The Boss and His Secretary

Apart from her waitressing stint, she had on rare occasions typed out a report or something or other for her aunt or one of her aunt’s clients. But Taryn hardly thought he would be interested in that. ‘I did an extensive business and secretarial course until I was eighteen, and from there went straight to Mellor Engineering.’

‘You were a PA there?’

‘Not straight away. I had all the theory I could possibly want. But after three years’ actual work in that field, I was promoted to PA to Brian Mellor.’ She experienced a moment of surprise that Brian’s name had left her lips without the slightest falter.

But there was no time for her to wonder about that, because Jake Nash was going on, ‘You worked for Brian Mellor himself? Impressive. You must be good.’

It seemed immodest to retort, I am, but Taryn had had enough. ‘Look here,’ she erupted—a touch arrogantly, it had to be said. ‘If you’re interviewing me, and I can’t see what else this is about, then—while I’m not sure I’m applying for the job anyway—I wouldn’t mind hearing what this job actually is. Or even if there is a job.’

He did not care for her uppity tone. She could tell that from the slight narrowing of his eyes. But, whatever he was thinking or feeling, he covered it well to inform her, ‘There is a job…’

‘A PA’s job?’ She might be interested, she might not be. But, since this was her career she was thinking of, it had to be PA or nothing.

‘Yes,’ he agreed, but warned, ‘It may only be temporary.’

‘I’m not interested in temporary,’ she said straight away. ‘I’m not even sure I’m interested anyway.’

‘Of course you are!’ he countered bluntly, causing her to think he needed a slap.

‘Why “of course”?’ Her tone was belligerent—she’d never had a job interview like it!

‘The experience you’d gain alone would stand you in very good stead when you’re ready to move on. As my PA you’d—’

‘Your PA!’ she gasped. Oh, no, not on your life! But her head was instantly abuzz. They didn’t come any higher than Jake Nash—and he was suggesting she might be his PA!

‘The vacancy isn’t common knowledge yet,’ he replied.

‘You’re getting rid of your present PA?’ Taryn exclaimed, her dark blue eyes saucer-wide.

‘I wouldn’t dream of it; she’s far too valuable.’

‘I’ve lost you somewhere,’ Taryn owned, feeling in quite a fog.

He took pity on her. ‘Kate Lambert has worked for me for the last seven years. I confess I’d be totally lost without her.’

‘But you’re thinking of letting her go—temporarily?’ Taryn had stayed with him so far.

He threw some light into her darkness. ‘Kate, in confidence, is newly pregnant.’

‘Ah!’ Taryn breathed. ‘You want maternity cover for her?’

‘A bit more than that. To put it mildly, Kate is having a pretty torrid time of it. And while in normal times she copes excellently with what I appreciate is a very exacting job, her pregnancy seems to be taking a lot out of her. Poor Kate—she is quite drained at times.’

‘She is easily tired?’ Taryn put in.

‘I’m afraid so. And while, in order to have longer with the baby when it arrives, she wants to carry on working as long as she possibly can, I think she is already finding it quite a struggle.’

By the sound of it he wasn’t thinking of taking on someone for cover only while Kate Lambert was away, but someone sooner. ‘It’s temporary, this job?’ Taryn questioned.

‘Kate says she wants to return at the end of her maternity leave. I’d be more than pleased if she does.’

‘But you don’t think she will come back?’

‘Kate’s a perfectionist. She’ll want to do both jobs, being a mother and being a PA, in perfect fashion. I think there’s every chance she’ll want to stay home if she can.’

That seemed natural enough to Taryn. But she was suddenly startled to realise she was starting to be interested—even to the extent that she might end up working for this man she did not like. No, she denied, she definitely did not want to work for him. Hang on a minute, though. As he had suggested, any experience she gained while working for him would be invaluable and, as he’d said, would stand her in very good stead when she went on to her next job. ‘How soon would you want me to start?’ she asked.

‘Not so fast, Taryn,’ he replied. ‘I haven’t offered you the job.’

