“It's nice to see you too, Mr. Townsend,” I managed to croak.

He waved me toward his office. “Come on in and let's chat.”

I stood up and shook his hand, making sure my grip was firm and professional, and went through all the normal pleasantries of small talk as we walked into his office. I sat down in a chair across from his desk, the skirt of my business suit riding up and showing a little more leg than I'd intended. I fought to pull it down without looking too obvious about it, but it was too late. He was already looking down at my leg and doing his best to not laugh out loud and make me feel any more awkward than I already felt.

“Excuse me,” I said, the color rising in my cheeks. “New suit.”

“It's all good, Violet,” he said. “So, tell me, what have you been up to since college?”

He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, and I watched his every movement with wide eyes and an open mouth. Seriously, Sebastian could have stepped right off the pages of a fashion magazine or a TV show like Mad Men; he was that beautiful to look at. It was almost distracting.

Damn. This was going to be hard.

“Well, to be honest, I'm just trying to find a job, as you know. I've applied at a number of different companies, had a few interviews, but nothing has panned out just yet,” I admitted. “They all want experience I don't have yet, which is part of the problem with just getting out of school, I suppose.”

“Yeah, yeah, I understand. Believe me, I do. The market is tough right now, especially in real estate development,” he said. “A lot of companies downsized after the bust and many are still leery about hiring new people right now. They don't want to take on too much in labor before they know if the market is truly solid again.”

“Exactly,” I said. “And as you know, things with my family have made it a bit harder. I had to take some time off for my father.”

Sebastian grimaced, and I felt bad for bringing it up. He and my father had been close since college, and he knew all too well the toll it took on our family when my father had died. I didn't want him to hire me out of pity, but it was the truth.

I hadn't been able to look for work while caring for my dying father and after that, planning a funeral – all things my mother couldn't deal with. And now, I was rushing to find a job since I was the one trying to keep a roof over our heads – something else my mother was incapable of doing.

“I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you,” he said quietly, looking down at his hands. “I was around your age when I lost my father, and the funeral was up to me too. It's such a tremendous burden to put onto a child's shoulders – especially one who's just graduated college and is trying to get on their feet. But you did a wonderful job of holding it all together. I commend you for that, Violet. I know that your father would have been proud of you.”

Hearing such high praise from Sebastian was nice, even if it was about something so depressing. It was nice to know that someone felt I had it all together. Because honestly, it didn't feel that way to me most of the time. I felt like I was being held together by rubber bands and scotch tape – and that the slightest breeze would bring the whole house of cards crashing down on top of me.

Before I could thank him for his kind words though, Sebastian spoke again, “And that is why I asked you in here today. I could use someone with a level-head and your organizational skills around here,” he said. “I've been c

onsidering hiring an assistant for some time now. I know that I desperately need one, but I could never find someone I trusted enough to do the job. And after watching how well you handled everything, under the enormous burden of pressure and stress on your shoulders, I knew you'd be the right person for the job. So, what I'm saying is, the job is yours if you want it.”

My mouth was hanging open and I wanted to say something, but I couldn't find the words. So instead, I merely smiled, “Thank you, Sebastian. That means a lot to me. More than you know, actually.”

“When can you start?” he asked, opening up a planner and looking up at me.

“I can start whenever you need me,” I said. “You're the boss. You tell me and I'll be here with bells on.”

“How about tomorrow? That way we can get you prepped for the trip to Bali in the next couple of weeks and –”

“Bali?” I almost choked and stared at him with what I was sure was a dumbfounded expression on my face. “Seriously?”

“Yes,” he said with a smile. “Being my assistant comes with a few perks now and again, trust me. You'll be traveling to some pretty cool places, I have to admit. We're opening a new resort in Bali and I need to travel down there to personally oversee a few things. And I could use your help with it.”

Bali. Wow. I'd walked into his office an unemployed mess and I was walking out as his personal assistant who was getting an all-expense paid trip to Bali. I had to wonder if his friendship with my father had anything to do with it, but I wasn't complaining because hey, Bali.

“Wow, I don't know what to say, Sebas – Mr. Townsend. Thank you,” I stammered. “For everything. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity.”

“Sebastian,” he said. “No need to go making me feel older than I already do.”

“Sebastian, then,” I said, a broad smile on my face. “I won't let you down. Thank you so much.”

“No, thank you, Violet,” he said, smiling, those baby blue eyes boring straight into my soul. “Thank you. I know you're going to be amazing.”

CHAPTER TWO - SEBASTIAN

Violet had grown into quite the young lady, I had to admit. Having been around her most all of her life, I still pictured her as a child. It was easy to do. But having watched her handle herself so well during her father's illness and subsequent death, I saw firsthand how grown up she was now. It blew me away. She was most definitely not the precocious little kid I'd known.

Yes, perhaps I felt a little bit sorry for her. But I knew how hard things had been on her and all she'd had to endure and overcome. But feeling sorry for her wasn't the only reason I'd hired her. Sure, Chuck would have been grateful to me for taking on his daughter like I was doing, but that wasn't the reason I'd given her the job either.

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