After a long night of tossing and turning and unpleasant dreams, I open my eyes and sit up straight in bed. Looking around the room, it took me a moment to realize where I was. Yes, I was in my own room, but I was in his penthouse. This was already proving to be an extremely demanding job since it took me out of my own apartment and into his home. At least the room was a drastic upgrade from my old apartment, so that alone almost made up for the lack of privacy I would have.
Looking at my alarm clock on the nightstand next to me, I noticed it read 7:30 am. Great, I had an interview today to secure my position as his PA, which I had to prepare for. The majority of the night had been spent working hard on my CV, including all types of well-researched lies about me to make it appear as though I was capable of the job. Even though he had already told me I had the job, I still had butterflies in my stomach.
I walked into my bathroom to take a nice hot shower when I noticed a nice box sitting on the counter with a card in it. I picked up the card with caution, not knowing what it was. Reading his message, I read: My dear Azlynn, do not be nervous! I know you are going to nail this interview since you have already impressed the boss. *wink. Get dressed in this. You need to look the part. I'll see you at 9; don't be late. My driver is waiting downstairs to take you to the office where I am waiting for you. Sincerely, Lorenzo Albertini.
Upon opening the box, I was stunned yet again. It was very professional and sleek, ideal for the job. I hop into the shower to wash my body off. Feeling refreshed, I climb out and put on the dress, which fits perfectly. I swept my hair into a side braid and lightly applied makeup to my eyes and lips. Looking in the mirror, I decided I looked the part in this dress. The dress had a white top and a black and white patterned skirt, and I finished it off with some elegant low-heeled shoes.
I sling my jacket over my arm, grab my CV and climb into the elevator. Once I reached the bottom floor of the building, I noticed the black limousine waiting at the curb. As I approach the vehicle, I see the driver get out and walk around to open the door for me. "Thank you," I reply as I climb into the back of the vehicle. As the car pulled up to another high-rise building, I wasn't surprised to see huge letters across the building that read ALBERTINI INDUSTRIES. I got out of the car and stared up at the sky. I knew that his office was probably on the top floor. Of course, this was not the time to be scared of heights.
Walking inside the building, I saw many people going about their normal workdays. All of them looked rushed and nervous as they passed through the building. Seeing the desk in the back of the large foyer, I walked right up to it. It had a sign on top that said reception. Therefore, I knew they could help me. I approached the girl behind the huge desk with a smile on my face. "Hello, how can I help you, Miss?" she asked with a big smile on her face. She had her hair in a bun at the back of her head, and she was wearing a stylish professional dress.
"Yes, I have an appointment!" I answered softly.
"With whom?" she inquired, still plastering her smile on her face.
"Mr. Albertini," I announced.
"Okay, well, then let me page him and tell him you are here Miss?" she asks.
"Ms. Jennings," I answer.
"You can sit down there," she says, pointing to a group of chairs in the lobby. "Someone will pick you up soon."
I smile back at her, thanking her, as I walk over and sit in the chair. I was nervous because I had only ever been around Lorenzo in his penthouse, or away from the office. The look on the lady's face when I told her I was meeting with him told me that he is a very demanding boss. I looked up to see a short man approaching me.
"Excuse me, but are you Ms. Jennings?" he asks with a smile on his face, "Here for the assistant position with Mr. Albertini?" holding out his hand for a handshake.
"I am," I reply, standing up and shaking his hand.
"Please follow me," he says as he walks towards the elevators on the opposite side of the lobby. I watch as he pushes the button to take us up and we wait in silence for the elevator to reach us at ground level. Once there, we climb in and I see him press the button for the 83rd floor. I knew it, it was always the top floor for this man. I watched as the numbers at the top of the doors counted up. There was an awkward silence as we rode to meet Lorenzo.
When the doors opened to the elevator, I saw another huge lobby, complete with another desk. This time there was a petite dark-skinned woman sitting behind it who gave me a warm smile as I approached her. Her jet-black hair was tightly tied up at the back of her head in a tight bun and I wondered if that was a requirement for the job. "Have a seat here, Mr. Albertini will be right with you," she replied, pointing to a plush comfortable couch near the door. She looked at the guy who escorted me up. "You can head back to your office now, Mr. Stone. Thank you for escorting her up."
