"Lawson informed me about your new position," Laurel meets me at the office door the next morning with a terribly annoyed look, her arms crossed in front of her and lips pursed. "That was not what you were hired for."
"Trust me, I am aware," I grumble and adjust the bag I'm carrying on my shoulder.
"Well I am still your supervisor, so you will still report to me. The desk has been arranged for you outside of his office. And it's not like he will need you every moment of the day, so when you are not otherwise busy, you will still be doing the filing and other work that you were doing before he arrived."
I try not to groan and roll my eyes. Great. So I have all of those other responsibilities to do in addition to being this super secret spy for Lawson and risking my job, my career, and my sanity in the process?
"And Alexander has already informed me that you don't even answer phones for him, so I'm honestly not sure what Lawson has in mind for this position other than you being perched outside of his brother's office as a pretty face for him to look at," she quips, and I do a double-take. Did she seriously just say that? "You are still within your 90 day probation period, so don't think this is an opportunity to slack off. I want to see you working."
I push back the arguments that are instantly bubbling forth about how I am not just a pretty face and how I graduated at the top of my class and how the entire reason for me wanting this job has everything to do with working hard and earning a higher position… not slacking off and daydreaming and looking for ways around my responsibilities.
"I didn't ask for this assignment, Laurel."
"Of course you didn't." She raises her shoulders and looks down her nose at me. "You were obviously the only one available in the office without anything else pressingly important to do. You get coffee and file paperwork," she chuckles airily. "And I doubt Lawson wants to run a job search right now. He has other things to worry about at the moment what with Mr. Möbius ill. You are convenient, Aurora."
"It's Auraya," I say through gritted teeth.
"What?" She scoffs, maintaining that condescending expression that makes me want to slap her just to see her reaction.
I'm not a violent person, but I also haven't been treated this way at a job before. It's a good thing I got a full night's sleep last night, otherwise I just might be out of my mind enough to act on it.
"Oh-ray-a. That is my name. Not Aurora."
She laughs like this is some kind of joke I'm telling and then starts walking me toward my desk. I glance into Lawson's office on the way, and he is already there, seated and typing away, but he doesn't look up. There is a kind of desperation to his expression, and I can't help but wonder if he manipulated me after all. I felt sorry for him, but now I'm wondering if he isn't just desperate to keep the company from going to his brother out of jealousy. Not to mention the humiliation he may face when others learn of it, should it happen.
"This is where you will be working." Laurel gestures to the desk, which looks just like every other desk in the office. "There is a direct line to this phone. Lawson insisted on it even though Alexander wishes to have all calls forwarded to his cell. So you may get calls for him on occasion. It's hard to say. If it rings, answer it."
I set my things down and stare at the phone in question. This is such a bizarre situation.
"You will also have a company laptop now. That will arrive for you today. We don't just have a stack of computers lying around, so it has to be couriered over especially for you. When it does come, I will have someone show you how to work the calendar so you can keep track of Alexander's appointments."
My eyebrows shoot up. Well, that's one plus. I will have actual access to a computer. Even if it's just as an assistant—or a spy—that makes me feel more professional already.
"Alexander has a reputation for being unpredictable, so it's hard to know how to prepare you. But if you screw this up, you can forget about a recommendation to any other agencies once we dismiss you."
Her arms are still folded across her chest, delivering a threat to my entire future without breaking eye contact like it is nothing. I wonder if she is a miserable person or if there is just something about me that sets her off.
"Since he is not in the office yet, you can take care of the coffee like usual. Depending on how late Alexander gets in, there are also plenty of files for you to organize in the basement. We are working on converting all of the old files to digital copies. That will likely be your next major task once Lawson decides that your position is unnecessary."
When she walks away, nose in the air and long legs somehow balancing on those tall heels, I decide that she is determined to find a reason to get me out of here one way or another. I just can't understand why. But whether it's because Laurel is miserable or just has an innate dislike for me, I'm not going to give her an excuse to push me out.
I sit behind the desk, spinning in the chair to test it out before putting my bag in one of the drawers. This job will be a breeze. I just need to keep Lawson thinking I'm spying on his brother. I need to keep Dex thinking I'm a legitimate assistant who isn't actually obsessively dreaming about him and working to find dirt on him for Lawson. And I need to keep Laurel convinced that I'm working my ass off doing what she thinks is most important in the office.
Yep. Easy peasy.