It was my first time meeting Claire, and I felt a bit nervous. My mind raced with thoughts of how she would be. Would she be uptight or friendly and approachable? I had no idea, but I was about to find out. When Ben and I walked side by side into the sitting room, I was taken aback by the sight of her. She was young. Much younger than I had expected. But do not get me wrong, she had this air of professionalism about her that was hard to miss. She wore a crisp, navy blue suit with a white blouse. Her blonde hair was neatly pulled back in a tight bun. Claire’s posture exuded confidence. She truly looked the part of a successful assistant.

We took our seats across from her. She carried a leather-bound notebook and a pen in her hand, ready to take notes and tackle any task that came her way.

"Hello, I am Claire," she said, extending her hand to me with a warm smile.

I quickly composed myself and shaken her hand. Her handshake was firm.

"It is nice to meet you, Claire. I am Thalia," I replied, trying my best to match her confidence.

“Excuse me a moment.” Ben's voice interrupted. His eyes flicked at his phone's display.

I stared up at him. I was practically pleading with him through my eyes. Claire seemed cool and all, but seriously, could you imagine the awkwardness of just sitting there, twiddling our thumbs and not saying a word, while Ben yammered away on his phone call?

Ben chuckled. He was undoubtedly amused, but the funniest part was when I caught a glimpse of Claire's face. She looked so shocked by her boss's behaviour. Maybe she had never seen this side of Ben before. It only made me more curious about who Ben was and what his story was. I could not wait to find out more about him.

“I won't be too long," he promised me. He then shifted his attention, greeting the person on the other end of the line with a professional "hello."

There we were just looking around like two lost puppies. We were both clueless about how to strike up a conversation because, let's face it, we did not know each other from a hole in the wall. To make matters worse, I was not wearing my hoodie. I had no idea where Ben had placed it, and I still managed to not even glance at my reflection. My hair was still in its usual messy bun, not a single strand tamed or styled. Claire was probably thinking about where the hell her fine-ass boss dug me up from.

Maybe I should give small talk a try; time might fly by if I started chatting with Claire. “Hey, Claire," I said. "Have you ever been to Paris?"

Claire immediately started fidgeting, causing me to chuckle. Who would not be surprised by such a random question?

“Um, no. I have never been to Paris. Why do you ask?”

“Curiosity, I guess,” I confessed. “You strike me as someone who has plenty of experience with travelling.”

“Well, I have travelled quite a bit. Being Mr. Hunter's assistant, we do many business trips. But unfortunately, Paris hasn’t been one of our destinations,” Claire replied with a hint of disappointment in her voice. “But it’s definitely on my bucket list.”

As soon as Claire mentioned Ben's frequent business trips, I was dying to know more. How often does he go on these trips? Are we talking once a month? Once a week? How long was he usually gone for? Was it just a quick overnight trip, or did he disappear for weeks at a time?

“I can imagine. I have always dreamed of visiting Paris and experiencing the culture, food, and architecture,” I shared.

“Yes, it is known as the city of love for a reason. I have heard it’s absolutely beautiful,” Claire added with a wistful sigh. 

I raised an eyebrow at that. Who would have thought a simple question could produce such a massive outpouring of information?

“I have also heard the people there can be a bit rude to tourists. Have you heard that too?” I asked, recalling some negative reviews I had read.

“I think it’s just a stereotype. I have met people from Paris who were very kind and welcoming. Every city has its fair share of rude people, so I would not let that discourage you from visiting,” Claire reassured me.

“Good point. Maybe it’s just a matter of getting to know the locals and learning some French phrases,” I mused.

“And the food is supposed to be amazing. I have heard their croissants are to die for,” Claire exclaimed with a smile.

My stomach grumbled at the thought of flaky, buttery croissants.

"Has your morning been good so far?" I asked, shifting the topic of conversation.

“Oh, it's been alright,” she replied. “Just busy with work, you know. How about you?”

The instant my brain went back to my morning, a delicious shiver passed through me. I squirmed a bit in my seat when I felt this pressure between my legs.

“It’s been a pretty rough couple of hours,” I deliberately said. “So now I am just trying to survive the day. Your boss is very handsy.”

Claire's reaction was pretty hilarious. It was obvious that her mind was racing with all sorts of possibilities, probably imagining all the different senators of Ben being touchy with me. I wanted to burst out laughing but managed to keep a straight face. She looked like a total boss babe with her killer outfit and flawless makeup, but a slightly racy remark brought a whole different vibe. Where did all that timidity come from?

“How long have you been working with, Ben?” I asked her.

"About a year and a half now," Claire hastily responded. She was evidently grateful that the conversation did not veer off in a different direction.

“So it has not been that long. How did you two meet?" I asked, interested in learning about their professional connection.

“Mr. Hunter and I met through a mutual friend,” she said. “At the time, he was searching for a competent assistant, and I was in dire need of employment.”

I grin at her honesty. I did not know what to expect from this conversation, but I was glad I had the guts to ask a stupid question.

“I must admit, Claire," I began. "Interacting with others has not always been a positive experience for me. So, naturally, I was unsure of how our conversation would go. But I want to express my gratitude to you for not judging me or belittling me."

Her face took on a delicate flush as a small smile spread across her lips. "Thank you," she uttered softly. Her gaze shifted, seemingly overcome with a tinge of awkwardness.

I just laughed. How cute, I thought to myself.