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Lyric settled into the water, all was quiet in the house except for the soft sound of bubbles popping. A hot bath seemed a luxury these days but the only way she might relax for a little while.

A year had passed since she lost her job, her unemployment benefits had run out. So far she’d been able to pay her bills, but her bank account was empty and she’d been forced to use her credit card, and that was something she didn’t want to do – she’d been taught to use cash for everything. However, the credit card was near its limit now too.

Lyric had driven to countless interviews, willing to work at any job just to be able to pay her bills. But there were thousands of others just as willing to work, and the competition for jobs was insane. For every job interview she’d gone to, there had been at least a hundred other applicants, sometimes even close to a thousand. The recession was making life miserable for nearly everyone, in one way or another.

She’d put the house up for sale, unable to pay the taxes and insurance on it for much longer. It was a buyer’s market right now though, and no one was buying, not even when she dropped the price by 25%. She wouldn’t give the house away, it was all she had in the world.

Lyric cut her budget to the bare minimum – her cell phone the only luxury she had, and that was essential at the moment during her job hunt. She ate sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, and Ramen noodles. She had nothing of value left to pawn and already sold most of her clothes.

“What am I going to do if I can’t find a job soon?” she asked herself, going over the budget in her mind for the tenth time that day, trying to find a way to cut her expenses even more. The only thing of value she had was her car, and she needed that to get to interviews – but there was always the bus.

Her cell phone beeped softly, it was Matt. “Hello?”

“Hey, how are you?” he asked. Matt was deeply concerned for Lyric, he knew just how desperate things were getting for her. He’d offered her money but she had refused.

“I’m doing ok. How about you?” Lyric tried to sound upbeat, pushing all worries from her mind.

“I’m great, thanks.” There was a long pause. “Um, Lyric, I know we talked about this job before and you shot it down…”

Lyric knew which job he was talking about. It disturbed her to even think about it, but at this point she didn’t have the luxury of turning down a potential interview.

“The assistant for the musician? Is that still open?”

“Well, he’s gone through two assistants since I mentioned it to you the first time. The first girl wasn’t willing to put in the hours he needed, and the second girl totaled a brand new car and stole a laptop, cell phone, and cash from his house.”

“That sucks for him. Are the hours that bad?”

“It can be. But its not hard labor, its like running errands for him, keeping track of his schedule and taking him to meetings or to the studio.” When Lyric didn’t say anything, he continued with the sales pitch. “He might need you to come on tour with him - you’d get to travel around the world, all expenses paid. But if he’s out of town, you might only have to watch his house and take care of the bills – pretty easy money.”

“I see.” Lyric was quiet for a minute. “And what is this guy like? Married? Kids? Likes to party?”

“He’s single, pretty quiet. A little older than you, but not much. He likes to have friends over but they don’t party the night away. He drinks a little, but no drugs, nothing stupid.”

“And the pay?”

“I don’t know any figures, but I’m willing to bet it would be around $40 an hour.”

“What did you say?” Lyric sat straight up in the tub, knocking her towel into the water.

“I knew that would get your attention,” Matt laughed. “I can’t say for sure, but I think that would be a ballpark figure. Might be more, might be less.”

“Holy cow, Matt. I can’t even get an interview for minimum wage.”

“I know. That’s why I thought I would try you again when I heard he was looking still. So, do you want me to set up an appointment?”

“What have you told him about me?” Lyric asked.

“I haven’t…”

“Don’t lie to me, Matt. I know you did, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to set up an interview without asking him first.”

“Ok, so I did tell him about you…and he wants to meet you.”

“Really? What did you tell him?”

“I said you weren’t afraid of hard work and long hours, that you’re organized and efficient. Does that sound like you?”

Lyric laughed. “Yes, a little.” She realized it described her pretty accurately, once she thought about it.

“I told him that we’d been best friends for 15 years and that I thought you needed someone to give you a chance. And that I thought he wouldn’t be sorry if he hired you.”

“Thanks, Matt. I appreciate the confidence.” Lyric was quiet for a moment, thinking about the job. “Did he ask what I looked like?”

“No, I don’t think that matters to him. He just wanted to know if you were easy to get along with, since you two would be working so closely together.”

“And what did you tell him?” Lyric was smiling, she knew the answer already.

“I told him you were a first rate bitch.” Lyric laughed, it was a running joke with them. “I told him you’re focused, detail oriented, but easy going too.”