She flushed red, and had never felt more embarrassed. ‘Forgive me,’ she said coolly. ‘I thought you had—were…’

‘I’m sorry,’ he apologised, his eyes on her flushed skin. He smiled gently. ‘I’m not used to this initial interview practice.’ And, having taken the blame on himself, ‘Human Resources would normally deal with that, but I don’t intend to involve them at the moment. Nor have I told Kate yet that I’m looking for someone to work in tandem with her who would carry on to cover her while she’s on maternity leave,’ he said, going on to explain, ‘Kate’s hopes have been dashed too often in the past, apparently, and she had started to believe she would never have a baby. Because she is having such a tough time—yet still fearful something might go wrong—she has asked me to not tell anyone of her condition.’

‘She doesn’t know you’re getting someone to take some of her workload?’ Taryn asked, as that bit jumped out at her. ‘Will she mind?’

‘Hopefully, when she adjusts to the idea, she’ll be all for it. My thoughts were—seeing that you want to get back into PA work—that I’d see how you felt about coming to work for me, then ask you to come into the office at your first opportunity. Kate can then tell you what the job entails, and she can also judge if she thinks you’re capable of doing it.’

‘And you will have the final yea or nay?’

He nodded. ‘That’s right,’ he acknowledged. ‘I know I’ve rather dropped this on you,’ he added. ‘I’ll ring you early next week, when you’ve had chance to consider how you feel.’

With that he got to his feet, just as his great uncle came into the kitchen. ‘Jake!’ he said gladly. ‘I didn’t see or hear your car!’

‘I needed to stretch my legs,’ Jake replied easily. ‘I walked up from the road.’

Taryn got up and refilled the kettle, knowing her present temporary employer would like some tea. But as he smiled at her, and he and his great-nephew ambled out to look at some machine part Osgood Compton had unearthed and they had been discussing last Saturday, she could not help but still feel stunned that it looked as if she might possibly have a new temporary employer within the same family! Did she want to work for Jake Nash, though?

It was a question that would return again and again to plague her over the next few days. But even as the weekend came and went she was still unsure—always supposing the job was offered.

She did not like him. Against that, though, did she have to like him? She had loved her previous employer and ultimately, because of that love, she’d had to leave that job.

By no chance would that happen if she did go to work for Jake Nash. Theirs would be a strictly professional working relationship. Love certainly wouldn’t come into it. No, basically, she did not have to like him.

Mrs Ellington telephoned on Monday and said she would be returning on Thursday morning. And, knowing then that she would be leaving on Thursday afternoon, Taryn acknowledged that, as sweet and lovely as Osgood Compton was, she had had sufficient of keeping house.

What she wanted was a job she could knuckle down to. A career job. One that would take her to the top of the PA tree. She had to smile at that—the top did not come any higher than PA to Jake Nash, albeit temporary, albeit in tandem with his invaluable and present PA.

He, Jake Nash, had left her to consider how she felt. He had told her it was a temporary job and that she would only be assisting Kate Lambert until she went off to have her baby. But when Taryn put her mind to considering the experience she would gain, she knew by Tuesday morning that she wanted the job.

The problem was, would she get it? From what she could remember she had rarely shown Jake Nash anything other than her antagonistic side. And while it was true, as he said, that they had started off ‘on the wrong foot’, it was odd that should be so. She was usually much more amiable with people she came into contact with. Which led her to wonder, given that she had been slightly off with him from the word go, would he want her working with him?

On pondering over it, as she pottered about making everything spick and span so that Mrs Ellington would not have to roll her sleeves up and get into heavy work as soon as she returned, Taryn realised that, while she did not like Jake Nash, he would see no need for him to have to like her either. All he would require from whoever he took on would be someone he could confidently leave to keep his office running smoothly. Someone who would work hard and not put down her pen at the stroke of five.

Well, she could do that, and she never had been a clock-watcher.

Though before she got chance to prove that, there were hurdles to clear. It was plain now why he had not put this temporary vacancy through his Human Resources section. With Kate Lambert not wanting it broadcast that she was pregnant, he had decided that he personally would deal with the issue of getting her some help.

Briefly Taryn wondered why he had not thought of sounding out someone within the company to assist Kate Lambert. But that did not take too much thinking about. Kate’s assistant had to be someone with PA experience. And any experienced PA within the group would already be assigned to someone in management. And, while perhaps they would be happy for the chance to work for the head of the corporation, they might not feel so happy when Kate Lambert’s maternity leave expired and—despite what Jake Nash had said about Kate maybe deciding to stay home with her baby—she wanted to come back and take over again.