usually too big to hand deliver.
Caden
handed me a sealed package when I walked over to his desk with an address
written on it. "It's across town. Don't take the subway. Take a cab."
"Okay,
thanks," I said, taking the package. I was appreciative of the fact that
he didn't want me trucking across town on the subway in heels.
He
hesitated, as if he wanted to say something else, but then just turned back to
his computer, dismissing me.
The
cab ride took longer than I anticipated due to traffic, and it took half an
hour to reach Mitchell Hanson's studio. Unlike Caden's studio, Hanson's studio
was strictly business and occupied the third floor of a sleek office building.
"I'm
Caden Riley's assistant. I'm here to drop off a photograph for Mitchell
Hanson," I told the receptionist when I reached the third floor.
"Sherry
can take that for you, hold on." The receptionist briskly picked up the
phone.
"Caden
Riley's assistant is here to drop off a package," the receptionist said
into the phone. She listened for a few seconds before speaking again.
"Okay, no problem."
I
looked at the receptionist expectantly when she hung up the phone.
"Just
go ahead through to the showroom. Sherry has her hands full right now and can't
come out, so you can just drop it off to her there." She then proceeded to
explain how to get to the studio, and I nodded while I hoped I was able to
navigate the complicated directions.
I
was relieved when I found the showroom with ease and knocked on the open door.
A woman who looked like she was in her late thirties looked up from thumbing
through papers.
"You
must be Caden's assistant," she said with a smile, looking harried but
friendly. "Thanks for coming back here. I'm swamped right now, and if I
walk away I'll probably forget what the hell I'm doing."
"No
problem," I said, instantly liking her openness and candor. I looked down
at the package. "Where should I put this?"
Sherry
nodded towards the large conference table. "Just set it there,
thanks."
I
glanced at the large pictures that dominated the walls as I set the package
down. Famous faces looked back at me, and I recognized a few from magazine
covers.
Sherry
stuck her hand out. "I'm Sherry Hasser, by the way. Mitchell's
assistant."
I
shook her hand. "Lauren Sloan. Nice to meet you."
Despite
Sherry's claim that she was busy, she leaned closer, speaking conspiratorially.
"So how do you like working for Caden?"
I
was instantly on alert, no longer appreciating her friendliness. "I'm just
working for him temporarily, but it's fine. Caden's a good boss."
Sherry
laughed. "I bet he is." She wrinkled her nose. "I bet he doesn't
call you at one o'clock in the morning because his toilet's clogged and he
can't handle the damn problem himself." Sherry shook her head in disgust.
"Mitchell is absolutely helpless without me. I wouldn't be surprised if he
asked me to wipe his ass."
I
didn't know what else to do but nod at Sherry's comment. Not only was it crass,
but it seemed disloyal, especially since we had just met. And I didn't know if
the comment about betting Caden was a good boss was an envious observation or
if she was trying to infer something else. I also realized how easy I had it
with Caden. Even though he claimed I was his personal assistant, he only had me
run personal errands for him every now and then. Mostly, I just felt like his
admin. I didn't let myself think about Saturday night, when he had treated me
more personally than I had ever expected.
"Well,
have a good day," I said lamely, wanting to escape Sherry's curious eyes.
"Wait."
Sherry's voice was hushed as she glanced behind me. I assumed she wanted to
make sure no one was outside the door. "Is it true what they say about
Caden? That he sleeps with all his models and that he's the one that drives
them to climax before he takes pictures of them? I heard that he treats women
like Kleenex–he uses them then throws them away."
The
lascivious gleam in Sherry's eyes repulsed me and I
Caden
handed me a sealed package when I walked over to his desk with an address
written on it. "It's across town. Don't take the subway. Take a cab."
"Okay,
thanks," I said, taking the package. I was appreciative of the fact that
he didn't want me trucking across town on the subway in heels.
He
hesitated, as if he wanted to say something else, but then just turned back to
his computer, dismissing me.
The
cab ride took longer than I anticipated due to traffic, and it took half an
hour to reach Mitchell Hanson's studio. Unlike Caden's studio, Hanson's studio
was strictly business and occupied the third floor of a sleek office building.
"I'm
Caden Riley's assistant. I'm here to drop off a photograph for Mitchell
Hanson," I told the receptionist when I reached the third floor.
"Sherry
can take that for you, hold on." The receptionist briskly picked up the
phone.
"Caden
Riley's assistant is here to drop off a package," the receptionist said
into the phone. She listened for a few seconds before speaking again.
"Okay, no problem."
I
looked at the receptionist expectantly when she hung up the phone.
"Just
go ahead through to the showroom. Sherry has her hands full right now and can't
come out, so you can just drop it off to her there." She then proceeded to
explain how to get to the studio, and I nodded while I hoped I was able to
navigate the complicated directions.
I
was relieved when I found the showroom with ease and knocked on the open door.
A woman who looked like she was in her late thirties looked up from thumbing
through papers.
"You
must be Caden's assistant," she said with a smile, looking harried but
friendly. "Thanks for coming back here. I'm swamped right now, and if I
walk away I'll probably forget what the hell I'm doing."
"No
problem," I said, instantly liking her openness and candor. I looked down
at the package. "Where should I put this?"
Sherry
nodded towards the large conference table. "Just set it there,
thanks."
I
glanced at the large pictures that dominated the walls as I set the package
down. Famous faces looked back at me, and I recognized a few from magazine
covers.
Sherry
stuck her hand out. "I'm Sherry Hasser, by the way. Mitchell's
assistant."
I
shook her hand. "Lauren Sloan. Nice to meet you."
Despite
Sherry's claim that she was busy, she leaned closer, speaking conspiratorially.
"So how do you like working for Caden?"
I
was instantly on alert, no longer appreciating her friendliness. "I'm just
working for him temporarily, but it's fine. Caden's a good boss."
Sherry
laughed. "I bet he is." She wrinkled her nose. "I bet he doesn't
call you at one o'clock in the morning because his toilet's clogged and he
can't handle the damn problem himself." Sherry shook her head in disgust.
"Mitchell is absolutely helpless without me. I wouldn't be surprised if he
asked me to wipe his ass."
I
didn't know what else to do but nod at Sherry's comment. Not only was it crass,
but it seemed disloyal, especially since we had just met. And I didn't know if
the comment about betting Caden was a good boss was an envious observation or
if she was trying to infer something else. I also realized how easy I had it
with Caden. Even though he claimed I was his personal assistant, he only had me
run personal errands for him every now and then. Mostly, I just felt like his
admin. I didn't let myself think about Saturday night, when he had treated me
more personally than I had ever expected.
"Well,
have a good day," I said lamely, wanting to escape Sherry's curious eyes.
"Wait."
Sherry's voice was hushed as she glanced behind me. I assumed she wanted to
make sure no one was outside the door. "Is it true what they say about
Caden? That he sleeps with all his models and that he's the one that drives
them to climax before he takes pictures of them? I heard that he treats women
like Kleenex–he uses them then throws them away."
The
lascivious gleam in Sherry's eyes repulsed me and I
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