I was stunned. Rooted to my spot, even as I moved about the headquarters. Was I dreaming? Was this real?

Mr. Weber hired me as his personal secretary.

I found my way to the elevator and leaned against the wall. I couldn't believe it. That was the highest-paying secretarial position he was offering. I’d be able to open my own business within the next two years if I kept to my budget! I strode off the elevator, my heels clicking furiously along the ground.

I had to call my mom.

I had to tell her the good news.

“Tiffany?”

“I got the job!” I exclaimed.

“Honey, that’s amazing,” she said.

“But not just any job. Mom, he made me his secretary,” I said.

“Wait, what?” she asked.

“Yeah. My desk will be on the top floor of Casual Recreations. I will answer directly to the owner and operator of the company, Mom! I’ll sit in on business meetings and accompany him and his colleagues on business trips. I’ll make connections I’d never thought of in my wildest dreams!”

“Oh my gosh, honey. That’s incredible. He offered it to you on the spot?”

“On the spot, Mom. Told me to be in at eight in the morning, sharp.”

“I know we have our differences, but you know I’m proud of you, right?”

“I know, Mom. But you’ll see he’s not a bad guy. He’s a businessman, but he’s a straight-shooter. It’s what I like about Mr. Weber. And now I’m going to be working alongside him. This is incredible. I can’t stop shaking!”

“Your father would be proud of you, too.”

I stood on the sidewalk outside of the building and looked up. All the windows were tinted on the outside. My eyes gazed up to the top floor and I sighed.

“I know he would be,” I said. “I wish he was here to I could tell him.”

“He already knows, Tee. He knows.”

“We should go celebrate,” I said. “My treat. You want to try that new restaurant downtown? I know you were looking at it the last time we went shopping.”

“My back still isn’t feeling well. But you feel free to go out. You deserve it after your win today.”

“You’re still in pain? Did you already take your medicine?”

“I’m always ‘already taking my medicine’. It doesn’t work anymore. You know this.”

“Well, I’ll be able to prove that I pay at least half the bills in the house, so I’ll be able to put you on my insurance.”

“You’ll have insurance as a secretary?” she asked.

“Did you not listen to a thing I said before I left the house? Yes, Mom,” I said, giggling. “I’m going to have insurance.”

“You didn’t say anything about insurance. I would’ve remembered something like that.”

“Maybe I said it in my head. I don’t know. I do that a lot. But yes, this job comes with insurance. And it’s insurance I’ll be able to put you on once I can prove to the insurance company that I provide half of your bills. I’ll also have a 401(k) with a matching incentive plan as well as a salary.”

“I did not know they paid secretaries like that nowadays,” she said.

“Mr. Weber pays his secretaries like that. He’s known for his equal opportunity employment policies. And that includes paying women what they’re worth in the marketplace.”

“Uh huh.”

“Really, Mom? You still don’t like him?” I asked.

“Just… be careful. He’s a powerful man, and powerful men aren’t always what they seem to be.”

“I’ll be careful. I promise. In the meantime, I want you to make today one of your ‘once in a while’ moments and take another half of a pain pill. Nip this in the bud. Because I’m coming home with ice cream later on and I want you to enjoy it.”

“Then I’ll save it for when you get here.”

“Take it now, Mom. Or I’m coming home and sitting with you until you do.”

“Fine,” she said. “Such a slave driver.”

“It’s because I love you,” I said. “Now go. I’ll see you later on.”

“I love you, Tee. I’m so proud of you.”

“Love you too, Mom.”

I hung up the phone and shoved it back into my purse. If my mother wasn’t going to celebrate with me, then the least I could do was flag a cab. I wanted a couple of celebratory drinks before I went home. It had been months since I could afford it. And with the job I was starting in the morning, I could now afford it.

“Taxi!”

“Can you hold it for me, too!?”

I whipped my head around and saw a bubbly blonde running down the stairs of my new workplace. Her skirt was fluttering around her legs and her sparkling purse was dangling from her arm. She had thick eyeliner on and ruby red lipstick and her eyes sparkled a nice green in the midday sun. She ran up to me with her stiletto heels and put her hand on her chest, breathing in and out as if she’d just run a marathon.

“Do you mind if we share?” the woman asked.

“I don’t mind at all,” I said. “Did you interview as well?”

I nodded my head towards the building as the cab driver honked his horn.

“You girls getting in or what?” he asked.

“Or what,” the blonde said. “Hold your horses. You’re going to get paid.”

I grinned as she smoothed her hair back and smiled at me.

“Yes. I did. Got the position, too.”

“Congratulations! Same here,” I said.

“Wait. With Casual Recreations?”

“Yep.”

“Where did they hire you?”

“Mr. Weber’s new secretary,” I said as I held out my hand. “But you can call me Tiffany. Or Tiff.”

“Wow. Nice to meet C.R. royalty,” she said with a broad smile. “Paige Dotson. You're looking at the new Human Resources secretary.”

“Why does it feel like we’ll be seeing a lot of each other?” I asked.

The driver honked his horn again and Paige slammed her hand against the roof.

“We’re coming. We’re coming.”

“The meter’s ticking, ladies,” the man said.

“And you’re complaining about getting paid why?” I asked.

He scoffed and shook his head before I ushered towards the seat.

“After you?” I asked.

“Oh, I love sliding. Thanks,” Paige said.

“You love sliding?” I asked as I dipped in after her.

