Chapter Three
After about five minutes the door was answered by a man reeking of alcohol and wearing nothing but a pair of dirty boxer shorts. “Hey dude, you sure don’t look like the pizza boy. Did I win something?” the man blubbered.
“I’m looking for Amy Harper please,” Lucas said with disgust.
“It figures that the first person to visit that snob is a suit,” the intoxicated man mumbled. He looked Lucas up and down and then muttered, “I should’ve been charging her more rent. She’s obviously doing well.” He then turned around and shouted for Amy.
“Amy, you have some high and mighty guy here to see you,” he said before walking away from the door. Lucas hoped that was the last he would see of the man. He couldn’t understand how she could feel safe with him nearby.
Lucas heard a door creaking open somewhere in the house and then Amy was standing before him. There were no other words to describe the look she gave him other than horrified. She looked like a deer caught in the hairs of a crossbow and he knew that she would rather sink through the floor than stand there in the filthy house and speak to him.
Amy felt her heart pounding. She was sure that he could see it through the thin shirt she was wearing. How had he found the place? She was sure that he was horrified that she could live in such horrible conditions but she’d been willing to do anything and everything to get through school, even if that meant sleeping in a place she wouldn’t want to even give to an animal for shelter.
Lucas would’ve found humor at Amy’s look any other time but with her standing in the filthy house with that disgusting man nearby made all traces of humor wash away. He wanted nothing more than to throw her over his shoulder and remove her from the house. She was far too vulnerable and na?ve to survive in such an environment.
“Aren’t you going to invite me in?” Lucas asked between clenched teeth.
“Mr. Anderson, how did you find this place? I’m only here temporarily, I swear. I’ll be moving into those apartments in just a couple of weeks,” she sounded anxious.
“I made a few phone calls. You were in such a hurry to get away from me last night you left your purse in my car,” he replied. She looked down and noticed him holding her purse.
Amy reached out to take the purse from him but he held it back and then he finally stepped inside the doorway. She backed away from him, avoiding physical contact. “Mr. Anderson, there’s really no need for you to come inside. I appreciate you bringing me my purse but I was just getting ready to step out.” She wouldn’t make eye contact with him and he could barely stop himself from grabbing hold of her chin and forcing her head up to meet his gaze.
“Let’s get your coat. We need to have a talk,” was all he said in response to her. Those words finally made her look up and some color came back into her washed out face. Good, he thought, he would much rather see her angry than embarrassed or defeated.
“You may be my boss Monday through Friday, Mr. Anderson, but the weekends are mine to do as I please,” she heatedly stated. “You can see yourself out.” She turned towards her room expecting him to leave.
She didn’t know him well if she thought he could be dismissed so easily. He quietly followed her into her room and shut the door behind them both. She turned around at the sound of the door shutting and glared furiously at him.
“You just don’t listen, do you?” she shouted. “I told you I have things to get done today. I’m more than willing to let you be the boss during the week but my personal time’s my own and I don’t owe you any explanations,” she finished, losing some steam.
Lucas barely even heard her words. Her room was almost homey. He didn’t think there was one speck of dust anywhere in there. It was small, very small. His walk in closet was bigger than her room but he was impressed with how neat and tidy everything was.
She had a wire hanging up against the far wall with clothing hanging on it, some of which was going to give him more sleepless nights. She also had some sort of bucket in the corner with laundry soap next to it. On the other wall was a small dresser with a little fridge and burner on top of it. The walls were painted a nice shade of lavender.
In the middle of the room, just a couple feet in front of him, stood her twin sized bed. It was made up with a very appealing quilt on top. The bed seemed to be sitting on some sort of blocks.
He could see that she’d put some real effort and time into her little area but unfortunately placing a china bowl into a sewer didn’t make the sewer any better to be around. You didn’t see the beautiful bowl; all you saw was the muck around and on it. His only thought was how could anyone live in a place like this?
Well, that was his only thought until he looked at her bed again. Her bed, which she'd just gotten out of a few hours ago; the bed he wanted to throw her on right then. His pants were far too tight and there was a bead of sweat breaking out on his forehead the longer he stood there.
Lucas took a step towards Amy. He was losing his internal battle and was about to take her right then and there. He’d sworn he wasn’t going to start anything until he could finish it and as disgusting as the house was, there was a clean bed in front of him, which would work just fine.
