“Thank you for the job. I will do my best. So what’s my resumption and closing time?” Céline said, clapping her hands in excitement.
“You resume by eight o’clock and close whenever I let you.”
He expected her to protest but to his amazement she just nodded her head acknowledging his words.
“How about my payment?”
“The financial department will send you the proposal. I can assure you it is mouth watering-”
The door suddenly flew open and Lucas stepped in followed by one of the receptionist with a tray in her hands.
The receptionist placed the tray on the table between Damien and Céline, before politely retreating out of the office, leaving them with Lucas.
“Good morning Damien, sorry for barging in like that. I had to make sure you weren’t doing anything forbidden on holy office grounds.”
He winked at Damien and turned to Céline, who maintained her composure on the chair across the table.
“And you must be the new personal assistant. I am Lucas smith. A pleasure to finally meet you,” he said offering her his hands.
She politely took it and smiled at him. “I am Céline… and the pleasure is mine. You were the one on the phone?”
“Oh yes, it was. You are truly remarkable. Are your eyes real?” He was still holding unto her hands and the act was starting to get to Damien.
He blinked furiously at the connection between their hands. Mentally pulling Lucas far away from Céline. He counted to ten in his head, hoping that by the time he finished, Lucas would have taken his hands off Céline.
Céline bent her head low, blushing at Lucas comment about her eyes. This was an habit of hers, he unconsciously wished Céline could do that little cute action to just him, not everybody.
Damien couldn’t take it anymore, he rose up abruptly from his seat and walked the short distance to where his best friend stood, still holding Céline’s hand. Damien placed his own hand on top of Lucas’ hand, stylishly separating them.
“Yes, her eyes are real and yes, her hair is real too. What do you want?” Damien demanded with clenched teeth.
“Wow, easy bro, what did you have for dinner last night?” Lucas raised his hands defensively but there was amusement in his eyes.
Damien discreetly glared at him.
Lucas gave him a mischievous grin and turned back his attention to Céline. “I am sorry for my coming late. I should have done the interview myself. Have you giving him your résumé and other credentials?”
Damien couldn’t hide his cold glare at this point. What game was Lucas playing now?
“Oh- no, he didn’t ask.” Céline went through her bag and brought out a brown file. She handed the envelope to Lucas.
“Has Damien told you when to resume work?” Lucas took the envelope and started going through it. He put up a serious face as he read through and Damien couldn’t tell if he was just playing or seriously checking the documents.
Céline moved her eyes to meet Damien’s for a second before she returned it to Lucas. “Yes he did.”
Damien rested his back to the table and folded his hands. If Lucas was thinking of flirting with Céline, then he didn’t want to be in his chair watching, he had to be close to slap some sense into him. So he remained there and waited.
“Hmmm, okay, this is good enough. Your job will be to help rank and categorize every file that comes through this table from order of importance to urgency. You will also be attending some meetings on his behalf, we will have to get you a change of clothing. Finally you will be in charge of making sure he doesn’t get into any scandal with women. Any questions?”
The last two points were a bit absurd and unnecessary to Damien’s ears, but he remained quiet and continued watching them.
“No, it’s fine.” Céline responded.
“Good. This is-” He paused to check his watch, “past ten o’clock. You can go back home and get yourself prepared and then start tomorrow.”
“I hav-” Damien wanted to protest but Lucas raised his hand silencing him.
“She must be tired from all the questions and anticipations. You should take good care of her so she can give the best output.” Again he winked at Damien.
Damien wasn’t completely satisfied but he decided to let it pass. She was his personal assistant now, so he would definitely see her tomorrow and the day after that and after that. There was nothing to worry about. He could try seducing her tomorrow.
“Thank you.” Celine said, rising from her seat. She had such elegance to her movement, one would think she was a princess in her formal life. “I will see you tomorrow then,” she said, this time directing her words to Damien.
“Of course.” Against his will, he accepted and watched her leave.
The office suddenly felt empty despite the fact that Lucas was there with him.
He looked back to where she sat a minute ago and he unconsciously reached to feel even her warmth. But his fingers didn’t reach their destination, Lucas swatted them away.
“What are you doing bro?” He asked narrowing his eyes at Damien.
Damien retrieved his fingers and placed them in his pocket. Suddenly realizing what he was about to doing. This was unlike him. He never acted so out of place before in his life. What was Céline doing to him?
“Earth to Damien! Earth-”
“Zip it Lucas!” Damien hissed, returning to his seat.
He could have ended his problems if Lucas didn’t come. He would have continued teasing Céline until she let him kiss her. From there he could have convinced her to go back home with him and his problems would have ended.
But None of that happened because Lucas had to come and ruin everything.
“Why did you ask her to leave?” Damien questioned sternly.
He didn’t want her to ever leave.
“She looked stressed out bro, didn’t you see it?”
“She wasn’t stressed out… It wasn’t the kind of stress you were thinking. It was sexual stress… I almost had her and you came and ruined it!”
Lucas raised his brow in surprise at Damien.
“Sexual stress? Damien you have no shame do you?”
“Why did you even come here?” Damien kissed his teeth in frustration, ignoring Lucas’ questions.
He didn’t sleep well last night, thinking of how today could have turned out perfect for him but Lucas came and ruined everything. For his own sake, Damien hoped Lucas had a very good reason, if not, he would have to ban him from entering his office like that.
“Sex aside, you really need a personal assistant.” He started, taking the chair Céline had previously occupied. “I knew you were not going to be interviewing her that’s why I came.”
“But I was interviewing her.” Damien cried out.
“Where you?” Lucas asked, glaring at his friend. “You looked like you wanted to fuck her! What kind of interviewing is that?”
Touché.
Its true that he wanted to fuck her by the end of the day and maybe he wasn’t really concerned with her credentials, but they were having an innocent conversation, even if he was mind raping her lips.
“Okay, fine. Maybe you are right. But it is my office.” Damien shrugged.
Lucas, raised his brow at him again and shook his head. His best friend was impossible. Ignoring him, he helped himself to the tea in front of him.
Damien had ordered the tea for Céline but unfortunately Lucas made her leave. Now he sat on her chair and was drinking her tea.
He wanted to flare up and cuss him out but he decided against it. Lucas would probably tease him for the rest of his life for it.
“So, what do you think of her?” He asked instead as he took his own cup of coffee.
“I think she’ll make a good wife.”
“I think she’ll make a good wife,” Lucas repeated, wiggling his brows at Damien.