Chapter 1
Seven hundred and fifty one dollars.
That's all I have. Earlier today my bakery got shut down due to me not having enough money to pay rent for the shop. "What am I going to do?"
I look around my apartment building noticing a envelope on one of the tables. 'Enviction notice! Rent due:$325' I rub my head in aggravation knowing I have to pay the bills for this month. I live in Denver. The apartment complex I live in is when I pay rent I also pay for electricity, water, gas and all of that which is a plus but this isn't going to hold me whatsoever. I pick up my phone that's placed on the kitchen counter and call the people.
"Front desk speaking!"
The chipper voice makes me scowl but I place a nice smile on my face. "Hello yes. I would like to pay this months bill", making my voice as proper as possible.
"Mhmm name please", the lady says as I hear her nails clicking against the keys on the computer.
"Alanni Reed."
"Okay Ms.Reed, you're set for the month. Have a nice day!"
"Thank you. You too", I click hang up and drop my head onto the cold countertop. I stride into the living room and drop down onto the couch and opening my laptop. "Okay. Job hirings", I trail off clicking and typing. As a college student I majored in computer science so maybe I can get a job having to do with companies and computers.
'Elon Asterio. Multi millionaire of Oil and marketing company. He's looking for a PA in the area of downtown denver.' Elon Asterio? Who the hell is that? Well I guess I should at least try and apply. I pick my phone up and dial the number that's placed on the website. It gives two rings before a woman picks up. "Asterio Corp Speaking", her voice says. It's a clipped tone as she only means business.
"Um Hi. My name is Alanni Reed and I saw the ad for Mr. Asterio's Personal Assistant and wanted to sign up", my voice coming out shaky. Instantly her tone lightens.
"Don't be nervous. I will put you in for a meeting tomorrow at eleven in the morning. Sound good?"
I'm surprised at her voice and it instantly makes me calm down. A goofy smile is placed across my lips as I respond, "Yes please. Thank you", she says your welcome and we hang up. God I need to get this job or else i'm fucked.
My phone rings as I stare at the name. "Elodie? Hey!"
"Hey bitch. Guess what? I'm heading to your apartment in five so have the door open", oh how i've missed her. Elodie is my best friend. She has been since the beginning of high school. Her black hair and green eyes fits right with her name for some odd reason.
"Okay see you", I respond then hang up leaning into the cushioned couch. My grandparents gave me their Cafe when I got out of college. They both died of old age as the cafe was left for me, meaning I had to take care of it. I hope they know I tried to keep it. Some days I went without paying rent for my apartment to pay for the cafe.
"The best friend is here", Elodie sings coming into the living room of my apartment. Her black hair is styled into a bun with baby hair frayed and her green eyes are covered by her glasses. She's clad in a sweatshirt and jeans with some gym shoes covering her feet. "Oh. What happened?"
She rushes over to me after dropping her bag on the floor. Her face tells me she knows exactly the problem. "No. Not the shop", and yep she does. I nod as she throws her arm over my shoulder leaning into the couch with me. "We'll figure it out", I nod back at her.
"I have an interview with Elon Asterio tomorrow", she looks at me. I expected her to know but she just looks at me.
"Who the hell is that?"
"Same! I don't know who that is either", agreeing with her as she shrugs bringing my laptop onto her lap before putting his name into the search bar. Immediately pictures of him are onto the screen. Black, shaggy hair and ocean blue eyes. A playful combination of hair and eye color yet his face is set into a stern frown with wrinkles creasing his forehead. Not one picture of him he has a smile on his face. "How old is he?"
"Says here he is thirty", Elodie replies back. Thirty? He does not look thirty at all. "He does not look thirty", I nod back at her comment before we do more research before calling it a day once six o'clock comes around and she has to leave. "I'll call you tomorrow so you can tell me how the interview went", I hug her as she walks out. I go through the hall of my apartment to my bedroom and drop onto my bed. Tomorrow I have a fifty, fifty chance of having a job, and a well paid one at that. Eight hundred and seventy four dollars every month.
That means I get about two hundred and twenty dollars every week meaning I can pay my house bill and phone bill which is only one hundred and fifty a month and I'll even have money left over for stuff i'd need. Please God I need this job.
I close my eyes feeling the sleepiness settle over me and I'm dropped into a pit of darkness.
...
I'm late! I'm freaking late. It's ten o'clock. "Shit shit shit", I mutter the words over and over again before dashing to my closet and picking a pantsuit out that's beige. Its contains beige slacks, a white tank top and a beige jacket. I run to the bathroom and hop into the shower scrubbing at every area on my body before washing my hair and hopping out of the shower.
I dry my body off with a fluffy towel putting my underwear and bra on. I get some coco butter and rub it on my arms, elbows and legs. I put the white, skin tight tank top on and get the pants. I make sure the shirt is tucked all the way into the slacks and then I put deodorant on before shrugging the jacket on. I let my hair down from the wet bun and grab a brush before brushing out the wetness. After about fifteen minutes my hair is a wavy mess but I decide to keep it like that.