Suddenly the door was thrust open and in walked her drunken, mostly naked roommate. Lucas was close to punching the guy, which was something he hadn’t done since his college days.
Lucas was getting ready to push him back out the door he’d come in through, when he spoke.
“Well Amy, since it looks like you’ve been lying to me,” he slurred. “Your rent just tripled and I want it all right now or you can get your rich ass out of my house.”
“I don’t have that kind of money…” she began.
He quickly interrupted her “you’re always walking around here like you’re so much better than the rest of us. You’re picking things up and have that look of contempt on your face. Seeing your boyfriend here I know you have plenty of dough. That car he’s driving is worth more than three of these houses. Now I want my money!” He shouted and took a menacing step in her direction.
Lucas quickly stepped in his path and the look in his eyes stopped the man from coming any closer. Normally Lucas would’ve stopped the guy from speaking to her that way but things were working out better than he could’ve hoped for. He’d been planning on demanding she leave the place but now he wasn’t the one who had to look like the bad guy.
The worthless piece of trash was making Lucas into the hero. He would be getting her out of the house right then and the drunken slob was the responsible one.
“You drunken bastard, I’ve never once put you or this piece of crap place down. I’ve always paid you on-time each month just so you could take my money and get high. I’ve stayed here only because I’ve had no other choice and for your information I was leaving here in a couple of weeks anyway. I’m sick of your stench!” She finished with tears in her eyes.
“Get out now you snobby whore…” he shouted before he was interrupted by Lucas.
“That’s enough. You’ll leave this room now. I’ll help Amy get whatever she wants but you won’t speak to her that way again or you’ll deal with me,” Lucas said. The man stepped back and made a quick retreat. Even he knew better than to disobey Lucas at that moment.
“Amy, you don’t need to take anything from here. I’ll replace everything. Let’s just get out.” Lucas was trying to be kind but it came out sounding like her stuff was worth nothing, which embarrassed her.
“You may make more money in one day than I’ve made in my entire life but I still take pride in my belongings,” she snapped at him.
“Amy, I wasn’t trying to put you or your things down. I just don’t feel this guy is stable and I want to get you out of here as quickly as possible.”
She finally broke down into tears. “I don’t take handouts!” Amy spat through her tears.
Lucas moved towards her and pulled her into his arms. She tried to push him off but it was like moving a two ton boulder. She stopped fighting him and then sobbed on his shoulder for a few minutes.
Finally, when he could tell she’d calmed down enough, he helped her gather her belongings together. He made a phone call and by the time they finished packing his brother was there with his truck.
“Hey bro, am I interrupting something?” Amy looked up to find another Adonis in her room.
“Is it a rule in your family that all children are born better looking than the Greek Gods?” Amy spoke before thinking. When she realized what she’d said her entire face turned bright red.
Lucas looked at her with shock. She thought he was gorgeous? Well, well, he thought, his assistant was keeping things from him. She wasn’t as immune to him as she was trying to lead him to believe. He really liked that and was definitely planning on exploring it further.
“You must be the famous Ms. Harper who’s causing my brother many sleepless nights,” Alex spoke as he walked right up to her and lifted her up in a huge bear hug. Amy was too stunned to say anything.
She was also shocked to find that when Alex placed her back on her feet, she hadn’t felt any chemistry with the guy. He was as gorgeous as his brother, with a body to match and yet there were no fireworks going off at his touch, unlike how she felt in Lucas’s arms.
The fact didn’t please Amy. She didn’t want to be attracted to Lucas but her traitorous body wasn’t listening. She would just have to make sure her mind was in charge and not her hormones.
“Alex, would you please quit manhandling her? Amy this is my obnoxious younger brother Alex, he just happens to have a truck and was available, so I couldn’t pass up his help,” Lucas said.
Before Amy knew what was happening they had her room cleared out and loaded into Alex’s truck.
“I’ll see you guys at the house,” he said to both of them, then turned his full attention on Amy. “I can’t wait to steal you away from my big brother Amy. You’re stunning and way too good for this gigolo. Don’t break my heart.” He finished talking, gave her a quick kiss on the lips, again lifting her off the ground, then turned and trotted over to his truck.
