Begin Again novel Chapter 21

"Mr Anderson, I think we should look at the resumes today," Mrs Gibson, or Gibby as Liam affectionately called her, smiled as he jumped in the backseat with her. She was his father's assistant, but when his old man retired two years ago, he inherited her along with his big shoes.

"Do we have to?" Liam pinched the bridge of his nose, a futile attempt to drive away his looming headache. He didn't want another assistant, but Gibby had stayed on six months past her retirement date. She couldn't postpone her move to the coast any longer.

"Yes we do, darling," she patted his hand in a motherly fashion and handed him the stack of files.

He looked through the first ten, his hope diminishing fast the further down the thick pile he went.

He sat up straight at candidate #21, his palms sweating buckets and his heart racing in his chest as he stared at Eden McBride's photograph attached to her CV.

Two years of searching for her. Who would have thought she'd eventually make her way back to him?

She looked as alive and as spirited as she did two years ago outside Crush when she told him not to be a dick, and wait in line like everyone else. She looked as achingly beautiful as she'd felt in his arms when they'd made love.

No wonder he couldn't find her at any of the libraries he'd searched because even though she looked like one with her thick black frame glasses, mousey brown hair and her questionable dress sense, she wasn't a fucking librarian.

According to her resume, she was a children's book illustrator. Same difference really, both professions had a thing for books.

"I want her." His eyes were dark with determination as he tapped her photo.

Gibby frowned. "Are you sure? She's a children's book illustrator with only three-months experience as a junior assistant."

"But she worked for Van Holt Industries," Liam pointed out. They were a giant in the hospitality industry and did business with Anderson Logistics, on a small scale though.

"She was a temp!" Gibby insisted.

"So?" Liam glared at her. Was she questioning his judgement right now? He would have her, come hell or high waters.

"She doesn't have any experience!" His assistant slammed her palm on her forehead and released a ragged breath.

"Doesn't matter," Liam retorted. "I want her."

Eden might not have the experience, but she would certainly learn. He would teach her, starting with a few lessons on gratitude and never biting the hand that fed her.

Liam was pretty sure he was using the idiom in the wrong context. But it didn't matter. What mattered was that she had used him to forget whatever it was she was trying to forget that night and left him without so much as a goodbye or a thank you.

Her actions, her using him and treating him like an unworthy one night stand had left him broken. Because of her, he hadn't had an erection in two years. Because of her, out of fear of not being good enough, he panicked every time he had to perform.

"Are you questioning me right now?" Liam demanded as he shoved the stack of papers back at her.

"How will she manage your life when she's barely set up a diary reminder."

He stared at his assistant as if he was seeing her for the very first time. Was that all she did, set up diary reminders for him? If that was all her job entailed, her insane salary was not warranted. He made a mental note to review the salaries of all 1500 employees at headquarters.

"How hard can it be to set up a diary reminder?" He wondered as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Surely Eden could do that in her sleep. If she can draw mommy and daddy rabbits for six- year- olds, working the Microsoft suite can't be that hard.

Gibby sighed and ran an impatient hand through her short afro.

"That's not all she has to do!" She said crossly. "She has to manage your day, make sure your appointments don't clash, and you are where you're supposed to be at least half an hour before the actual appointment. Then there's the reporting, the minute taking, the prepping of your presentations. I haven't even touched your personal life. She'll have to remember all the important dates, birthdays, anniversaries, etc., run your errands, escort you to all kinds of events. That's just the tip of the iceberg, and she has to do it all on five hours of sleep, sometimes less."

Liam fell silent for a long time, thinking about everything she'd said.

"Am I so helpless?" He asked after a long pause.

"That's not what I meant, Sir." She shook her head quickly.

"It sounds like I need a full- time babysitter," Liam said. He never realised how dependent he was on his assistants and now that Gibby had pointed it out, he felt oddly uncomfortable.

"It's a difficult job, and you need someone with experience to handle it well."

"I still want Eden McBride," Liam insisted. "But you can choose another candidate as well. I'll have two assistants!"

There, he smiled with satisfaction as he sat back in his seat and loosened his tie. He'd found the solution to their problem. Gibby would have her machine of an assistant, and he'll have Eden. Problem solved. It was a winwin for both.

"Why have two assistants when you can just have one who's super-efficient?" She tried to argue with him and change his mind, but Liam's word was final.

Eden McBride would pay dearly for everything she took from him. He planned to make her life as miserable as she had made his for the last two years.