His Human Assistant (Monsters Love Curvy Girls #3) - Michele Mills Page 0,1

continue to jog barefoot through the crowds, trying to think, think, think of where to hide. There’s no help for me on this planet. I don’t have anyone I was working with that I can rely upon from the office. And the peacekeepers on New Earth are useless right now, as is the government—considering I have no idea how many of them have been corrupted and are on Teron’s payroll. I don’t know who I can trust in this situation, so I’m on my own.

What I really need is to get off planet and lay low while I wait for the whoop-ass I’m bringing upon corporate to wind its way through the Galactic courts. I need to get somewhere where I can safely keep feeding the Intergalactic Business Bureau my evidence and ready myself for deposition.

But how? Before I left, I transferred the last of my data to a secure backup location and left my scrubbed work tablet behind. Now I have no way of contacting anyone to extract me.

And then, like a divine blessing from the multigods, I look up and see a huge, gaudy, holo screen flashing above. It’s for that Intergalactic Employment Agency I’ve heard about, proclaiming in bright red letters: “Want off planet?”

Fuck yeah, I do. Perfect.

Change of plans.

I make a sharp right turn into the agency’s pop-up office, falling over their front counter in a sweaty mess. “Help,” I pant as I brace myself into a standing position and push my long hair back from my forehead. “I need off planet right now.”

The Creekan “customer representative” calmly puts down her vid game, stands up straight and gives me an assessing gaze. “Right now?” she repeats.

I glance anxiously back over my shoulder and then back at her. “Right the fuck now,” I respond emphatically.

Her bulbous eyes widen at my rough language, but then she seems to take it in stride. I guess that’s how desperate they are for new recruits? Well, I’m not exactly the shy or retiring type. It’s good for them to know that upfront.

“Let’s get started,” the Creekan says in a very business-like manner and taps her claws on a glass, hand-held tablet, pulling up information. She tilts her head to the side, gesturing towards the back office. “Let’s go inside and figure this out.”

Oh, thank gods. I follow her past the front desk and off the street, into a small conference room. The door shuts behind me, blocking me from view, and a huge weight seems to lighten from my chest. Now I’m hidden from the mercenaries that corporate sent to kill me, and they have no idea where I am. I gratefully sit down in the offered seat, and while the representative introduces herself and regales me with some of the agency’s employment stats, I take a moment to slide my shoes back on so at least I’m not barefoot.

“Tell meee,” she hisses, “what skills do you have that make you employable? There’s an aptitude test you can take later to narrow your abilities, but right now you can speed things along by giving me an idea of what to search for.”

My mind is full of mush. I can’t think. Even though I’m sitting, these heels are still killing me. I’ll probably end up with five new blisters before the day is through. “Um…um…”

The representative leans forward and tilts the screen towards me, offering a list of occupations. “We fill these types of positions in the four sectors. Which ones can you do well?”

I narrow my eyes and try to calm down and focus on the words. The list isn’t that long, but none of these positions are right for me except… “Oh, I guess this one…” I point. “Assistant? That’s probably the best fit.”

She crooks a defined eye ridge at me. “You can make appointments, reply appropriately to correspondence, maintain schedules and help another being run a business in a professional manner?”

I snort. “Of course, I can. I can do that with one arm tied behind my back and both feet encased in stone.”

She looks me up and down with obvious disdain.

“Oh, come on,” I answer. “I know I’m a foul-mouthed sweaty mess right now, but that’s because I just sprinted across the market district in high heels and it’s freaking hot outside. I’m actually very professional. You can send me to any type of business, anywhere in the four sectors and I’ll evaluate it and find ways to increase their profit ten-fold.” And that’s not just idle boasting on