Cougar Boss Read online

  “Lauren Watkins is my event planner. Call her. Get me a couple of samples for the invites and visit the venue to see the progress she’s made planning this event. You’re in charge of this project. Make sure everything is done right.”

  I felt like I was in a reality TV show competing for a position or a prize, except there were no other contestants. I was in charge of planning a charity event that had a guest list of fifty of the most influential people in the world and I had no experience in this. The thought left me so unmotivated, I wanted to run out of there and go back to the other side of the world, where I belonged.

  Mrs. Gallagher must’ve noticed my reluctance because she fixed her eyes on me, meeting my gaze for the very first time. I must’ve been one of those inconsequential faces that she could pass by the street and never remember we’d at one point breathed the same air.

  My gaze wavered under her unyielding one because I couldn’t pull off looking her directly in the eyes. God, she had beautiful eyes. Well, no wonder she wouldn’t recognize me or pick me apart from a group of people, I needed to be strong and match her steady stance. I needed to stop being so afraid.

  If I ended up losing the job, I wouldn’t let the cause be it was because I wasn’t confident enough with my skills or committed enough to my job. It’d have to be something else. I had to make Mrs. Gallagher remember me. And I needed to remember that if I didn’t get this job, I wouldn’t only be broke and homeless, I’d also have unimaginable student loans I’d be unable to pay.

  “The person who recommended you said you’re extremely hardworking, driven and committed. That is why I’m letting you do this. Take it as a challenge that determines whether you get to keep the job.” Her voice was satin soft and I wanted to drink it in forever.

  Focus, a little voice whispered in my head. Whatever attraction I had to this magnificent creature had to vanish and fast. She sounded confident in me. That was all I needed.

  I went back to my office and called Lauren. Since I was going to be working with her, I needed to better acquaint myself with the project. We made an appointment to meet later on in the day and I got to work about those invitations.

  There was a long contact list on the computer with the names of people the Gallagher family hired for projects, so it didn’t take me long to get a contact the family used to design invitation cards. Even in a digital era, a tangible invitation was extremely important.

  At the mention of the Gallagher name, it was confirmed I would have the cards before the end of the day.

  On my way to meet Lauren, I realized my work might end up being easier than I thought. Someone had neatly arranged almost everything I needed to do my job in the computer. It must’ve been the previous assistant. If she’d been so well organized and hardworking, it made me wonder why she hadn’t stayed on longer.

  From the moment I met Lauren Watkins, I knew she didn’t like me. She looked down on me, like I was help in the plaza and I was there to serve her instead of working with her. I’d never taken a liking to women who looked down on their own gender.

  I could bet the remaining fifty bucks I had in my bank account, she’d probably come from the same poor background that I had, but in her attempt to fit in, she’d gotten completely sucked in and ended up resenting everything she’d come from. I admired and resented her in the same breath.

  I followed her around the plaza trying to figure out how far she’d gone with the project but she kept treating me like a lapdog, just giving me little to satisfy me but not enough to figure out what my next step would be. It pissed me off.

  I went for a bathroom break half an hour later when I got tired of chasing her around and tried to motivate myself by talking to my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t look like I worked for an elegant woman like Mrs. Gallagher. I could see the fear in my eyes. Fear of rebuke, fear of failure, fear of standing up for myself. That was probably what Lauren saw too.

  I needed to be bold and assertive. This was probably how every other person I’d interact with who worked for the Gallaghers would treat me. I needed to show them that I wasn’t going to be a rug for anyone to wipe their feet on.

  I needed to remake myself and I needed to start here. I’d not spent the entire day and most of the night working on a project someone else was going to steal from me. I was heading to the lobby to talk to Lauren when I overheard her talking to her assistant.

  “Did you see how she was dressed?” the assistant said in a mocking tone.

  “Where did Amelia find her? Good God, the woman looks like she fell from the wrong side of the tracks,” Lauren said.

  I usually didn’t care about what other people thought of me. Usually, I had too many problems to think about anything else outside my responsibilities but their conversation made me more aware of how lowly I felt being thrusted into a world I’d never set foot in.

  “Don’t worry, she won’t last a week. I’m even shocked she lasted twenty-four hours,” the assistant said.

  “Amelia is too kind, taking in a stray and hiring her for such an important job. They’re both lucky I’m here,” Lauren said.

  It was hurtful to hear them talk that way about me. It felt like I was back in school having to deal with a bully. Well, I wasn’t a child anymore. I worked for Amelia Gallagher and I needed to remind these two women who they worked for.

  “Lauren,” I said, walking into the room as though I’d not overheard anything.

  They both turned to me and looked me up, down then up again. It was offensive of them to seize me up as though we were in high school and they were the popular girls.

  “I’d like you to run everything by me again,” I said firmly.

  The assistant snickered and Lauren gave her a look. It seemed they could talk about me behind my back but couldn’t do so in my face.

  “Erm, I’m sorry, remind me your name again,” Lauren said.

