Bahir was already looking back at his computer. “Can I help you with anything else, Nicole?” he asked, his tone dismissive.
She cleared her throat, straightening her pile and heading towards the door. “No, thank you, sir,” she said, not knowing what else one said when they’d just had their salary doubled.
“Bahir,” he said, still looking at his screen as he started typing.
“Bahir,” she agreed.
As she was exiting the room he called out her name one more time. Turning, she raised an eyebrow at him, waiting for him to speak.
“Your new office is right next to mine, there on the right. Feel free to move in at your convenience.”
“Oh…thanks,” she said, trying not to sound as disappointed as she felt.
Nicole clicked back down the hallway, feeling even more uncomfortable in her heels. When she reached the legal offices she was surprised to see everyone’s face turn up to look at her. Her supervisor stood up.
“Nicole, can I see you in my office, please?” his tone was curt.
“Of course,” she said. She knew he was about to reprimand her for being so late. Boy, was he in for a surprise.
“Nicole, I know you’re new here,” the supervisor began, sitting in his chair and gesturing for her to sit across from him. “But coming in thirty minutes late is completely unacceptable. We have high standards in this department, and I would hope that you follow them moving forward.”
Nicole sighed. “I would love to, Perry, but I’m afraid I’ve just been transferred to a new department,” she said, suppressing a smile as she watched his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline.
“What?” he asked. “Who sanctioned that, and why wasn’t I informed? This is extremely unprofessional behavior, Nicole, going over my head like this. Who is trying to steal you out from under me?”
“Mr. Al-Jabbar. I can only apologize, but I think you’ll agree that he has the right to do pretty much whatever he wants.”
Perry stared at her. “Perhaps you should tell me exactly what happened, just so I can be clear.”
Nicole told him the edited version of what had happened—that Bahir was in search of a new personal assistant and had liked her work ethic, offering her the job on the spot.
“As you can see,” Nicole finished, holding up her untidy pile of paperwork. “I already have my work cut out for me.”
Perry’s expression was dull as he looked from the pile back to her face.
“It’s only temporary,” Nicole added, her voice rushed. She didn’t want to burn any bridges here. “Mr. Al-Jabbar was very clear on that. He is searching for someone to fill the position, but asked me to work as the replacement in the interim. Trust me, I can’t wait to get back here, Perry.”
After another pause, Perry sighed. “Well, I hope for your sake that it is temporary, Nicole. You’re an asset to this team, and personally I think your time is worth more than fetching coffee.”
“You and me both,” she mumbled, and Perry grinned, rising.
He held out his hand for her to shake, which she did.
“Good luck then, Nicole. Not that I’m one for gossip, but that position has seen a lot of turnover over the years. I’m hopeful they can find someone soon so you can get back to what you’re good at.”
“Thanks Perry,” Nicole said with a wry grin. “I hope to see you soon. He’s asked me to move offices for now,” she said, thinking back on her conversation with the CEO.
She cleared out the meager piles of knickknacks on her desk and headed over to the office next to Bahir’s. It was more spacious than her old desk space, but Nicole still didn’t like it. It felt too big. Too impersonal.
Setting down the pile of tasks on her desk, she gazed out the window at the city for a moment, processing the dramatic change to her daily life that had occurred out of the blue, before turning to her desk and getting to work.
That was six months ago.
Now, as she sat in the cool air of a fancy car, driving through a chic, metropolitan city, Nicole wondered for the millionth time if Bahir would ever replace her. Since that first day, she’d worked nonstop for him, round the clock. He’d asked for her cellphone number and since then had never ceased to call and text her at any time, day or night, asking her to schedule things into his daily routine. At first she had hated every minute of it—until she had gotten her first paycheck. At that point she had realized that the hours justified the money she was making, and had placated the voice in her head telling her she should just quit.
That had worked for a little while longer, but as Bahir’s demands had increased, and she’d found herself constantly jetlagged, she’d started asking him how the search for a new personal assistant was coming along. He’d brushed her off every single time. His excuses were lame, paired with a charismatic grin meant to shut her up. Shut her up it did, but Nicole had reached her breaking point. She was tired of being tired. She wanted a regular job, in America, where she could get used to one time zone and maybe pull a few late nights here and there, but not every single day.
She was burning out, fast, and Bahir was so wrapped up in his work that he didn’t seem to notice, or care. Nicole pulled out her cellphone and opened her email. She rubbed two fingers along her closed eyes, trying to find a way to scratch out that sandpapery feeling of exhaustion. The email was still there.
Dear Ms. Calvert,
I am writing to inform you that your candidacy is still under consideration. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us last week. Your credentials are very impressive, but as you are undoubtedly aware, this field is very competitive, and we have a difficult decision ahead. We will be in touch in the coming weeks.
Thank you once again for considering employment with Simon and Jenkins Associates.
