Dirty White Candy, The Beginning, Book 1 (15 page)

Olivia was waiting for me with a delicious cup of coffee and a smile.

“Here’s your messages.
 
Presentation on the shoe campaign is at ten.
 
It’s in a folder on your desktop.
 
Be sure you do a final read through.
 
I tidied it up and think it’s perfect, but I am new, so please double check my work.
 
Also, your nine o’clock is already here in the lobby.”

“It’s eight thirty!
 
Damned overachievers.”

Olivia laughed.
 

“What’s she pushing?”
 
I asked, thumbing through my messages.

“Beauty products.
 
She seems nice.
 
Even though she’s looking to hire you, she looks a bit nervous.
 
That’s probably why she’s here early.
 
She looks easily intimidated, so go easy on her.”

“Thanks Olivia.
 
Can you send her in?”

“Sure,” she turned to leave.

“Olivia?”
 
I said stopping her.
 
“Thanks for not making this weird.”

She grinned and winked at me.
 
“I told you, zero weirdness.
 
I’ll be back with your appointment.”

I read through my emails as quickly as I could while I waited for Olivia to return with my appointment.
 
Looking at my day, I knew it would be incredibly busy.
 
I had no time to screw around.
 
The fact that my appointment was early was actually a good thing, even though normally it would annoy me.

“Hi, Ms. Kavana.
 
My name is Trina Armand.
 
Thank you for meeting me.”

Trina was a mousy little girl.
 
She had square black glasses on her face and in her own little way, looked very trendy.
  
How odd, the combination of trendy and mousy.

“It’s nice to meet you, Trina.
 
Tell me a bit about your beauty products.”

“I came to you because I heard you were the best.
 
I have an investor that really believes in me and has loaned me enough money that I have a monster advertising budget.
 
I need to get this off the ground quickly.
 
All of my cosmetics and hair products are actually good for your hair and skin.
 
None of it clogs your pores, it is made from a pH balanced cocktail of fruit and flower oils.
 
The best part is, unlike the rest of the crap on the market that promises to reduce wrinkles, mine actually work.
 
And that’s what I am having a difficult time with.
 
How do you get people to believe that it works?”

I started getting excited about this project.

“What sort of information do I have to work with?”

Trina pulled a large expandable folder from her briefcase.
 
She had dermatologist testimonies, before and after photos, a large budget, key ingredient lists and samples.

“The samples are for you.
 
I’d like for you to try them.”

“If you trust me, leave me your information.
 
Are you available for a follow up meeting on Thursday?”

“I’ll make time.”

“Good, how about nine?
 
But nine this time, not eight thirty.”
 
I smiled at her.
 
“A girl needs a cup of coffee you know!”

She laughed.
 
“I’m so sorry, I’m just eager to move forward.”

I walked her out and hurried back to my office to review Olivia’s completion of my presentation.
 
I was damned impressed at the things she caught and added.
 
If she kept this up, she’d be promoted and I’d be out of an assistant.

I paged her.

She came into my office and sat down.
 
“Is everything okay?”

“Do you know anyone who could be my new assistant?
 
I mean someone I would like?”

“Are you firing me?”
 
Her mouth fell open.

“No, no!”
 
I waved my hands.
 
“I’m sorry.
 
I want you to give the presentation at ten.
 
You did really fantastic work here.
 
I want management to see it.
 
But if they do, they’ll start watching you, and you’ll be promoted in no time.
 
That means I will need a new assistant and I hate interviewing and I kept a horrible assistant around for far too long because I’m no good at hiring, except for you of course.”

Olivia shook her head.
 
“No.
 
I don’t want to give the presentation.
 
I’m no good at that.
 
Doing the work, I’m good at.
 
Please.
 
I don’t want a promotion.
 
I just want this job.”

“Olivia.”

“No, please.
 
I’m begging you.
 
I don’t want your job.
 
I’ve been through a lot and…”

“It’s okay.
 
Stop stressing!
 
My intentions were to do something nice for you.
 
I’m so sorry I stressed you out, your work is just so impressive.”
 
My good intentions were making me feel horrible.
 
The look on Olivia’s face was one of horror.

“Thank you.
 
I’m sorry I freaked.
 
Some people are really good in the forefront, but some of us like to be in the background.
 
I’m really good support staff, but I’m no good at leading and I don’t want to.”

“Okay,” I grinned, “get out.
 
