I gulped as I stared at the bulleted list in Calvin’s neat handwriting. When Tessa had said personal assistant, I assumed I’d be running errands — getting coffee, picking up dry-cleaning, maybe scheduling doctor appointments. But the things Calvin wanted went way beyond that. I didn’t understand half of what he’d written, and I knew how to do less than that.

“Is there a problem?” He loomed over me, frowning.

His nearness unnerved me. The way he filled out his perfectly-tailored suit made it look like he carved time out of his busy schedule to work out. He was tall and toned — not bulging with muscles like a lot of the guys in LA, but large enough to make me feel small, mentally and physically.

But it wasn’t just his size, it was his commanding presence. He carried himself like a man who regularly made multi-million dollar deals with international conglomerates. So different from the shy, gawky, hunched over teenager I remembered.

He wasn’t a pale, skinny kid with ugly glasses, crooked teeth, and a bad haircut anymore; he was tanned, with expertly-styled hair, eyes as blue as the water in the Sweet Bay harbor, and straight teeth peeking out from an intense expression. He’d probably gotten veneers, or something. Lord knew he could afford it. Even his cologne smelled rare and expensive, with layers of scent notes so complex I couldn’t begin to distinguish them all. I forced myself to quit thinking about how good he looked and smelled and concentrate on the task at hand.

“No, no problem. You might need to give me a little guidance on some of these, but I’ll make sure everything gets done to your satisfaction. What would you like me to work on first?” I put on my business professional persona, hoping he’d buy it. I scanned down the items till I found a list of people he wanted me to call, hoping to start with that. I didn’t mind making phone calls, and the phone was one piece of technology I could handle.

He pulled out his cell phone and held it up. It was wrapped in an embossed leather Gucci case that looked like it cost more than the phone itself. “The first and last thing I need you to do every day is make sure my calendar is updated. I check it regularly, but keep me informed of any pertinent changes. If you look through past entries, you’ll notice the format I prefer. Let me know if you have any questions about the abbreviations I use.”

“Uh, okay. Um, how do I access your calendar?”

He gestured at the computer. “Outlook. Plus there’s a phone app.”

I cringed. Outlook. One of the programs Tessa had asked if I knew how to use. I had no clue, but how hard could it be?

I jerked back when he bent in front of me to pull the brass handle on one of the mahogany desk drawers. He lifted out a cell phone and set it in front of me. It didn’t have a Gucci case, but it was still the latest phone on the market, as far as I knew. “Here, you can use this.”

I picked up the phone and scanned the icons, looking for one that looked like a calendar. I must’ve taken a moment too long, because Calvin reached over and tapped on a blue and white button that looked more like an email app.

Almost every hour of the day had something scheduled. It shouldn’t have surprised me that a man who ran a billion-dollar company would be incredibly busy, but it seemed like a full time job just managing his calendar. Some of the entries looked like gibberish, but now that I realized how precious his time was, I didn’t dare waste it. I’d do my best to figure it out on my own and only ask if absolutely necessary.

“Okay, thanks.”

He nodded like he was convinced by the confident attitude I was pretending to have. My acting skills were coming in handy. “I’d also like a report on the status of all the projects each morning. It’s critical that everything stay on schedule. If there are any delays, I need to know about it immediately. You’ll find all the info you need in Access.”

Great, another program I’d have to learn. No wonder Tessa asked me if I was proficient in any of them. I pressed the home button on the phone and started looking for the Access app.

“It’s not very mobile-friendly. It’s best to use the desktop.” Calvin waved at the computer again then put his hands in his pockets and started to pace a bit like all the business talk was revving him up. Or maybe it was the coffee. Either way, he seemed more intense than ever.

I jiggled the mouse, making the computer come to life. A dizzying, floral wallpaper filled the screen. His previous assistant must’ve been responsible for that. I couldn’t see Calvin choosing anything like it. On top of the busy pattern were dozen of icons I didn’t recognize.

Calvin stopped pacing and looked at me when I hesitated. “Wait, have you never used Access before?”

