintour. Don't compare her to Anna or she'll yeet you out the 22nd floor window."
"Gotcha." I then remembered something he said. "You're managing me? I thought she-"
"Technically, she does. But I'm to look after you." He beamed. "Alrighty, so you're not into fashion... why join a fashion company?"
"Because... I minored in digital design and enjoyed it. I also liked journalism and the thought of helping to design or... I'm not sure. Like I wouldn't want to report on fashion, but on the travel, lifestyle, culture, and other stuff the company encompasses."
"Totally understandable." I gave him a look. "Well, I'm just trying to relate to you." We laughed at his words. "Va- Ms. LeClerc typically keeps her assistants incredibly busy, but if you get a break, I can show you around the media section. And see if it interests you for a future career plan."
"That would be amazing! Thanks, Lando!"
"No worries! Now, steak and lobster time." He rubbed his hands together.
X
I was struggling to carry a box to my desk and was seconds away from dropping it. Right as the box slipped out my hands, a guy squatted down and caught it. I gave him an appreciative smile when he stood up.
"Need a strong man to save you?" He joked.
"Of course." I chuckled and directed him to my desk.
"I'm Brian." He placed it down. "Nice to meet you..."
"Dakota." I shook his hand. "I just started here as Ms. LeClerc's assistant."
"Oooo, good luck." I gave him a confused look, so he quickly looked around before expanding. "She can be a bit demanding at times." That didn't sound like an absurd thought. "All I know is that her assistants turn over relatively quickly ever since Grace left. I think she's been through 7 assistants so far. None really stick and can handle her demands."
"I got that vibe. She found meeting me for longer than a minute to be a waste of time."
"Well, I've spent... 4 minutes and 27 seconds with you and I don't think it's been a waste of time." I chuckled at his words. "I know this is your second day, but how has it been so far? Despite meeting our boss." We laughed.
"Lando is amazing." He nodded at that. "He helped me get settled in, so I'm just adding my little trinkets to make my desk more personable."
"Oh, the Pop animation figurines." Brian reached into my box and pulled one out.
"Ya!" I smiled. "I'm a huge Marvel nerd and love collecting them. They also make great birthday and Christmas gifts." I pulled three out to show him. "I love Bucky, so I try to collect a lot of him."
Brian and I chatted more about superheroes and got into a debate about DC versus Marvel. He entertained me while I set up my desk while also giving me a platform to rant on. We were laughing when a stern voice called out.
"Ms. Collins." All conversation ceased and everyone stared at me. "My office." She turned her back and walked off.
Brian gave me a good luck look, making me gulp. I nervously followed Ms. LeClerc and didn't miss the encouraging smiles from the other workers. I entered her office and noticed no one watching through the windows. That's when I realized they must be synchronized with her door, so when the door locks... the windows darken so no one can see inside. Cool.
"Ms. Collins." I turned to her. "I have some things I need you to organize, schedule, follow up on, deliver, and note take on. Good? Great." She sat at her desk and began doing other stuff. I just stood there because- "Is there an issue?" She looked at me.
"Is there a folder or-"
"Everything has been emailed... you can go now." She went back to work.
Alright then. I slowly left the room and made sure not to close the door all the way. I wanted to test my theory and I was correct. The door had to be completely closed for the windows to transition. When I properly looked through the windows, I noticed Ms. LeClerc staring back. I tried to act as if I hadn't seen her and the windows were opaque, but she knew better. Wordlessly, she snapped and pointed to the ground. I gulped and re-entered the room.
"Mind explaining what you were testing?"
"I was just curious about how the glass darkened." I explained. "I noticed the door had to be fully closed-"
"Congrats on that discovery. Now, will you fully close my door and return to work. You know... the thing I'm paying you for." She snapped.
I quickly nodded and scampered out the room. I speed walked to my desk and logged onto my computer. I cracked my knuckles and began working. She assigned so much, but I expected nothing less. I completely understood why her former assistants quit when I checked the time. I had been working for 5 hours straight to complete the tasks. The amount of work she assigns requires people to work 8 hours straight with no breaks. She's slightly crazy, but may just be sadistic.
"Hey." I looked up to see Brian. "I noticed you haven't moved since being reprimanded by the principal." I giggled at his joke. "Got you some food, if you'd like." He handed me a sandwich. "Remember to take a break." He smiled and went back to his station.
