The Stalked Assistant (Chapter-7)

As I'm walking out of Claiborne's office, I see Amanda waving me over towards her. I can't believe that asshole said that about my dress, I thought I picked a nice one for my first day but I guess I was wrong, it looked professional to me.

"What's up?" I asked Amanda as I stop in front of her desk, trying to cool down from that conversation.

The nerve of that man.

"I wanted to ask you, if you wanted to go out and get some lunch together. We can go to the new restaurant, it's called Rockys. I been wanting to eat there for weeks but didn't want to go alone." She says and as she says the name I remember that's where Claiborne's meeting is going to be having his meeting, and I could use it with not seeing his face at the moment.

"Claiborne has a meeting there today" I tell her hoping she picks up what I'm putting down, I would prefer to go eat somewhere else plus if Claiborne is going there it's probably pretty expensive and I don't have the extra money for that right now.

"That's okay, we won't bother him." She says shrugging and putting a smile on her face like she just made the situation better, but she doesn't understand. I don't have the money to spend on expensive food, maybe in a few weeks when my work checks start coming in. 

I also don't want to miss this opportunity of making a new friend, what if I say no and she thinks I don't want to have lunch with her and it makes our work friendship well at least the one I had hoped to have ruined.

I guess I could just eat cheap things for the rest of the week, we get paid every week so I should be okay, 1$ noodles here, I guess.

"Sure. Sounds fun." I plaster a fake smile on my face. "Let me grab my purse and phone, and I'll meet you out here." 

"Perfect," she hums and does something on her computer.

Walking into my office I pick up my phone and unlock it, let me send Claiborne a text before I forget.

I type in his number and send him a text.

Me-It's Isabella. 

I keep it short and sweet and drop my phone into my purse and head out the door to meet back up with Amanda.

As soon as I close my office door Amanda is holding her purse, standing on the side of her desk. "Ready?" She asked.

"Yes, let me just let Mr. Claiborne knows I'm heading to lunch." I tell her.

"The office is closed for an hour, there isn't a need for that girl. He knows I always take my lunch when he goes for his. It's easier that way we are all back at the same time" she tries to reassure me, but I don't think it's a smart move for me to go without telling my boss.

My job as his assistant is to make sure I'm there when he needs me and I need to let him know I'll be out of the office.

"I would just feel better with telling him. Give me second, please" I tell her and turn around heading for his door before knocking softly.

"Come in" 

I poke my head through the door and spot him sitting at his desk, and staring at his phone.

I hope I'm not bothering him.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but I'm heading to lunch with Amanda and wanted to let you know. I'll have my phone on me, so if you need just send me a text. Is that okay?"

"That's fine. I just saved your number on my phone." He says before laying his phone done, keeping his eyes locked with mine which only makes my tongue start to feel dry. "Anything else?" He sighs when he sees that, I haven't left yet.

"Well, we are going to the Rockys restaurant and I know that's where your meeting will me and I just wanted to let you know that we won't bother you. Amanda suggested we eat there" I tell him hoping it's not a big deal like I'm making it out to be inside my head.

"That's fine." He says before waving his hand towards the door, I'm getting tired of him dismissing me like that.

"Have a good meeting" I tell him and quickly close his door.

"All good?" Amanda asked me once the door was closed.

"Yeah, we are good. Let's go" I tell her and follow her towards the elevator.

"Have you lived in New York your whole life?" She asked me.

"No, I'm actually from Texas, I came here to attend a college that offered a great publishing study." I tell her, as we step into the elevator.

"Ah, that's nice. I'm from here, born and raised. My father is actually good friends with Mr. Claiborne, the father. It's how I actually got this job. Don't tell anyone, I don't want the rest of the employees to think differently of me. I work hard." She rushes to add, like she was afraid I was going to judge her.

That's not the case at all, take it from someone that's been struggling for years. Having a bit of help in this business doesn't hurt.

"Of course, I won't." I assure her.

We chatted the rest of the way to the restaurant, I had thought we would be taking one of our cars but Amanda said it would be faster for us to walk to and back from the restaurant than it would be to wait in the car.

