His Lady Love

a fresh start

"Just keep your head down and stay out of trouble." that is the phrase Abby kept repeating over and over in her head as she rushed to the train station on Monday morning. It was her first day in her new job at Montgomery-West & partners. Even as she boarded the train that would take her to the city, she couldn't help but feel like it would all get taken away from her at any moment.
As she looked at the dull-faced woman sitting across from her, she couldn't help but wonder how the woman had lost enough colour to allow her face to blend in with the grey walls behind her.

Abby supposed she could have looked like that some point in the last year or so. When life had felt like it wasn't worth living. No , she was past that now. She had been broken by Richard's betrayal but had found a way to pick herself up again. This job in the city was proof that she had survived. All she had to do was not mess it up and show her new boss that she was the right person for the job.

This brought her back to her litany- her new mantra. She would keep her head down and hustle her butt off.
As she made her way off the train and into the beehive madness of the city, she couldn't help but be thankful for her luck in finding this job. with a soft smile on her face, she made her way into the Mont Clair building that housed Montgomery-West. 'I can do this' she thought to herself.
And maybe, just maybe, she would become the woman she had always wanted to be- educated, sophisticated and most importantly, she would be strong.

Darius Montgomery sat at his desk, with his head in his hands and a hangover that would make the devil wince. As Janis walked around slamming cabinet drawers and door alike, the noises were swirling around in his head- chipping away at his sanity, until all he wanted to do was throw the cabinets out of the nearest window or burning them until only a pile of ashes remained.

The only thing stopping him from doing either thing was the knowledge that Janis would box his ears if he so much as looked at her filing cabinets skew.

" Darius, don't forget that your new assistant in starting today." Janis whispered from the foot of his desk. Raising his head, he caught the glow of amusement in her eyes, and knew that he would not be living this day down for a long time to come.
"Damn! Can't you tell her to come back on another day? Or even better, not to come back at all! I don't see why-" before he could finish his sentence, he felt a small hand smack him where his head ached the most.
"ouch! what was that for?" he looked up to find a less-than-happy Janis standing beside him. How she moved so fast, he didn't know, but he had to admit that she was in great shape for a 58 year old. "You know good and well that I don't tolerate that sort of language Mister. Now, I suggest you suck it up or go home. Either way, I will not be sending Melanie home. Not today at least." The last was said with a smile that made the message hit home Better than had it been shouted or said in anger.

Satisfied that her message had been heard, Janis left him to it, and went back to the outer office to start preping the tasks she had planned for the new girl. Although she still had a few years before she hit the official retirement age, she felt it would be better for her family if she spent more time with them while she could.

Preoccupied as she was, it took her a few moments to realise that there was someone standing in front of her desk.

"Can I help you?" Janis quirked an eyebrow at the young woman before her.

"Um, I -I.." The young woman took a calming breath and tried again. "My name is Abigail Lovett ma'am. Today is my first day here, but I think I might be lost. I'm looking for Jerry Fields. He's the typing pool manager if i'm not mistaken."

A smile softened Janis's face  and the stern woman of a few moments ago was gone.
"It's right this way dear. Luckily for you, you're quite early. It will give you a chance to get settled in before the madness starts."

As Janis led the younger woman in the right direction, neither woman was aware of the pair of eyes in the other room keenly taking in their little interaction or occupant's less than professional thoughts about a woman who was so clearly off limits.

With a sigh, he picked up his pen and got to work, all the while hoping that Melinda (or whatever his new assistant's name was), would decide not to pitch for work after all. A hangover was enough without having to deal with a clueless assistant.