I watched as he silently climbed back into the elevator. I saw his face as the doors closed; he looked sad and I wondered why. I didn't have time to sit and think about the matter as he emerged from his office in his dark navy blue suit, white shirt, and red tie. He held the door open for me, staring impatiently at me. I quickly stood up nervously clutching my CV folder and walked into the room. Hearing the door close, he clears his throat, and I turn to look at him as he strides back toward his desk. He gestures toward one of the chairs that sit in front of the giant desk. I took one as he sat down behind his desk in his huge chair. The office was very well designed for him. The king-sized desk was deep oak, with a dark gray-colored chair. There was a wall of shelves behind him full of books and binders, all in order and properly labeled. There was a sitting area to the left of his desk, styled to match the gray walls and dark oak furniture in the room. I leaned back in a comfortable white chair. Looking around, I could see a conference room and a small office to the right, through the glass walls that surround his office.
"Your CV, Ms. Jennings," he said as if it were a command, not a request. He always seemed to give me orders. I carefully removed it from the folder and placed it on the desk in front of him. I watched him snatch it up and begin to read it. He looked puzzled as he examined the paper I handed him. Taking the time to read all the details of what I put in it. I dared not say anything, as I didn't want to rush him. After all, this man scared me. I just sat there calmly with my hands on my lap.
Clearing his throat, he glares at me, "Never have I seen so many lies in one CV! ", he explained clearly, putting the paper back down on the desk in front of him with a sigh. "I will ask you a few questions, and how you answer them will strongly influence my willingness to hire you, understand?" he said in his trademark cold tone, folding his arms across his chest.
"Okay," I replied swallowing a large gulp of air. I mean I wasn't really expecting this to be a real interview.
"Good, if the CEO were to ever share confidential information with you, what would you do if another top-level employee asked you about it?" he asked carefully.
"Well sir, since I do not have the right authorization to be able to reveal information about the CEO, even to other senior-level executives, then I would explain that firmly and properly to them". I stammered through my answer. I was so nervous, and I always got job interviews wrong."
"Okay, fine. What software programs have you worked with and are proficient at? How would you describe your computer knowledge?" he asks with a small smirk, as though he already knows the answer to this question.
"Honestly, Mr. Albertini, I have no experience with computers, but I know the basics, and I am willing to learn everything I need to learn to be a success at this job," I spoke through trembling teeth.
"Perfect, then tell me what are your strategies for dealing with several urgent tasks at once?" he asks me with a smirk on his annoyingly handsome face.
"When I was working at the restaurant and I had to run the bar by myself, I would write out multiple To-Do lists and decide what was most critical and proceed from there. Eventually, I would be able to accomplish everything within the time frame." I answered nervously, as I said working in a bar was not the same as being his PA.
"Well done, one last question," he said softly, calmly. "How would you anticipate the needs of your CEO?" he replied with a mischievous grin.
"Well, sir, my goal would be to stay one step ahead of my CEO at all times. I will use my own intuition and experience to know what he needs, hopefully, even before he knows it himself." I was happy with all of my responses. After a few minutes of silence, I decided to break it. "So, am I getting the job?" I asked Lorenzo feeling hopeful.
He stares at me, dark eyes studying me. "Okay, here's the deal, Ms. Jennings. You have the job, and I want you to start immediately.
In fact, I have it on reliable authority that you can start today! Therefore, I will send you to HR to get your badge which will allow you to roam freely all over the building. You must fill out all the necessary documents they give you. It should take you about an hour or so, then I want you to report back here to my office. I will have a few more papers for you to sign. From there I will show you to your office and have one of the other PAs come and show you the logistics of your new job. Then we will head back home and you can start your first official day tomorrow, Ms. Jennings," he says.
"That's alright, thanks, Mr. Albertini." It felt strange to address him so formally, but I had to get used to it since he was now my boss.
"You are to call me Sir, or Mr. Albertini in the office, but at home, you can continue to call me Lorenzo or Enzo," he says smiling, trying to make light of the situation. I watched him grab his phone and dial a number; I listened to him talk to a person on the other end.
"Yes, I need Mr. Stone to fetch my newly hired employee, as I need her to report to the HR office to complete the necessary documents, obtain her badge, and come back up here straight away so that she can begin. I watch as he stares at me. We wait in silence for Mr. Stone to arrive. Then I can head on down to Human Resources and start the hiring process. I now belong to him both at home and here in the office, at least that was how I saw things.