She h

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ad more time to eat, she joked.

Yeah I like her already, sounds like she likes her food, just like I do.

So we have been walking down the street for a few minutes, she points out places and tells me a little about this, helping me get used to my surroundings. She showed me where Claiborne likes his coffee from and I appreciated that, after everything I would hate to go into his office and freaking not like the coffee I got.

That would just cause another argument.

The next one will probably be the end to my job.

We finally reach the restaurant and just like I expected it's fancy as hell, and everything on the tables that I see looks like it's going to be high priced, which only causes my head to start hurting from worrying about money.

"I can't wait to try the lobster, ugh I seen the pictures of the dish on Facebook and it looked to die for" she gushes as we walk up to the hostess's desk.

"Hi. Welcome to Rocky's how many?" The lady asked, scanning her eyes over my dress before quickly putting her gaze back on Amanda.

Again with my dress?

I could judge her back, with her over caked make-up face but I don't.

I want to, though, give her a peace of less self-esteem like she just gave me.

I have been having eyes on my body all day, judging my clothing like I'm trash and it just upsets me. I worked hard, I didn't ask my parents for any money, I paid my own way here. 

"2" Amanda says in a snarl as she sees the woman eyeing my dress.

Did she just stick up for me? 

Maybe we are becoming friends already.

"It will be a few minutes, wait." 

We wait about 10 minutes, not a few to get seated and afterwards we are both scanning through the menus, I'm looking for the cheapest thing on the menu, I found a hamburger for 15$. 

Jeez. 15 dollars for a burger? What's in the damn patty?

I definitely can't afford to eat at a place like this all the time.

The waitress comes over and I order my burger while Amanda orders her lobster and we wait. She is telling how her and Claiborne basically grew up together, and how they still vacation together when the families are involved.

My phone dings in my bag and I dig it as though she is telling me how their latest vacation to the Caribbean was.

Unlocking my phone, I see that it's a text message from Claiborne.

Claiborne- Meeting tomorrow 4:25pm board room with Zack Hall. 

Hall? Must be related to Logan Hall, the man he should be meeting with now.

I dig my sticky notepad out of my purse along with me pen and quickly write that down, I'm going to have to remember to add that to his calendar before heading home.

Me- Got it.

I go to put my phone back in my purse thinking he isn't going to text back but before I can drop it inside my phone goes off again.

My traitorous heart skips a beat to the thought of him texting me, which is so silly because it's just about work.

Stupid body.

Claiborne- On a sticky note?

I can't help the smirk that plays on my lips, Amanda is still talking away and I'm not really paying attention which I feel bad for.

Me- of course. I'll remember to add it to your calendar when I get back to the office.

Claiborne- Just don't stick it on my desk.

A laugh passes my lips as I read that, he really has a problem with my sticky notes.

"What's funny?" Amanda asked.

Oops, she may think I was laughing at her, whatever she was talking about. 

I don't want to tell her that I found Claiborne funny, I don't want her to think of it the wrong way so I come up with a smile little lie.

"Sorry, it was just my momma" I apologize while I'm typing Claiborne back.

Me- No sir. I'll stick them on mine.

Haha.

I shove my phone back into my purse putting all my attention back on Amanda, feeling a little bad for lying to my new friend.

"Oh that's okay" she says as the waitress brings our food, halting our conversation as we both start to dig into our meal.

25 minutes later we are both stuffed, leaning backwards into our seats after we ate every bite. I definitely wasn't going to waste a 15 dollar hamburger.

Amanda waves down our waitress so we can pay for our food and get back to the office, I'll admit for an expensive ass burger it tasted just like McDonald's.

The waitress comes over and tells us that our meal was paid for.

"A gentleman, paid for both your meals. Thank you all for checking out Rockys" she smiles and hands us the receipt.

"Well that was nice, it must have been Claiborne that paid for us." She smiles before grabbing her purse and heading out the booth, leaving me to follow behind her.

I think I have 15 dollars in my purse to pay him back when we all get back into the office, it was a nice thing that he did but after everything he told me today, I feel like I should offer him money for it, to pay him back.