The Alpha King Call Boy
Chapter 220

Fiona

Dear Conrad, I typed into the email draft window.

And then I was stuck for a while, staring at a blinking cursor on the screen.

I'd finally managed to hit reply on that email from my old boss, but getting an actual message typed out was harder to do.

Alexander had received a call from Conrad while he and I were having lunch. Apparently there was a situation that required an emergency meeting with their company lawyers, and Conrad asked if Alex could join. He of course left for the city right away, with a promise to return to the palace by sundown.

That got me thinking about Conrad again, and the email he'd sent me.

I just could not handle having it looming over me any longer. The lack of closure, the knowing that he may be waiting for my response and wondering about it... it was bugging me, living rent-free in my mind. So I decided just to reply. I envisioned sending a brief, professional response that closed the loop but didn't get too deep into the personal subtext.

Thank you for your email, I started typing.

But then I got stuck again.

I groaned quietly.

Stop overthinking it, I told myself. Just write something.

I tried to go into work mode, channeling the boss bitch energy that Zueled te to workplace settings to be confident and quick and are previous kind words alat my costs ablutions at Crescent

Ventures. I learned a lot during my time these, and I'm pleased to hear that my hard work had a positive impact on the business.

As you know, Alexander and i are quite busy these days. I have no availability now for

10-person saceuse.

, Due I will consider reaching out in the future should I find myself, as you say, ready for such an appointment.

Please give my best to the team. I hope they are all doing well.

Regards,

Fiona

The new email notification sound that came from my computer a few minutes later, while I was making myself a snack in the kitchenette, gave me an unexpected startle. My first thought, of course, was that it was a reply from Conrad Fortunately, it was not.

It was a message from one of our incoming visitors. The woman's name was Olivia. She was the Luna of the pack leader, Grayson, with whom Alex was hoping to form a new alliance. The two of them lived in a tiny desert town about a hundred miles away from the canyon where Alexander believed the vampires were making their camp.

A hundred miles was not really close. But it was the closest populated area to the canyon, by far. The only other inhabited area that was closer was Blackout Casino and Resort, which Alex believed to be occupied by and under the control of the vampires, too. Olivia confirmed by email that Brandon had provided her and her husband with the train and plane tickets they needed, and that they'd be leaving early the next morning. Also coming along on the journey was Grayson's Beta and that man's Luna. The four were scheduled to arrive here at the palace late next evening.

This gave me just one more full day to prepare the East Wing ahead of their arrival. But I was not worried. Those workers had been moving at a fast and efficient clip this morning, and I trusted Isabel would make sure her deadline was met. "Fiona," Brandon answered cheerily. "To what do I owe the pleasure?

After replying to Olivia, I decided to call Brandon just to triple-check that he really had provided her and her troupe with everything they would need for their day of travel. I ran through my questions quickly and Brandon answered in kind, putting my mind at ease with his confident and thorough answers.

"Thank you," I told him once we'd finished up that bit of business."

I really appreciate how on top of things you always are."

"Coming from you, that's quite a compliment." He chuckled, "You know, I was actually planning to give you a call later today, Fiona. I have something else to discuss with you.""And what is that?"

"You asked me to screen some candidates for a personal assistant," he reminded me. "I've got a short list ready for you. I've interviewed them all by phone already. Some promising folks. Would you like me to send over their resumes-or just set up interviews?" "Oh." I thought about this a moment, recalling how much time I wasted trying to find an assistant when I was working at Crescent." How about we do a group interview? Have them all come in to meet with me at once. I feel like I could probably weed through the candidates faster that way."

It would also create a bit more of a high-pressure environment, I imagined. Interviewing the candidates in front of each other, challenging them to out-perform each other. And I wanted to find someone who not only could handle pressure, but thrived under it. "Sounds great. When would you like to schedule the interview?" I looked at my watch.

Alexis was sleeping, out cold in the deep slumber she only seemed to achieve in the afternoons.

"How about. today? Think you could round up those candidates within the next few hours?" "Of course. Whatever you need >>

"Great. Let me make sure I can get someone to watch the baby, then I'll text you to confirm. About two hours from now should be fine. Look for my confirmation text in a minute."

Nina came by within a half hour, time that I used to draft a list of interview questions.

Once my friend was here and on call for Lexi duty, I took a quick shower, fixed my hair and makeup, and changed into the outfit that Nina had surreptitiously selected for me and lain out on my bed while I was in the bathroom.

And then, soon enough, I was click-clacking my high heels over to a room near the center of the palace, where Brandon had succeeded in collecting my applicants together in a large meeting room. They were seated all around a long, oval-shaped conference table. When I entered the room, they all hopped up to their feet expectantly.

I felt rather powerful, seeing how fast something like this could be set up at my demand. It gave me a boost of energy, being back in this professional mode and seeing how eager all the candidates were to impress me.

The interview lasted only about fifteen minutes.

I'd learned a lesson, when I interviewed assistant candidates at the office. That my instinct was always right, and I didn't need to waste time on all the formalities of chit-chat and question-asking, when really I could tell rather quickly that someone was not up for the job.

I went through my questions in rapid-fire fashion, and started sending candidates away as soon as I knew that I was not going to hure them. Palpable tension buzzed in the room as more and more of them were declined and asked to leave.

Finally, only one remained. The young woman - her name was Tracy - turned to me with a proud, confident smile after the last of the rejected candidates left the room.

"You're it," I told her. "Congratulations." And then I shook her hand.

Tracy was practically glowing with happy, positive energy. I knew she and I were going to get along. She was someone who could handle stress with aplomb, that much I could tell so far.

Once she and I agreed upon a wage, I left my new assistant with Brandon to sign some paperwork and make everything official.

And then I headed back to our room, texting Alex while I walked. I was excited to share my news with him, and grinning from ear to ear as I wrote all about the impromptu interview and my successful hire.

But apparently, Alexander was not having such a great afternoon. I should have expected as much I'd kind of forgotten that he was handling some sort of legal emergeney. With his beloved uncle. Alex: Congrats, Fi. That's great.

I grimaced. He was trying to be supportive, but I could tell he was no longer in a good mood.

Me: Everything going alright over there?

Alex: It's fine. Crisis has been averted. Nothing to worry about.

I was frowning, looking at these messages and trying to interpretmy husband's tone, as I entered our room.

"Oh, no," Nina said quietly. She was seated at the table, eating potato chips and scrolling on her phone. "Interview didn't go well?"

I laughed a little. "Actually, it went great. I hired someone."

"Then what's with the sad face?" She noisily folded the top of the chip bag and clipped it elosed, wiped her hands on a napkin, got up and headed over to meet me by the door.

"I was just reading a text from Alex. I think he's having a tough afternoon. Dealing with something unpleasant over there at Crescent."