“Which translates into stubborn, anal retentive, and dresses like a slob.”

“Oh Lyric, why do you have to make this so hard?” Matt smiled though, he knew he had hooked his catch.

“Ok, Matt, sign me up. I’ll go for it.”

“Good girl, that’s my Lyric!”

“Dang, you make me sound like a collie.” She ‘woofed’ and hung up, then fished the towel out of the water. “I hope I don’t regret this.”

******

Howie wondered what the girl would be like. Matt, one of the junior executives at his management company, had assured him that she would be perfect for the job. He hoped he was right, the last two assistants hadn’t worked out at all.

He’d arrived at the restaurant early to make sure that she arrived on time. That was one thing he truly needed in an assistant – someone to keep him on schedule, he was always late for everything.

As the maitre d escorted a young woman to his table, Howie looked down at his watch – 10 minutes early, he liked that.

“Mr. Dorough? I’m Lyric Walters, we have an appointment?”

Howie rose to greet Lyric, liking her firm handshake and direct approach. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Walters. Please, won’t you sit down?”

Howie held the chair for her, then settled back into his own. A waiter appeared and left menus, but Lyric didn’t pick hers up.

“Lunch is on me, order whatever you like.” It was one of Howie’s favorite tactics – you could tell a lot about someone by what they ordered when they thought someone else was paying.

“Thank you, Mr. Dorough. I’m not really hungry right now, if you don’t mind.”

His last two assistants hadn’t even hesitated in picking up the menu, and one had ordered one of the most expensive dishes. He’d hired her anyway, despite a gut instinct against it. This time he was going to pay a lot more attention.

“You can call me Howie…and please, do order something. I’m starving and it would be rude of me to eat in front of you.” He smiled at her and made eye contact, wanting to see her reaction.

Lyric blushed but didn’t look away. There was something hypnotic about his eyes that drew her in. “We wouldn’t want anyone to think you rude,” she said, picking up the menu.

Howie studied her covertly. By the looks of her, she hadn’t had much to eat lately. Matt had warned him that Lyric was really down on her luck and close to losing everything she owned.

Lyric was petite, maybe a couple inches over 5 feet tall, although she was wearing heels which made her a little taller. She was dressed in a conservative suit, one that seemed a size too big for her and was sadly out of fashion. Her makeup was muted but impeccably done, her dark hair pulled back into a sleek chignon.

“Do you already know what you’re ordering?” she asked.

Howie realized he’d been staring, and Lyric had caught him. He blushed, fumbling with the menu to cover his embarrassment.

“I always get the same thing,” he said softly. “Have you decided on something yet?”

“Debating between the chicken Caesar salad or the pecan crusted tilapia. Any suggestions?”

“I don’t suppose you’re on a diet?” he asked. “Neither one could be considered low calorie.”

Lyric laughed, she liked his sense of humor. “I’ve been fortunate in that I don’t have to watch my weight, I pretty much eat whatever I want.”

“The salad is good, but I’d recommend the tilapia – it’s amazing.”

They made small talk until the waiter reappeared. Howie ordered for them both, ordering the exact same thing.

“Did you do that on purpose?” she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

“Do what?”

“Order the same thing as me.”

“No, you ordered what I was going to order all along,” he said, trying to suppress a grin.

Lyric was completely charmed by Howie’s smile and soft voice. He wasn’t anything like she had expected.

“So, I hear a hint of an accent in your voice, Miss Walters, but I can’t quite place it. You didn’t grow up in California?”

“Please, call me Lyric. I was raised in Louisiana,” she said, exaggerating the drawl. “We moved to California when I was six but my mother was born and raised in Alabama. I have a mixture of Cajun and southern accents.”

“It’s very charming,” he said.

“Thank you, kind sir,” Lyric replied, fluttering an invisible fan and batting her eyelashes at him.

Howie laughed, he liked the fact that she was gently flirting with him – it meant she was comfortable being around him.

“Tell me a little about yourself, Lyric. Tell me why you think you’re right for this job.”

It was the dreaded question in all interviews. She never knew what to say, how much to reveal. Lyric decided on the direct approach.

“To be honest with you, Howie, I don’t have any training whatsoever that would qualify me to be a personal assistant. I have a bachelor’s degree in English and my teaching certificate has expired. My only job experience is in insurance.”

“You wanted to be a teacher?”

