"Can I help you?" Those words startled out of the trance I was in after walking into the most elaborate lobby I had ever stepped in to in one of the tallest skyscrapers I have ever seen. I'm from a small town in Pennsylvania where the biggest thing around is Walmart. Everything was glass, steel and marble; shiny enough that I could see my reflection in it and get a good hard look at frump queen extraordinaire Jane Lambert. I decided I was gonna give it a go moving to New York City after graduating with a double major in finance and business management. I wanted to rule the world or more like get the hell out of Stroudsburg Pennsylvania. So with my 4.0 and my double major the best I could do was get a temp job working for an employment agency that I'm pretty sure cuts corners with the IRS, but it landed me here in the lobby of this immaculate building in the finance district of New York City so not complaining. After all my mother did wants me to marry my high school boyfriend and have babies and get married just like every other girl I went to school with, but that wasn't for me I wanted out. So I answered answered a roommate wanted add and got landed with Dominick who by day is an investment banker and on nights and weekends and goes by the name Stardust and works at an upscale drag club.
"I'm the new temp at Garrison and Caldwell." I tell the receptionist in the lobby trying to act like I belong there. She give me the once over, cocks and eyebrow at me and says
"Oh so you're covering for Diana while she's out on maternity leave. Go around the corner and take the elevator on the right hand side up to the 59th floor. I'll call up and let them know you're coming."
"Thank you!" I smile kindly at her and all I get is an "Mmmmhmmm" for my efforts. Running back to Pennsylvania is starting to look really good right about now.
As I walk toward the elevator I recite my mantra "you can do this Janey" just like my dad used to tell me every time I went out for sports. More often then not is end up in the ER afterwards but he'd always say "at least you tried".
The elevator comes almost instantly and I hear the ping as the doors open and I step in. The butterflies in my stomach are making me feel like I'm gonna hurl and my hands shake as I reach for the button that says 59.
"First day?" A smooth velvety voice with the sexiest British accent I have ever heard says from just over my shoulder. I have a habit of walking with me eyes to floor and I didn't see him get on with me.
"Yyyeah," I stutter, "what floor?"
"Same." Is all he says. I'm too nervous to turn and look at him but I can see his blurry reflection is the metal of the elevator doors. Tall and muscular in a tailored suit, I bet he's gorgeous. I can tell he's tan with blonde hair and he's leaning against the back of the elevator with his arms across his chest. I can feel him studying me and my spine is tingling as he eyes me. I don't think of myself as attractive. I'm average height and too curvy to be considered skinny. My long auburn hair a up on a tight chignon and I'm wearing a modest skirt suit that I got on sale at Macy's. There is nothing eye catching about me so I can't imagine why he is examining me so intensely but I can feel his eyes traveling over my body. Im about to turn around and ask him what he's looking at when it pings at our floor. As soon as the doors open he brushes past me with a polite "excuse me" as he heads right for the sandblasted glass door that read Garrison and Caldwell. I follow after him at a slower pace and watch as he walks head held high with confidence and a swagger to his step that seems arrogant, if a walk can be arrogant that it. The first thought that comes to mind is i really hope I'm not working anywhere near him. It's a big company and they handle the finances of many wealthy people all over the world.
As I walk through the door. There is yet another snotty receptionist who gives me the once over and immediately dismisses me as not worth her time. I stand there for a full 5 minutes for I discreetly clear my throat and she looks at me. "Ugh can I help you?" She's got lipstick on her teeth but I don't tell her that I just give her look back to her and say "I'm the new temp."
"Oh. Let me call Mr. Caldwell office and let Diana know you're here so someone can escort you back." She sounds like Fran Drescher, I bet she laughs like her too. I take a seat in the lobby and wait a small eternity before a very pregnant woman with kind eyes and big smile greets me. I like her instantly.
"You must be Jane. It's nice to meet you, you came highly recommended. It's not often that we get a temp with background in finance."
"Yes, I graduated top of my class from Rutgers." I say and smile politely.
"That's wonderful and while your degree will help you understand your job you won't be dealing with accounts or clients very often. You'll be replacing me as Mr. Caldwell's receptionist." A receptionist job! She has got to shitting me! When they told me I would be temping at one of the leading finance firms in New York I couldn't wait to rub it in everyone's face back home and now I find out I'm a glorified temporary secretary to probably some fat balding partner of a company who's handled accounts for companies all over the world. Noticing the look on my face she smiles kindly at me and I see the pity in her eyes.
"Mr. Caldwell is a great boss. He's very fair as far as salary. Which he will discuss with you when he's done with his meeting."
"I thought the agency pays me?"
"No honey, they just give your name to the companies that you're qualified to work for and they pay you. This job is a lot of paper pushing and typing notes and memos to clients. You will answer phones of course and there is a list of people who you must transfer to Mr. Caldwell immediately and the rest you take messages for. You're responsible for out of office errands as well."
"Out of office errands?"
"Picking up dry cleaning, getting him lunch, coffee and whatever else he needs."
"I thought you said I'd be his receptionist?"
"Well yes, but more like a personal assistant. I'll give you the job description to read over and you can go ahead and sign if you agree to the terms. Once you agree Mr. Caldwell will talk shop with you and we'll begin training. Today is gonna be a lot of boring HR stuff, but tomorrow will be the fun part. Ready?"
As I'll ever be, but I don't say that instead I smile kindly and follow her in.
Mr. Caldwell's office is all the way in the back through a sea of cubicles, flying papers and ringing phones. Diana opens the door to his domain which is separated by the main room by a wall of glass. Her desk is to the left and another waiting area is to the right. Everything is done on dark wood and burgundy and there are fresh plants everywhere. It's all very warm and inviting. The couches a velvet plush with a beautiful Persian rug to complete the look a cherry coffee table sits in the middle of the waiting area with all the latest magazines laid out in a neat pile. Diana's desk is a rounded L shaped with the usual phone and computer, a Mac if course, and an incoming and outgoing bin at one end that at 9am both are already full. She has pictures of her family and little knock knacks decorating her desk, but it's her huge plush office chair that really gets my attention. It looks amazingly comfortable and I cannot wait to sit in it. I am a sucker for comfort any way I can get it. I hate heels and when I go home at night I put on my tshirt and sweats. So far the cushy office chair is the only thing I like about taking this job.
"Here's the new employment packet." Diana says breaking me out of my fantasy of curling up on her chair, "Read through it and sign and initial the highlighted areas."
The thing is about 25 pages and of blah and I time out about 5 pages in and just sign and initial where indicates. The last page however catches my eye.
"Is this a nondisclosure agreement?"
"Yes, Mr. Caldwell requires all employees to sign one. We have a lot of high profile clients that come in and out of this office regularly. He doesn't want the staff blabbing about it."
"Oh." Is all I can say. I don't have anyone to tell anyway other than Dom so I just sign without reading it and hand the packet back to her. She smiles at me and hits a button on the intercom of her phone.
"Yes Diana?" A smooth accented voice says from the speaker.
