Page 61 of Austen Persuaded

Besides, I didn’twantto talk about him now.

Or maybe ever.

Chapter 16

“The agents sometimes work from home, though you’ll see them in the office a lot,” the chatty blonde assistant said while leading me on a rapid guided tour of the office suite. Ambrose had taken me past the executive and HR offices—glass-fronted and sparsely modern—before gesturing down a very wide hall lined with mostly closed doors and a tidy cluster of cubicles in the middle. The whole space had a minimalist, functional vibe: neutral walls, light wood accents, and abstract art prints that felt like they were chosen to offend no one. “Sofia and Laina are here most days, though Laina’s been around less lately. Abi and Ryla have offices right over here, and they’re here most days too.” Outside the offices were the four back-to-back cubicles with low walls. “This is you,” he said, pointing to the only unoccupied desk. “And this is me. All four assistant desks are here.”

Ambrose swung around a bit to point toward a side hall. “Further down is Francis’s office—I imagine they’ll stop and say hi today because you technically report to them, though you won’t have a lot of 1–1 contact with them. Don’t get their pronouns wrong, or you’ll never hear the end of it. Francis manages all of us assistants and agents.” And on he went, pointing to the otheragent offices that were across the hall. I just took it all in, smiling until my face hurt, breathing in an air of something unfamiliar but exciting, a restless energy coursing through me at the feeling of entering this new world, where I knew so little except thatIbelonged.Here.

“Are you all right?” he asked, looking at me quizzically. I must have looked dazed. I kicked myself inwardly. I could be blissfully happy but still needed to look professional.

I quickly offered a gracious smile. “I’m great. What’s next?”

“Just a couple more areas, and then we’ll come back and get you settled into your desk before you start the HR orientation. Follow me.” He walked off down another hallway, much narrower than the other.

I hurried to catch up. Ambrose wasn’t even that tall, but I’d never met anyone who walked as fast as he did. It had to be an occupational hazard. “How long is the HR orientation?”

“Sixteen hours.”

At that reply, I almost tripped in my heels. I must have misheard. “Pardon?”

“Sixteen hours, split up over your first three days.”

My heart sank. “Oh, that’s … fun.”

Ambrose turned toward me and walked a little slower. “Oh, suck it up. You’ll be getting Laina’s coffee and drycleaning in no time, never fear.” At my raised eyebrows, he laughed. “Kidding, mostly. It’s not that kind of position. Well, usually. Laina can be demanding though.”

Relief washed over me. If getting coffee for the agents was going to help me reach my goals, I was definitely willing, even if it wasn’t my first choice. I wanted to dive into the world of books and publishing and authors and royalties and everything else I needed to learn about. Getting someone’s coffee seemed like such a waste of time when there was so much to do and learn! Still, I’d suck it up as he suggested, just like the HR training. “Of course,” I said, lifting my chin. “This isn’t my first job, you know.”

“Right,” Ambrose snickered, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. As we came to a stop, he pointed to the left. “Here’s the IT offices. We’ll just stop in for a quick introduction.”

I smiled widely. As soon as we walked in, I spotted Rainn in a cubicle in the corner of a large room full of computer and server equipment. Instead of waiting for an intro from Ambrose, I ran over to his desk, where he looked up and smiled.

Ambrose followed, disapproval on his face.

“It’s all right, I know her,” Rainn said, grinning as he stood and enveloped me in a giant hug. “She’s my roommate.”

Ambrose’s jaw dropped and then closed quickly. I felt a sense of unease but then dismissed it. “I just wanted to say hi to Rainn. Please do continue with your tour, Ambrose.”

After I gave Rainn a helpless look and waved goodbye, Ambrose nodded and curtly led me to meet a few others in the room. Once we were back in the hallway, Ambrose pointed out a few more rooms in the same hall, including the break room, nursing room, and meeting rooms. His tone was as brisk as his walking pace.

Just before we returned to the open area where the assistant desks were, I pulled him aside. “Ambrose, I’m sorry about that, back there.”

He looked at me impatiently. “What?”

“About … running into the IT room without waiting for your introductions. It was unprofessional. I’ll do better, I promise.”

He sighed. “We have a lot of big personalities around here. I don’t care about that.”

“Then …” I trailed off, a questioning look on my face.

He stood in stony silence for a long moment and glanced at his watch. “You’re the direct type, aren’t you?”

I nodded, sucking my cheeks in to avoid a smile or a cringe, I wasn’t sure which.

“I have to respect that,” he said grudgingly, gazing up at the ceiling before looking back at me directly. “I’m the same way. So, I’ll be frank. I fear you’re going to be a nightmare to train because you’re underqualified and only got the job because you’re, uh, ‘roomingwith the IT guy.’ And I have a heavy workload, so … that’s just more work for me.”

“Wha—” I sputtered. “I … honestly, I don’t know why they picked me. You’re probably right that myfriendshipwith the IT guy—andhisfriendship with a guy in HR—had something to do with it.” When Ambrose smirked, I took a step in his direction. I wasn’t going to be intimidated. “But that doesnotmean I’m underqualified. I’m going to be amazing at this job. I’m going to be the best damn assistant this agency has ever seen.”

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