His (Personal) Assistant

REVELATION AT DINNER

The next evening Annika met up with her cousin Gauri to celebrate her new job and get the tall, dazzling beauty's impressions of Shivaay, seeing as she was the same age and had been in the same Classes as him in college. She pushed open the door of the restaurant and spotted Gauri immediately despite the crowd and noise. Her cousin was flirting with a particularly good-looking man, who seemed just as interested in Gauri as she was in him if his roving gaze had anything say about it. Annika caught the other woman's eye and waved slightly and Gauri grinned in return, throwing her a wink.

Annika watched her cousin whisper something to the man, touching his arm gently, and then sashay away toward her. "Annika, I thought I told you to look fabulous," Gauri chided, frowning at Annika's jeans and t-shirt. She folded her long arms, pouting dramatically, somehow looking even more beautiful. "How are we supposed to truly celebrate and find you a good date if you insist on going out in jeans?"

"Gauri, what's the point in trying when you're bound to outshine every woman in a six-foot radius?" the innocent girl asked with a chuckle. "And I don't need any dates, I've got better things to worry about."

"Oh you're too sweet," Gauri replied, her kohl eyes sparkling as she hugged Annika. "Seriously, though, I'm going to teach you how to be a bitch one of these days. You make the rest of us women seem like bitches. And darling, there's always room for a date or two. Besides, I'll bet you haven't been laid since you and Daksh broke up."

"Gauri, I don't think-" Annika began, frowning and looking around, hoping no one had overheard.

"Ugh, fine," Gauri sighed. "I won't bring it up again, but seriously, Annika, if you don't use it you might just lose it." She grasped Annika's hand and pulled them to a table, sliding fluidly into her chair and tossing her long, curly dark hair. "So anyway, congrats on the new job! You haven't told me a thing about it, though, so spill. It's at the Ministry, right?"

Annika sat down across from her cousin and smiled, feeling exhilarated about the position all over again, still in awe she'd gotten it. "Yeah, it's an assistant position for one of the top Ministry officials," she said, unable to stop the wide smile spreading across her lips.

"Ooh! Who is it? Is it someone I know? God, I hope it's not that absolute clod, Herman Dahiya, from the Department of Finance. It's not, is it?" Gauri's face turned from excitement to distaste to curiosity so fast Annika had to blink to gather her thoughts. It had been awhile since she'd seen Gauri and she'd forgotten how much she talked.

"No," she said finally. "But that's why I wanted to tell you in person, because you do know who it is."

Gauri's brows shot up and she leaned in closer. "Who?" she demanded.

"It's Shivaay Singh Oberoi. Apparently he's the new-"

"Senior Foreign Minister!" Gauri practically screeched, eyes going wide in shock. "Oh. My. God. Annika, please, no, tell me you didn't get the position as his assistant!"

Annika stared blankly. "Yeah, I did." She felt apprehension creeping up her spine. "Why?"

"That little bastard!" Gauri practically growled, brows drawing together and an angry light flashing in her dark eyes. "Annika, do you know how many assistants he's been through?"

"He said four in the last six months," she replied automatically. "But they can't have been very good at their jobs if they all didn't last that long, I mean-"

Gauri snorted loud enough that a pair of middle-aged woman at the next table looked over. "Oh Annika, you're so naive," she sighed, looking at the innocent girl a little sadly. "Darling, they weren't hired because they'd be good at the job."