She crept down the hall, and found the door to the production room open. A small group of people were gathered around a table. Not feeling comfortable disturbing them, Lexi stood silently in the doorway until someone noticed her there.
“Can I help you?” one of the women asked as she looked over her shoulder.
“Sorry to interrupt. I’m looking for Tony?” A dark haired man stood up, his eyes blatantly roaming over Lexi’s body. Her stomach began to lurch as he stepped closer with a sneer on his face.
“To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“Vincent sent me down to get the Max ad mockups,” Lexi said, backing away from Tony as subtly as possible.
“Vincent sent you down?” He barked out a laugh. “Did you hear that, guys? Vincent sent her down here.” The group stopped what they were doing and began chuckling while Tony folded his arms across his chest and leaned closer. “How is my dear friend, Vincent? Does he still have that large pole jammed up his ass?”
Lexi did her best to keep her composure, but everything about Tony gave her the creeps. Vincent was right—he was an asshole, and for some reason Tony seemed to have a major beef with Vincent too.
Tony crept closer and dipped his head toward her neck unexpectedly, drawing in a deep breath. “Mmmmm. I’d love to get a taste of you, honey.”
Creep.
After the day she’d had, Lexi was done playing Tony’s game. “First, my name is Lexi, not ‘honey.’ Second, I need those mockups now. Vincent’s waiting.” How she managed to say that with such authority and conviction, Lexi had no idea, but she thanked her lucky stars that it worked. Her sharp response knocked Tony off guard and, more importantly, shut him up for a second.
When he heard the snickers behind him, he snapped out of it and went on the offensive again. “Let him wait. What do I care? I think we still have a few things to touch up on them, anyway. I’ll get it to him tomorrow, maybe.” Tony snarled. “Now where were we?” A sinister grin slid across his face as he stepped closer to Lexi, practically backing her up against a wall.
She stuck out her hand and planted it firmly on the center of his chest, allowing her nails to dig into his flesh as he tried to press in closer. I am not a doormat, she reminded herself.
“We weren’t anywhere. You were bringing me those mockups in the next thirty seconds, or I’ll happily pass on the second part of the message from Vincent, which has to do with you being fired if you make me wait for them any longer than that.” She dropped her hand so Tony wouldn’t feel how badly she was trembling as she faked her bravado.
The humor and slimy charm were wiped off Tony’s face by Lexi’s biting words. They were soon replaced by simmering rage. He turned on his heel and stalked across the room, snatching up two large presentation boards and thrusting them at Lexi.
“Anything else you need, honey?” he sneered, trying to save a little face.
Lexi paused to appraise the boards, even though she had absolutely no idea what they were supposed to look like. She wanted to make him squirm, arrogant jerk that he was. She felt Tony’s beady eyes lock on her as she kept him waiting. The room heaved a collective sigh of relief when Lexi smiled sweetly.
“This should do it. If Vincent has a problem with them, I’m sure you’ll hear from him yourself.” She gave a polite wave to the rest of the group. “Thank
you for your help. Have a great day.”
When the door was safely closed behind her, Lexi slouched back against the wall and heaved a sigh of relief, her heart nearly pounding out of her chest. She had no idea where the brazen, ballsy side of her had come from, but she was sure glad she had found it; otherwise he probably would continue to pull the same crap whenever he saw her. If nothing else, he would probably think twice about how he spoke to her in the future.
With a new sense of confidence, Lexi took the elevator back to the twentythird floor. She flashed Leigh a big smile and a thumbs up as she walked past her desk carrying the large presentation boards under her arm. She was hopeful that Vincent might be slightly impressed that she had marched into the snake pit with Tony and come back with the prize.
Another test passed, Lexi thought as she set the boards on her desk.
She was about to buzz Vincent when a gorgeous brunette glided past her desk, making a bee line for Vincent’s office. The woman reeked of perfume. Not wanting to face the wrath of Vincent if someone walked into his office unannounced, Lexi jumped up and positioned herself between the woman and the door.
“Can I help you?”
“Excuse me? Are you serious? Get the hell out of my way.” The woman glared down her nose at Lexi, her attitude almost as offensive as her scent.
Lexi stood her ground. “Do you have an appointment?”
“With Vince?” The woman’s fury grew as Lexi raised an eyebrow and waited for an answer. “Yes, I had an appointment with him this morning in the shower. I also had a rather long one last night in the back seat of the limo on the way home from the airport. Should I go on?”
So this is the girlfriend. She’s even more unpleasant than Leigh described.
“No, thanks, I get the picture. But he’s on the phone, so would you mind waiting until he’s done before you go inside?”
The woman’s lips pulled back in a sneer. “I don’t believe we’ve been formally introduced.”
“I’m Lexi, Lexi White. Vincent’s new assistant.”
Lexi politely extended her hand to the ill-mannered woman, who regarded it like it was covered in toxic waste. “Lexi, how lovely. I’m Jade, as in the international supermodel Jade, and for your information, I wait for no one. So why don’t you go scurry back to your desk and make me a cup of coffee, non-fat creamer and two Splendas?”
As Jade was about to muscle her way inside the office, the door flew open. Vincent filled the doorway, glaring at them. “Do you two mind? I’m on the phone with a client, and all I can hear is your incessant bickering.”
Jade pointed her lengthy acrylic claw at Lexi. “Sorry, Vince. But she wouldn’t let me in to see you.” Her brightly painted lips turned out in a ridiculously childish pout as she played with his tie.
Lexi bit back a grin as Vincent swatted Jade’s hand away. When he looked over at her, Lexi’s eyes went down to the floor, embarrassed at making yet another mistake where Vincent was concerned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know who she was.”
“Jade, have a seat. I’ll be with you when I’m off the phone,” he said coolly before slamming the door shut in both their faces.