I continued working while simultaneously eating. I managed to finish all my assignments by the end of the day. I released a satisfied breath and was about to log off, but I noticed something. I took a closer look at some financial reports I had to organize. I spotted a false number... thank you business degree! One of the numbers had been forged, which gave a false evaluation of their revenue. I looked inside Ms. LeClerc's office.
She was the only one inside, but her door was open ajar. So the transparency into her office must be a hint as to when you can speak with her or not. I wanted to highlight this discrepancy to her, but someone went into her office. I groaned and sat back in my chair. I watched the time tick by and people leave while that guy was still in there. I placed my arms on the desk and rested my head atop them. I then closed my eyes.
.
.
.
"Hello?" I felt someone shake me. "Hello?"
"Mmm..." I blinked and slowly lifted my head. "Ya?"
I yawned and stretched. I expected Lando or Brian, not Ms. LeClerc. I immediately stifled my yawn and sat up straight. Me. LeClerc crossed her arms and raised a brow.
"Do we not pay enough for you to manage rent?"
"No." I laughed. "That's not it. I was waiting for you."
"Why?" She was confused.
"Well, I wanted to show you something, but someone was speaking to you for so long. I got really tired and bored and fell asleep. But this is it." I directed her attention to the screen. "This number seems faulty based on the other documents. If you go ahead and use this value, your revenue will be falsely high. I was digging around some more and I think this is actually the correct value."
"We'd be $325 million less." She spoke before eying me wearily. "I pay you to be an assistant, not an investigator. Don't cross that line again." My jaw dropped because I was expecting her to be happy. "You can leave now." She got out her phone and called someone.
I quickly packed up my stuff and left her. It was my second day and I was contemplating quitting. Not because I couldn't handle the work, but because she was absolutely intolerable. I ignored the annoyance I felt from her lack of praise and immediate chastising. I picked up ramen and went home to eat my noodles. I saw my dad calling to find out about the new job, but I didn't want to even think about my job a moment longer.
I finished my food and got ready for bed. I flopped on the bed and stared at the ceiling. You know what? I'm not gonna quit. She'd like that and I won't give her the satisfaction of seeing me quit. She's gonna have to deal with me. I smiled and rolled on my side to fall asleep.
X
I woke up bright and early and arrived on time to work. I sat in my seat and noticed another person's stuff across from me. No one was here the last few days, so this is new. I shrugged and continued working on the files emailed to me at 3:43am from Ms. LeClerc. Does the woman ever sleep since she's already here? I shook my head and ignored her speaking with someone in her office. I guess she didn't care for privacy since I could see inside and her door was definitely closed. Then, how does her glass windows work?
"Who are you?" I turned to see a bratz look-alike staring me down.
"I'm Dakota." I held my hand out, but she popped her gum in response. "Okay, then." I lowered my hand.
"I'm Chloe." She sat across from me. "I work as Ms. LeClerc's assistant."
"I thought I was her assistant." Chloe rolled her eyes at me.
"She obviously has multiple assistants. She's a very busy woman and needs all the help she can get. I've been here for 2 years and have seen multiple replacements come and go. So don't think you're anything special."
"Trust me... if anything, I feel like I get worse treatment." I muttered.
"So you know your place, newbie."
"Hey, Dakota!" Lando bounded over to me. "And hey, Chloe." She gave him a pretentious smile. "Va- Ms. LeClerc told me about yesterday-"
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overstepped my boundaries and-"
"What are you talking about? She praised your keen eyes." I was shocked at his words. "I even got a brownie point for hiring someone as detailed and sharp as you. You made me look so great! I wanted to thank you... why are you looking at me like I'm wearing last season's fashion?" He checked out his outfit.
"That was the opposite reaction I got yesterday. I got a hostile you're overstepping your boundaries and not to do it again."
"Ooooooh, she's just not great at complimenting people. She was mightily impressed. She stayed up all night contacting people to find who fudged the number." He winked. "Plus one for Ms. LeClerc's personal assistant!" He high fived me.
"Wait! Personal?!" Chloe's eyes bulged while Lando grimaced. "She's... she's... personal! Really?! Why?!"
"I thought you were-"
"She's an assistant to all of us, but you're the one Ms. LeClerc would go to first. You'd technically out rank Chloe, even though she's been here longer..." He trailed off when Chloe glared at us. "Would you look at the time? I've got to get going and bye!" He ran off.
