Page 6 of Once Upon a Prince
I knew hiring me had been a risk. I had sent Tom, Dax’s father, my resume and talked to him on the phone extensively. He had grilled me on what I would bring to his company. I knew that it looked like he had taken pity on his dead friend’s daughter and that was the only reason I got the job. It wasn’t. I had worked with my father when I was younger. I was the reason the company didn’t go under when he died. I could run Taylor Med on my own if my stepmother would let me. I was more than capable of being Dax Moore’s assistant and I was determined to prove that to not only Mr. Moore and his son, but to people like Tanya.
As I sat at my desk and got my computer going, I saw that Dax had appointments that would keep him out of the office for most of the day. I took the time to familiarize myself with his schedule and his most frequent calls and contacts. Except for the occasional call, I took the time to get settled and felt by the end of the day that I had a good handle on what was needed and what I could do.
It was late when I took my first break and my stomach started to growl. I was bad about getting involved in a project and not eating. It wasn’t until I came up for air that I would realize how late it was and that it had been hours since I had eaten. With how nervous I was about starting the job and everything that I had to learn, it didn’t surprise me that I worked through the day.
I hadn’t known the break room situation, so I hadn’t brought anything with me to eat. I pulled out my phone to see what restaurants were nearby. I didn’t want to use the work computer for any personal business. I immediately smiled as I saw that both Layla and Ara had texted me wishing me good luck on my first day.
Ara had sent funny gifs with sexy men dancing around and celebrating working while Layla had sent me inspirational quotes from strong women in history. It fit them and their personalities so well. I felt a swell of love and happiness that I had gotten so lucky to have found them and for them to be in my life.
Seeing their messages and knowing I had their support made me feel better. It didn’t matter what people like Tanya or my stepmother thought of me. I had the love and support of two amazing women. I was a capable and intelligent woman who was going to do great work for Mr. Moore. I was going to make his job so easy he could do it in his sleep. I was going to do what I had come to New York to do, get my trust fund, and leave my stepmother and her daughters behind.
I had spent the day trying to prove all of that to myself but as I saw their messages, I knew I had done it already and I would continue to do it. Things would only get better from here. I could see and feel it.
I was getting ready to respond to their texts when I heard a noise next to me. I looked up to see the sexiest man I had ever seen standing in front of me. He wore black pants and a shirt with the top buttons of the shirt undone. The shirt was fitted just enough to show off his muscular chest and toned arms. His jet-black hair was pushed back accentuating his high cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. Eyes that were looking at me with annoyance and frustration.
It might have been years since I had seen Dax Moore but there was no mistaking that the man standing in front of me was him. I sheepishly put my phone down and tried to prevent the blush from forming on my cheeks. It wasn’t working as I could feel my cheeks getting redder and redder as he stared at me.
He didn’t speak and I could tell that he was waiting for me to explain not only who I was but why I was there. I might recognize him. I might remember how he looked so much like the cute guy I had met at my father’s house all those years ago but I could tell that he clearly did not remember me.
As far as first impressions went with my new boss. It couldn’t have gone any worse. I slowly stood up from my desk and hoped that I hadn’t ruined my chances to work with this man before I had finished my first day.
Chapter 4
Dax
I wanted to give my father the benefit of the doubt. He had run a successful business for years. He had taken what his grandfather had started and his father took over and made it better. He couldn’t have done that if he didn’t have sound business knowledge and instinct. I had learned under him how to run our company and trusted him explicitly. It was only because of the faith I had in my father and his abilities that I wasn’t throwing Ella out as soon as I saw her.
There were few things in this world that I liked less than laziness. I was a busy man and I expected the people that worked for me to be just as busy and diligent with their time and work. I did not take to anyone sitting around and doing nothing or even worse, looking at their phone during work hours. When I came upon Ella, that was exactly what she was doing.
