“You must be Sascha,” I said, curtly. My hand was out to accept a handshake.
“Yes, I’m Sascha, and you must be Ryland?” She took her hand in mine, and I smirked.
Unless Ian had shown her pictures, there was no way for her to know who I was. She must have done some digging. That impressed me, but if research skills were all she had to offer, she wouldn’t last long.
“Ryland Drummond, chief operations officer. From now on, you’ll refer to me as ‘Mr. Drummond.” Sascha’s face went flushed from embarrassment. The red on her cheeks complemented the shape of her lips.
“My apologies, Mr. Drummond.” I noticed that she was dressed well, and that sharp pencil skirt complimented her figure. Sascha looked small and tight, with a flat stomach that likely meant she worked out. She was pretty, but was she smart? I ignored her apology; there was a lot of work to do.
“Did Ian go over the system with you?” I asked.
“Yes, I was just getting to know it.”
“Are you confident with the system, or do you need more time?”
“I’m confident I can-”
“Good.” I interrupted. Sascha looked shocked. “Then you already know what you need to do today, right?
“Send rejection emails.” I cocked my brow. Had she already read the report for the day?
“Yes, you need to send 37 e-mails to different writers who didn’t make the cut for our company.” I set my briefcase on the table behind her and pulled out a stack of manuscripts. The pile was so large that it made a small thud when it hit the desk. “You’ll need to personalize every single one of these manuscripts. Understand?” Sascha looked at the stack before her but didn’t seem to be overwhelmed. This intrigued me, but I chalked it up to the first-day cockiness some of the better interns had. “Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, Mr. Drummond.” She turned her body towards me and blinked slowly. A flash of heat surged through my body. My name on her lips sent electricity through my veins and the sheer authority I presented to her made me feel good.
“Good.” I took a look at my watch; it was almost lunch. I had gotten in later because of my flight. It was typical for Carson and I to arrive later after coming in from out of town. “I’ll be back after lunch to check on you.” I closed my briefcase and retrieved it. “If you need any help, contact Ian.”
After two hours came and went, I decided to check on Sascha. I was surprised that she didn’t contact Ian. If she had, I would have heard of it. Ian was overly excited about the new assistant, and I was starting to see why. Her eyes were exceptionally beautiful, and I couldn’t help but wonder what they would look like staring up at me while she was on her knees. I already got a taste of what that was like with her being so short. She wouldn’t need to bend down far.
My arousal turned into immediate annoyance when I saw Sascha chatting up Noah. Noah was a brilliant intern in his own right, but if they were both wasting the company’s time they needed to be reprimanded.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, sternly.
“Hello, Mr. Drummond. I was just speaking to No-”
“I can see that,” I huffed, my anger becoming deeper.
“Mr. Drummond, I’ve completed all the rejection emails,” she said, with a sly smile. My eyes went wide with shock.
“I find that hard to believe. Show me.” I placed my briefcase on the desk and wheeled around over to her side so I could read what was on the computer. I leaned beside her while Sascha stayed in her chair, showing me her work. She smelled sweet, like citrus and fruit. She had, indeed, completed all the tasks I asked her to do. Noah laughed at my expression.
“Brilliant, isn’t she?” Noah mentioned.
“How did you get these rejection letters done so quickly?” I gasped.
“I mastered speed reading in college,” she answered in an almost bored tone. “Do you have any more work for me, Mr. Drummond?” I stared at her, and slowly gave her a smile. I was impressed. Maybe Ian was right about her after all.
Sascha
Ryland left after giving me some more administrative work but seeing the look on his face was a victory unto itself. Outmaneuvering Ryland was the cherry on top of an already great day. I’d pretty much assessed him to be a hard ass, but maybe after getting to know him, he’d loosen up a bit. That square jaw of his going tense made his features pop more than they did relaxed, and the flames behind his eyes were enough to make me melt. Ryland had a way of making you feel dominated.
Noah went back to his desk before Ryland did, but the conversation I had with him was fun and informative. He had been hired this year as an intern, and he told me great things about the company. When I asked him about the C.E.O., he said he had seen him a few times and even introduced himself, but for the most part, Carson was a ghost.