Read Love Left Behind for Free Online

about Sean and his dullness, he was part of my history and
there had been some good times.
    Having nothing else to
do, I turned on my computer and watched it boot up.
    "Hi," I heard
a voice chirp. I turned around and saw a woman pop her head out from the
cubicle next to me. "I'm Celeste."
    Celeste looked like she
was in her late fifties with greying hair, but her brown eyes still looked bright
and youthful.
    "Hi,
Celeste," I replied with a smile. "I'm Emma, Janet Lerner's new
assistant. Nice to meet you."
    Celeste rolled out of
her cubicle in her chair, scooting closer to mine. "I work for Drew
Stephens, right over there." She indicated the office next to Janet's with
a nod of her head. "Welcome to Mass Comm."
    "Thanks." I
appreciated the friendliness, but I wasn't sure I wanted Janet to catch me
already chatting it up with other assistants. I wanted her to think I was
competent and responsible, not an office gossip.
    I turned back to my
computer, opening up my email. I saw that Janet had already cc'ed me on several
emails, so I started scrolling through them.
    "Sorry," I
said, pausing from reading and looking back at Celeste. "I just want to
read through these emails. But thanks so much for the welcome."
    "No problem,"
Celeste said, not seeming to be offended as she slid her chair back into her
cubicle. "We'll have time to chat later."
    The emails were pretty
routine, updating the progress of some marketing campaigns for Janet's clients
as well as information from Human Resources.
    My phone buzzed and I
looked at it hesitatingly. I assumed it was Janet on the intercom, but I had no
idea which button to push. I tentatively pushed a button next to a blinking
light and I was relieved to hear Janet's voice.
    "Emma, why don't
you come into my office so that we can start going over things."
    "Sure, I'll be
right there."
    I grabbed a pad and pen
I found in the drawer and walked into Janet's office. She was busy typing on
her computer, but she looked up and smiled when she heard me enter. She waved
me into a chair in front of her desk and folded her hands in front of her.
    "I know you were
pretty surprised that I hired you sight unseen from our phone call. I go on gut
instinct. That's been a large part of why I've been able to succeed in this
company at a relatively young age. And I had a gut instinct that you're exactly
the right person for this job. You'll be doing a lot of the normal assistant
things, like drafting letters and setting up meetings, but I want to give you
more responsibility than that. I was impressed with your background at your old
agency, and I know that you've been able to handle clients on your own.
Ideally, I would love for you to eventually handle some of my clients
independently. I see this as a stepping stone for you, for bigger things in
this company."
    I felt excitement stir
at Janet's words. This was exactly what I had been hoping for. A foot in the
door at a large marketing firm. I couldn't believe how lucky I was that I was
working for someone who was willing to give me a chance.
    "I can't tell you
how much I appreciate this opportunity," I said. "I can definitely
handle the extra responsibility and look forward to helping you with your clients."
    Janet nodded and
continued. "I'm happy to hear that. I also want to warn you that while I'm
a fair boss, I expect a lot as well. I want you to consider this a career. This
job has to be a priority for you. That's not to say I'm unreasonable. I realize
that real life can intrude on the job and sometimes it's a juggling act. I just
hope you know how to juggle well."
    I nodded eagerly.
"I definitely consider this job as the start of my career at Mass
Communications. And I assure you that I have my priorities in order."
    Janet seemed satisfied
with my answer and she spent the next hour filling me in on her different
clients and the various marketing strategies she was working on. I scribbled
furiously on my notepad, not wanting to miss a word. While it was