“Yes, probably at the junior high school level. But I never was able to find a teaching job after I graduated. The Los Angeles school district put a hiring freeze in place just before I graduated, and I didn’t want to move out of state.”

“I think teachers have many skills – organization, patience, creativity, determination…and the ability to take a lot of crap without losing their minds. Do you think you have these traits?”

“I believe so.” Lyric didn’t know where he was going with this line of questioning.

“And you can communicate effectively?” Lyric nodded. “Are you computer literate?”

“Yes, sir, I’m well versed in all the current computer programs.”

“Are you afraid to fly? Afraid to try new food or experience new places?” Howie was throwing the questions at her quickly. “Hate to be told what to do?”

“No, to all of those. But, I don’t see…”

“You have all the qualifications I’m looking for, Lyric.” The food was delivered before she could question him further. “I don’t need someone trained for this job, just someone who is willing to learn and willing to do what needs to be done, that’s all.”

“And you think I can do that?” Lyric fiddled with the silverware, unable to meet his eyes.

“I think so,” he said with a smile. “Try the fish before it gets cold.”

Lyric carefully sampled a small piece. “Oh, Howie, you are so right! This is delicious.”

Howie enjoyed watching her eat, he could tell that she was relishing every bite. He’d already made up his mind – he was going to hire her, if she’d agree to work for him.

“Do you know anything about the music industry?” he asked her.

Lyric’s fork stopped halfway to her mouth, she put it back down on the plate. “Not much. My father was a local musician though, maybe you’ve heard of James Walters?”

“Big Jimmy? Played jazz piano?” Lyric nodded. “I saw him play once, right after I moved to LA. Our manager was trying to sign him to a record deal but he wouldn’t even talk to Lou. How could you have a father so big into the music scene here and not know much about the music industry?”

“James abandoned my mother and I when I was just a child.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked,” Howie said when he saw a look of pain and sorrow cross her face. He reached across the table and touched her hand gently. Lyric felt a flash of electricity run through her at his touch.

“It’s ok. I’m surprised that Matt didn’t tell you.” Lyric felt a little nauseated, she didn’t resume eating. Talking about her father always made her stomach upset.

“He didn’t tell me much about you, said that I needed to see for myself. He said you’re one special lady.”

“That was kind of him to say that,” Lyric said, smiling. “He thinks pretty highly of you too.”

“He should,” Howie joked. “I help pay his salary.”

Lyric just toyed with her food, it had lost its appeal. “So, is there anything else you’d like to know?”

“Just one more thing… When can you start?”

“Really? You’re serious?”

“Yes, I’m totally serious. Are you saying yes?” Howie laughed at the shocked expression on her face, she nodded her acceptance. “Do you have something to write on?” he asked.

“Of course.” Flustered, she dug in her purse until she came up with a tiny notepad and a pen.

“May I see it?” Their fingers touched, again Lyric felt a tiny shock of electricity. He wrote something down on the pad and handed it back to her. “We’ll start out hourly for the first six months at this rate. You’ll receive overtime for anything over 40 hours a week, that’s state law. Is that pay acceptable?”

Lyric was in shock over the amount, it was triple what she had been making at the insurance agency. “Yes, thank you. It’s more than acceptable.”

“You may think that pay generous, Lyric, but believe me, you’ll earn it. This isn’t going to be a walk in the park job. I work all hours of the day and night and I’ll expect you to be available whenever I need you.”

“That won’t be a problem, I don’t have a social life.”

“I may need you to travel with me. I’ll pay all your expenses, of course.” Howie placed his credit card in the folder with the bill for lunch and handed it to the waiter. He took back the notepad and wrote on it again. “Here is my address and my cell phone number. Can you start tomorrow?”

“Certainly.”

“Great. We’ll need to run some errands tomorrow. Do you have your driver’s license and a reliable car?”

“It’s an older 2-door Honda,” she admitted.

“Ah, you’ll need something bigger than that, sometimes I fly with a lot of luggage. We’ll see about getting you a SUV tomorrow too. Is 8 am too early?”

“No, I’ll be there. What should I wear?”

“Tomorrow jeans will be fine. I try to stay pretty casual.”

“Thank you, Howie, for the lunch…and for the job. I’ll do my best, I promise.”

“You’re very welcome, Lyric.” They stood and shook hands again. “I enjoyed lunch very much, and I think its going to be great working together.”

“Me too.”

