CHAPTER 3
Olivia
I play the voicemail over again for what must be the fiftieth time. His voice is so darn sexy.
But his words? He wants me to work for him, personally.
I’m beyond nervous. I just took this job to pay off the debts my dad racked up before he passed away, and passed those debts onto me. Sure, I wanted to learn the ins-and-outs of how one of the most successful businesses in the world operated, but I certainly wasn’t expecting to meet Mr. Stone, especially so soon.
Why would he want me to be his personal assistant? If I’m overqualified for the paralegal position that wouldn’t mean I’m somehow qualified at all to be his PA. Maybe that’s not what he has in mind? The girl who showed me to his office seemed like more of a receptionist than a PA. I doubt he’s looking to replace her. She’s stunning and very professional, at least from my quick impression.
Whatever he wants me to do I’m up for the task. I want to show him I’m good enough to work for any part of his company. And the quicker I advance, hopefully the more money I can make.
I grab my workbag and head for the door. I turn the front handle reminded that it needs to be replaced soon. The thing is so wobbly it feels like it’s about to fall off. It’s barely providing any level of security as it is so how’s it going to feel when it finally does fall off and I spend the night in my apartment without a door handle?
I step outside and turn to shut the door, getting another reminder of just how dire my situation is. The couch looks like a dusty hand-me-down from the 70’s. The entire place smells musty. The white paint is peeling from the walls, and it’s not even white anymore. It’s more of a cream color from the prior tenant who apparently had a liking for cheap cigars. I really need to pick up some of those hospital masks just to avoid getting sick. Better yet I need to get out of this place. I swear the guy on the corner sells crack and those fireworks I heard on New Year’s Eve weren’t fireworks. They had to be gunshots.
But it was all I could find on short notice. The dorms don’t exactly let you stay after you graduate, and I packed my last semester so I could graduate early. I wasn’t sure I could make it, but I did at the last second. And that last second victory turned into a last second Hail Mary when I went looking for a place with nowhere to sleep that night.
I ease into my late model Ford Fiesta and laugh at the name. Life is anything but a party right now. I check myself in the mirror and realize I look like hell. I barely slept last night, instead thinking about how this meeting was going to go today. Okay, more like worrying.
I took off down the street with a mixture of worry, but also a little excitement. I had no idea how today was going to go, but it was time to find out.
My heart was pumping as fast as my engine. There’s just something about Ethan Stone that gets my blood rushing, especially now that I’ve met him face to face. I was only in his office for a few minutes and I still don’t know anything about him other than what the papers say. Still, there’s just something about him. He has some magnetic pull that just makes you want to go to him. By his demeanor I wouldn’t classify it as anything like charisma, yet somehow inexplicably it had the same pull.
And ever since I’d walked out of his office I’d felt that same magnetic pull, calling me back. I wanted to be in there again…to feel that power of his office and more importantly his own personal power. I’d thought about him the rest of the day at my desk, and the thoughts were anything but wholesome. I imaged things happening between us in that office that would make a professional madame of the night blush.
I must be crazy, but regardless I can’t deny how he made me feel.
I’d felt so powerless growing up. My dad with his gambling problem yet I didn’t know. I just always wondered why I had to get a paper route, or some kind of after school job and “chip in to the family”. After dad passed now I know what family I was actually chipping into…la famiglia.
But powerless wasn’t a word in Ethan Stone’s vocabulary. He reeked of power. He exuded confidence. And he oozed sex appeal.
And even though I’d been powerless up until this point in my life I’d worked hard and did well in school and college.
And today was my opportunity to change my position in life. I was going to show Ethan Stone just what I had to offer.