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“Morning, Riley. Can you believe it’s Monday already?”
I tucked my purse under my desk and sank into my chair, smiling at Farah. “The weekend always goes by too quickly. Is that a new hijab? I love the colour.”
Farah touched the burgundy fabric before grinning at me. “Thank you. So, is he here yet?” She leaned her hip against my desk and stared at the office door of my new boss.
“No, not yet,” I said.
Farah scanned the empty hallway before lowering her voice. “Rumour is that this Rainer guy is not that friendly and has really high standards and expectations for his employees, but he’s super smart and a highly competent CFO, which is why Aiden hired him.”
The knot in my stomach grew a little tighter. Farah was Aiden’s PA, and if anyone would have the inside scoop, it was her. I hated to admit it, but I was sensitive, and an unfriendly boss would make my life a nightmare.
I took a deep breath and reminded myself it was exactly like Jamie said - we didn’t come to work for hugs and kisses. I would do my job well and give Mr. Rainer nothing to be unhappy about.
Farah gave me a reassuring smile. “Don’t stress about it, Riley. You’re fantastic at your job, and I know he’ll love you. You always impress Aiden when you cover for me, and that’s basically a miracle. Amanda says Aiden is much better than when Lina was his assistant, but he has crazy high standards, too, and can still be a little… difficult to work with. But he’s never had a single complaint when you cover my vacation days. I know you’ll impress the new guy just as much.”
“Thank you, Farah, that makes me feel a little better,” I said.
Farah was right - Aiden wasn’t what I would call friendly, but he’d always been polite, if not a little distant, and I’d managed to work with him just fine. I could and would adapt to Mr. Rainer’s working style, too.
Farah grinned at me. “Sometimes I wish I’d worked here back in the day. Amanda says Aiden has mellowed out considerably since he married Lina, but there used to be a lot of drama with Aiden going through a PA every few months.”
I laughed but secretly was glad I hadn’t been there for that. Conflict made me anxious even when I wasn’t involved in it. By the time I’d been hired as Jamie’s PA, Aiden and Lina were already married, she was pregnant with Noah, and Farah had been Aiden’s PA for over a year.
Farah straightened. “Hey, a few of us are going to Ricardo’s for lunch today. Do you want to join us?”
“Oh, I can’t,” I said. “Maybe next time?”
“Sure.” Farah left, and I pushed away my self-pity. So what if I couldn’t afford lunch with my coworkers? My mother’s health was more important.
My phone dinged and I grabbed it from my purse, my eyes widening when I saw the text from Celeste.
Celeste
Darling, I deposited your payment for yesterday. Thank you again for the last-minute accommodation. Mr. Steele was very pleased with you again, and he’s asked to book you for Wednesday night. Are you available?
Excitement and disbelief making my hands shake, I quickly texted back.
Riley
Yes. I can do Wednesday night. Thank you, Celeste.
Celeste
Thank you, darling. Also, Mr. Steele has requested no waxing. Of course, it’s your body and your choice, but remember that the happier you make the client, the more often they’ll book with you. Oh, and the extra hundred I deposited is a tip from Mr. Steele. Enjoy!
I made a soft squeal of excitement and quickly opened my banking app. I stared at the money in my bank account with relief and surprise. I was certain Mr. Steele would never book with me again after my spectacular failure last night.
I couldn’t stop staring and smiling at my bank account. I’d send the money to my parents, but this time, I would keep the tip and go for my pasta dinner. And I would be Mr. Steele’s perfect good girl on Wednesday night and maybe get another hundred dollar tip. That would be enough to get me a cheap pair of glasses from one of those online places. It’d been a little embarrassing that Mr. Steele had noticed me squinting.
Before I could put my phone away, it dinged again with an incoming text from my father. I hated the way I tensed, hated the feeling of dismay that went through me. Maybe he wouldn’t be reaching out for money this time. It was unkind of me to feel resentful that I only heard from him when he needed something. He was very stressed and worried about my mother, and even before she got sick, I wasn’t exactly a priority for him.
Unkind, Riley!
I opened his text, unsurprised when it was exactly what I expected.
Dad
Hi Riley. I hate to ask, as I know you’ve already sent extra money this month, but your mother mentioned you took a second job, and I could use some extra cash to fix the air conditioning in the car.
