"Miss Evans," his deep voice called out from his office. "I need you to come in here please," it was her boss Jack. Or Mister Miller as Amanda called him. He was a real hardass.
"Miss Evans," he repeated, "now!"
Amanda's heart fluttered a beat. What was it that she did this time? Despite being his personal administrative assistant, Amanda had a tendency to push her limits at work. In a way it was part of her charm. But Mr Miller always had a way of keeping her in line. She respected it and to be completely honest, she rather enjoyed it.
And if she wasn't mistaken he seemed to understand this.
Amanda quickly closed her laptop, bolted up, and grabbed her notepad. Her job as his assistant was to support his needs at work. Whatever that may be.
She adjusted her short skirt and walked into his office, wobbling just a bit in her heels.
"Close the door behind you," he ordered. He was a bit extra gruff today and she could feel his aggression. Although somewhere in his early 40's, Mr Miller had been a college athlete and it showed, both in the defined lines of his face and jawline as well as in how well his crisp, dark suit fit him.
His sharp eyes were focused on Amanda's and it made her instinctively look downwards as she stood next to him a bit sheepishly while he sat behind his steel desk. She felt a bit like a school girl being disciplined by her teacher after class.
"The minutes that you took for me at my last staff meeting were completely scattered. And there's no bulleted summary of who owns what action," Jack said. "You know I was very clear that I expect action items for the minutes of every single meeting that I run."
He was definitely annoyed. But today he seemed a little extra on edge. Something was slightly different and she felt it.
It made her nervous and she could hear her voice was a bit higher when she replied, "I'm sorry Mr Miller. I know that's what you always ask me to do, I thought I got it all but I must have forgotten that part." She was lying.
The truth was she got lost daydreaming during the boring meeting while she enjoyed hearing her boss' voice as he explained his strategy for the department to his employees. Sometimes she just liked hearing the resonance of his voice and how smart he was.
But a part of her also wanted to see what she could get away with.
"Miss Evans frankly I'm tired of you fucking up. If you can't do the basics of what I need you to do I will find someone else who will." Jack was serious this time. Maybe she had pushed things too far.
"I'm sorry Mr Miller. I didn't mean it. It will be the last time I promise." Amanda really did need this job and frankly there were parts of it she enjoyed.
Jack retorted, "I'm not convinced. This is happening more often than it needs to. I don't have time to be constantly correcting you." She could tell he meant it and meekly replied,
"Please Mr Miller...Jack...I'm very sorry. I really will do anything you need me to in order to keep this job. I want you to be..."
She looked into his cold eyes as her voice trailed off. She could see there was an aggressive gleam that was weirdly making her feel tingly.
"I want you to be...satisfied...with my performance. What do I need to do to please you?"