At least she was smart enough to look ashamed and quickly put her phone down as soon as she saw me. She didn’t try to hide the fact that she was on the phone but stood up. It gave me my first full glimpse of the woman who wanted to be my assistant.
She was a tiny little thing who didn’t look to be much over five feet tall. She did know how to pack a lot in that small body of hers. The outfit she had on looked slightly worn and meant to look classic. It more reminded me of something my first-grade teacher might have worn, not my assistant. While it wasn’t the most attractive or flattering outfit on her, it still showed off her curves and had my mouth going a little dry. I was taken aback by how sexy she looked that I didn’t speak for a few moments.
Ella didn’t seem to notice as she squared her shoulders and said, “Mr. Moore. Hello. I’m Ella Taylor, your new assistant. I have confirmed your reservation at 323 tonight for seven o’clock. As you requested, they were able to find the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Rocky Creek and it will be decanted and at the table when you arrive. I have also confirmed your appointments for tomorrow. They are all set except I had to push back your three o’clock meeting with Mr. Aster as your two o’clock will more than likely run late. Your mail is sitting on your desk as well as your messages. If you look over the messages, I can respond to them for you. Just let me know when you are ready.”
It was not what I had expected from her. I had thought she had been sitting at her desk all day just waiting for me to show up and tell her what to do. I hadn’t been looking forward to the task. With her comments, I could tell I didn’t need to. Maybe my father was right to hire her and my first impression of her had been wrong.
I held my tongue from telling her she had done a good job and that I was impressed. I wasn’t a man who was easily impressed. I didn’t want her thinking that she could do the most basic part of her job and that was all I wanted. She still had a lot she needed to do to prove herself but at least she had shown to me that she was somewhat competent.
“If you would follow me into my office,” I said.
She nodded and I saw her grab a notebook and a pen. I was glad to see she had the forethought to bring them with her. I opened my office door and immediately went to my desk. When I turned around in my chair, I saw her looking around my office.
It was an impressive site. I had wanted it to look not only efficient but inviting and somewhat intimidating. I would have a few clients meet me in my office and I wanted to give myself whatever advantage I could. The windows and the skyline of New York City were on full display behind my desk. I had specifically chosen this office because it had such a great view. I liked to look at it but I also felt that it made others see it and be reminded of the power and wealth in the city and that I also had.
The space was big enough to have two large couches off to the side with a glass coffee table between them. Currently on the desk was a limited-edition photography book from a famous photographer who also happened to be a close friend. The book hadn’t even come out yet and I already had a copy. It was the subtle things like that which showed not only who I was but the influence I had on the city.
My desk matched the couches which were all done in a dark brown. The walls were painted in a light brown giving a good depth and contrast to the furniture, making the room seem even bigger than it was. Off to the side was a small cabinet that held various types of liquor and underneath it was a small but impressive array of wines.
I gave Ella a moment to take in the room as I looked over the messages. She could have emailed them to me but I actually liked that she wanted to have a more personal touch. I had a cell phone and would use it for business calls but rarely gave it out to people. I still was old school and liked people to contact my office if they wanted to talk to me. It also gave me a bit of a buffer between people that I didn’t want to talk to.
“Set up the meeting with Arthur for later in the week. He’ll want to do dinner, tell him I’m not available and make it for lunch instead. Remind him that I have another appointment after him and he will only get an hour and a half of my time.”
I looked up to see Ella nodding her understanding. I would meet with Arthur as he was a good client and one I wanted to keep happy. It didn’t mean I was going to give him my evening, even if that was exactly what he would want me to do.
Putting my head down, I looked at the other messages but I looked up again when I heard an odd sound. My eyes fell on Ella whose cheeks were red with embarrassment. Her hand was on her stomach and she wouldn’t look at me. It took me a second to realize the sound I had heard was her stomach growling.
I didn’t say anything but raised an eyebrow at her. I didn’t need an assistant who missed meals or didn’t take care of themself. No matter how competent she may be, she wouldn’t do me any good if she passed out on me while working.