Grace (The ‘Hello’ series)

2. Chapter 2

two

I check my reflection in the glass walls of the elevator. My gray pencil skirt is appropriate and cute, along with my emerald-green button-up. Nothing is too tight, nothing looks rumpled. I’ve even managed to tame my puffy eyes from my sob session last night. I made sure that my curled hair falls gracefully over one shoulder, and I have just enough makeup on to avoid looking tired or pale.

The elevator dings, and I take a deep breath. The doors slide open and the chatter and noise of fingers hitting keyboards filter past me as I head to the office where I had my interview on the other side of the floor. Cubicles are set up everywhere, but I’m not someone who will be making calls. I’ll be a manager’s assistant. I’m sure that will mean getting coffee, doing reports, and being quick on my feet.

It’s something I can handle.

Frustrated sighs and words lure my attention, but not a single word reaches me as my supervisor’s sharp gaze finds me and she hangs up her phone. Her light blonde hair is neatly wrapped in a low bun, her dark dress clings to her body, and her make-up is flawless.

“You’re my new assistant, aren’t you?” The smile on her lips don’t reach her eyes, and I nod.

“Yes, ma’am,” I answer softly.

“Good. Good. Okay, you’ll find a new-hire training session on your computer,” she says, pointing to the laptop on her left. “Complete that. It should take about three hours. Once you finish, I’ll show you all the reports I expect daily, then the weekly ones. This is a fast-moving environment, so you need to keep up.”

“Of course, Ms. Castain,” I agree.

Her gaze falls, slowly trailing up my small form. “And what’s your name again?”

“Grace Thomas,” I answer.

“Alright, Grace, let’s get you to work. If you need to take notes, feel free, but our policy is that nothing leaves the office. You take notes on our notebooks and they stay in your desk. You’re going to be right next to me, so that way, there’s no issues with communication,” she says and hands me a slip. “This is your sign-in information. Please get started.”

Ms. Castain is a determined, organized woman who doesn’t back down. She’s the kind of woman I wish I could be.

Bash wouldn’t have yelled at her, I think, then shake my head as I force myself to focus on the training.

It takes me three hours to get through, exactly as Ms. Castain predicted, then she sends me an email with the reports. They’re all done in Excel, which is easy enough.

“Are all of these streamlined with templates?” I ask as I skim over the files.

She looks at me as her brows pinch together. “No.”

“Would I be able to make a template so I can be more efficient?” I ask.

She smiles. “You absolutely can. Especially considering the number of things I’m going to have you do on a daily basis. Efficiency is key.”

I work without problem until after lunch. I don’t even leave my desk to eat. I’m too nervous.

Sebastian doesn’t work here, but I’m sure I’ll stumble into his dad sooner or later. And if his father finds out about our breakup, I’m worried that he’ll fire me. I’m sure this has all been some kind of kindness, a favor to Sebastian, and now it’s not necessary.

I almost ask Ms. Castain about it, but she stands up at three p.m. When she sees me looking at her, she smiles slightly. “I’ll be back. Stay on top of the email and look over the packet I gave you when it comes to organizing things.”

“Okay,” I whisper.

She walks off, her heels clicking on the floor.

I take a deep breath, look at my empty inbox, and start going through the packet. I simplify what’s obvious to me and help a few people with questions since they claim they’re having problems with their computers. I fix them easily since my last job was in tech support, then create the more automated spreadsheets so the math will be done automatically and only numbers will have to be entered.

I use the Google calendar to update Ms. Castain’s schedule as emails come in. I’m apparently CCed on anything that would affect her schedule.

It feels good to have this much on my plate. My mind can’t wonder and make me second-guess everything I do.

“I’m glad you’re not just another body at a desk.” Ms. Castain’s words startle me, and I peek up at her.

A smirk tugs on her lips. “I expected less based on… well, that’s not important.”

“Oh,” I whisper.

She walks around my desk. “If you keep this up, I’ll be able to give you more to do, and we’ll see exactly how much you can take on. I might need you for some overtime,” she continues.

“I can take it,” I say, trying to sound confident.

She lifts her brows. “We’ll see,” she mumbles and hands me another file.

Her words have been true, as every day, she gives me more to do as she hurries off to some meeting. Anytime I’m trying to get ahead, she gives me something else to do. Twice, it’s going to get coffee for everyone—which means I end up spilling a cup on myself and having to replace it out of my flimsy income. She has me stay late since she points out issues in my reports and says I need to be able to compare it to previous reports and that she shouldn’t have to do it. And I do, without question, as she leaves me again.

There’s nothing she won’t let me do as I even sat in on some meetings for her. All I had to do was take notes, ask the questions she listed, and keep the camera off so that everyone thought I was her. I suppose.

