"Tell me more about that one," she said, and I knew I'd hit upon something that really interested her.
"Well, it's a junior PR associate. You'd be working within the department and with several other departments to shape the company's public image. It involves online outreach, like social media, as well as creative campaigns."
"That sounds really good," she murmured, almost to herself. She had a kind of dreamy look in her eyes and was smiling without realizing it.
"Done. Come to work on Monday and I'll introduce you to your new team."
"What?" she gasped, snapping back to reality. "Don't I have to apply?"
I met her eyes and smiled. She couldn't help but grin but also shook her head.
"Come on, Cassius," she said, almost laughing. "You can't just give me the job."
"Why can't I?" I said, leaning forward. "It's my company."
She pretended to frown, but I could tell she was hiding a smile.
"How about this?" I said, leaning back and winking at her. "I'll send your resume to the team, and suggest you for the job. We'll let them take it from there."
She looked at me, and it was almost like I could see the internal fight she was having. But finally, she nodded.
"That sounds good," she said, and then after a beat, very softly, she said, "Thank you."
I reached out and very gently squeezed her hand, and she didn't pull away.
SEVENTEEN
DEIRA
After I submitted my application, it only took Cassius's company a day to call and offer me the job. I wasn't surprised. I'd looked over the job listing, and I did seem qualified for it. In fact, I thought I might be really good at it. So, I happily accepted. The morning of my first day, I woke up early, and realized I was actually excited to go to work for the first time in a long time.
Cassius met me that morning after I'd filled out all the paperwork for HR and insisted on introducing me to my manager personally. I let him walk me over to the PR department and give me a quick tour that ended in the office of the department manager, Mr. White. I didn't like him very much. As he shook my hand, he looked me up and down in a way that was more appropriate for a blind date at a bar than meeting a new employee. He grinned approvingly as if he liked what he saw, and he held onto my hand for a little too long.
Still, he was very polite, and he was the head manager of the department, which meant I didn't report to him personally, and probably wouldn't interact with him very much, so I didn't worry about it. After Cassius left, Mr. White showed me to my desk in a tiny, but cozy, cubicle, introduced me to the team of people I'd actually be working with, and then went back to his office.
The others chatted with me a little, and they all seemed very nice. I spent most of the morning getting acquainted with everything, and my team leader helpfully answered any questions that I had. As she walked me through things, I realized that I had been right—I was definitely able to do this job. The knowledge from my degree might be a little rusty, but I was pleased to find that most of it was still there. The team leader explained how next week we would start a new media campaign, and it actually sounded really fun. Once again, I was shocked to find I was excited to be at work.
At lunchtime, Cassius texted me, asking how it was going. I wrote back with a smiley face, and he texted, "Come find me after work to celebrate?" with a winking face. I grinned, and sent a thumbs up back to him.
Finally, the day was over. Everything had gone so well, it almost felt like a dream. I was in a great mood as I got off the elevator on Cassius's floor and made my way to his office. The whole floor seemed deserted. The door to his office was open, and I peered in. He was standing by the window, looking out. I took a moment to look around the office. Last time, I'd been so shocked to see him, I'd barely noticed what it looked like. It was huge and beautifully furnished. It looked exactly like I'd imagined the office of a rich CEO to look. But the best feature was the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows along one side. It showed the whole city spread out far below, seeming at once minuscule and huge.
I knocked lightly on the door, and he turned and smiled when he saw me. He motioned for me to come in.
"Shut the door," he said, and bent down to open a cabinet behind his desk. I realized it was actually a small wine fridge, from which he took out a bottle of champagne. There were two champagne flutes sitting on his desk.
"Wow," I said. No matter how much I experienced it, I couldn't get used to this kind of lifestyle.
He grinned at me and poured the champagne, and then picked up both flutes, handing one to me. "I thought we should have a celebratory drink. Here's to your first great day of many."
He clinked his glass to mine, and I couldn't help but feel a little touched. Other than Dani, I really didn't have anyone who cheered me on or celebrated little things like this.
"Thank you," I said. "For everything." He looked at me softly.
"Thank you," he murmured, "for letting me help."
The look in his eyes was almost too much to bear, so I just nodded and turned away. I wandered toward the window and stared out for a minute.
"Deira," he said behind me, and I still wasn't used to him saying my name, let alone with the tone he had just used. I looked back at him. He had sat down in his chair and leaned back slightly, with his hands on the arm rest, like a king lazily surveying his domain. He was watching me with a look that I was learning meant he wanted me.