A Smoking Layla Jones- Do Not Blow Your Job.
It was the summer of 2007, and the Twenty-one-year-old Layla Jones was a year into her first job after graduation from university. She was now busily trying to climb the greasy slippery pole of the post graduate world.
With her great grades, pretty face, and confident outgoing personality, the previous fall she had landed the roll of Personal Assistant and Head of Events to the president of the company- Mr Barcena. He was a balding slightly overweight 60-year-old man. With his Spanish ancestry as he spoke, she could close her eyes as her spoke, and dream that it was actually Antonio Banderas who was talking to her. Mr Barcena was stylish of sorts. He had his penchant for open neck shirts, gold jewellery, and fast cars.
Layla's best friend and soul mate, and "work wife" in the office was Anne. For the last year, the two of them had fun together during working hours as she was also a manager in the claims department. She spent her whole time dealing with all the issues that would pass down the chain from management. This meant when the two girls got together, they had plenty to talk and bitch about.
Anne had not really smoked before joining the company. But the regular need for Layla to talk to her, practically every hour Layla would drag her outside to join in on one her many cigarette breaks. It was just for the "company" Layla would declare, "It was no fun smoking alone." That was her excuse. At first Anne would grumble, but after a few months, they got on with it, cigarettes in hand.
Anne was a brunette, she was taller and chunkier than Layla, as she loved her food, snacks were always available in her handbag. Due to her constant need to eat, she countered that by also suggesting that she regularly frequented the gym. In the years that Layla worked with her she failed to notice any weight loss from the gym visits. Even Anne would occasionally admit that her diet may be the route cause and her weight. It may be down to all the excess food being eaten. But she would only disclose this after a couple of drinks on a night out. When sober more exercise was her answer.
The bitching sessions with Anne made Layla feel good in herself. She felt clean afterwards.
The two girls would practically march around the site, cigarette in hand whilst trash talking everyone and anyone. Clearing the air, between drags on the cigarettes and setting the worlds to rights. After a while Layla always had do a little skip to catch up with Anne with her longer stronger legs from all gym work, she would want to power walk far too quickly for Layla.
In all honestly Layla would have much preferred to sit down to have smoke and chat.
Whilst walking Anne would love to speak about her own manager "Frank the Tank." At first, he was wonderful and the best thing since sliced bread. But as time went on, he definitely became the arsehole. Layla was very much happy with her Mr Barcena. She was lucky. He would shower her in compliments.
Their discussions also often touched on that Layla also had Tyler; they had practically grown up together. She was his Pebbles, he was her Bambam. He lived a couple of doors down from her. Layla played on that he was obviously fascinated with her. Almost infatuated. As such depending on her moods she could sneak in his back door, he always left that open just for her. She would quietly slink up the stairs and strip off and climb into bed and mount him, or if the feeling took, just snuggle up next to him. They were not really a couple, they had freedom to do what they liked. But for Layla he was her special one. He was always available. Any time of day or night. He was her best friend, and he had all the benefits.
Anne was for ever probing into their unusual relationship. Layla would just shrug her shoulders and smile wickedly.
***
There was one advantage of being the PA. Firstly it was superiority, but it also meant that Layla got to escape the humdrum of answering the office phone. It also meant that she had to spend a lot of time with both Mr Barcena, and on occasions his wife at social events. His wife was truly a lovely lady. She would fuss and look after the both of them. But she would be constantly fussing Mr Barcena. He was so busy and often distracted that she would often ring him up at lunch time and remind him to eat his food and drink his coke zero. She was worried about his weight because of sugar intake.
There would be an exaggerated eye roll from Layla after a brief friendly chat before she passed over the call. She knew by the time on the clock exactly what it was about. It happened most days. It also meant it that it was time for her to head outside for her lunch time cigarettes.
For Layla, her time was spent with Mr Barcena both in his office and or in his rather sporty Audi as they drove around the state on business. They had to do a lot of marketing and customer calls, and so had to make lots of visits to halls and customers up and down the country.
There was a lot of organising to do, and Layla was pleased to get on with it. Managing the schedule was a challenge but equally fun. Plus, she had the regular treats of cigarette or two to look forward to once she had completed the tasks.
Layla could not help as a pretty young looking twenty-one-year-old but flirt a little. Her 'thing' for older men started early. He was exceedingly rich, she was still feeling and occasionally acting like a student. She could not help but think about him looking after her. Especially as things were personally so tough at home. She could easily dream of being with him.
At this time Layla was a solid pack a day smoker. She could not help herself. As such both her and Anne would do their work and then every hour pop out for a much-needed cigarette. They did such an excellent job that no one cared that she and Anne would be outside so regularly. When Anne was busy or out of the office her favourite smoking spot was just on the curb near Mr Barcena' s office. It was slightly shaded, but close by so that he could bellow at her if needed her urgently back in the room.
Layla would blame her habit on her stressful time at university, where no one cared that she smoked so much. Lectures only lasted an hour. Which was almost the perfect time between cigarettes.
Even if Layla was stressed, she believed that her presence in the room with Mr Barcena made him calmer, let him make better decisions. He used to use her as a sounding board. That used to fill her with pride.
The long trips driving interstate with Mr Barcena were hard on Layla. He was quite specific. He would not let her smoke in the works car. But she would kill time and entertain herself between conversations by letting her skirts ride up her thighs a little. She would make sure she was good and not flash her knickers. Even she knew that would be embarrassing. So, every now and again she would have to wiggle her hips and tug the hem of the skirt back down again. She saw nothing wrong with showing off a little bit of thigh. She knew from his eyes that it clearly teased him. They would sit there, as the car roared down the road, the potent aroma from her last cigarette permeating from her hair and body and infusing the air colliding with his equally strong freshly applied aftershave.