"You." I jumped from Chloe's anger. "How do you come in and-"
"Hey, Dakota!" We turned to see Brian.
"Uh.. he-hey, Brian." Chloe attempted to make her boobs bigger.
"Sup, Chloe. So how was your second day?" He ignored Chloe for me, making her huff in frustration. She eventually got up and stalked away. "What's up with her?"
"Not sure." I shook my head. "I just met her like 10 minutes ago and I get the feeling she doesn't like me."
"Hmm... sorry about that."
"No worries. It was good. Lots of work like today, but nothing I can't handle. What exactly do you do?"
"Journalist for the food section." Brian grinned when my jaw dropped. "Yep! So I get to try tasty creations at work and then write articles about them."
"The sandwich from yesterday-"
"Yep... and I can keep bringing you lunch." I nodded at him. "Great! I have someone to feed! So I have to get going to actually start this 3hr fish, so I'll catch you later." I smiled and waved him away.
I was working by the time Chloe returned. She kept muttering how unfair it was that I got the job she had been promised. I ignored her and continued working, only to be given more work by Ms. LeClerc. It's like she knew when I was almost done and piled on more work. Actually... I looked towards her office and noticed she was staring at me. She held my gaze until I got uncomfortable and averted my eyes. So she's been studying me and watching when I'd complete certain assignments, so she could increase my workload. That bitch!
"How'd you even get this job?" I looked up. "To be an executive assistant, you have to have years of experience. You barely look like you've graduated high school." I gave her a bored look.
"I worked hard." I continued working.
"No way! You must know someone or nepotism." She accused.
"I can assure you that I don't know anyone that powerful. The most powerful person I know is my mom. And I'll do whatever chore she tells me because that woman can be scary." I breathed out. "How'd you get this job?"
"I started as a small assistant and moved up the ranks." Chloe glared. "How old are you? Most people in your position are around 27/28."
"That's-"
"An invasion of privacy." We turned to see Ms. LeClerc. "People may take your comments as being ageist, which would land you in HR. Watch your words better, Ms. Volkov. And Ms. Collins..." I gulped as we locked eyes. "My office." She walked off.
Chloe was trying to gather any remnants of her broken ego. I followed my boss to her office. I closed the door and wondered if it would transition or still be see through.
"I control the transparency of the windows." I turned to see Ms. LeClerc seated. "A controller." She held it up.
I felt so stupid as I sat in the seat across from her. I was also too embarrassed to ask if the room was transparent or not right now. Ms. LeClerc ignored my nerves and opened a folder. I recognized my resume. She picked up her mug and took a sip of coffee. Why was she looking through my resume?
"Do you know how you were hired?"
"I did an interview with Lando and Chantel-"
"No, I mean how your resume arrived in HR's hands." She cut me off.
"I applied and-"
"Either your slow or your playing like you're delayed." Ms. LeClerc sat up straight. "We have a program in place that sorts through resumes and trashes any that do not meet the requirements. It's full proof with a 99% accuracy. Now, your resume made it through the program even though you missed several key requirements. And it ended up in HR's hands, who also scrutinize the resumes to make sure that only qualified individuals pass through. So somehow someone in HR must've overlooked your missing qualities or someone pushed you through regardless." She folded her hands and leaned forward. "Care to inform me which option it was?"
"I'm not in HR, so I wouldn't-"
"I'm aware that you do not personally know anyone." She paused. "But maybe the gap in your resume can explain things to me." She held up the paper and silently read it. "You took a couple years off after graduating college and did a few odd jobs... with this timeline and assuming you're average... you'd be 25/26..." She waited for me to confirm.
"Ya, 26-25." I stuttered.
"Which one is it?" She questioned.
"25, but 26 in a few months." I gulped.
"How many months?"
"7."
"Okay." She closed the folder. "A person who caught what you did would have to have extensive experience with analytical data. A student or plebeian couldn't spot such a minute discrepancy, but that's another issue." Ms. LeClerc paused. "I had someone investigate you and you have lied a few times throughout your interview and working here. Mind telling me what's real? Starting with you being 22."
"I went to college when I was 15 and I finished at 18. I... you know about my gap years, don't you?" She didn't make any acknowledgment to my question. "I worked at Vogue for an internship while in college and then got hired full time. That's where I got so much experience. I left at 21 and applied here a few days before my birthday."
"Why lie about the gap years?"