Amy was so stunned; she didn’t know what to do. She’d never been around such confident men before. Finally she gave into her natural good humor and started laughing. How could you not enjoy the company of such a fun guy? She knew he didn’t mean what he said but she wasn’t used to men flirting so openly with her, even if it was harmless like what he was doing.
Lucas on the other hand didn’t look so amused. “You need to ignore my little brother. He lets hormones run his entire life and he does like pretty women but he’s harmless.” He took her hand and led her towards his car.
He wouldn’t admit to her how he’d wanted to smash his brother in the face for daring to kiss his woman. He also wouldn’t admit how jealous he was at that moment that she hadn’t slapped his brother in the face for kissing her. She’d seemed to enjoy it. He made himself calm down, because he knew his brother had just been trying to get a rise out of him.
It had worked.
When they reached the passenger side of his car, Amy suddenly hesitated. “Wait a minute.
Where’s all my stuff going? I don’t even know where I’m going yet. This happened so fast I haven’t had time to think about what happens next.” Lucas could see she was starting to panic.
“Amy, calm down. I’m going to take you up to the family house for now. My brother told my father what was going on and dad wanted to speak with you.” She started to shake her head no when he looked into her eyes. “Amy, it’s not smart to tell my father no,” was all he said.
Amy sighed, knowing she’d been defeated with those words. Joseph Anderson wasn’t only the family patriarch but he was the man who’d taken a chance on her and there was no way she would deny him anything.
Amy said nothing else; she just climbed in the vehicle and buckled her seat belt. Lucas chuckled as he walked around the car. He knew how she was feeling. When his father beckoned, you came. You didn’t come because he was the head of the family; you came because the man earned respect. You came because he was the type of man you’d bend over backwards for.
He’d been an exceptional father. He’d never placed work ahead of his family and he was always the first one any of the kids came to with a problem, or with good news. That’s why he’d been notified so quickly of Amy’s situation. The family always told him everything.
Lucas didn’t speak to Amy on the ride to the family mansion. He knew that she needed time to compose herself. She’d been through a lot during the last few hours. And he was happy to think he wasn’t the bad guy in the current situation.
Amy needed the time because she was about to be thrust into the chaos of his family. Everyone was up at the manor this weekend for his mother’s birthday. Any holiday was cause for the family to celebrate together but his mother’s birthday was definitely a huge bash.
His father always said that his wife’s birth was a great cause for celebration. She was the light of his life and his world would’ve been empty without her. He felt her birthday should be a national holiday.
“Mr. Anderson, it looks like you have company right now. This is probably not the best time for me to be here. Will you please just let me use your phone so I can call a cab and get out of your hands?” she spoke barely above a whisper.
“Not a chance,” was his only reply.
Amy looked down at herself and then back up at him. “I’m wearing old jeans,” she pleaded with him. “Please don’t make me go in there looking like this.” He just laughed at the panicked look on her face and her horrified voice.
“Amy, you act like we’re all a bunch of snobs. We’re normal people too. So what if we like fancy things. You’re the one being a snob right now, judging my family on what we have,” he said accusingly.
His words worked like a charm. She hung her head down in shame and just nodded at him. It was almost enough to give him a pinch of guilt but at least he was getting what he wanted. And one thing that Amy needed to learn about him was that he always got what he wanted.
Lucas came around the car and helped her out. He placed her arm in his and half pulled her up the large staircase. She’d come to the mansion for her job interview so at least she didn’t have to be quite as intimidated.
Even though she’d been there before her breath was still taken away by the beauty of it all. She was sure that kings would be impressed with the house. You couldn’t even call it a house. It was grander than a castle.
Lucas led her through the foyer and into the back. She heard laughter even before they opened up some massive doors somewhere in the middle of the place.
“You finally made it here. What did you do, take the scenic route? I’ve been here for a half hour already and I wasn’t the one driving the race car.” Alex came up and nudged his brother in the ribs.
“All is forgiven though since you brought my beautiful future bride. How you doing gorgeous?
We’ve been apart far too long already. Do you want to run away with me to Vegas and get married?” he joked with her. He threw his arm around her and dragged her over for a drink.
