"That's great! Didn't I tell you that place was good? What did you think of that DeVille guy? He's sort of sexy in a scary kind of way, isn't he?" she asked with a giggle.
I thought back to my very brief meeting with him and had to agree. "Yeah, he is. But like you said, he seems to be good at this thing. He had a job lined up for me when I got there this afternoon."
"Maybe it will end up like mine did," she said in a singsong voice.
"I'd just be happy if it ended up with me making some good money. True love and great sex are nice, but money is what this girl needs to make her world go round."
"So what's the job? He didn't give you anything with kids, did he? I know how you feel about them," Maddie said in a voice that told me she was genuinely worried. God, was I really that bad with kids?
"No. I actually mentioned to him that I would prefer nothing having to do with children, and he seemed okay with that. My position is as a secretary. I didn't even realize people actually used that term anymore. I mean, it's kind of old-fashioned, isn't it?"
As I said that, I thought about the type of person who would use the word secretary. My new boss was probably an old geezer. A small part of me felt disappointed as the possibility of having what happened to Maddie faded away in my mind.
"I don't know. They still use the title Secretary of State, and that's not usually a woman. I think it sounds distinguished. Let's say you're someone's private secretary. That sounds even better. So who's your new boss?"
"A man named Mr. Tanchen. He's probably a dinosaur, but I'm fine with whatever as long as I'm making money and don't have to leave my apartment."
That sounded more pathetic than I wanted it to, but I didn’t care. A job meant money. That’s all. Anything else I could find on my own after work hours.
“Well, I’m just happy you got a position. Let me know how it goes. I’m dying to know, okay?” Maddie said sweetly, even as a hint of sympathy crept into her words.
“Okay, I’ll let you know. Thanks, Maddie!”
So I wouldn’t have a hot boss who falls madly in love with me. At least I had a job and some money coming in.
* * *
I wokethe next morning far earlier than I normally would have and made sure I looked as perfect as possible for my new secretary position before grabbing the train and making my way to the Upper East Side. When I arrived, I was surprised to see that the building where I was to work wasn't an office building at all, but a home. Mr. DeVille hadn’t mentioned that Mr. Tanchen worked out of his house.
Mr. Tanchen's home was a brownstone so common to Brooklyn mostly, but anyone who'd ever watched Sex in the City knew they existed outside of that section of New York. As I stared up at the gorgeous place in front of me, I had a feeling this was what DeVille had meant by superior clients. Mr. Tanchen clearly had money.
I was a little early, even by first day standards, but I couldn’t bear standing outside and waiting. I was far too excited. I hurried up the stairs and rang the doorbell. Nervous, I looked up and down the street and watched people leaving their homes to begin their workday on this warm morning.
I’d tried to find a picture of my new boss online after my interview with Mr. DeVille, but it seemed Mr. Tanchen didn’t appear in any. He had no Facebook profile, which meant he was likely quite old. But I didn’t want to let disappointment that I wouldn’t have what Maddie got get in the way of making money, which was far more important than anything else.
After enough time that I was actually considering ringing the bell again, a man appeared on the other side of the glass door. A stunning man with dark brown hair and deep brown eyes like melted chocolate, he wore a black suit with a pale blue shirt and tie that matched almost perfectly and highlighted how well-built he was underneath those expensive clothes. I felt my eyes roam over him and then caught myself. This couldn't be my new boss.
Could it be? No. Maybe it was his son?
While my mind imagined what this man looked like under that perfect fitting suit, he opened the door and in a deep voice that rolled over me like silk, he said, "Hello? Do you have an appointment?"
My voice seemed to disappear as I caught my breath at how beautiful this man was. "Hi. I mean, good morning. I'm looking for Mr. Tanchen. My name is Emma Cooper, and I was sent from DeVille Staffing to…"
He stared at me for a long moment and then a slow smile lit up his dark expression. "Oh, you’re the secretary. Come in, and we’ll get you set up. I'm sorry it took so long for me to get to the door, but as you know, we didn't have a secretary until now. I'm Mark Tanchen."
This was Mr. Tanchen?
My new boss beckoned me in, and I looked around the beautiful, albeit bare, home. As we walked through the living room, I noticed it had been converted into an empty space with a nice desk and chair.
He saw me looking in the room and smiled in a way that made him look very friendly. "That's going to be your office. People call, you answer. People knock, you answer and help them before they come to meet with me. Granted, we don’t get too many people coming by, but it does happen from time to time. Sound like something you can do?"
I looked away from the office and returned his smile with one of my own. "Absolutely, Mr. Tanchen. I'll have no trouble at all."
With a curt nod, he continued walking toward the kitchen that had been left as a kitchen after the business took over. When he got there, he opened the refrigerator and said, "This is where you can keep any food or drink that you might want to bring in. Most of the time it'll just be the two of us here. I keep sodas in here for myself and people who might come in for meetings, but feel free to take one whenever you like."
"Okay. Thank you, sir," I said, not knowing what to call him.
His expression twisted, showing he didn't like what I'd chosen. As he handed me a can of soda, he said, "You don’t have to call me sir. Mr. Tanchen is fine. Sir makes me sound old and boring, and I’m only one of those things."