Page 19 of The Physical Attraction Seminar
Hesitantly, I approach the receptionist’s desk and notice a small placard with the nameNinadelicately engraved on it. “Banks Brothers Enterprises. Please hold,” she says into the receiver one final time before holding down a finger on the mute button and pulling the phone away from her ear. “Hi, Lyla. I’m Nina. It’s nice to meet you.”
I match her smile and reach out, slipping my hand with hers.
“Barrett’s office is at the very end of this corridor.” Shetilts her head to the left. “It’s hard to miss, and your desk is the one right outside his office. He wanted me to tell you that he has back-to-back meetings this morning, but he’ll meet with you this afternoon. You’re welcome to take lunch whenever you feel like it.”
Just the sound of his name causes a swarm of butterflies to flutter in my stomach. Of the millions of people in New York, I still can’t believe thatheis the one who is going to be my new boss. The thought of what lies ahead fills me with an equal amount of excitement and apprehension.
I like Barrett. He seems kind, and his gentle manner puts me at ease. The effortlessness of our conversations is a breath of fresh air, and I can only hope that he maintains the same friendly demeanor while we’re working together. If that’s the case, I am confident that we will get along well. Before we know it, the reminders of our silly little hook-up will fade away, and it will become a hazy memory of the past.
Simple as that.
“Thanks, Nina. Nice to meet you.” I give her a big smile despite the bundle of nerves curling in my stomach.
I hold my breath, and my heels click against the polished marble floor as I veer left. With each step, my knees feel like they are on the verge of buckling. At any moment, I feel like I might stumble and crash into the floor-to-ceiling windows that stretch along one side of the hall.
Get it together, Lyla. You’re not even at your desk yet.
As I pass people settling into their offices,I catch eyes with a few familiar faces from Solus, exchanging nods of recognition. In passing, we exchange quick waves and a brief dose of customary Monday morning small talk before going on about our day.
There is something about the hours leading up to the first day at a new job that always left a hum of panic crawling under my skin. I spent most of yesterday afternoon rearranging my closet for optimal outfit-picking ability, and triple-checking my work bag to ensure that all of my newly purchased office supplies were accounted for.
Camila and I spent the better half of an hour committing the interactive map of the building to memory. She’s been here at least a dozen times for negotiations and paperwork, but she went along with it to help quash my first-day jitters like a good friend does. We even went as far as reading, then re-reading, the frequently asked questions sheet we received on Friday. At one point, I think we started quizzing each other, game-show-style. If this acquisition hadn’t been sprung on us with such short notice, I felt confident I would’ve made her come with me to practice our commute to make sure we had our walking speedjustright.
The moment I reach the tinted urban industrial doors of Barrett's corner office, the anxious flutters vanish, leaving an unsettling emptiness in the pit of my stomach.
To the left of the double doors, there is a state-of-the-art L-shaped reception desk, similar to the one I had at Solus. The difference is that this desk looks like itbelongsto a company worth trillions of dollars. My executive assistant heart screams as I run my hand along the white countertop,trailing my fingertips along the ergonomic keyboard that sits in front of the sleek black dual monitor desktop. My hands are shaky as I gently set my bag down in the corner, almost like one wrong move might shatter the entire setup.
Never in a million years did I think I would work at a job where I’d get to have a desk that looks likethis. The anxious flutters return, and I’m slapped with the feeling that I’m unworthy of this job.
You know that? No. I’m not going to keep feeding my self-deprecating thoughts.
I am stronger than this. I am deserving of this job. And I’m going to be the best freaking assistant Barrett has ever had.
With a deep breath, I take a seat and lift my line of sight to the expansive co-working space off to my right. The room was alive with the sound of buzzed chatter and the bustling movement of bodies as if everyone was feeding off each other’s energy. The days of working alone in a quiet office the size of a closet are long gone, aren’t they?
As I sweep my eyes over the rest of the space, a small smile pulls at the corners of my lips. The workstations are perfectly arranged, equipped with top-of-the-line ergonomic chairs, and there is even a premium automatic espresso machine nestled in the far right corner. I let out a small sigh, looking down at the post-it note with my login information.
It’s still too early to tell, and for obvious reasons, I’m skeptical, but there’s something in the air that tells me I might actually like it here. Then again, maybeit’s best to reserve judgment until I’ve had a chance to meet with my new boss.
“Lyla!” Heads turn at the sound of Camila’s voice booming through the co-working space as she makes her way over to my desk. She side-eyes the crowd as she walks, bunching her shoulders to her ears while giving our new coworkers a snarky two-handed wave.
“That was a little loud, wasn’t it?” she whispers, placing both hands on the lip of my desk and leaning in close.
“Maybe just a little.”
She nonchalantly shrugs and proceeds to give me a thorough once-over, carefully surveying my new desk space as her gaze moves from one detail to another.
“How weird is it not having your own office anymore?”
“Well, considering that this new desk is the size of my old office, I’m not complaining yet.”
The two of us stifle laughs.
“Can you believe how lavish this place is? When I stepped into the lobby earlier, I couldn’t help but feel out of place. You saw the chandelier, didn’t you? Tell me you saw the chandelier.” My words stumble as they try to keep pace with my racing thoughts. The time is creeping toward 10:30a.m., and I haven’t uttered a single word to anyone except Nina.
The silence in this place is driving me crazy. All morning, I’ve been watching mandatory onboarding videos and going over the detailed packet of notes that Barrett’s former assistant left before she retired a few weeks ago. The bulk of my work isn’t much different from what I did at Solus, but Nina is fielding all of Barrett’s calls until our meeting this afternoon, leaving me with little to do.
Like usual, Camila nods quietly and lets me continue rambling. At first glance, she appears distant and unapproachable. Her collarbone-length dark brown hair cascades softly around her face. Yet, it’s her perpetual stern expression that keeps people at a distance. And as her friend of nearly seven years, I can assure you that beneath her hard exterior lies a compassionate and caring nature.
