Billionaire Romance Series
Behind The Facade 1
Chapter 1
“So Ms. Hayes,” Adam begins, eyes landing on the woman’s hazel brown eyes. “Shall I call you Alexis?”
“Lexi will do,” she says, her tight-lipped smile loosening up a bit. “Thank you for taking the time to interview me.”
Alexis squirms in her seat. Sitting across her is Adam Sinclair, thirty-two year old CEO and Founder of The Sinclair Group of Companies or SGC as it trades on the index. SGC manages a select group of luxury fashion brands found and sold in all fashion capitals of the world. He’s also one of the youngest billionaires, so to be interviewed by him is an honor and privilege for Alexis.
“You are interviewing to be my personal assistant,” is his reply, as he looks at her with a devious smirk. “So…Lexi…” he tests her name on her lips. He likes it. “Tell me about yourself.”
It’s one of the basic questions in the interview process, a seemingly mundane and dull question even, but it’s one of Adam’s favorites. It reveals a lot about a person.
“Well…” Lexi starts, taking a minute to construct her answer. The way she bites her bottom lip and stares up at the ceiling has Adam magnetized. The girl’s adorable, he thinks. “I’m Alexis Hayes, but everyone calls me Lexi. I just graduated from university a couple of weeks ago with a Marketing degree. I applied for the personal assistantship person because I want to work directly under you. You’re one of the movers and shapers of the fashion industry, and what better way to learn than from the best?”
“Shouldn’t you be applying for a marketing position then, or even sales?” he tests her, trying to tease and rile her a little bit. When Lexi takes a second too long to answer, Adam tries her further, “I know I’m one of the best in this sector, but there has to be more. There are many others you can learn from, and I assure you you’ll have an easier time working under them.”
“I-I…” she begins, scrambling her brain for the right answer to say.
“I don’t take bullshit lightly,” Adam then says. He looks at her pointedly one more time. “So, why are you applying for this position instead of a marketing or sales one?”
“Because…” Lexi starts, and then, the figurative dam breaks and Lexi opens up. “Because it’s the first call I received to interview. I want to start working right away, so I can pay my student loans and credit card debt. I received a number of scholarships and worked two jobs during undergrad, but those weren’t enough to cover my student loans. I want to start paying them back before the interest rates eat me up. That’s why I’m sitting here in front of you.”
When she finishes, Adam’s smirk turns into a friendlier, more welcoming grin. He pulls his elbows back from the table and leans further into his seat. He lets out a deep sigh and relaxes a bit.
“Now, that’s what I want to hear,” he begins. “Tell me about your previous work experience and relate it to the position you’re applying for.”
“Well, I’ve always wanted to work in the fashion industry, and so my work experience has always been in the sector. I used to work as a virtual assistant for an online fashion shop. I helped with the design of the clothes and the management of all the company’s social media accounts and growing the community and customer base. Relating it to this job, managing multiple online accounts will be similar to managing your schedule and calls for you. I’m a process-oriented person. I love to-do lists, and those are essential if I’m given the opportunity to work as your personal assistant.”
By the end of her answer, Adam can’t help but smile. The edge of his lips almost reaches the tips of his ears. He’s impressed with her answer and knows she’s a good fit for the position.
“My schedule can be very demanding, and I like to work overtime and so will you,” he then says. “You’ll also be fielding calls from left and right and will accompany me in business meetings and large-scale corporate events such as conferences. Will you be able to handle all of that?”
When Lexi nods her head, Adam sends a smile her way, stands up from his seat, reaches his arm out, and then says, “Well, congratulations. You’re hired.”
Unable to control her happiness, Lexi almost flies out of her seat and shakes Adam’s hand a little bit too enthusiastically.
“Thank you so much, sir,” she says, her hands still in his. Her fingers are soft and tender against his stronger hand. “I won’t disappoint you.”
“You’re welcome,” he says in response. “So I’ll see you at eight in the morning come Monday?”
“Yes, sir.”
Shaking his head, he corrects her, “Just call me Adam. I’ll see you next week.”
When Lexi walks out of his office, Adam’s eyes lazily trail her figure from behind. Her hips are sashaying from side to side, giving her ass a little bounce with every step forward she takes. When her fingers close around the doorknob, Lexi turned her head back to face him and gives Adam a small smile. For some reason, Lexi has Adam’s interest piqued. How can such an adorable face have a rocking body underneath the button-up and black skirt? He thinks. When Lexi closes the door behind her, Adam sits back down on his chair. It takes him at least half an hour before he resumes working since thoughts of Lexi preoccupy him.