Lucas shook his head and rolled his eyes. He knew his brother was even more afraid of marriage than he was himself. He was still going to keep an eye on her though because if anyone could change his brother from committed playboy to a happily married man, it would be Amy.
He was going to make sure and stake his claim, so that both his brothers knew that Amy wasn’t on the market. He was amazed at the jealousy coursing through him. He’d never felt that way with any other woman he’d dated. If a woman he was dating wanted to run off with one of his brothers he would have gladly said goodbye.
Not that it would’ve been an issue, as neither of his brothers would ever trespass on the others’
woman. They had a code among them and would never break it. You just didn’t try and steal your brother’s girl. Now, on the other hand making one of said brothers jealous was a whole other issue and each of the guys loved to push buttons.
He started to walk over to take his woman, umm, employee back when Esther saved him from doing just that.
“Now Alex you leave this girl alone. You’re flirting shamelessly and embarrassing her. How are you doing hunny?” she asked kindly.
“I’m doing just great. I’m really getting that computer program down and I don’t think I will have to call you at all on Monday. Today is just another speed bump. Nothing to worry about,” Amy told Esther with a brave face.
Lucas could see she wasn’t used to having people worry about her, or love her for that matter.
She would have to get used to both. Employees of the Andersons were considered family. They took care of their own. Her days of bearing the weight of the world on her own shoulders had ended.
“I know you’re doing great at work. I meant how are you doing with your life? I heard about your place,” she said sympathetically. Before Amy knew what was happening she was engulfed in a hug.
“Now don’t you be afraid to ask for help once in a while. We’ll be getting to know each other well and this family takes care of the people they love,” she said. She visited a bit and then stepped away to talk with some other people in the room.
“Amy, I’m so glad you’re here. We have much to talk about but that will come later. I’m sure you’ve noticed all these people milling around.” Joseph’s enthusiasm made Amy jump a bit. He continued on before she had a chance to say one word.
“Today’s my amazing wife’s birthday and we all come together to celebrate this beautiful woman’s entrance into the world. Come, come, I want you to meet her, along with some others.
I’ve told her all about our newest employee,” he finished.
He placed her arm in his and she had to jog a little bit to keep up with him. He may have retired from being president, but he’d built the company and was still very much invested and she noticed he spoke with affection when bringing the business up. For the next twenty minutes Joseph dragged her all over the room, making so many introductions that she knew she would never remember all the people.
No one was dressed in tuxes or anything but she was still very uncomfortable standing in the beautiful room wearing only her old jeans and a sweatshirt. No one was looking at her in disgust, at least not that she’d noticed but she was still self-conscious about her appearance.
There was a stir in the room and suddenly she was standing in front of another Greek God.
Seriously, did they grow them on trees? She saw the resemblance and knew that this must be the last brother. Holy smokes, he was sexy as sin.
The man was wearing skin tight, worn out Wrangler jeans, a black cowboy hat that had seen better days and a grin stretched across his face.
“Hey boy, what took you so long? You know your mama’s been crying, wondering where her son was. She figured you forgot all about her,” Joseph said while leaning in to give his son a hug.
“Ah dad, Isabelle was birthing and I had to make sure she was going to be okay. Chad’s with her though so I hurried right over,” he said sheepishly to his father.
“Well just as long as you got here before we cut her cake,” Joseph said, forgiving his son’s late arrival.
“Now who’s this gorgeous woman you have on your arm? Did mom finally come to her senses and kick you to the curb?” He turned, giving Amy his undivided attention.
She felt a blush come to her cheeks. She immediately looked down, not wanting him to catch her gawking, but she didn’t see how any of the brothers had a moment of peace from all the women.
She could simply gaze at them and just soak up their stunning looks and megawatt smiles.
“Mark quit embarrassing our guest. This is Amy Harper. She’s the newest executive secretary for your worthless brother over there, who by the way is giving you the evil eye,” Joseph goaded him.
Mark turned around and saw the look on his brother’s face that clearly told him Amy wasn’t just his assistant. His brother was making it clear to all men in the room that the woman was his.
Mark sent him a huge grin, which grew even wider when he saw Lucas’s eyes narrow a bit more.
Mark decided to goad his big brother a bit. “Well Ms. Amy, it’s truly a pleasure to meet you. I have a real job opening for you if you get sick of working for that stuffed shirt of a brother of mine,” he said while giving her a flirtatious wink.
