Astorex’s offices occupied an entire fifteen floors of one of the skyscrapers in New York. He headed to the reception. He had spent some extra time on his appearance, making sure that there was nothing that stood out. He looked like just another office worker, in a nondescript black suit, white shirt, navy tie, slacks, and shoes he’d spent five minutes polishing before leaving his apartment.
“I’m here to meet Ms. Shue,” he told the receptionist, a slim young man wearing gold-rimmed spectacles.
“Mr. Vaughn?” the young man asked. Dylan smiled in response. It was a tight smile. His muscles always seemed to tighten when he was nervous, and all his movements ended up being restrained and curt. He hoped he’d come off nervous instead of cold.
“She’s expecting you,” the receptionist said. “Just walk over to Room 1526. You need to just take a right and keep on going until you see it.”
“Thank you,” he said. He straightened his tie before starting the short walk to Ms. Shue’s cabin. In the week between his offer letter and his starting day, he’d realized how much he was unequipped for the job. He didn’t know what to prepare for. The job listing had just said “Executive Assistant”. Even in his offer letter, there had been no mention of whom he would be assisting. He had been sent an NDA, which hadn’t been completely unexpected, but the communication other than that had been minimal.
It didn’t help that Astorex was involved in a wide range of industries. He couldn’t prepare for everything, not within a week. Dylan reached Ms. Shue’s room, and took a deep breath before knocking.
“Come in,” a woman’s voice came, muffled through the door.
Ms. Shue stood up as he opened the door. Dylan’s first impression of her was that she fit in. Ms. Shue had the easy confidence of someone who knew her place in the world. She sat down and motioned for Dylan to take the seat in front of her.
“So, Mr. Vaughn,” she said. “First of all, welcome to Astorex. I see that you’ve completed all the necessary documentation. Before we start with your training, I want to impress on you a few things about this position.”
“Yes, I actually had a few questions. I’m not sure what exactly this job entails.”
“Yes, I understand. We’ll go over everything today. First though, I must impress upon you the importance of discretion in this job, and at Astorex.”
Did they think he was going to leak company secrets? It was true that Astorex was growing. A few years before, the company hadn’t even existed.
“There are certain things about our employer that must not leave this office. If they do, you will face the most severe of consequences. Astorex will come after you with all of the legal power we can. You will not be able to find a job in this city… or any city, for that matter.”
As Ms. Shue spoke, her voice grew cold and stern. Dylan realized that it was a speech she had given often. Perhaps, she had given it to everyone who joined the company. Ms. Shue paused to take a breath.
“We are simply a company who value our information. Everything should be fine as long as you are discrete and abide by the terms of the NDA. Astorex is not a hostile work environment. You’ve seen our benefits package yourself and the paid vacation we offer. For your position in particular, there is a bonus that you should be looking forward to.”
For the first time, Ms. Shue smiled, a crack in her otherwise completely professional demeanor. “Hopefully, it will make this all worth it.”
“So the job will be difficult?” Dylan asked.
“You’re going to be Ms. Weaver’s assistant,” she said.
“Ms. Weaver?” Dylan asked. The only Ms. Weaver he knew of was the CEO, and that couldn’t be right. Secretaries to CEOs were people with more experience. They worked their way up to the position with time and dedication. The position didn’t land in their lap like it had for him.
“Not the CEO?” he asked, thinking there must be another Weaver in the company. A relative granted a position out of nepotistic goodwill.
“The CEO,” Ms. Shue confirmed.
It seemed unprofessional to question his capability of doing a job on the first day of work. He didn’t want to get fired before getting his first paycheck. He cleared his throat before he spoke.
“Why did you choose me for this position?”
“You worked in jobs where it was required that you keep secrets,” Ms. Shue said. “Part-time at a doctor’s office, camp counselor, and you volunteered at a mental health hotline. Somehow managed to keep all those secrets. We asked around. You didn’t slip, didn’t gossip. We tested it, too. You’re not very active on social media, which is good. Your circle of friends is quite limited as well. You are someone who is very suitable for us.”
The NDA. The obsession with secrecy.
“Ms. Shue, am I going to be part of something illegal?” Dylan asked. “Because if that’s what this is, I don’t want any part of it.”
Ms. Shue shook her head. “Nothing illegal. We just have some things that we cannot have become public knowledge. It’s nothing illegal or unethical, just something… out of the ordinary.”
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