******

As Lyric waited for the valet to bring her car, she wondered why she had given in so easily. Going into the interview, she’d told herself that hell would freeze over before she had anything to do with a musician.

“So, how did it go?” Matt asked, calling her as she drove home.

“I think it went very well,” she said, not volunteering any information, knowing it would drive Matt insane.

“Come on, Lyric, spill it. You know you want to tell me everything that happened.”

“Ok, he offered me the job…”

“And?” Matt was holding his breath.

“I accepted.”

Matt cheered into the phone. “I knew the two of you would get along well. What did you think of him?”

“Very polite,” she said. “Professional, well dressed.”

“Lyric…”

She sighed. “Ok, Matt, I thought he was very handsome and charming…and he has the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen.”

“A ha! I knew the eyes would get you if the smile didn’t.”

“Matt, I’m just working for the man, not applying to be his mistress, for god’s sake.” Lyric checked her mirrors before moving over to exit the freeway. “It doesn’t matter what he looks like, or if he likes the way I look. I’m working for the man, that’s all.”

“So, when do you start?”

“Tomorrow morning, 8 am. He’s taking me to get a new car.”

“Wow, Lyric, he doesn’t fool around, does he?” Matt laughed. “I bet you’ll be in his bed by nightfall.”

“Go to hell, Matt. I’m not going to sleep with him!” Lyric hung up on her friend. Matt, of all people, knew she wouldn’t jump into bed with just anyone, especially not her boss. He was just teasing, but still it upset her to hear him say that because she was very attracted to the man – and she prayed that he wasn’t expecting sex as part of her job duties.

Lyric didn’t need to worry about that, Howie was all business the next morning.

“Want a donut?” he asked, shoving the box across the kitchen counter at her.

“Yum, thanks.” She picked out a chocolate glazed. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had the sweet treat, they were much too expensive for her to afford on her miniscule budget. She hadn’t even eaten that morning, the kitchen was pretty much empty.

“This is the first and last time for this,” he teased. “From now on, you go get the donuts.”

“Yes, boss.” Lyric liked his easy smile. After breakfast, they climbed into his car to start the morning errands. First, a stop at the cell phone store for a Blackberry and then they hit the electronics store for a laptop.

“So, what kind of SUV would you like? Land Rover? BMW? Cadillac?”

“It’s your car, Howie, you get whatever you want. I’ll drive whatever you choose.” Lyric felt so uncomfortable spending Howie’s money, especially since it was something for her to drive. Getting the cell phone and computer had been bad enough, this was a nightmare for her.

“No, Lyric, you’re going to be spending a lot of time in this car, either running errands for me or taking me places. It has to be something you’re comfortable driving.”

“But…”

Howie pulled off the road and into a strip mall parking lot and parked the car. “Now listen to me, Lyric. You’re gonna have to get used to spending money, my money, coz that’s what I need you to do.” Lyric looked out the window, she couldn’t meet Howie’s eyes. “I know you’ve lived a life where you didn’t have much – I didn’t have all that much growing up either.”

“Really?”

“My father was a cop, there were five kids – we had enough but certainly didn’t live a life of luxury.”

“I’m sorry, I just thought…” Lyric blushed a bright red.

“It’s ok, it was a natural assumption – but wrong.” He reached out and touched her arm. Startled, Lyric turned to him, finally meeting his gaze. “I’m getting you the tools that you need to be my assistant – these are not gifts. If you worked in an office, wouldn’t you need a phone, a computer and a desk?”

Lyric nodded. “I have an image to uphold – I’m not going to be seen driving around in an old junker car. Plus I need something that will keep us both safe and be able to carry all our gear. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Lyric felt thoroughly chastised.

“You don’t need to ‘sir’ me, Lyric.” He took her hand and gently squeezed it. “We don’t know each other very well right now, but soon you’re gonna know more than you want to about me.” Howie laughed.

“I’m sorry, I’m just feeling really overwhelmed right now.”

“I understand. Being a celebrity is tough work, but someone has to do it.” Lyric couldn’t help but laugh at his boyish grin. “Come on, let’s go get you a car to drive.”

Several hours later, Lyric drove the brand new dark gray Cadillac SRX off the lot and back to Howie’s house. It was just the right size for her, and the right size for what they needed.

Howie laughed at the grin on her face as she pulled into the driveway. Although this was just their first day together, he could already tell that they were going to get along very well.