  I was trying hard to keep my cool but they were making it increasingly hard. “My name is not important, my employer’s name is. Her name is Amelia Gallagher. I’m her personal assistant. She put me in charge of this project. Now, you can make this easy and tell me what I need to know or, I can get someone else to do your job.”

  “You can’t do that,” the assistant said.

  I reached for my phone and looked at the two women.

  “I’ve worked for Amelia Gallagher for years,” Lauren said, crossing her arms over her chest in amusement.

  I knew I was out of my element, and this woman had a point, but I wasn’t going to let her disrespect me. “Then she knows you don’t like to cooperate with her assistants.”

  They both stared at me, daring me. When none of them made a move, I pretended to dial the number and placed the phone over my ear. “Mrs. Gallagher, this is Olivia Williams,” I said my name particularly firmly so they could remember it. “I’ve been at the Eden plaza for almost an hour and Lauren Watkins…” Their frantic waving at the mention of Lauren’s name had me staring back at them.

  The fact that they were threatened by the fake phone call put me exactly where I needed to be.

  “Please hang up,” Lauren silently mouthed.

  I waited a bit, just to enjoy the suspense then made something up and pretended to hang up the phone.

  “What do you need to know?” Lauren asked, being pleasantly accommodating.

  How pretentious.

  “Kate, go get us some drinks. What would you like, Olivia? Coffee, wine, water?”

  I raised my eyebrow at how well the threat had worked. “It’s Ms. Williams to you, and if I hear either one of you disrespecting me again, I’ll get you fired.”

  They both nodded and I had an overwhelming moment where I experienced a surge of satisfaction at how good power felt. “Now, let’s get this over with. I’d like to know every single detail.”

  We sat down and Lauren became very forthcoming with information. She told me everything that I needed to know and in a couple of hours, I was leaving Eden plaza with a smile across
my face. I went to pick up sample invitation cards afterwards and headed back to the Gallagher residence, with a certain sense of pride I hadn’t had before.

  I went to Amelia’s office with the samples so she could tell me which ones to send out and found her on the phone. I had to wait until she finished. I listened to the sound of her voice as she spoke, it was so calm. Her left hand was slowly moving over her laptop while she stared into space.

  Since she wasn’t paying any attention to me, I took the chance to study her. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to just how lovely she was. Looking at her made me feel like my eyes were feasting on a deliciously rare delicacy they’d never encountered before.

  Her thick hair was in curls that day, cascading down her shoulders in gorgeous waves, gently kissing her flawless, perfectly carved, marble-like face. Her acutely blue eyes were beautifully disarming and so alert, I felt like she could feel me watching her.

  Her adroit character and the air she carried around her or within herself left me feeling like I wanted to know her better but I could not read her at all. It was like there was an invisible wall between us and much as I could see her, I couldn’t see through to her.

  Such a captivating mystery. She made me wonder if she noticed me at all. At the thought, her eyes met mine and I froze. I held her gaze for a couple of seconds and realized she was looking through me as she continued with her phone conversation.

  How silly of me. Maybe I needed to make myself a bit more noticeable.

  “Olivia.”

  My thoughts vanished at her controlled but commanding voice.

  “I wanted to show you the samples for the invites.”

  She summoned me forward and automatically, my body moved as though under her spell. I got a whiff of her perfume and my nostrils bathed in the fragrance. That must have been how heaven smelled like.

  I would’ve loved to see her smile. I bet she had the most beautiful smile in the world. Focus, that little voice again.

  “Use this,” she said, handing me one of the samples. “How did it go at the plaza?”

  I remembered Lauren’s foul attitude towards me and ignored that part as I filled her in on the details. She probably wouldn’t care to know her employees were not getting along. I’d probably be the one to get fired, seeing as Lauren had worked for her for years in comparison to me.

  “That will do, thank you,” she said.

  When I got back to my office, I gave the go-ahead to the company to print the invitation cards after sending all the relevant names of the invited guests. Now, for the hard part, liaising with Lauren and working together to make the event a success. I groaned and made the dreaded call.

  The rest of the week moved on quite fast after that. I attended countless meetings and met a lot of people who worked for the Gallaghers to make the event a success. Since everything had to run by me so I could take it to Mrs. Gallagher for approval, I was extremely busy and at some point, I was afraid I’d screw things up.

  Mrs. Gallagher seemed very confident in my skills and that comforted me. It didn’t make my work any easier though. By Friday afternoon, I was so busy making sure everything was perfect for the following night, I thought I’d go crazy.

  When Francis walked into my office, I grew a bit nervous. Mrs. Gallagher had sent me out for countless errands and much as I’d accomplished each and every one, I was still afraid I might’ve screwed up somewhere.

  Francis never came to my office. He’d only done so once, the first evening of my working for Mrs. Gallagher, but never again. There was little interaction between us, seeing as I was cooped up in the office or constantly leaving the house for errands. But from what I’d seen, he was a kind man.

  “Sorry to interrupt your work, Ms. Williams,” he said.

  A moment later, a man and a woman walked in after him dragging along with them a rack full of clothes.

  “What’s this?” I asked in confusion.

  “It’s just a fitting for your dress and accessories for tomorrow night’s event,” he said.