I felt my cheeks flame. That was one thing my acting skills couldn’t cover up. “No, but I’m sure I can figure it out.”

I was totally not sure I could figure it out, but I had to if I wanted this job. And I didn’t just want it, I desperately needed it.

He frowned at that then pointed at the right icon. I clicked on it and stared at the screen, feeling overwhelmed. My sweaty palm shook a bit as I slowly moved the mouse.

Calvin sighed and put his hand over mine, taking control of the mouse. I jerked at the contact and tried to still my shaking. His hand was firm, the skin supple, with precisely-clipped nails that had been buffed to a shine. His heavy, gold watch pressed into my wrist.

He moved the mouse around the screen, hovering over different documents. “This is the list of contractors, these are the suppliers, these are permits, employees, contracts. I’ll need you to familiarize yourself with every aspect of the project and keep me updated if anything gets off schedule.”

“Sure. No problem.” My voice wavered, betraying me. I felt completely overwhelmed by all the information I needed to grasp. This job entailed way more than I ever imagined, and my brain was telling me it was beyond my capabilities, that I wasn’t smart enough to ever learn this. But I was down to my last $10 and needed a paycheck, like, yesterday.

Calvin turned his head and frowned at me, his handsome scowl only inches away from my face. “Layla, this is important. I need to know you can stay on top of this. If you can’t handle the job, I’ll have to look for someone else.”

His sea blue eyes threatened to drown me, and I sputtered like I was choking on water. “No, I can do it. You don’t have to worry.”

He pulled himself upright then, his gaze releasing me. I slowly let out a shaky breath.

“I’m also receiving a lot of quotes for supplies. I need you to analyze them and make recommendations. Leanne has a spreadsheet started already. I assume you at least know how to use one of those.”

I forced my eyes not to bug out and my mouth to stay closed. Spreadsheets were for accountants and financial advisors. I didn’t have the faintest idea how to use one. But there was no way I was admitting that to him. I hadn’t studied since, well, never, but I’d spend every spare moment teaching myself if I had to. I gritted my teeth and forced a smile. “Of course.”

I wasn’t sure he was convinced, if the wrinkle between his eyebrows was any indication, but he rapped his knuckles on my desk like a gavel declaring an end to the session and started to walk away. “Okay, great. Well, I have a million things to do today, so I’ll leave you to it. I’ll be in and out of the office all day, but my number is in the phone if you need me.”

As soon as he was out of sight, my body started shaking. How on earth was I ever going to learn all this? I wasn’t good at school. I never needed to be. I always did the bare minimum, getting by on my looks and popularity. Calvin was obviously a brilliant businessman to have become so successful. How could I keep up with him?

I wanted to run away or cry or ask him to give me some other job, anything besides this. I couldn’t handle this! But I was too proud and too desperate to do any of those things.

Instead, I picked up the phone again and opened the calendar app. The first thing I needed to do was figure out his schedule. I noticed that I could access his email from the app. Was I supposed to monitor that, as well? He hadn’t said anything about it, so I ignored it for the time being.

I quickly scanned through the day’s schedule, trying to decipher the shorthand system he used. Some of it was obvious, but there were several abbreviations I couldn’t figure out, even with the help of Google, so I jotted down questions to ask him later, feeling worse as the list got longer.

Then I moved on to the projects listed in Access. My vision blurred as I opened each file and stared at all the information, trying to make sense of it. I never realized how complicated starting a resort would be. There were dozen of projects all in various stages of completion, with several people handling different aspects of each. How was I supposed to keep up with all of it? Would these people contact me, or did I need to check up on them? I’d have to ask about that, too.

Even if one of the contractors did tell me about a change, I had no idea how to input the information. The program might’ve made it easier to keep everything organized, but I didn’t have the faintest idea how to update the files. I really needed to watch about a dozen instructional videos. Since Calvin was gone, I decided that might be the best use of my time. I pulled up YouTube and searched for some how-to videos. I watched one after another, trying to follow along on the computer.

