“Mace Svensson.”
“Hi! Of course, yes, you just—you look like someone I know.”Stop being awkward.We shook hands. “Sorry I'm late,” I apologized. “My car is crappy. I would never intentionally keep you waiting. I'm ready to begin any personal assistant work you might need.”So much for not being awkward.
“It's not for me,” Mace said. “I hired you as a surprise for my younger brother. He has a lot on his plate and could use someone to help him with writing his papers, booking appointments, and prepping for meetings. We're trying to offload some of that work from the general office managers, especially for C-suite executives,” Mace explained as I followed him outside along a wide path to an adjacent building.
“You'll be in the research and development wing,” Mace told me as we walked inside the cool building. Behind a large, thick glass window were several robots performing experiments, supervised by scientists wearing white protective suits and face masks.
“Here we are,” he said as we went upstairs. Mace knocked on the glass door, and the man at the desk turned around.
I gaped.
“Parker,” Mace said, “meet Sadie, your new assistant.”
5
Parker
Istared at the short, curvy blonde.
“Why is she here, Mace?” I demanded, standing up. “She shouldn't be here.” I lowered my voice. “That's the girl.”
Mace looked between the two of us. “Oh.Oh!”
“I refuse to have her work here. Where is security? Never mind. I’m calling the police to press charges.” I pulled out my phone and dialed 911. “That woman is crazy.”
Sadie sputtered. She had a ridiculous Southern accent. “I’m not crazy! You’re crazy and a psychopath. You led me on then stood me up.”
“I assure you I did no such thing.”
I called Officer Susie. She had been helpful with our family, especially keeping Hunter out of jail whenever he and Meg went at it or making sure our younger brothers made their way to the estate whenever my father would send them along on a train to Harrogate.
“What is it this time, Parker?” Susie asked when she answered.
“There is a disturbance at Svensson PharmaTech. The mentally unstable young woman who accosted me last night is here in my office.”
Susie sighed. “I’ll be right over.”
“I’m not mentally unstable!” Sadie screeched. Then she seemed to realize she did in fact sound unhinged and clamped her mouth shut.
“I can’t believe you would hire her,” I scolded Mace. “She’s probably a stalker. Honestly, why can’t you do any due diligence? Did you just find her on Craigslist?”
“This seems like an overreaction,” my older brother said.
“You think this is an overreaction?” I snarled at him. “You thought we all had typhus fever after Davy ate that worm and coughed in the soup and everyone was sick.”
“Typhus is a very real issue,” Mace said.
“Or maybe it was because Archer can’t cook and gave everyone food poisoning.”
“Now that I have Josie, the love of my life, I’ve mellowed out. You should try it,” Mace said.
“Oh, so that’s why you hired me an assistant?” I said derisively, crossing my arms. “So I could engage in a workplace affair? You’re an idiot, Mace. Does Garrett know what you’re up to?”
“As if I would have some sort of workplace affair with a liar and a cheater!” Sadie snapped.
“I’m not a liar,” I said, glaring at her.
“Don’t threaten my client,” an authoritative woman said from the doorway.