  The woman walked over to me and started taking my measurements while I tried to absorb what Francis had just said.

  “Please stand up,” the woman said.

  I got to my feet as she probed me. I’d known I’d be attending the event but I hadn’t known clothing and accessory would be provided for me.

  The man walked over to me and studied my face and body, making me feel a little uncomfortable. I’d never been self-conscious of my looks. I’d always been too busy to make an effort to bring out my features but Rex, my best friend, had described me as a quiet beauty. When I’d asked him what he meant, he’d said I didn’t need make up or fancy clothes to enhance my appearance.

  I personally thought my emerald-green eyes were a bit too big for my face because of my high cheekbones and small straight nose but Rex had said they sparkled and had the limitless capacity to be fiery. My unruly brown hair could at times be a bit hard to handle or style so to make it easy, I just held it up in a tight bun that ended up giving me headaches.

  I had full pink lips, which were probably the only feature I thought was appealing and as far as my body was concerned, years of hard work had gotten me in shape, with a slender, lean body on a tall physical frame.

  Rex said I was a catch but from my lack of personal time and love life, I didn’t really have a moment to think along those lines. In fact, I’d never been in a serious relationship. I’d had short-lived flings with women I met in school, but none of them had meant enough for me to take seriously.

  “I want you to try on a few gowns, they’ll give me an idea of what goes well with your body,” the woman said.

  I didn’t have time for this. These people were getting in the way of my work. I wanted to say something when I met Francis’ expression and realized this was mandatory. He was there to make sure I did as told.

  I groaned and spent the next hour trying on clothes. The man, whose name I’d come to learn was Andre was a makeup artist, while the woman, Anna, was a personal shopper. Since Andre couldn’t do his work fully in my office, seeing as he hadn’t carried enough ‘equipment’ his word, he told me to go by his boutique for a full makeover the following day. Yeah, like I had the time.

  “If you want to work for Mrs. Gallagher, you’re going to have to follow her rules,” Francis said when I complained after Andre and Anna left.

  “I’m going a little crazy doing so much in so little time. I honestly don’t have time for a makeover,” I said.

  “You need to present Mrs. Gallagher’s image in the way you project yourself to others. You’ll be with her almost every second of the evening.”

  If I was going to be by her side all evening, then I needed to look the part. I couldn’t attend the event looking like my usual self. Besides, it was just one night and I needed a network of rich and powerful people in case I didn’t end up working for Mrs. Gallagher. I needed them to remember me and if I had to dress up to make that happen, then so be it.

  Rex came by to see me that evening. I found him waiting outside my door when I got home. Seeing a familiar face was calming because the past week had been a whirlwind ride.

  We’d met in school years earlier and had become instant friends. We’d struggled through life together and he’d come to my rescue more times than I could count. He knew about my new job, but he wasn’t in on the details so when we got into my apartment, I told him everything that had happened.

  “Wait, so tomorrow morning you are going for a fancy makeover then later on you’re heading to a charity ball that will have some of the richest people in attendance?” he asked.

  “Yeah, can you believe it?”

  “And this charity ball thing is going to determine whether or not you get the job?”

  “Pretty much,” I said.

  “Damn, that’s a lot of work and a whole lot of pressure.”

  I’d been a bit anxious with all the planning and the work I’d put into the project, but now, I was more worri
ed about how close the event was.

  “I’m sure you’ll do great. You’re the hardest working person I know. This job will make a difference for you and I’m sure you don’t take the responsibility lightly.”

  “Don’t you think it’s weird though, that instead of a normal interview, I had to do all of these things?”

  “It is a bit weird, but I think it’s the best way to see how well a person conducts themselves while employed, under pressure and in a new environment.”

  “Yeah, I thought the same thing too. Amelia Gallagher knows what she’s doing.”

  “What is she like? Is she mean, bossy? Is she a control-freak?”

  Quite the contrary, I thought. She was something special. “She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

  “What?”

  “I mean, work-wise, she’s a good boss. But every time I see her, my heart picks up pace and then I realize I’m holding my breath until she can speak. Her voice is…” I didn’t know how to explain it.

  “You have a crush on your boss?” Rex asked.

  “A crush? No. I just think she’s hot.”

  “Wait a minute, how old is she?”

  “She got married young. She has two kids, a son, twenty-six and a daughter, twenty-four.”

  “So, she’s what?”

  “Forty-eight, but she doesn’t look a day over thirty. Her skin is like porcelain and her hair flows down her shoulders like water flowing down a stream.”

  “You’ve got it bad for her,” Rex said as he laughed.

  “I just said, she’s hot, that’s all.”

  “Yeah well, I’ve never heard you describe a woman like that before.”

  “That’s because I’ve never met such a woman before, dummy.”

  “If she’s as rich as you say then it must be plastic surgery or something. There is nothing real about wealthy people, especially women who don’t look their age.”

  “That’s stereotype thinking. Some people do actually age gracefully.”

  “Whatever, anyway, what does she think about you? Does she get weird and poetic when she thinks about you the way you do her?” he teased.