He showed me around the office and introduced me to the rest of the marketing team before taking me to my office.

“This is your office. I hope you’ll find it cozy. It’s one of the best ones on the floor. Feel free to put whatever you want in here, and right outside your door is Katie. She’s your secretary/assistant. I don’t know where she is at the moment, but as soon as she gets back, I’ll introduce you to her.” He stepped out into the hall.

I stood there and looked around my new office. The taupe-colored walls were complemented by two oversized cherry-stained bookcases that sat behind my matching cherry wood desk. Over to the left was a glass table with a cherry wood frame on which a printer sat to the left and a vase of beautiful yellow roses sat in the center. I walked over to the flowers and removed the small white envelope with my name on it that was propped up against the vase. I removed the card from the envelope.

“Welcome to Young International. I hope your job turns out to be everything you hoped it would be. ~ Simon Young.”

I didn’t know what to think about any of this. This office, these flowers. This was not normal for a marketing associate.

“Gabrielle, can you step out here for a moment?” I heard Peter say.

“Katie, this is your new boss, Gabrielle. Gabrielle, this is your secretary, Katie.”

I extended my hand to her and she smiled as she lightly shook it. “I love your outfit,” she said as she looked me over.

“Thank you.”

I asked Peter if he could come into my office. “Is something wrong, Gabrielle?”

“Yes. I’m completely confused about all of this. Since when does a marketing associate have an office and a secretary?”

He chuckled. “You’re not a marketing associate. You’re the marketing manager of this division. Didn’t Simon tell you?”

“WHAT?!” I exclaimed.

“Oh boy. He said that you were too qualified and too well-educated to be an associate, so he gave you this position.”

“Was this position even available?” I demanded to know.

“Not exactly. It used to be Jasmine’s job, but she wasn’t meeting the expectations of the company, so Simon demoted her.”

“Great. So you’re telling me that he demoted her to give me her position?”

“Yeah. Listen, Gabrielle.”

“Call me Gabby.”

“I like you already and I can tell we’re going to be good friends, so I’m just going to come out and say it. Be careful. I think Simon has more intentions with you other than work.”

“I’m starting to think that too and I’m not interested.”

“Well, just to let you know, nobody tells him no.”

“Then I guess I will be his first.” I smiled.