The Billionaire's Assistant

Chapter 4

Like Emma, Jack had been a part of the group since he was a teenager, and the twins even longer, having joined from a disbanded group their parents were a part of called the Earth's Crusaders. The Earth's crusaders had a close working relationship with FES before Andy's brother was killed, and when they knew Andy was alone they brought her in. She lived with the twins, their parents, and the rest of their collective until she was 18, tagging along on their trips and learning about environmental science from the twin's parents. When she set off on her own the twins left with her, a year younger and keen on copying every move their adopted older sister made.

FES was officially reestablished, and Andy had lofty plans. The twins met and recruited Emma while she was still a senior in high school, then Jack a few years later. Kat was the only member of the group with no history of activism and no driving motivating force outside of a lifelong interest with a completely unknown origination. She had no idea why she loved nature, she had no idea why she cared so much about the planet, why she'd dedicate herself to it, she just did. It had become her path, plain and simple, or maybe it had been revealed as her path more than it had become it.

What she lacked in experience she made up for in passion, and any other lack was readily filled by her credentials. Every other member of FES had been in some form of legal trouble at some point, with Brent even serving a few months for cutting the city's wasteful sprinkler line in the direct line of view of a very well hidden camera. She was not only the singular FES member with a clear record, she was also the only college graduate. Andy was a genius who certainly possessed more knowledge on environmentalism than Kat had forgotten, but she hadn't been in formal schooling since she was 12 years old. Brent and Conner were homeschooled by the members of Earth's Crusaders but hadn't earned any sort of certifications, and Emma had completed the last few months of high school before becoming a full time member. Jack had graduated high school as well, she knew that, but she had no idea what he'd done in the time after finishing school before he found FES, and she felt years away from the confidence required to ask.

Kat on the other hand, had graduated with honors with a double major in Environmental Sciences and English. She's an eloquent, fantastic writer, and Andy recognized her value immediately. Kat could forge authentic sounding cease and desist letters on legal stationary, could write impactful speeches for demonstrations, and could communicate seamlessly with corporate employees, acting as a regional manager or boss to inform them about new policies in which excess was to be donated and not destroyed.

"We get so much more done with you," Andy always told her. The spotlight of Andy's attention, whether good or bad, was often too bright, too exposing, and Kat shied away from it when Andy was swept up by a wave of passion.

"We get so much done," she'd say, grabbing Kat's hand too tightly, "and we lose nothing. It's not illegal, there's no risk, this, this is how we fight for the earth. We can do this forever," she'd said, with a sparkle behind her eyes.

That conversation had stirred something up in Kat, an idea that she'd been harboring for much longer than she realized. She'd blurted it out one day at dinner, all of them sitting criss cross on their cushions and slurping veggie pad thai from mismatched plates on the squat table. "What if I go in," she interrupted awkwardly, her intonation reflecting both a question and a statement. "Into a company. What if I go in, and take them down from the inside."

Everyone was staring at her, including Jack, and her whole face grew hot. "I mean, she continued, looking down and stabbing a piece of broccoli with her fork to deflect. "I have a degree from State, it's a pretty good school. And I interned a lot when I was in college, corporate stuff."

They all continued to stare noiselessly, unused to Kat leading a conversation.

"I think I should apply for a bunch of jobs with the largest polluters in the city. I think I'd be able to get at least one. And I could, you know... she trails off, pushing the piece of broccoli around her plate.

"Espionage," Andy whispers. Kat looks up.

"Exactly, I could figure out how to stop, or at least pause, whatever their biggest pollution contributors may be, and I mean, there are so many headquarters in the city, Cornanol, Trigrister, Tillibenton, Gresh, all of their high rises are walking distance from here."

Andy's face was lighting up from within, the glow breaking into an uncharacteristically wide smile. On seeing Andy's approval Conner and Brent began to hoot and holler in their way, and Kat's heartbeat slowed as the attention was dispersed to their new task. Finding out which corporations were hiring, perfecting her resume, and completing the applications required internet access, and she and Andy spent a week and half at the public library during business hours, sending out a resume to anywhere she could so much as turn off the lights more often. Kat equipped herself with her old cell phone, making an extra trip that week to her mother's apartment to pick it up. She needed a way to hear back from and communicate with the companies that reached out, so the out of date smart phone and charger were allowed in the den, with Andy constantly reminding her not to charge it more than she needed to.

In total, they'd sent out 56 applications then they crossed their fingers and waited, busying themselves with their ongoing river cleanup project. Till now. Tillibenton was the largest company on the list, one of the biggest polluters in the country, and was the most advanced position she'd applied to. Yet here she was, the phone clutched in her hand still opened to the message that informed her she had a shot.

She wasn't sure how she'd quell her nervousness in the interview but she knew she had to. She steeled herself, mentally fortifying her resolve. This was bigger than her and her nerves, this was about the state of the world. It was life and death, it was for earth sake. And if that meant being an executive assistant to a boorish, cruel billionaire? So be it. I'm going to do exactly what I need to do, thought Kat. I'm going to change things. I know it.