Ooof.
Clunk.
Boof . . .
From out of nowhere, I collide with a tall, lean frame sending me flat on my ass. My map scatters to the ground and then is kicked by oncoming traffic.
Noooo, that was color coordinated.
On my hands and knees, I crawl to reach for it just as it’s snatched from the ground. I look up in a panic to find kind eyes staring back at me as well as an out-stretched hand.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t see you coming.” I take the man’s hand and smile politely.
He hands me his map and says, “I was so fixed on the new Daisy and Dot planner I completely forgot all social protocol.”
I chuckle. “Me too. I want to know what this new calendar print is all about.”
“Their social media posts have been an absolute tease.”
“Gah, I know. It’s like show us already,” I say in an irritated screech.
We both laugh and then the man holds his hand out. “My name is Linus and I’m obsessed with office supplies.”
Taking his hand in mine, I say, “Charlee, I’m borderline institute worthy over office supplies.”
“Charlee . . .” He looks up at the ceiling and then back at me. “Where do I know you from? Your voice is very familiar.”
“You know, now that I think about it, I don’t know many Linuses besides one.” I tap my chin. “Do you work for Bram Scott?”
“Yes.” Linus grips my hand tightly. “You’re Charlee Cox from Harold Danver’s office, aren’t you?”
“Yes. That’s me. Oh my gosh, it’s so nice to finally meet you in person.” We give each other a hug.
When I was working for Harold Danver before the merger, I worked closely with many assistants given our bosses were too busy to set up meetings. We’re the ones behind the scenes doing everything for them. We kind of have a secret phone club where we chit-chat, getting to know each other before we interrupt each other’s boss’s schedules that we’ve meticulously planned out.
Harold and Bram did a lot of business together, therefore I spoke to Linus quite often. When I was with Harold, I would say Linus was in my top three people to work with when it came to scheduling. He was always so efficient.
“This is amazing.” He frowns. “Ugh, I was so mad to hear about the merger, especially when I knew I wasn’t going to be talking to you anymore.”
“I know, but the severance package as the executive assistant was quite rewarding.”
“I’m sure. Mr. Danvers adored you.” He glances at the booth and says, “Want to go check it out together?”
“Of course, unless, are you here with anyone?”
“Do you really think there’s anyone else who would want to go to this with me?” Linus asks on a laugh.
“Same here.” I smile. “If that’s the case, want to be my date and take awkward pictures in front of some of the world’s greatest office supplies with me?”
“Sounds magical.” He winks and links my hand in his, guiding us toward the booth line. We take our place and he turns to me while we wait. “So, what have you been up to?”
“Nothing much. Kind of taking a break. You know how being an assistant can be. Crazy hours, hard work.”
“Yeah, but the benefits are worth it.”
“That’s if you get a good boss,” I point out. “Before Mr. Danvers, I worked for a witch of a lady. She was awful to me and at least once a week I would walk in on her with some flavor of the week, doing it on her desk. It got to the point where I think she was doing it on purpose.”
“She sounds like a treasure. Please tell me you stayed as far away from her desk as possible.”
“If I ever needed to touch it for some reason, I had hand sanitizer at my desk. If only I had sanitizer for my eyes, I wouldn’t have been as scarred as I was. Trust me when I say, I can never look at a meatball sandwich the same again.”
He cringes. “Do I even want to know?”
I shake my head. “You don’t.”
“Even though I’d never tell, I almost wish I had some freak story about Mr. Scott. But he’s as clean-cut as they come. Nothing that’s even worthy of gossip.”
“Not even with his fiancée? Not that I’m asking for details, but that’s surprising.”
“If there is, he’s not doing it in our office.”
“That is upsetting. Does he still get milkshakes to reward himself?”
Linus chuckles. “Yup. I had to cut him off for a while because whenever he got a milkshake, I was required to drink one with him and it was starting to show how many I was having.”
I chuckle. “Mr. Danvers brought me chocolate every Friday. I had to kindly insist I needed a break, because all my spare time was being spent in the gym when I’d rather have been practicing my hand lettering.”
“Are you still doing that?”
I nod. “Yeah, I’ve gotten into raunchy hand lettering.”
He laughs out loud, his head falling back. “What do you mean by raunchy?”
“Well, I started out with inspirational quotes, because that’s what all the books teach you. I like to write on blank cards and send them to people. Well, ‘Believe in Yourself’ was getting boring, so I took up more raunchy sayings. You know how ladies are now cross-stitching swear words? Consider that me, but with a calligraphy pen.”
“That’s amazing. Tell me one of your favorites.”
We move forward in line as I think about it. “Well, last night I made a sign for my bathroom, which reminds me I need to get a frame for it. It says, ‘Please don’t do coke in the bathroom.’”
Linus chuckles. “That’s a reasonable request.”
“I sent a card to my brother that said, ‘Don’t be a douche canoe.’ I drew a little canoe in the middle. He liked it a lot. There’s just something special about using pretty handwriting to say rotten things.”
“I think I might need to commission you to do something for me.”
“I did one for Mr. Danvers.”
“Seriously?” Linus’s eyes pop open. “What did it say?”
“Oh, it was boring. Something about house and home and love. I desperately wanted him to ask for something like ‘Home is where no pants is.’ I think his wife might have had a stroke though. She’s very prim and proper.”
“Such a wasted opportunity.” We move up again. So close. “Are you looking for work?”
I nod. “I told myself today I need to find a job soon because I’m living on money fumes. And my grandma, who is my absolute best friend, is starting to fret over my situation. Mr. Danvers gave me one hell of a recommendation with cards to his personal cell for employers to call him directly. I know I’ll be able to find a job, but I want to find the right one. Working with Mr. Danvers felt like a dream. He was so kind and appreciative. I want the same experience and given how much weight his name holds in New York City, I hope I can get a job sooner rather than later.”
“How do you feel about much sooner?” he asks.
Interested, I ask, “What do you mean?”
“Well, one of Mr. Scott’s best friends is in desperate need for an assistant, and he asked me to help him find someone to fill the position. He trusts me and since his last few assistants have been awful, he’s relying on me to find a gem.” Linus shakes his head. “Since I have to work with them often, and I mean . . . a lot, I’ve been looking far and wide for the perfect person for him because technically, his new assistant would be my co-worker.”