“Yeah. I don’t really know why. Maybe it’s the way the seat rubs against my legs. I have all sorts of weird quirks.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“I chew on the inside of my cheek when I’m scared. Oh! And my natural reaction to being scared is for my eyes to water.”

“My mother’s like that. It’s not weird,” I said.

“Eh, weird is in the eye of the beholder.”

“Where you ladies headed to?” the driver asked.

“I don’t know where she’s going, but I’m headed to Blackbird Ordinary for a drink,” I said.

“Oh, that sounds fun. A celebratory drink?” Paige asked.

“Oh yes. After being handed a job on the spot? I think I deserve one.”

“Then same here,” she said. “Driver! Blackbird Ordinary.”

“Finally,” the driver muttered.

“So,” Paige said, “when do you start?”

“Mr. Weber asked me to be in tomorrow. You?”

“Same. Thought it wasn’t Mr. Weber who asked. Obviously. It was Mr. Lochter. He’s who I report to.”

“Is that the head of H.R.?”

“For now, anyway. There are already rumors flying that your boss is going to be replacing my boss.”

“Why?” I asked. “And how do you already know office gossip?”

“I’ve been here since nine waiting for my interview.”

“Nine?” I asked.

“I was nervous! Another quirk, I guess. But yeah. Apparently, my boss and your boss have a history. And not a good one.”

“What kind of history?”

“Rumor has it Mr. Lochter worked as an H.R. representative at one of the companies he flipped and things didn’t end well.”

“Whoops,” I said. “I bet that’ll be a fun day in the office.”

“So what made you apply for the job?” she asked.

“I wanted the opportunity to work in the industry and make some connections. I want to open my own health and wellness spa one day.”

“Then it sounds like you snagged the perfect job. I applied because I needed a job. A community college degree in General Education doesn’t go very far in this world.”

“I wouldn’t think so,” I said with a grin.

“But it’s something in my family. I’m the first to ever attempt college.”

“Then congratulations. That’s a serious feat. Do you know if you’ll ever transfer credits and get a Bachelor’s in anything?”

“I don’t know. I never really liked school. I think I went just to show my mom I could.”

“Did she not think you could?” I asked.

“She didn’t think I had to. My mom’s a stripper, and she says she makes great money, even with her wrinkles. But that lifestyle isn’t for me. I could never get on a pole and dance naked in front of strangers.”

“I don’t blame you,” I said. “I couldn’t either.”

“So, I went to school to stick it to her. And now I got a reputable job at a corporate company. She never saw it coming, let me tell you.”

“Then you’re in need of several congratulatory drinks,” I said, smiling.

“Sign me up!”

The driver dropped us off at the bar and sped off from the curb. I walked with my newfound friend into my favorite place in the whole of Miami and we got a seat at the corner of the bar. The two of us ordered a couple of signature cocktails and talked about our lives. I learned that Paige’s father used to be one of the owner’s of the club her mother used to work in. They were caught having an affair and his wife told him he needed to fire her. She left the club with the last of her earnings and two months later, figured out she was pregnant.

“She sounds like a strong woman,” I said.

“She doesn’t take shit, that’s for sure. She’s rough around the edges, but she’s Mom and I love her,” Paige said. “What about your mom? Is she excited for you?”

“Very. Though she doesn’t like Mr. Weber and I’m not sure why.”

“She’s a mom. She’s not supposed to like any man you work for. Back in her day, men in Mr. Weber’s position took advantage of women like us. Hell, sometimes they still do. It’s why I wanted to work at Mr. Weber’s company. He’s got a zero-tolerance policy for that bullshit.”

“Right? That’s what I keep trying to tell my mom.”

“I bet your dad’s excited though, right? Mine’s always been proud of me, no matter what.”

“Wait, you keep in touch with your father? His wife allowed that?”

“Oh, they divorced not too long after my mom and him did the dirty.”

“And they never married or anything?” I asked.

“Marriage wasn’t ever something Mom wanted. He tried a few times. Proposed and all. But she wasn’t having it. If you want a complicated woman, then go talk to my mom. But yeah, Dad kept in touch with me. Came around when it was important. That meant a lot to me growing up, especially as a teenager. I hated my mom as a teenager.”

“I think all teenage girls hate their mothers,” I said.

“Mm, how’s your drink? Mine’s so good I’m about to get another. Excuse me, sir?”

The bartender looked over at us and his eyes dropped straight to her chest.

“Up here please,” Paige said. “Could I get another one?”

“Sure thing. Your friend want one, too?” he asked.

“Actually, I do. Thanks,” I said.

“Coming right up.”

“Men and their wandering eyes,” she said as she shook her head. “It never changes.”

“Men don’t wander their eyes over me, so I’d have no idea.”

“What? With your curves? You just have to dress them right, that’s all. A pair of tight jeans. A little shirt tucked in. Oh, or maybe a crop top? You look like you have a flat stomach. Mine’s not completely flat, but it’s getting there. I guess I enjoy my Friday night pizza nights too much.”

“Oh, that sounds fun. We should make that a thing,” I said.

“Pizza and beer after a long week at work? I’m in,” she said.

The bartender slid us our drinks and we rose them in the air. I was thankful to have already made a friend in my new place of business. Paige Dotson was unlike anyone I’d ever met, and I had a feeling we were going to be great friends.

“To Friday night pizza and beer, and to all the office gossip we could ever want to hear,” she said.

“And to new beginnings with jobs that don’t suck ass,” I said.

“Here, here!”

Then we clinked our glasses, chugged our drinks, and promptly asked the bartender with the wandering eyes for another round.