I bite the inside of my cheek. There are two options now that I have found somewhere I like the look of. I can go ahead and book it, or I can ask for permission. Asking Theo how he feels about the place is the safe choice, but…
It shows more confidence and initiative if I do it myself. The confidence may be fake, but my initiative isn’t. Iwillprove myself at this job, even if it means getting out of my comfort zone.
I type the information with shaking fingers, and my eyes blur as I stare at the company credit card. It’s done. We’re booked. I forward the email to him; there’s no time to waste before I move on to the next task.
Holding the phone to my ear, I punch in one of the numbers he asked me to call and ignore my lingering nerves.
A chirpy voice greets me. “Hello!”
I jump and sit up straighter. “Good morning! I’m Theo Roche’s assistant. I’m calling to schedule a speaking engagement for Mr. Roche?—”
“Hold, please.”
Static. Elevator music. This is my second day on the job, but I know I’ll have to get used to the annoying jingles they play whenever I’m on hold. I spin in my chair and wait, warily watching the clock. This may not have been the best time to start this task.
Twenty minutes until I’m expected to join the others at the meeting. All hands on deck, that’s what Theo said. Surely, they won’t have me on hold for twenty minutes…
I’m stillon hold when Theo pops his head into my office. “Ready?”
I glance warily at the phone. “I’m?—”
“Hang up on them.” He smiles warmly. “They’ll have to call you back, and they will. Don’t fret.”
Right—because he’s an important man, and they want him to speak at their university. I’m not used to people bending overbackward for my needs, but they may do it for Theo, just as I would for him.
“If you insist.” I end the call and follow him out of the office.
The floor is so big that it’s easy to forget how many people work for him. Now that we are all in the same room, it’s clear. Some people dress more vibrantly and stand out in the crowd; others are casually dressed, but everyone is here.
I’m a number in the middle of it all. Theo? He’s the star.
He commands attention, the room going silent once he clears his throat. “To start things off, I want to welcome a new face to our team.” His eyes lock with mine, and I melt. “Evie is my new, wonderful assistant. I know having her around will be a change, but I expect everyone to treat her like part of the family.”
There’s a murmur of greetings.
Notably, Rod isn’t here. I don’t let myself linger on it for long. He shouldn’t have lost his job over an awkward conversation with me, but if he did, that’s his fault. Not mine.
I wave nervously and wait for the attention to move back to Theo. I’ve already met a few people in the room, but there are still many to exchange names with, and so many faces to memorize.
“Are you guys ready?” Theo asks.
It’s a rhetorical question, but a blonde man yells, “Yeah!”
Theo chuckles. “Good, because… we’re going to Finland in two weeks.” He rubs his hands together. “It’s time for the annual forestry trip. We’re all going to get our hands dirty. I’m talking about planting trees, chopping the old wood, you name it. For those new to the team, you may not know why we do this.”
I certainly don’t. Theo already does enough for his company and the environment. Getting his hands dirty, as he calls it, doesn’t feel necessary.
“My job is more than selling paper,” he says. “It’s more than being safe. It’s doing these things correctly, and part of thatis reminding myself I’m not a cog in the machine. If I expect someone to do a job, I have to be willing to do it.”
There’s a small scattering of cheers, but I hardly hear it, locked in on every word Theo says.
“More importantly, I do it for me.” He shrugs. “Saving the planet has always been my dream, and one person can’t do it alone, but I feel a hell of a lot closer to making the mark when I have my hands in the soil.”
More cheers.
My expression softens, lips parting as a fire ignites in me. Seeing someone so passionate about what they do makes me more passionate about my work for Intentional Paper. Theo doesn’t know it, but he’s already teaching me a lot about being an entrepreneur.
Let my passion lead the way. That’s today’s lesson.