Then Amy was bent backwards over his arm and getting a kiss in front of a room full of strangers. He then whipped her straight up and threw his arm around her shoulder. “Do you want to run away with me? You’re simply stunning and one hell of a kisser,” he said with a wink.
Amy feared her face would remain scarlet the entire time she was around the Anderson family.
They all had no problem with physical contact and were far too gorgeous for their own good.
Amy realized she’d been kissed by all the brothers now. She was dismayed to find that only Lucas caused a burning flash inside of her.
She knew that both of Lucas’s brothers were joking with her but usually when a woman was kissed by a man as suave and downright gorgeous as both Mark and Alex were, she couldn’t control the body’s natural responses.
Even though both of the brothers were spectacular, it had felt like kissing a cousin. She must be going out of her mind. She was pondering that when Lucas walked up to them. She hadn’t even noticed that Mark’s arm was still around her.
“Okay Mark, you can quit manhandling Amy. I’m going to take her to get some food. She’s not available,” he finished.
With that she was switched from one brother to the next. She was beginning to feel like a shiny new toy. She would definitely remember to correct him on telling people who she was available for. She didn’t want to date anyone at the moment but it wasn’t his place to make that announcement.
Amy was surprised to find she was enjoying the evening, even with the earlier drama still in the back of her mind. No one in the home made her feel inadequate that she was wearing far less than dress clothes. Everyone there was friendly and inviting. She was shocked by how many employees and former employees of the company were at the party.
Amy observed how everyone was treated like a part of the family. The things she’d read about the Anderson family in the papers were all make believe, it appeared. They’d been portrayed in every sort of scandal you could imagine but the papers didn’t do justice to any of them. They were truly amazing people.
Amy let go of her problems and even forgot she was technically homeless at the moment. She was simply having too much of a pleasant time. She ate great food and visited with so many interesting people. She had no idea how late it was getting until she was sitting comfortably in the swinging chair on the back deck and noticed the party was starting to thin out.
Her problems came crashing back to the forefront of her mind. She didn’t have much money saved up so far. She had her first few paychecks, which were impressive but that money was supposed to be for the down payment on her new apartment. If she dipped into those funds to stay at a motel it would take longer to get into her place.
Oh well, she thought; she had no choice but to do that. It just delayed her plans by a month or two. It was no problem. She was so close to her goals that nothing was going to stop her. In the large scheme of things it was a minor setback.
“There you are Amy. I sit in this swing quite a bit myself,” Joseph stated, startling her out of her reverie. “The party has finally wound down so let’s step into my office and take care of some business,” he continued on.
“Yes sir,” she replied. Her first instinct was to panic. Was she going to get fired now that Lucas had seen how she was living? Please, please don’t get fired she repeated in her head over and over again. Then she let logic step back in. He wouldn’t invite her to the party only to fire her, would he?
She would just remain calm, no matter what happened and remember that she’d been through far worse things than losing a job. No matter what happened she was going to hold her head up high.
Amy followed Joseph through a maze of hallways wondering how he didn’t get lost in the huge palace of a home. There was so much artwork along the walls. She stopped in her tracks when she came across one painting. It was a piece by her favorite artist, Thomas Kinkaid. It looked like an original.
It was one of her favorites, with a beautiful cottage sitting right next to a stream. The painting was so stunning. It looked as if the water was actually moving and the lights in the cottage were on and beckoning you to come inside. Whenever she saw that particular painting she would close her eyes and imagine she was sitting on the front porch and watching her worries drift away down the stream. She smiled at the appealing thought, glad for seeing the beautiful painting at a moment in her life when it was needed.
She missed Joseph’s smile at her look of rapture from seeing at the painting. The more he was around Amy, the more he knew he’d made the right decision. She wasn’t awed by the million dollar statues, or fancy cars, she was impressed with the real works of beauty. She really would make a great addition to his family.
Amy snapped out of her reverie, mumbled sorry and continued to follow Joseph into his home office. She’d been in there once for her interview but had been far too nervous to really look around.
It was actually very inviting. There was a huge fireplace that was crackling at the moment and a country theme to it. There were several comfortable chairs near the fire and a floor to ceiling bookcase lining one huge wall. She wandered over to the bookcase and found some of her favorite titles on it.
