The ball seemed to have lasted for a week before everything started winding down, and all the people left. Okay, so maybe it was a matter of hours, but it still felt like forever. And now, I also know why people hold these things at hotels and event venues.
It was a lot harder to escape when it was done in your own house.
"Are you even listening to me?" asked Stephanie, and once again, I cringed.
The woman was amazing, and I had no idea how she was even willing to put up with me for so long. I had hired her to be my personal assistant because I knew I didn't have what it took to be Head of House Gypsy.
I didn't care about the minor details that were extremely important to others; I wasn't meant to be dressed to the nines and rubbing elbows with the elite.
I was meant to chase down monsters and make the world a safer place.
If my sister Elena had still been here, it would have been a completely different story. She was born and raised to be a queen. I just left like I was a little kid wearing her clothes.
"No, sorry," I sighed, rubbing my head. "Just thinking about something else."
Stephanie sighed and sat down across from me.
It was just the two of us in my office; the guys were all out doing whatever it was that they needed to do, and Stephanie had pulled me in to discuss a few things.
She took her glasses off and placed them on my desk before rubbing her eyes. Reaching up, she then pulled her hair out of the tight bun and ran her fingers through the curls until they fell past her shoulders.
Placing her tablet, planner, pen, and paper beside her glasses, she looked at me.
"Look, Honey, you hired me to be your PA. Which, in my world, makes us nothing but glorified babysitters to the rich and famous. People who would forget to go to work or even pay their bills if they didn't have someone to remind them. But that isn't you."
I blinked at her rapidly. I think that this is the first time since I hired her almost a year ago that we ever had a conversation like this. In fact, I believe this is the first time we've ever really had a conversation that did not involve her telling me what I needed to do.
"I will fully admit that I was jaded. I had expected either a princess that couldn't even tie her own shoes or make a decision or a bitch that wouldn't listen to anything I had to say. Hell, I was even worried that you were looking for nothing more than a fuck buddy with a love of Excel spreadsheets," Stephanie let out a bark of laughter at that last comment before closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair.
"Everyone has this idea in their head about personal assistants. Wives hate us because we are one step removed from a secretary, and they think we took this job to move up in the world and land ourselves a billionaire."
"Why did you take this job?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. When I had first accepted that this was my fate, I was more than a bit bitter with everything. In fact, I don't even really remember interviewing Stephanie or any of the other men or women applying for the job.
I needed someone, and Stephanie was the first applicant. It's not something I should admit to, but there it is.
"I love being organized. I need it. So, I first became a PA so that I could truly help those who needed it to keep on track and keep their eye on the prize, so to speak. However, my job became less about organizing and more about keeping grabby hands off of my body. I was hoping that having a female boss would change that."
I nodded my head, completely understanding what she was saying. It seemed like every woman in any workforce had to dodge those hands more than a few times. Not every guy was like that, but the small number of them more than made up for the majority.
"Believe it or not, I like working for you," continued Stephanie, getting up out of her chair and walking over to the window. "I get to go back to the fundamentals of being a personal assistant."
"You mean glorified babysitter," I chuckled, not moving from my chair.
"Pretty much," she agreed as she turned around and leaned against the window. "But I see you. I see what you are trying to accomplish, and I know that this doesn't come naturally and easily for you. Is it like pulling teeth every time I try to get you to do something as Head? Absolutely. But that isn't because you would rather be sorting through your shoe collection or going out shopping for new clothes you'll never wear."
She took in a deep breath and came back over to the chair. "You matter. You make a difference in this world. And that is so much more important than being Head of House Gypsy. So, this is what I am going to propose…"
Trailing off, she pulled her hair back up into her standard bun, replaced her glasses, and sat up straight in her chair. "You go, do you," she said once she had donned her personal assistant persona. "Go be the hero and save people. I'll do everything that I can from my position so that you don't need to be as involved in House business. I'll still consult with you on the bigger matters, but other than that…"
"Yes," I hissed, more than happy to do that. If she had proposed something like this before, I would have refused. The idea of giving someone the power to do something in my name worried and stressed the hell out of me.
However, I knew this woman; I could see her pure intentions shining out of her just as brightly as her pink ribbon.
She literally just wanted to help, and I was all for that.
"Thank you," I murmured, a bright smile on my face. Now, with all that out of the way, I could dedicate my time to finding this new killer.
"But I still expect you to attend the next ball in the fall. I am giving you months of advance notice this time."
"Awe… do I have to?" I pouted but with a smile on my face.
"You do," was her no-nonsense response.