Page 2 of Fierce-Ivan
The only issue with that—there weren’t many jobs out there that fit her skill level.
She’d thought being the executive assistant for one of the vice presidents would give her more responsibility from her previous job.
Nope. For three years she’d been here and they hadn’t given her much more to do than what she was hired for.
No, that was wrong. She was making lunch orders and picking them up. Getting coffee for clients.
Definitely not what she signed up for and wasn’t going to continue much longer.
Not only that, they were asking her to stay later and later for what she considered stupid shit. She had no problem working late when needed, but she had to plan at times too or let her mother know. Her mother didn’t complain, but she still felt bad.
Or maybe it was more an excuse because she was hating on her job so much lately.
Either way, she started to look and was shocked when she came across an ad for Fierce. She figured she wouldn’t have a shot at it and was stunned by the first interview and flabbergasted by how well the second one went. The third one today had her shaking in her boots, but she must have killed it to get the offer.
“I only want you to be happy here. So they offered and you accepted?” her mother asked.
“I did. Ella is so nice but businesslike.”
The first interview Kendra had shown up in brown pants and a button-down collared shirt with flats on her feet. The main office was above the bar and pub, the restaurant in the back. She hadn’t expected it to be formal but made sure she was dressed appropriately. A person from HR and Jolene Fierce had interviewed her and she’d felt she was presenting professionally for the environment.
The second interview was with Ella and a few office staff. She’d worn black pants and a light gray button-down shirt this time. A similar outfit as the first time.
She’d been shocked to see Ella in a navy pencil skirt, a printed silk top and nude pumps on her feet. She’d felt completely out of place and figured she’d blown it.
When she got the call for the third interview she wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.
“Is that what you’re looking for?” her mother asked. “I thought you wanted something not as stuffy.”
“It’s not stuffy. Trust me. Today Jolene and Cade Fierce were in the interview along with a few other office staff I’d be working with that I didn’t meet last time. They were all dressed more casually and Cade was a riot. So was Jolene.”
“That’s good to know. You normally keep to yourself anyway. Tell me what you’ll be doing.”
“Ella is returning to work full time after having her daughter six months ago. She needs someone to be a right-hand person to help her out. Ella pretty much runs the operations as a whole for all three businesses and the office staff.”
“That’s a lot of people and businesses,” her mother said. “The brewery and restaurants too?”
“Yes and no. Mason runs the brewery, Aiden the restaurant, Brody the pub and bar. Those three run the day-to-day operations. Ella is at a higher level behind the scenes. Overseeing finances is a big part of it. It’s funny. They are all married and their spouses work in those parts with them. Cade is the attorney and does the marketing and has an office by Ella. Anyway, I’ll be doing so much stuff. I’ll have my hands in all pies. Everything Ella does, I’ll have some tiny piece of it.”
“It all sounds great,” her mother said. “As long as you don’t end up as a gopher again.”
“I don’t see it happening,” she said. She wasn’t sure why, but in her gut, she knew this was where she had to be. Maybe it was the kindness of Jolene. The motherly voice when Jolene was stern with her kids during the interview but equally funny.
It reminded her of her mother and their relationship. Anyone like that couldn’t be a bad boss in her eyes. Or raise her kids to be that way.
At least she hoped.
She’d had a lot of blind faith in life. Pun intended. And this was going to be one of those times too.
1
The Matchmaking Bus
One Year Later
“Ivan,”Ella said to him when he knocked on her open doorframe and walked into her office. “I appreciate your willingness to meet today, but shouldn’t you be at your other job?”
“I took the day off,” he said.