She caught herself just in time, before grabbing one of the copies off the shelf. She could imagine herself curled up on the sofa, by the fire, reading until she fell asleep. That sounded just about perfect right then.
Joseph sat down in one of the chairs near the fireplace and waited for her to look around. She finally remembered where she was and came to sit by him. The door opened again and Lucas walked in. Her eyes drank him up before she could stop herself.
She wouldn’t fall for her boss. She repeated that to herself that about ten times. She finally gained the willpower to look away and focused on Joseph. She was very unnerved by the power Lucas had over her. She would certainly not let him know he could bring her to her knees easily with one more touch.
“Amy, we like to take care of our employees. Our philosophy is that if you treat your employees well then they will remain happy in their job and therefore be happier in their lives. It all comes around full circle. A happy employee equals happy clients,” Joseph began.
“I’m very happy in my job sir. I know that I’m struggling a bit with the computer system but if you just give me a little bit more time I’ll have it down. I’m more than willing to work weekends and stay late so I’m not using your time while learning the system,” Amy started defending her job skills immediately.
“You’re doing an amazing job dear. I have no complaints with how your work performance is going. Esther and Lucas have both said you are a real asset to the team. This conversation is not about any work problems,” he comforted her.
Amy took a deep breath of relief.
“I brought you in here to let you know about your benefits while working for the company. You have been with us three months already and you’re a valued employee,” he said Amy had been worried that she may be losing her job but he only wanted to talk about her benefits. She was so excited she almost jumped up and hugged him. The relief coursing through her at not only not having her job in jeopardy but getting her benefits was making it hard for her to stand still.
“Mr. Anderson, thank you so much for your confidence in me. It truly means a lot. I promise to not let you down and I’ll still be spending all of my extra time to make sure I’m giving you a hundred percent. This is the best job I could’ve ever hoped to get, especially right out of college,” she said with real gratitude.
Joseph chuckled at the gratitude in her voice. “Amy, you’re a breath of fresh air, but wouldn’t you like to hear about your benefits before thanking me so much?” he asked.
“Yes, of course sir,” she said.
“You know that officially I’m retired now and my son runs the company. He’s doing a damn fine job of it but he asked me from the beginning if I would still handle all the personnel type issues.
He has a lot on his plate already and this is something I truly enjoy, as he knows well.”
“Our company takes great pride in offering more benefits than your average corporation. I don’t disclose this to new hires because, first of all I want them to take the position because they want to work here and second of all, if that employee doesn’t work out then no harm caused,” he continued on.
“We take care of all employees, from the top of the chain of command all the way to the bottom.
Our executive positions get a few added bonuses though, which is what you are Amy. You work for the president of the company and therefore we want to make sure you’re extra taken care of.” Amy was a little bit confused as he continued talking. What could they possibly give her that was better than medical benefits? She had no idea.
“First of all you’ll receive a company car. Lucas will take you down to the dealership to pick it out tomorrow. Esther’s favorite was always the Mercedes LX but you can choose what fits you best. You’ll be doing a lot of driving for us and we want you to enjoy the ride,” he smiled.
She got a car! She was so excited. She couldn’t believe she got a company car. Did she get to take it home with her? She wanted to ask but was afraid that it would sound bad. Her forehead wrinkled a little bit as she was warring with herself on whether she should ask that or not.
“This will be your vehicle for personal use as well,” he said as if reading her mind. “Unless there are performance issues with the vehicle, we trade them in every two years. Safety’s a huge concern of ours and we don’t want you breaking down on the side of the road somewhere,” he added.
Was this company for real? She’d never heard of a business being so good to its employees. She would treat the vehicle like it was a newborn baby. She knew from her interview she was expected to do a lot of errands but hadn’t really thought about how she was supposed to get from point a to point b. She was glad they were providing the transportation because some of the things she was transporting were too risky to take a chance on the subway with.
“Here’s your new telephone,” he said handing it over to her with a piece of paper. “Your number’s on it. You have unlimited minutes so you may also use this as your personal cell and can turn off your other one. Communication’s key to a good business and we need to be able to reach each other at all times, well that’s except nighttime when work should be the last thing on anybody’s mind,” he added with a laugh. “However, unfortunately in the corporate world, time is forgotten and there will be some very late nights and long weekends,” he added sympathetically.
