Page 65 of The Executive Assistant

The following month was a time of change.

I’d given Cameron the best reference letter I could, and it hadn’t taken him long to find a new job at Baltect, a huge media company. Once he’d officially resigned, it hadn’t taken Julia long to find a replacement assistant. Hayley was a recent college graduate, and while she couldn’t completely fill Cameron’s shoes, she was determined and a quick learner. That was all I needed, and it was a relief to not be in love with someone working for me.

On a Friday, at exactly 5:00, I shut off my computer and locked my office behind me, feeling content with the amount of work that I had gotten done. These days I was only at the office during working hours and I always pre-planned what I wanted to get done ahead of time. Even when I didn’t get every single thing done, I didn’t panic.

I no longer worried that I’d be a failure. Firth Marketingwouldn’t collapse overnight. Things would be okay.

Of course, it was still a learning curve. I didn’t let go all of my unhealthy habits overnight, but with Cameron’s support, I replaced work hours with exercise, sleep and socializing.

Besides, I was excited to leave the office tonight. I had a date with Cameron.

As soon as I stepped out of my office building, I saw Cameron parked on the side of the street. I hurried over and slipped into the passenger’s seat, leaning over to peck him on the lips. “Hey, how was your day?”

Cameron squeezed my knee as he drove away from my office building. “It was good. Ready for dinner?”

I nodded, my hand moving to my stomach. “I’m starving. I ate a chicken club earlier, but I’m still hungry.”

“Good. I’m taking you somewhere special tonight,” Cameron replied as he shot me a wink.

I smiled. “Still want to go to the movies tomorrow?”

“Of course,” Cameron said as he took my hand.

Even if we didn’t get to see each other all that much during some weeks, we always made it a point to hang out on the weekends.

Cameron brought us to a rooftop bar and grill with an incredible view of the city. We ordered mixed drinks from the bar and sat at a table near the edge just as sunset painted the sky with beautiful streaks of color.

“This is amazing,” I told Cameron. “Thank you for this.”

“My pleasure,” he said with a grin.

I sipped my rum punch, enjoying something different from wine or a martini. It was nice changing things up over the past month, even little things like what I drank or my nightly routine.

Emilia and Brooke were also supportive of all the changes I made. I made sure to carve time out for them, and these days we met up for drinks or brunch much more frequently. We even had a girls’ trip planned for early next year. If things went great, it could become an annual thing that we all do together.

“How are things at work? Doing okay?” Cameron asked me.

“We finished up a project early,” I said. “Part of the reason is I’ve been delegating more tasks. If I have less on my plate, I can dedicate more time to the important things.”

“That’s great to hear. How’s the new assistant?”

“Hayley’s great. She’s learning more about how the company works every day, so it won’t be long until she’s an expert,” I said. “How’s work been for you?”

“We’ve just finished up a project too. The client loved the team’s ideas, so it won’t be long until you see the billboards and posters all over the city.”

“That’s amazing! I can’t wait to see them. I’m so proud of you.”

He waved an embarrassed hand. “It’s nothing.”

“It’s not nothing!” I insisted. “I know how talented and skilled you are.”

He shrugged. “Well, I had you to teach me the ropes.”

We smiled at each other, my heart warm. “They’re lucky to have you. You’re going to blow them out of the water.” I reached over to squeeze his hand.

He grinned, squeezing it back, then picked up his glass. “To new beginnings,” he toasted.

I lifted up my rum punch. “To new beginnings,” I repeated, and we clinked glasses.

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