Falling for Diana Clarisse

2

Within a blink of an eye, the weekend was over. I wasn't working at the restaurant anymore, and working at the pool was over until next spring. For now, I was going to have a full-time job at a publishing house-probably the best occupation ever next to writing. At least, that's how I perceived it.

Nick got everything set up for today, my first day at the office. "Monday's are a drag," he said. There might be meetings, there might not. He gave me an overview of what I would be doing. My desk was in a normal sized office next tothe CEO's office. It's strange, one day I'm a host at a restaurant, and now I'm sort of a assistant slash adviser for the CEO at a publishing house.

A nine hour workday with a two hour lunch break, strictly suit and tie attire at all times, and mandatory having to move around and work with everyone-at least most people on the different floors. Meeting new people shouldn't be hard, right? He said coffee runs might occur often. There was a spot across the street, so not a big deal.

Dad was up, watering his garden in the backyard. Nick said I just needed to bring a brief bag or a handy office bag. Laptop was optional. I grabbed it in case, along with some pens that might be needed, along with one of the empty journal books I had lying around the house. You never know when you might have an idea that you should jot down. Oh, and water. Water is a must. At least for me, it is. My phone was fully charged and I headed out the door after telling Dad when I would be home. I left the house around six thirty, kissing my little girl bye before she was up for school.

The car had gas, so I drove straight to the publishing house. Work started at seven, but I was fifteen minutes early. A fifteen minute drive is great in comparison to the fifty minute drive to the restaurant. There was a lot of parking, which is always good too. To my eyes, the publishing house looked like a fantastic place to work at. It was five stories of excitement. If only my work in process was done, I would've handed the manuscript in for review and hopefully publishing.

I entered the lobby, awestruck. I cannot believe I'm going to work here. Get it together, man. Stop being such a girl and obsessing over the small things. Nick was there, talking to some people before coming over towards me. "Morning, ready for your first day of work?"

I nodded. "I'm ready as I'll ever be."

He smiled. "Let's take the elevator to the top, where you'll be working and then-"

"Nick, give the guy a minute to breathe! And make some friends here. Don't scare him with work just yet. It's ten minutes to seven." A woman in a light blue blazer and dark gray slacks comes over, kisses Nick on the cheek.

Nick laughed. "Alright, I wasn't scaring him off. Todd, this is Carmen, my wife." Well, they looked great together. Both of them had dark blonde hair, almost brunette looking. Carmen had a lighter complexion and hazel colored eyes whereas Nick had a darker tan and brown eyes.

I shook hands with her. "It's nice to meet you."

She smiled. "It's nice to meet you too, Todd. Nick's been talking about how Ana's gonna love you as her assistant."

I chuckled. "That's great, I just wanted to say Todd is actually my middle name. Call me Evan." I looked to both of them.

"Evan's your first name? Carson is such a misleading man." Nick fake scowls and we all laugh. "We should head up, Ana's probably expecting you. Darling, I'll see you in a bit." He kisses Carmen's hand and she blushes before heading down one of the hallways. They look really happy together, something you don't always see in a marriage nowadays.

We get in the elevator, meeting more people as we head towards the fifth floor. Everyone has been really kind and outgoing so far. One guy said not to get into trouble checking out Ana. He received a glare from Nick. Looks like Ana, the CEO, is known for her beauty. I don't comment on it. I'm here to work. As long she doesn't have hatred for me when I work, I should be fine. We get to the fifth floor and see where my office is.

It's bigger than I thought. It has a nice view of the business district, the grassy walking area, and the shopping district not too far from here. There was a wall covered in shelves of books and file boxes. In front of it, the desk was almost twice my arm-span, and the chair behind it looked comfortable. There were two chairs on the other side and the large window with the view was to the right of desk. The other walls had some decor, and there was an open space behind the two chairs, making the room seem bigger. I'm already loving it here. I set my bag here and the continued the little tour with Nick.

He talks about the way he had it set up and what's where. After, we went outside. The CEO office was to the right of my office. Our offices were on one side. To right of these was another office. Nick said it was where Ana's older sister's office was. The other side was the rooms of other people, like Nick and some other collegues. The final side, which was adjacent to my room, was the conference room and the elevator. The stairs were at the center of the floor's layout. People were leaving the conference and heading down the stairs.

"Looks like the early Monday meeting is over," said Nick. "Ana's gonna be out in a minute, I'll go see her." He went into the room.

The glass walls of the conference room began to automatically part the blinds. Nick was walking out, talking on the phone. "Yeah, everything's good from what Ana said. Yeah. Uh huh. Of course. I'll get it now before you get here." He ends the call and puts the phone in his pocket. "Hey, Todd. Oh sorry, Evan. Ana'll be out to see you. I have to head down and get some paperwork."

"Alright." With that, he heads to the elevator and goes down.

I fix the collar of my shirt under my jacket, and then adjusted my tie. The lapels of the jacket were fine and I guess I look alright for a first impression.

"I'll call you later. Yes, don't worry. Okay. Bye." Her voice is familiar... Ana comes out the room on the phone while trying to file some of the folders in her hands. I try to go over to help her carry them, but I immediately stopped when she looked up at me. This isn't happeneing. She looks just as shocked as me.

Ana was short for Diana. How in the world did I end up working for Diana Bryan? Well, idiot, this is the Bryan Publishing House.