She looked up at me and smiled, but she didn't say anything else. She wasn't overly chatty, but she didn't seem cold either. So far, I liked everything about her.
After we finished going over some of the work requirements, I took a seat and said, "The man at the staffing agency didn't say how long you're looking to work for. The next semester of college is going to be starting soon. Are you taking night classes?"
Shaking her head, she frowned again. "No. College is just a goal right now. I'm here for as long as you'll have me. I don't have an end date as far as working goes."
Good. I liked hearing that. We didn't need a revolving door for secretaries that I'd have to break in, even though this whole idea was mostly Josh's and not mine. Mr. DeVille had made it clear that some people he sent to work for his clients were temporary, but he'd said nothing about Emma's situation.
"Okay. Well, as long as you're good at your job, you have one. I'm not a fan of training you and then having to hire someone else."
Emma nodded. "Then I’ll be here, Mr. Tanchen."
There was something about the way she sounded when she called me Mr. Tanchen that made my cock begin to get hard. It was sexy but in that sweet and innocent kind of way. At twenty-one years old, it was unlikely she was either sweet or innocent, and I was finding myself more intrigued by the moment.
Shaking my head, I reminded myself that I couldn’t be that guy going around fucking the workers some agency sent me. It was inappropriate, and great businesses had been killed and buried for far less.
As I chastised myself for my thoughts, the phone at her desk rang. I leaned over to answer it out of reflex, but she beat me to it.
"Thank you for calling Global Digital Solutions. My name is Emma. How may I help you?" she answered expertly.
I waited for her to tell me who called, but instead she said sweetly, "I'm sorry, but I believe you have the wrong number."
She smiled up at me as she hung up. "They were trying to order Chinese food. I don’t think that's what you do here unless I'm very confused,” she joked, making me chuckle.
"No, though now that you mention it I could go for some General Tso’s chicken. What do you say to my ordering some for lunch for your first day? Great way to answer the phone by the way. You seem like you'll take to this quickly."
"I certainly hope so, Mr. Tanchen."
Jesus. There it was again, that sweet voice calling me Mr. Tanchen. I was starting to understand how better men than myself had fallen for the cute girl at work, especially when she worked under him. I'd been so focused on getting to the top of my field that any form of dating and romance had been put on the back burner. I was devoted and married, but only to my job.
I just needed to remember that now.
When I began to walk away, she asked, "Mr. Tanchen, is there a particular time I should be taking my lunch every day? I don't want to do anything that interferes with what you want from me."
What I wanted from her...Mark, think with your brain and not your cock.
"I’ll leave that to your judgment. If you aren't busy, feel free to eat."
"Thank you." She hesitated for a moment before saying, “Oh, one more thing. Mr. DeVille said you’d let me know how much the salary is. I don’t mean to…”
Before she could continue, I stopped her. “I’m sorry. I always hated when employers didn’t say how much I’d be getting paid like I just did. It’s twenty-five dollars an hour to start. After three months, we’ll be willing to discuss benefits and pay increases. Does that work for you?”
Emma’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yes. Thank you! That works perfectly.”
"If you need me I'll be in my office. It's your first day, so don’t feel like you can't bother me."
She smiled and returned to typing something into the document as I thought about how I'd never once even considered telling someone they could bother me while I was at work. I usually hated anyone interrupting me like that.
I nodded as she continued to type, unsure what was happening to me. I headed back to my office and tried to concentrate on work, even as I struggled against the urge to go talk to Emma. My mind drifted from thought to thought about her, making any focus on the things I had to do impossible. Each time the phone rang, I listened to her handle the call professionally, which was supposed to free me up to actually do my own work.
So much for that.
After a few hours, I walked out of my office toward hers across the hall. She spoke to someone on the phone and was all smiles. Instantly, from out of nowhere, I found myself jealously wondering if the call was personal instead of profession.
As my mind swirled with questions about who she might be talking to, she finished her call and smiled at me. "Mr. Tanchen, you have a few scheduled appointments for later in the week. I've logged them all into your calendar, along with notes about the client's reason for coming in and anything else you may need for your meeting."
My body relaxed with each word she spoke. What the hell was wrong with me? Even if she had made a personal phone call, I wouldn't usually care. I was running a business, not a prison.
"That's great, Emma. You're impressive jumping right in like that."