She already knew that as he’d told her all about what was going to be expected of her in the job interview. She had no issues with working hard. She would’ve been willing to do it without all the added benefits but with them there was nothing she wouldn’t do for the company.
“My dearest wife threw a couple of my company phones out into the lake when we were on vacation. She always told me that there was a time for work and then a time to relax.” He added.
Amy already thought the world of his wife. That statement made her like the woman even more.
“Of course you’ll have the finest medical insurance, which starts on Monday and all the other policies, which I’ve listed here. You can read through them later. They will help you to fall asleep,” he again chuckled.
“Now for the biggest benefit, which I think is fitting considering your current situation, which Lucas has filled me in on.” He added without any condemnation in his voice. “All of our executive officers are offered housing. We have a terrific apartment building that’s reserved for our company personnel and visiting businessmen and woman. We do a lot of work with people overseas and have found that they far prefer these apartments to a hotel.”
“There’s low rent and all utilities are included with that. Several of our board members stay in the complex for years while saving up and then buying homes. There’s no time limit on how long you stay. It’s yours for the duration of the job. If you’re out on sick leave the apartment’s still yours. I want you to feel completely at home and safe in your new place.” She had a feeling he knew a little bit about her past. Of course he would know about her past.
She figured he did extensive background checks on people he had working for his company, especially at such a high level.
“Your new apartment will be ready to move into by Monday. We had to do some painting and cleanup as that’s where Esther was living for quite some time,” he added. “I think you’ll find it very comfortable. It’s already furnished but Lucas will take you out tomorrow and you can pick your own decorations. Your things have already been moved in, except for a few clothes, which are sitting over by the door for you to use tomorrow.”
“Well, that takes care of the business. Do you have any questions for me?” he finished.
Amy was stunned. She didn’t know what to say. She had her own apartment. Her own apartment! It was even furnished. She would have few bills. Could this really be happening to her? She was so excited she forgot who she was for a moment and jumped up, throwing her arms around Joseph. “Thank you so much,” she cried with enthusiasm.
Amy suddenly realized what she’d done and how unprofessional it was of her and leapt back.
“I’m sorry about that Mr. Anderson. That was completely unprofessional. It’s just that I never imagined any of those things could be a part of a job and…” suddenly she choked up and couldn’t speak.
Joseph rose from the couch and pulled her into a hug. “It’s alright dear. I never turn down a hug.
You’re a good person and highly intelligent. You earned all that you’re receiving. Don’t forget that young lady.” He patted her back and then pulled away.
“As for this weekend, I understand that you don’t have a place to stay so I would like to offer you the guest house here on the property. Now don’t shake your head at me. We enjoy having people stay there. That’s why it’s called a guest house. There’s no need for you to go stay in some hotel,” he said, sounding like his son, leaving no room for argument.
“You look as if you’re about to fall over so I’ll have Lucas walk you out there. I noticed that you were eyeing the books. Would you like to take one with you to read this evening?” he offered.
Amy knew that there was no point in arguing with the man, she would lose anyway.
“That would be great Mr. Anderson,” she simply replied.
Amy couldn’t speak anymore or she was going to burst into tears. She’d never had anyone do so much for her. She’d never had someone have so much faith in her, or show so much caring. It was amazing how wonderful the family was. She understood why they’d been given so much.
They deserved everything they’d been given because they gave back tenfold. She couldn’t believe how lucky she’d been to become involved with the company. She would most definitely deal with her attraction to her boss and she would try and not be so hostile towards him.
She knew there was no way they could be a couple, he was way out of her league and she didn’t want to sleep with him and then lose everything, so she would just have to make sure that he understood they were simply employee and employer.
Amy went to the shelf and grabbed the book she’d been eyeing earlier. She couldn’t wait to get lost in the story. She was already picturing herself in the fantasy world.
“Thanks again Mr. Anderson. You really have been too good to me. I hope that I don’t let you down,” she said.
“You’ll be just great. I have a feeling we’re all going to be working together for many years to come,” he replied. He then turned and left the room. Suddenly, the once comfortable room seemed smaller than a closet with Lucas and her left all alone.