Page 10 of Reputation (Toronto Royals #1)

Eavie scanned the color scheme of her office again as she put her bag and coffee cup on the desk.

She hung her coat on the rack beside the bookshelves.

There was definitely an emphasis on team colors.

“There are worse colors to be surrounded by,” she commented.

“Imagine working for the Austin Blaze. It would be like working on the inside of an orange.” Her face scrunched as she shook her head in mock horror.

Mandy burst out laughing. “Good point,” she said before she continued.

“Anyway, we assistants are usually the first to arrive in the mornings. The executives don’t normally get in until nine.

I recommend soaking in the quiet before everyone gets here and needs your attention.

Right now, though, shall we begin your tour? ”

Eavie nodded and followed her into the hallway. Mandy pointed to a door directly across. On the plate next to it said Office of the President.

“This is my office. Feel free to pop over anytime if you have questions or need a break. You and I will work closely, so we’ll get to know each other well. I promise you’ll learn to love me,” she said with a cheeky smile over her shoulder.

They retraced their steps from earlier, Mandy pointing out executive offices and cubicles as they went. She explained the layout was like a square, with the center overlooking the practice arena a few floors down.

Returning to the lobby, they rounded a corner and through a door into a large lunchroom full of tables and chairs. Against one wall were several TVs with news stations and sports broadcasts flashing across them.

“This is the break room. Everyone usually comes here to eat their lunches. At the back, through that door is the kitchen. It has fridges, microwaves, coffee machines, toasters…basically anything you need. Do you usually bring your lunch?” Mandy asked.

“Sometimes, but mostly, I buy it,” Eavie responded.

“Wonderful,” Mandy said. “You and I can be guilty of that together. I’ve tried so many times to be a meal prepper, but I have never managed to keep it going.

” She shrugged, the gesture casual enough to tell Eavie she wasn’t all that upset about it.

“Unfortunately, there are some great places to eat around here, too, which just acts as an enabler. I’ll show you some of the best spots this afternoon. ”

As they returned to their offices, Mandy went over their morning.

“As I mentioned, Sam will be in around nine. You’ll have time to sit and chat with him before the meeting at ten.

Jason is also going, so you and I will both attend,” she said, gesturing with her hands as she spoke.

“If Sam’s meeting isn’t on this floor, you’ll be going with him. I do the same with Jason.”

Inside her office, Mandy pointed to her desk. “In the top left drawer, you’ll find a detailed binder with everything you need to know as Sam’s assistant. His previous one kept meticulous notes.”

Eavie walked over to her desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out a monstrous white binder. On the front, in typed letters, it said, “The Bible.” Eavie chuckled and sat down in her chair. As she opened the binder, Mandy came over to stand on her left.

“See, I told you—detailed. This binder contains everything you need to know. There is also a file on the drive where a copy is saved. That way, you can update it if there are changes.”

As they flipped through, Mandy highlighted a few essential items, and Eavie began to get a good sense of her new boss. Each executive was different, and they all had unique preferences. Knowing how Sam preferred things was vital to her being successful as his assistant.

They were discussing travel specifics when her new boss walked into the office. They both glanced up at the sound of his arrival, and he smiled at them.

“Good morning, ladies. Eavie, it’s great to see you again. Welcome to the team. I see Mandy hasn’t scared you off yet,” he said teasingly toward her.

Sam Morin was tall with a lean frame. His brown eyes matched the color of his hair, which he kept cut short. He wore thick, black-rimmed square glasses that suited his oval face.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mandy said innocently. “I’m not scary. Besides, Eavie doesn’t strike me as someone who frightens easily.” She directed the comment toward her.

“That’s true. I used to work for a ballet company. If the dancers and creative directors can’t scare me, nothing can.” She smiled back at Sam. “I’m happy to be part of this team and look forward to working with you.”

“Great, why don’t you settle in for the next half hour? Then we can spend some time catching up.”

“Sounds good,” she answered.

“Well, I should probably get to my office before Jason gets in and thinks I’m slacking,” Mandy said before turning to look back at Eavie. “Feel free to come find me if you have any questions. Otherwise, I’ll see you downstairs.”

With a brief nod, she left Eavie’s office and crossed the hall, leaving both doors open. From where she sat, she could see Mandy as she settled behind her desk.

Eavie turned back to Sam. “Can I get you anything?” she asked.

“I’m okay right now, thank you. Just come right into my office when you’re ready, and we’ll spend some time getting to know each other,” he said. When she nodded, he turned and disappeared through his door, closing it behind him.

Eavie sat at her desk, looking around her new space.

With a smile, she thought the day was already going well.

Turning her attention to her computer, she powered on the laptop and followed the instructions left on her desk for logging in.

Once she had her email and Sam’s calendar on one of her screens, she returned to the binder.

At 9:30 AM, she grabbed her notebook, a pen, and her phone and knocked on Sam’s door before she opened it and walked in.

Sam’s office was decorated much like hers, only the seating area had a more masculine design, with dark leather couches and chairs.

It also boasted a small bar against the left wall beside a large whiteboard.

On the board, she could see a detailed depth chart of magnets depicting the names of each team member.

Similar to hers, the right side of the office contained all windows that looked out on the arena below.

“Come on in,” Sam said at her entrance. “Grab a seat, I’ll be right over.”

Eavie wandered over to the leather couch and sat. Sam finished typing something on his computer before he joined her and took one of the opposite chairs. Between them sat a modern wood coffee table.

“So I know we spoke at your last interview, but I wanted to spend some time this morning getting to know each other and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you may have,” he said.

“Great,” she said with an easy smile. “Where would you like to start?”

“Why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? What do you like to do?” he asked.

Over the next twenty minutes, Sam asked various questions about where she grew up and her interests before they reviewed some questions Eavie had written in her book. By the time they were done, she felt she had a solid foundation on which to start supporting him.

Glancing at the time on her watch, Eavie said, “The meeting is in ten minutes. Are you ready to head down?”

Nodding, Sam said, “Yep, let me just grab my phone.”

“Is there anything I should bring with me?” she inquired.

“No, you won’t need to take any notes at this one. It’s the first team meeting of the regular season. I like to be there and give a little pep talk. I attend throughout the year if my schedule permits. I also want to introduce you today,” he finished as he went over to his desk to grab his phone.

Eavie’s stomach clenched when he said the words “team meeting.” She had known she would meet them at some point or cross paths with some of them, but she hadn’t been prepared to do it almost right away on her first day.

Her resolution from last week to forget the fireworks that had sparked with one player in particular seemed to dissolve like sugar in water as she thought about seeing him again. A flash of excitement moved through her blood, and a matching blush rose to her cheeks.

A little dazed, she returned to her desk to put her notebook down, taking a moment to center herself.

This was not a big deal . He was just a person, one of many players on the team.

She had dealt with his type countless times over the years, always keeping a polite distance, and this would be no different.

She could do this, and she would be damn professional about it.

Schooling her features into a polite smile, she ignored the butterflies in her stomach as Sam emerged from his office. She walked alongside him, back straight and head high, as they made their way to the elevators and down to the sixth floor, where the player facilities were.