Page 5 of Hate You Up Close

“You’ll what?” she shoots back, cutting me off. “You’ll complain to HR? Because you knowIamHR, right?”

Fuck. She’s got me there.

“Just fill the position, Skylar,” I say in a clipped tone before blowing out a defeated breath. “Let me know the second you find someone.”

“I hope you know that I’m only doing this for you because it's my job,” she retorts. “If I wasn’t getting paid to hire your assistant, I would happily watch you drown in the sea of work you’ve created for yourself. You have to learn how to show appreciation, Elliot. You’re on the verge of pissing away everyone who has ever cared for you.”

I’m done listening to this shit. She can go back to living her happy life with my brother and leave me the hell alone. I need her for one thing and one thing only: to hire my assistant.

“I don’t need a lecture fromyouof all people,” I chide. “You do your job, and I’ll do mine. End of story.”

I hear her exhale a deep breath at the same time I realize I’m pacing back and forth along the sidewalk.

“Let me give you a little piece of advice, even though you don’t deserve it,” she says sternly. “If you treat your assistant like shit, which I’m sure you will, I promise you they will walk out faster than you can say ‘quit’. And when that happens, the company won’t approve of hiring another person for you. Soyou can decide to change now, or risk being alone in every aspect of your life.”

I’ve already accepted the fact that I’m alone, honey.

Jokes on her, because this isn't news to me.

“If you need the green light to start recruiting, then this is me giving it to you,” I state, completely ignoring her comment. “Now, is there anything else you need from me?”

A deafening beat of silence passes before she answers in a low, disappointed tone.

“No,” she all but whispers.

“Great,” I rasp. “Call me when you find someone.”

I end the call before she has a chance to say another word. I don’t want to talk to her or anyone else for that matter. I just want to take my drunk ass home and get back to the one thing that holds any kind of value in my life…my career.

I tilt my head towards the cloudy sky, sending up a silent prayer for my new assistant. They’re going to need it because I can barely fucking stand myself.

TWO

Roxy

“Roxanne Taylor?” A soft, feminine voice calls my name as heels click against the marble floor.

My heart feels like it's going to beat right out of my chest. I would consider myself a confident person, but interviews always make my nerves run wild.

A middle-aged woman approaches me, stopping less than a foot away before extending a manicured hand toward me.

“Hi, that’s me,” I nod, smiling up at her. I brush my hands down my skirt before standing from the plush couch and shaking her hand.

“Nice to meet you, Roxanne,” she grins, giving my hand a firm shake. “Skylar is ready to meet with you. I’ll take you up to her office.”

Roxanne.

Ugh, why haven't I legally changed my name to Roxy already?

“Sounds good,” I reply, trying to hide my annoyance. I grabmy purse from the couch before slipping it over my shoulder.

“Right this way,” she gestures, turning her back as I follow her to a shiny bank of elevators.

I’ve only seen the lobby of Ace Financial, but I’m already blown away. This is hands down the nicest building I have ever been in. The expansive floors are sheathed in black marble, the walls have been replaced by spotless floor-to-ceiling windows, and a modern floating staircase leads up to the second floor.

We bypass the stairs, walking straight inside the fancy elevator. Once the doors close, I notice that one of the four walls is a large mirror. As I wait to arrive on whatever floor we’re headed to, I run my fingers through my loose curls and apply an extra coat of lipstick.

I give myself one last look in the mirror when I finally hear the elevator ding. Thanks to Pinterest and online shopping, I’m pretty damn proud of my outfit choice. My black, high-waisted skirt stops a few inches below my knees with a modest slit running up to my mid-thigh. After trying on a hundred different shirts, I decided on a white, satin blouse paired with bright red heels. I wanted to add a pop of color. Plus, they make me feel sexy and confident.