"I was told not to mention working at Vogue or I'd be blacklisted by your company. The rivalry is so deep that neither company hires any former employees." I replied.
"Who was your contact?"
"One of my coworkers had a good relationship with a professor at NYU. He pushed me through and got HR to pass my resume along." I mumbled.
"Why'd you leave Vogue?"
"I... I was no longer needed there."
"Is that your professional way of saying they forced you to sign an NDA?" I nodded at her. "Hmm... I agree with your friends. Don't mention your former place of employment. People wouldn't look upon it favorably."
"You're not going to fire me?" I was shocked.
"Why would I? You're a capable worker. Yes, you worked at a competitor, but you work here now." She shrugged. "Would you like me to fire you?"
"No!" I quickly shook my head.
"Good, now get back to work." Ms. LeClerc looked down and continued working.
"Do you ever take a break?" I mumbled, but she heard it.
"Hmm?"
"Sorry, it's just that you sent an email at an early hour, were here working when I came, and you barely take any breaks. You go from meeting to work to meeting to work. Do you have time to eat or sleep?"
"Is my well-being a concern to you?" She arched a brow.
"No-"
"So sadistic." She smirked.
I was about to apologize, but I quickly realized she was making a joke. It caught me off guard since she's normally so serious and doesn't find levity in anything. I smiled and nodded before exiting her office. I made my way back to my desk to find Chloe glaring at me. A couple hours later, Brian arrived with my lunch. Chloe asked if he made her one, causing him to awkwardly rub the back of his neck. I tried diffusing the tension by offering her some of mine, but she had no interest in sharing anything of mine. She huffed and stormed off. Alrighty, then.
Brian sat with me for lunch, where we chatted and got to know each other better. I was laughing at something he said when Ms. LeClerc walked over. Brian straightened up and kept his eyes trained on his plate.
"Finish up. I need you." Ms. LeClerc walked off.
"Better eat faster." Brian snickered.
I groaned and wolfed down the delicious fish. I thanked Brian and walked into my boss' office. She held up a finger while speaking on the phone. When she was done, she passed me. I sighed and followed her to an elevator. I noticed that the elevator needed a badge scanned to gain access. Ms. LeClerc had us go to a floor a few levels below.
"What seems to be the issue?" She asked while walking onto a photo shoot set.
"Thank God you're here!" The photographer ran up to her. "We're not sure..." The two walked off while speaking.
I didn't know what to do and it seemed that Ms. LeClerc didn't need me. Why'd she have me come if she didn't want me doing anything? What was the point of me being here? I could've been enjoying my lunch with Brian. I looked around and noticed different models waiting around. Well, they are definitely pretty. My non-straight heart was quickly beating, so I had to tear my eyes away from their lingerie clad bodies.
I walked to the corner and went on my phone. I was liking pictures on Insta when I felt a presence by me. I looked up and saw a somewhat familiar face.
"Hi, I'm Vanessa." She shook my hand.
"Vanessa Moe?" She nodded at me. "Hi! I'm Dakota."
"Nice to meet you. Are you new?"
"I'm Ms. LeClerc's new assistant, so you'll be seeing me more often." I responded.
"So I can look forward to you at more shoots." She stuck her tongue between her teeth. "If you're an assistant, then can you help me with something." She flirtatiously said, so I decided to engage her. "How about helping me with a da-"
"Dakota!" We turned to see Ms. LeClerc narrowing her eyes. "Pay attention." She sharply addressed me.
"See you around." I rolled my eyes at Vanessa and approached my boss. "Yes, how can I help you?"
"Have you ever been to a photo shoot before?" I shook my head. "Dealt with different sets and the color schemes?" I shook my head again. "Then, you should be paying attention instead of fraternizing with the models." She snapped, making my mouth drop. "Take notes." She demanded and returned her gaze to the set.
I simply nodded because I didn't want her to be in a worse mood with me. I took out my phone and began making notes about changes to sets and the different jargon being thrown around. Ms. LeClerc would walk around, but she made sure I stayed glued to her side. Vanessa would send me snickers whenever our eyes would lock. Ms. LeClerc noticed our interaction and sent me back to my office, claiming I couldn't be professional.
I was fearful that she'd fire me, but wasn't about to ask. I nodded and sent Vanessa a small wave before walking away. I was patiently waiting for the elevator when I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Vanessa rushing towards me. She had a robe on with slides. I chuckled at her lovely outfit, making her roll her eyes.