I have to get ready.
 
The meeting is in ten minutes so since I need to give the presentation, I have to get my shit together.”
 
I winked playfully at her.
 
“But you’re going with me as support.”

“Deal!”
 
She couldn’t get out of my office fast enough.
 

I shook the horrible feeling, gave a dynamic presentation the client loved, as did management.
 
Olivia looked like a proud mother sitting on the edge of her seat watching me.
 

Olivia and I went to lunch together around one.
 

“I was thinking about what you said,” Olivia said as she picked at her salad.
 
“I don’t’ want to be out front but if I can do the work, you can take more clients.
 
If you earn more, I’ll earn more.
 
Right?”

“Yes, you get your salary, plus ten percent of whatever I make.”

“So if I double what you make, I double what I make.
 
You wanted to give me a promotion and I know how stupid it is to pass up money, I’m just completely serious about not wanting to be out front.”
 
She still looked nervous.

“First of all, please stop being nervous.
 
I’m very happy with the work you’re doing.
 
I don’t want you to go anywhere.”
 
I took a sip of my coke.
 
“But if we’re going to do this, we need to take a plan of action.
 
First, you’ll need to sit in on my meetings so you get a feeling for the client.
 
If I start increasing my clientele like you think I will, then I will negotiate for your percentage to increase from ten.
 
You should get more than ten percent if you’re doing the work.
 
And you can’t leave.
 
You’re stuck with me for life.”
 
I teased.

“Deal!”
 
She raised her plastic coke cup to toast.
 
We tapped glasses.
 
“I’m excited!”

“Me too.
 
My first appointment for today, she has a huge budget and if what she says is true, she’s made a miracle product.”
 
I filled Olivia in on the details.

The rest of the day went smoothly with Olivia sitting in on appointments and the two of us dividing the work.

Tuesday went just as smoothly.
 
I used the beauty products Trina had left and I loved them.
 
It was going to be easy to promote her product.

Wednesday I began to get nervous.
 
It was another group appointment with Linda.
 
I already scheduled myself to leave the office early so that I could go home, shower and change.
 
With Olivia taking on some of my work, it really freed up my time.
 
Because I knew I’d be nervous, I blocked the day out simply to work on campaigns.

I did a mock-up for Trina.
 
Great ideas were flooding in, having a day with no interruptions.
 
Being able to focus on her project gave me a much needed distraction from my Wednesday evening plans.

“Candy, it’s three-thirty.
 
You need to get a move on.”
 
Olivia stood in my doorway.
 
“Stop being nervous,” she said giggling.
 
“You’ve already done the first meeting.
 
Now you know what you’re facing.”

She was right.
 
I didn’t know what the nerves were about.
 
Or maybe I did.
 
David.

I smiled and nodded gathering my things.

Picking out my clothes was easy.
 
I had a cute matching pair of bra and panties, though less revealing than the last time.
 
The jeans hugged my ass and the top did wonders for my bust line.

So there I sat in the waiting room with three others.
 
Where were the other two?
 
Were they running late?
 
My heart was pounding so hard I thought it would break through my chest.
 
David was sitting next to me, trying not to grin.

“Are you as nervous as I am,” he whispered.

I nodded, red-faced.

“Thank you for waiting.
 
As you can see, we’ve lost two of our members.
 
So I have two of my former patients waiting in the meeting room to fill the slots.
 
Follow me.”

Funny that she called a room full of beds a meeting room.
 

“The first session is to get you familiar with each other and comfortable touching.
 
This time, we need to get you comfortable with your bodies.
 
Now, Candy and David, you’ll remain partners so long as you both continue attending.
 
You two will pair up with Joyce and Ken.
 
While they’ve been through this before, they know your trepidation.
 
They’ve been there.
 
So please everyone disrobe, this time removing your underwear.”

I felt as if I were going to puke.
 
I didn’t want to be naked in a room full of strangers.
 
Looking around the room, everyone looked like I felt.

“Ma’am, I’m not comfortable with this.”
 
The woman’s hands were shaking.

“The form I had you read and sign mentioned nudity.
 
You agreed to do this, so some part of you must want to move forward.
 
However, you are not to feel pressured into taking off all of your clothes.”

“Thank you,” the woman said, looking like a boulder had been lifted from her shoulders.

“So please feel free to let yourself out.”
 
Linda turned to address the rest of us.