By the end of the week, I’m exhausted as I type away on her computer, ensuring all the reports are up to date. I even manage to put a post on a specific, safe, online group saying I have a room for rent in my apartment, add the amount, make sure that I get a girl, and add that we can meet up at a local café to talk more before I show the apartment.

But it seems time has slipped through my fingers as Ms. Castain’s harsh voice cuts through the air.

“What are you doing? Where’s my coffee? Grace, keep up, for fuck’s sake,” she sneers.

I scamper up onto my feet and hurry away behind her desk. “I’ll get it now, I was—”

“Why aren’t the reports ready? Damn it, Grace!” she glances through the papers on her desk. “I just have to cover your ass once more .” She sighs, clicking her tongue with a shake of her head.

I checked the reports three times. They should be good. Fuck, how can I mess this up so badly?

My legs start to shake, and I try to keep my head high as she snorts and laughs while checking my work. “I’ll do better,” I say, and her gaze snaps up.

“You’ll have to,” she grumbles as heavy footsteps close in and I suck in a breath.

Here we go, no more escaping or avoiding my boss.

Mr. Brooks stares me down. His eyes are similar to Sebastian’s in shape, but the color is a sharp, intense blue. His big frame and broad shoulders look uncomfortable in his button-up, and there’s some light scruff on his cheek.

Sebastian has brown, copperish hair, but Mr. Brooks has tamed his dark hair and has it styled in a way that looks modern, yet professional as grey hairs peek through the sides.

His sharp jaw tightens and he crosses his thick arms over his chest. “Grace.” My name glides over his tongue, and I muster a smile. “Good morning, Mr. Brooks,” I say, my voice quavering slightly.

This is the moment, right? Where he scolds me like Ms. Castain did and tells me to pack up. Because why keep me? I’m nothing to him.

But it doesn’t come. He watches me silently until Ms. Castain speaks up.

“Good morning, sir. They are waiting for you in the conference hall,” she says, and his eyes drift away from mine as he turns to head to the conference hall.

A shaky breath leaves me as I slowly sit down, trying to cool my red cheeks by pressing my cold fingers on them. I’ve been chastised, and all in front of the man who took a chance on me. The same man whose son just left me.

I swallow and blink a few times, reminding myself that I’m new. I still have a lot to learn, and no matter how much I want to be perfect right away, it’s not possible.

So, I’ll just have to get better and do it quickly.

I can’t fail. I can’t lose my job when I already need a new roommate since Sebastian moved out in record time before paying for this month’s rent.

My eyes water anyway as I say, “I’ll go get the coffee.”

“Hurry up, will you?” she mumbles as she types something on her computer.

Quickly, I grab my bag and head to the elevators. My breathing slowly steadies as I take my phone, needing to distract myself in this small moment. I check my post about the room I have available, and relief travels through me as I see a response by an Ashley, wanting to meet up tomorrow.

That’s what’s important. I can’t stop. I can’t slow down, I can’t let my emotions catch up to me. I just have to act.

As long as I’m busy, I’ll be fine.

Daniel

I knew it was only a matter of time before I ran into her. My son’s ex-girlfriend. I groan as I lean back in my leather chair behind my desk. I should focus on Stacy’s words as she goes over the reports. But I’ve known her long enough to doubt who made them.

“How’s Grace doing?” I ask a question I shouldn’t. Because I shouldn’t care, but with the way she stared up at me, that blush on her cheeks, it tingled down my spine, and I know how dangerous those feelings are.

Stacy clears her throat. “Fine, she’s doing fine.”

My brows knit as the disgust in her tone make me wary. “Fine?”

“She’s young and needs more… guidance than I thought.”

I huff. “Well, she’s here to help you help me .”

A position I specifically created for Grace when my son asked if I had a job for his girlfriend, because why would my assistant need an assistant?

“Honestly, I believe someone else would be better suited, sir.”

This time, I chuckle. “You don’t get anyone else.”

She blinks and shifts slightly on her heels. “What do you mean, sir?”

My brow arches. “Why would you need help? You’ve always done it all yourself, right?”

She nods quickly. “Always.”

Liar.

But it doesn’t matter. It truly doesn’t.

“Good.” I straighten myself and extend my hand. “Give me the report and get back to work.”

She doesn’t stall, she doesn’t linger, and gives me the files and leaves me alone with my thoughts.

Thoughts I shouldn’t have as Grace’s petite frame crawls to the surface.

It’s an itch, it has to be. One that needs to be taken care of.

I nudge my mouse and wait for the screen to light up before I start my search, hoping it will get her out of my mind.

Petite redhead porn.

I start simple and scroll through the page, and the next and the next until I find what makes my blood pump through my veins.