"Hi." I chuckled.
"Hey, we should get coffee one day." She spoke.
"If you insist." I giggled and put my number in her phone.
"See you around." She kissed my cheek and ran back.
I touched my cheek with a smile and went into the elevator. I got to my desk and began organizing different reports Ms. LeCerlc had emailed me. My eyes widened at seeing her forward so many documents to me. Shouldn't she be focusing on the shoot right now?! Ugh!
"I heard a groan." Lando sang out as he approached me. "What's wrong, girlfriend?"
"My boss is just exquisite." I faked a smile, causing him to laugh. "She's sent me more and more work when she's at another meeting thing."
"The photo shoot?" I nodded, making him chuckle. "That's unusual for her full attention not to be there. That's like the thing she takes the most seriously, so it's unheard of her to think about other things." Lando moved around to stare at my screen. "Yep, she's still emailing you..." He checked his watch. "And yep, she'll still be there for another hour."
"She hates me, Lando."
"Well, she sure has a feeling for you." He chuckled.
Lando stayed with me for a few more minutes. It was mostly him chatting to me while I did the work. He eventually had to leave when another coworker asked for his help. Lando waved bye and went to assist the other employee.
I was finalizing the schedule when Brian came to me. I smiled as he sat next to me. He inquired about Chloe, but I shrugged. I had no idea where that girl ran off to. Brian was telling me a funny story, resulting in me laughing and playfully hitting his arm. Brian snickered when I told him how I had been chastised and sent back to my desk.
"Ms. Collins." Brian and my eyes widened. Only one person here calls me that. "My office." She then turned to Brian. "I wasn't aware that your article had been completed."
"It... it hasn't." He muttered.
"Then, see to it." She gave him an intimidating smile. "Ms. Collins." She walked off.
"Well, I'm definitely fired." I whispered before following her.
I sat in a chair when I made it to her office. Ms. LeClerc sat at her desk and used her remote to dim the glass. Yep, she's definitely firing me. She sat back in her chair and studied me. Her gaze was making me slightly uncomfortable.
"You're aware of the whole dating your coworkers dilemma." She stated, more than asked.
"Yes..." I didn't know what she was getting at. "I don't unde-"
"Maybe focus on your work and not pursuing your coworkers."
"What are you talking about? I haven't done-"
"Leave Brian to his piece and-"
"Brian and I aren't dating or will ever be dating. It's not like that-"
"Are you so sure?" She arched a brow.
"Yes! We will never da-"
"Are you completely gay?" I was appalled by her directness. "Well, answer."
"Well... no, but-"
"So there's a chance for him. You're attracted to men, so there's a likelihood-"
"No, I'm not interested in him. He's just a friend-"
"To you, he may be." I was practically fuming at her implications. "Brian, over there, brings you lunch and chats you up any chance he has. He's interested and will probably ask you out soon, so-"
"So nothing! He's just my friend!"
"Why are you getting so worked up?" Her calmness was irritating me. "We're just having a conversation." She folded her papers.
"No, it's you accusing me of something that I haven't and will not do!" I scoffed.
"Are you getting so perturbed because you have a lover?"
"Really? A lover? How..." I took a deep breath because she was still my boss. "No, I don't have a lover." I calmly answered.
"So Brian has nothing to worry about."
"For the last time, I'm not interested in Brian." I sharply spoke. My eyes then widened at the realization. "I'm sor-"
"What about the model? I know my eyes weren't playing tricks on me when you inputted your number in her phone." I was in shock that she saw that. "So you were saying about not fraternizing with your colleagues..." She trailed off.
"There wasn't anything in a clause in the contract about that."
"So you admit to flirting and seeking romantic-"
"Can we please stop with this?" I interrupted. "It's my first week here and I'm just trying to make friends." I sighed. "But if that's not allowed, then I'll just stay at my desk 24/7."
"Good, it seems we're on the same page now." I was appalled at her reaction. "So now that that's settled, I have work I need to focus on." She waved me out.
I rolled my eyes and left the office. It was almost time for me to leave, so I packed up my stuff and made a beeline for the elevator. Lando noticed me leaving and told an editor to hold on. He smiled and approached me, but it slowly fell when he got closer.
"What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you in the morning. See you tomorrow, Lando." I waved to him and went in the elevator.