Page 15 of Shattered Throne
I turned back to my computer and got to work.
The morning passed slowly. Xavier stayed in his office with the door mostly closed, emerging only once for coffee. I answered phones, sorted through the disaster of a filing system left by whoever had occupied this desk before me, and tried to learn the particular rhythms of the executive floor.
People stopped by throughout the day. Other executives, assistants, and people who seemed to have no purpose other than getting a look at the new VP. I fielded their questions politely.
"No, Mr. Dubois isn't available right now."
"Yes, I'll pass along the message."
"No, I don't have his schedule yet. I just started today."
Around noon, I decided to check if Xavier needed anything. Lunch, maybe. Coffee. Something to justify my presence outside his door.
I knocked. No answer.
I pushed the door open slightly and found him at his desk, surrounded by papers. His jacket was off, draped over the back of his chair. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing forearms that were more defined than I'd expected. He was frowning at a document like it had personally offended him, a pen in his hand, making notes in the margins.
He looked up when I entered. The frown disappeared. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and his eyebrow arched in a suggestive manner.
"Well, hello there." His voice was different than it had been at the bar. Lighter. More playful. "May I help you?"
"I wanted to check if you needed lunch or coffee."
His smile widened. His eyes did a quick sweep of my face, my body, lingering just long enough to be noticed. "Only if you're on the menu."
I stiffened. "Mr. Dubois. I'm your secretary."
The smile faltered. He sat up straighter, blinked, and for a moment looked genuinely confused. Then embarrassed. "You're…" He cleared his throat. "Right. Yes. Of course, you are." He ran a hand through his hair, making it even messier. "I didn't... I wasn't paying attention when I came in. I apologize."
So he hadn't seen me at my desk. Hadn't registered my presence at all. I wasn't sure if that was better or worse than not being recognized.
"Coffee would be great," he said, his voice more subdued now. "Something sweet, if they have it. I have a bit of a sweet tooth." A pause. "And maybe a sandwich from the place on the corner? If you don't mind."
"It's my job."
"Right. Yes." He was still looking at me with that strange expression, like he was trying to place me and couldn't. "Thank you."
I left to get his order.
The coffee place on the corner was calledBean There, which was the kind of name that made me want to roll my eyes. But the coffee was good, and the line was short, so I ordered Xavier's drink, a caramel latte, the sweetest thing on the menu, and a turkey sandwich and carried them back up to the twenty-seventh floor.
He took them with a smile and a wink that would have been charming if I was interested in being charmed. "You're a lifesaver. What's your name?"
"Kim. Kim Young."
"Kim." He repeated it like he was testing how it felt. "Thank you, Kim."
"You're welcome, Mr. Dubois."
"Xavier." He made a face. "Mr. Dubois is my brother.” He winked at me. “And I’m way more handsome.”
I didn't respond to that. It wasn't my place to compare looks, or even notice them at all. I just nodded and left him to his caramel latte.
Around three o'clock, while I was still struggling to understand the filing system, a young woman with golden hair and reading glasses perched on her nose appeared at my desk.
She was dressed impeccably, not a wrinkle in sight. She looked to be about my age or maybe slightly older.
"You must be the new one," she said. "I'm Margaret. I work for Mr. Sebastian Dubois."