I stare at my face in the mirror. My chocolate, brown eyes shine back at me as well as my brown hair. I step back and turn to the side noticing my stomach sticks out a little but not that much. I'm not the most skinniest person ever but I like to keep meat on my bones.
I walk out the bathroom and spot some black heels thrown onto the side so I put them on while grabbing my purse that has everything I need. I check my phone as I'm walking out of the building. Good I have thirty minutes. I can work with that. I had an uber come and get me so as I get into the car the man turns slightly to look at me. I put a cheery smile on my face. "Asterio Corp please", he nods and we're off.
I slump into the leather seats exhausted. I need this job. Not long after we pull up to the giant building that looks like only glass. God help me. I give him the money before heading out and walking at a quick pace. People around me are i'm assuming important. They have briefcases tucked into the palms of their hands while they're talking briskly on their phones. The clap of women heels and mens dress shoes click onto the concrete.
I stand in front of the building craning my neck up looking at the majority glass building. Is that even safe? "Nervous?"
I turn my neck to the side to see a man standing there looking at me with a boyish grin on his face. He's cute. His brown hair and brown eyes give him an innocent look. The diamond ear rings in his ear are pretty. I smile at him before turning back towards the building. "Very", he chuckles and holds his hand out.
"Bentlee", I shake the charming mans hand before replying back to him.
"Alanni."
He smiles again. "Interview for the PA job?", I nod, scrunching my eyebrows at him, "Elon is my best friend", my mouth makes an O shape.
He checks his watch and I catch it that it says ten fifty. Shit. "It was nice meeting you Bentlee, but my interview is in ten minutes so maybe i'll see you later", he grins at me before kissing my hand. I roll my eyes with a smile on my face before quickly walking into the building. I walk up to the front desk and the lady looks at me.
"Yes?"
Oh it's the lady I was on the phone with. "Hi! I'm Alanni Reed. I have a meeting with Mr. Asterio at Eleven", her eyes sparkle before a grin breaks out on her face.
"Oh I remember you! You're gorgeous", she beams at me.
Gorgeous? Me? Haha. "Thank you! So are you", and she really is. Her blonde hair is pulled down into a sleek bun and her pretty hazel eyes gleam at me.
"Your meeting starts now. This lady will take you. Good luck!"
She smiles encouragingly at me and I nod looking at the woman who is by my side instantly. I smile at her but her face is set in a permanently straight line.
Okayyy then.
I clutch my bag as her and my heels click against the marble floor. Soon enough we're in front of the door and she nods. "Mr. Asterio will see you now", what kind of stuff is this? Fifty shades of grey? I snicker at her but I'm cut off by her glare so I clear my throat and walk in.
He's seated there with numerous papers in his hand with a frown covering his face. His head snaps up to me and I smile but he just stares at me. He looks just like the pictures. Forehead with creases on it, bags under his eyes and a stern frown on his face. I walk over to him and hold out my hand for him to shake.
He doesn't take it.
Okayyy then.
"Nice to meet you", I say nicely instead of scowling at him. He nods at me so I just sit down. I open my bag and hand him my resume which he takes from me and starts looking it over.
"Alanni Reed?" I nod and he nods distractingly before reading it over again. "Twenty four years old", I nod at him again.
The hell does this even have to do with anything? "Says here you finished college second of your class with a degree for computer science. So why are you trying for a PA?"
He puts the resume down and folds his hand together on the desk and leans in towards me. Is he trying to intimidate me or something? "When I got out of college, my grandparents died and left their Cafe to me, the one on sixty-ninth avenue. Spago. Once I got what I needed for college I had the Cafe for me. It was mine. But money wasn't exactly flowing in from the cafe so it shut down and now I need another job and this seemed like a good option", I finsh the statement off with an uneasy smile as he stares at me.
He clears his throat. "Okay, we'll call you and let you know", I blink at him. What? That's all?
"So that's it?"
He nods stiffly at me and I grab my purse and walk out. I turn back around. "Thank you." His facial expression falters before he just stares again at me. Okay, this man has a serious staring problem. I walk out of his office weirded out before saying bye to the front desk lady who I've come to know as Amelia.
Once I'm out of the building I decide to call another uber. He was close in the area which meant he didn't take that long to get me.
Once at home I take my suit jacket and slacks off before throwing my heels in my closet and falling down on the bed. I'm so not calling Elodie. But she'll forgive me. My eyes get heavy with sleepiness and not long after I fell asleep.
*Ring Ring*
What the hell is that?
*Ring Ring*
Oh my phone!
I wake up in a jolt, not bothering to look at the id number. "Hello?"
"Alanni?! You got the job", a squeal on the other lines makes me move the phone away from my face before slamming it back into my face.
"No! Your lying. Really? Tell him I said thank you", a big smile is on my face.
"I will. You start tomorrow though at nine thirty in the morning", her business tone is located and I nod before slapping my head noting she can't hear me.
"Okay thank you", she hangs up.
I got the job.
