Our eyes meet, and I have to bite the inside of my lip to keep from letting my jaw drop down like a dummy. Right now, I have to make an impression.
His brow furrows, and he raises a hand and points directly at me.
“You,” he says across the crowded room of desks and cubicles. I’m instantly sweating.
“I…”
“You must be Ali Larson!”
Suddenly, all eyes are on me, and Zander is threading his way through the desks toward me as I stand there frozen, stupefied.
I’ve never felt an attraction like this before, and as I shift my legs as he grows nearer, I can feel my private area already slick with wetness.
This is not okay.
This is my new boss! I need to remain professional! I’m going to be speaking to him in just a few seconds. I can’t be having these crazy thoughts running around in my mind right now.
But my heart is racing, and I’m literally salivating, and as Zander grows closer, the sheer scent he brings with him hits me like a wrecking ball and nearly brings me to my knees.
He extends a hand, which I just look at for a second before I remember that I’m supposed to shake it.
“Zander,” he says. I can’t be sure if it’s the first or second time he’s said it.
“Ali!” I blurt out. “I’m the HR intern.”
Zander smiles and nods and looks me up and down.
For some reason, I get the distinct impression I’m getting a second interview right now. He glances behind him at his men, who all immediately go back to what they were doing.
“Right…about that,” he says to me. “We actually lost our girl at the front desk, so I’m going to have to put you out there for the time being.”
His words shock me.
Did he really just say what I think he said?
“The…the front desk?”
“Yeah, we had this girl named Emma working there, but…well some things happened and – anyway, we need someone up front, so I’m gonna put you up there for now. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll show you where you’ll be working.”
A tornado of emotions tears through me as Zander puts an arm on my shoulder and leads me back down the stairs to where I came.
“I-I was really hoping I would be working in HR,” I stammer, trying not to be rude. “I’m going to be majoring in psychology next year at college, and—”
“Well, I really need a girl out front right now, Ali.” Zander grins, showing me a smile that I’m sure has charmed a million women. “You’ll help me out with that. Won’t you, Ali?”
“I…”
I want to tell him no. That the whole point of me taking this job in the first place was to get experience that will be helpful to my major. But for some reason – I don’t know if it’s his smile or if I’m just intimidated by him – I just say, “Okay.”
“Atta girl.”
Before I know it, I’m following him over to the desk and listening to him point out all the things I’ll need to know in order to do my job, which mostly entails answering the phone, checking people in, and making sure nobody unauthorized enters the building. Hardly resume worthy experience.
“You know, I was hoping that I would—”
“Hold that thought,” Zander says as he picks up a call on his cell phone. “Barry! How the hell are ya?”
And just like that, he’s walking away from me, back upstairs like he couldn’t care less about me.