My stomach rumbled, trying to distract me, but I ignored it. I couldn’t afford to go buy lunch, and I didn’t have the time to spare, anyway. I needed to cram a semester’s worth of computer classes into one afternoon. I’d get a good meal at my parents house that evening, although the meal would probably be spoiled by the third degree my parents were sure to give me.

A few hours later, I was so engrossed in a tutorial video, I didn’t notice Calvin until he stalked up to my desk and slapped his hands down on it, leaning into my face. His nostrils flared as he scowled at me. “What was the most important thing I said I needed you to do?”

I quickly jerked away from his invasion of my personal space and paused the video. I had no idea what I’d done wrong, but I’d obviously screwed something up. “Um, keep up with your calendar?”

His jaw was so tight, it was a wonder he could get the words out. Tension vibrated off of him in palpable waves. “Yes, and that means updating it if something changes, and letting me know right away. So, why didn’t you tell me the inspector who was supposed to come tomorrow changed the appointment to today?”

I had no idea what he was talking about, but he’d given enough information for me to know that it wasn’t good. But I had no clue how I’m managed to screw it up for him. My voice wavered uncontrollably. “I don’t know. I didn’t know anything about it. He didn’t call here.”

I quickly glanced at the notepad I’d used to take phone messages, my fingers clutching at the pen. There was probably a better system I should be using, but for now, it did the job. I’d answered a few calls, but nothing seemed urgent, and no one requested a change in their appointment.

Calvin yanked himself upright, out of my face, giving me a chance to breathe. “He said he emailed first thing this morning. I checked, and sure enough, it’s been sitting in the inbox for hours!”

My eyes got wide, and I swallowed a thick lump of regret. I tried to force out my excuse around it. “I didn’t know you wanted me to check your email. You didn’t tell me that.”

Calvin threw his hands up in the air and started pacing. “Of course I want you to check the email! I thought it was obvious! It’s right there on the Outlook app I told you to use. Do you think I have time to read a hundred emails a day? I expect you to filter them, deal with as much as you can, and flag the ones that require my attention.”

“I’m sorry! I thought about checking it, but I didn’t want to invade your privacy.”

He curled his lip in a hint of a snarl and rolled his eyes. “You’re my assistant, Layla. Why would I entrust you with the most important details of this business if I didn’t trust you to check my email? Why didn’t you ask me if I wanted you to check the email if you had doubts about it?”

I couldn’t stop myself even if I tried. My frustration exploded like gunpowder, and the words burst out of my mouth like shotgun pellets. “Because I knew you were super busy, and I didn’t want to bother you! And I have no idea why you trust me with all of this. I thought I’d be picking up your dry-cleaning, not managing your entire organization! You threw me into the middle of all this with no training. I’m trying my best to figure it all out, but I’ve only been here a few hours!”

Calvin gawked at my outburst then puffed out his cheeks and let the air burst out as he raked a hand through his hair. Then his eyes drooped pitifully. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m asking a lot of you. I need a general manager to take over some of this, but I really need you to help me until I find one.”

I picked up the phone. “I’ll call the inspector right away and get the meeting rescheduled. What’s his name?”

“I don’t know. Tom something. It’s in the email.”

I grabbed the phone and checked the email, reading several before I found the right one. There was no phone number. But this sounded too time-sensitive to deal with over email. There had to be a phone number for the man somewhere. Probably buried in the Access database. I opened up the program and pecked around, trying to figure out how to find him. But Calvin was standing behind me, looking over my shoulder. My hands started to shake, and I froze, overwhelmed by it all.

Calvin sighed. “You really have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”

“I’ll figure it out,” I growled back. Calvin may have been a genius, but I wasn’t an idiot. I just needed a little time. But would he have the patience to put up with my ignorance till I figured out what I was doing? If he fired me, I’d be hard pressed to find any other job in town. Like it or not, Calvin’s resort was the only employment opportunity around.

I let all my fears, my need, and my insecurity show in my face for a brief moment, hoping to appeal to any smidgen of compassion he might have. “Please, will you give me a chance? I can do this.”