Cordially,
Janet Coolidge
Director of Human Resources
Nicole sighed. She wanted to be a lawyer. It was all she had ever wanted. Even as a little girl she had mediated conflict between her peers, finding ways to bring justice to the playground. This wasn’t where she was meant to be, and if Bahir couldn’t see that, he would soon be in for a rude awakening… That was, if they actually hired her. Sneaking off for the interview was hard enough. She didn’t know how she’d be able to do it again, but if she had to, she would find a way.
The car pulled up to a sleek silver building, and the driver hopped out to open her door and grab her bag.
Nicole stepped out into the hot sun, grasping the handle of her small suitcase before bidding farewell to the driver and heading into her Dubai apartment building.
The doorman greeted her warmly as he held open the heavy glass door, and Nicole nodded to him as she strolled to the elevator and headed up the twenty floors to her chic little apartment. When Bahir had insisted she get a place in the city to help him with his dealings there, she had in turn insisted that he pay for it, which he had, without a second thought.
The apartment was nicer than anywhere Nicole had ever lived, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the expansive city. She took a breath as she looked out, gazing upon a metropolis she would barely get to enjoy, because of work.
Glancing longingly at her perfectly-made bed, Nicole stretched and left her suitcase at the door as her cellphone rang, predictably.
“This is Nicole,” she said, her voice weary.
Bahir didn’t seem to notice.
“Nicole! I told you to call me when you landed. Have you arrived?”
“I’ve just set foot into my apartment, Bahir. I’ve been on the ground all of thirty minutes.”
“Well, I forgive you. Now when can we expect you in the office?”
Nicole stole a glance at her watch. If she were in Seattle she would be settling into bed right about now. Instead, she had to gear up for a full day of work.
She thought about that email, and the answer awaiting her. In that moment of pure exhaustion, she wished more than ever for the phone call that would set her free of this madness, but she set her shoulders and took a breath, determined to do a good job for as long as she was PA to the CEO of Futurescapes International.
“Let me just clean myself up and I’ll be over. An hour, tops?”
“Great! See you then,” Bahir said, his voice eternally chipper as he ended the call without a further farewell. Bahir didn’t seem to understand that he was the only person who actually enjoyed working every minute of his life.
Nicole set her phone down and kicked her heels off, relishing in the soft feel of the carpet beneath her toes as she walked to the bathroom and rinsed her face with cold water. Reapplying some light make up, she slid her aching feet back into her heels and grabbed her briefcase, leaving her suitcase by the door.
It was a short walk from her apartment to the office—Bahir had probably done that on purpose when he picked the place out. Nicole was readily accessible at all times, and couldn’t ever use traffic as an excuse.
She strolled into the large, modern building and headed straight to the 30th floor, where Bahir had his international offices. He glanced up briefly when she walked in, before looking down at a set of papers he was reading.
“‘Bout time you showed up. We’ve got a crisis on our hands here,” he said.
Nicole sat in the chair across from his desk, slouching ever so slightly to ease her sore back. Her eyes still burned with exhaustion, and she repressed a yawn.
“Tell that to the airline company. They were the ones who caused a three-hour delay.”
“No one moves at the speed of business anymore,” he huffed, writing a note on the paper and reading on, even as he spoke to Nicole. It was a talent she was somewhat envious of: Bahir could do many things at once, and actually give each his full attention. It was amazing to watch sometimes.
“No one but you,” Nicole agreed.
Bahir stopped reading, then, and set down his document, gazing at her.
Nicole stared back, waiting for him to make whatever observation he had. His eyes were like pools of gold, and it had taken her some time not to blush when he looked at her this way. She had realized a long time ago that any stares from Bahir weren’t romantic, but rather assessing. He was taking in information and translating it into profit.
“You’re tired,” he observed, and Nicole nodded.
“I’ve been up for nearly thirty-six hours now.”
“You couldn’t sleep on the plane?”
“Not all of us are blessed with that ability, unfortunately. Besides, I had work to get done before my arrival,” she said, trying not to sound bitter. Bahir didn’t leave much room for sleep. Sometimes Nicole wished he hadn’t offered her so much money to work as his assistant. It would have been easy to quit, if he hadn’t.
“Well, don’t forget to take care of yourself, Nicole. You’re too good to lose.”
“On that note, how’s the search for a new PA going?” she asked, not bothering to mask the hope in her voice.
Bahir stared at her for a moment longer before he chuckled and reached into a desk drawer. “We’re getting there. You know you’re the best PA I’ve ever had, Nicole? Your legal background makes you so helpful with everything I’ve got going on, and I don’t ever want you to feel unappreciated. Here,” he said, pulling out a small box and handing it to her.
Nicole stared at it. She knew what it was. Bahir had resorted to using bribes when she was first at her wits’ end. It annoyed her that they worked.
With a sigh, she opened the box. It was season tickets to the Seattle