Jamie scrambled to her feet, ignoring his outstretched hand ready to help her up. “Good morning, Mr. Reid,” she said, her face burning from embarrassment and exertion. “I didn’t expect to see you here.” Not at four thirty in the morning.
“I’ve heard exercise reduces stress. Sometimes I need all the help I can get.”
“Oh. Of course.” Jamie made herself look at his face instead of at his gray t-shirt that showed off his muscles and made him look like a Greek god and a normal human all at once. “Well, I just finished. Enjoy your workout,” she said, nodding and then walking with as much dignity as possible after what happened and grabbed her bag before scurrying out of the gym. She didn’t bother turning off the treadmill.
Maybe next time she’d try after work and just stick to the basics. The treadmills were dangerous killing machines, they’d just tried to fool her by appearing simple and easy to use.
“There’s a call for you on line two, Jamie,” Gina called as she passed by her office door.
Jamie never took her eyes off the press release she was writing as she grabbed the phone. “Hello, Reid Enterprises.”
“Jamie!” Christine’s shrill voice pierced through the receiver. “I need you right now! You need to come over here right this instant!”
“I can’t, Christine,” Jamie said. “I told you, you can’t call me when I’m working.”
Christine sobbed over the phone. “I need help,” she cried. “The wedding dress just came in and it makes me look like a prostitute.”
“I’m sure it’s fine. Talk it over with the seamstress.” Jamie slipped a pen in her mouth as she marked off what she’d needed in the release. “I’m sure you look beautiful. Look, I’ll call you after I get out of work.”
“But—”
Jamie hung up and covered her face with her hands, sighing. She wasn’t sure if losing twenty pounds was worth being the maid of honor when it was already a bitch of a job as it was. Damn, I want pie, right now.
“Is everything all right, Ms. Connors?” Alex stood near her desk.
Jamie jumped slightly. She hadn’t even heard him leave his office. “Yes.” She pressed her lips into a thin line. “I’m afraid my sister found the number to here. I don’t suppose there’s a persona non grata list or something we can put her on? Otherwise, I have a feeling she’ll be tying up the phone lines trying to reach me.” Thankfully he hadn’t mentioned anything about literally bumping into him at the gym this morning. Her lower back couldn’t forget it though.
Alex looked at her thoughtfully. “I’m sure something can be set up.” He checked his phone, which ironically buzzed the same time as Jamie’s new work phone. “Isn’t there anyone else who can help her with her wedding?”
“I believe so,” Jamie said and then shook her head. “It’s my fault. I told her I would be her maid of honor.”
“Most maids of honor I’ve met have jobs and lives of their own,” he said dryly.
Jamie shrugged. “I’m sorry.” If she lost this job because of Christine, she wouldn’t need a maid of honor, Christine would be needing a pall bearer. “I’ll talk to her. I’ll try and keep her from calling me so often.”
“I’m not sure you can get her to see reason.” Alex laughed. “If she’s anything like your mother.”
Jamie’s head shot up to look at Alex. “You know my mother?”
“She’s called me three times today to tell me to fire you.” Alex’s face gave nothing away.
“Shit,” Jamie muttered. She was going to have to kill her family. Over and over. Then go to jail for murder. Either way she was going to lose her job. “Mr. Reid, I will definitely understand if you need
to... let me go.” She sighed. “My family alone makes more hassle than necessary and if I’m not mistaken, a personal assistant is supposed to take away some of the hassle.”
“You’re right,” Alex said. “A personal assistant is supposed to take away the hassle.” He paused and she leaned forward, anticipating what he was going to say next. “And that is exactly what you’ve done.”
Shock ran through Jamie’s body. He actually thought she was worth something, even with her mother begging him to fire her? Even after that embarrassing scene in the gym that clearly said incompetence like nothing else? “R-really?”
“Yes,” he said, smiling. “Yesterday was the easiest work day I have had in a long time. And clearly you’re a good personal assistant if your sister wants you as her wedding planner-PA thing this badly. Believe me, I’ve no intention of firing you.”
Jamie smiled, still not sure what she should do with the praise. “Thank you, Mr. Reid. I’m glad I can be of use to you.”
“You are of a lot of use to me,” he said. “I hope you keep up the good work.”
Jamie found herself blushing and really wished she was wearing a pound of foundation on her face to hide it. “Thank you, Mr. Reid,” she said again, wishing she could find something more intelligent to say. She looked at him, unsure if that’s all he wanted or not, and was unsure how to ask him.
Alex blinked as if falling out of a trance. “Oh, uh, dry cleaning? Can you pick it up?”