1 Chapter One: New

"Shit! Where are my keys? How do I keep losing my keys?!" I yell at myself, while rummaging through the clutter on my dresser. I need to get to work. You see, this is a new job I'm starting today. I can not be late... and of course, as luck would have it, I can't find my damn keys. I lose them from time to time, even though I have a specific hook designated for my keys. So here I am, searching quickly. Underneath the mail, empty water bottles, and the stray clothing all over, I find my keys strangely next to my vibrator on my dresser. Whoops, I left that out. Putting the vibrator in my underwear drawer, I snatch up my keys and rush out of my bedroom to leave, but first I stop to look in the mirror. My bright auburn hair is pinned up into a bun, with the necessary stragglers hanging out by the sides of my forehead. I'm wearing a medium green blouse with dark washed jeans that accent the curvature of my body, but also say "I'm a professional". I grab my black blazer off the coat rack to my right and put it on quickly as I step into my black flats. Next to the front door, I have a box of things for my new desk at work and I pick it up just as my mom comes around the corner and says, "Good luck today, sweetheart. It'll be a great first day." Yeah, I live with my parents. "Thanks mom, see you around 4:30/5pm." I say, as I walk out the door.

I step quickly down the entryway to the driveway where my bright blue Ford Focus is parked. It starts right up and I hurry on down to Lakeville High School where I am now officially a secretary. It isn't my dream job to be a secretary, but it's the start. Eventually, I want to become a principal of a school. So, this is my start. There's so much traffic today, but luckily I am able to get to the school quickly. After all, it is only 3 lights away from my house. I pull into the parking lot and find the staff parking. That's cool to say, I think. I get to park in staff parking. The car door bings at me as I open it, in case I've forgotten I opened the door. Grabbing the box filled with things for my desk, I step out of my car and head into Lakeville High. Teenagers fill the courtyard and halls of the school. Everyone is laughing and chatting it up. It's the first day of school today and I just have this feeling that it's going to be great. I need something new.

When I get in the office, I find my desk and set down my box of supplies and decor. "Good morning!" I say to my desk neighbor, the other secretary in here. Her name plaque says "Susan Timmons". "Good morning! You must be the new secretary! I'm Susan Timmons. I'm a secretary here as well. I've been here for 6 years, so if you have any questions or if you need anything just let me know!" Susan says with a perky attitude. She looks to be in her late 40's maybe 50. Her hair is blonde and curly beyond belief. "Thank you so much! Yes, I am the new secretary. My name is Katherine Miller, but most people call me Kate." Susan smiles at my response. "Well Kate, Welcome to Lakeville! Morning announcements should start in about 15 minutes and since it's the first day of school, Principal Anderson will be doing them. Usually one of us will be in charge of doing them, but today's a special day and he wants to let all the kids know how excited he is for this school year." I smile. "Perfect. What a wonderful way to start the year! I'm just going to take a second to set up my desk." Mrs. Timmons smiles in response and begins filing some paperwork.

Let's see, this is a good sized desk. It's a nice 'L' shaped desk with plenty of drawers. My computer is definitely up to par, with a dual monitor set up. This is pretty nice for a secretary, I would think. Reaching into my box, I pull out a framed picture of me and my golden retriever, Andy. I got him 5 years ago as a present from my ex fiancé, Tyler. We were together for a little over 8 years, since junior year of high school. He was the first guy I've ever had sex with and I was so incredibly in love. We moved in to this cute little apartment after we graduated and got engaged, but never set a date for the wedding. I wanted to finish college first. Almost a year ago, I came home from work and found him with our neighbor from across the hall... in our shower. That's when he decided to tell me he wasn't in love with me anymore... and it destroyed me. So, I moved out of the apartment and moved back in with my parents. Would you believe Tyler tried to take Andy when he left me? I know, he's ridiculous. Andy died a month ago, though, and I miss him so much. He brought so much light into my life, even in those darkest times, and I want to have him here at my desk to remind me of the light to come. I smile at his picture and remember my time with him when suddenly,

"Ms. Miller," a firm voice says behind me. Startled, I turn around quickly and bump into who I now recognize as Principal Anderson. "Oh!" Alarmed, I slightly shout. His hand rushes to my arm in a reassuring manner. He has a warm touch. "I'm sorry, I definitely didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to welcome you to Lakeville." He smiles at me. We're standing maybe a foot apart and I can't back up. I'm pressed against the edge of my desk. He must be a close talker. "Will you join me in my office for a minute?" He notions to his private office to the right, adjacent to my desk. Nodding, I say "Yes, of course!" His voice gives me tingles. Maybe it's because we're so close. I'm not sure why, but it's just so... attractive. It's deep, but not too deep, mature, and dominant. I need to stop. It's been too long since I've been with somebody and my hormones are getting the best of me. This is the principal, for goodness sake. He's my boss- my NEW boss, might I add. However, he is the one who chose to stand so close to me. No, Kate, that's enough. I follow him into his office and sit in an embroidered seat in front of his desk. The door clicks shut. It's dimly lit in here with the shades drawn. He must like it this way. As he walks to his seat I take a second to look at him. He's taller than I expected, over 6 feet I'm guessing. It makes me feel so tiny, I'm only 5'2. He has his dark brown hair styled to the left with gel that makes it appear shiny, and a nicely trimmed beard that makes him look so... rugged. He must have a good amount of money, wearing a suit from a brand I can't pronounce. He sits down in his chair at his desk and looks up at me. His intimidating eyes are an intense shade of green, his smile slightly crooked. I smile back. "So, Ms. Miller, this is your first year at Lakeville. Are you excited?" Nodding, I respond, "Oh, for sure! I am very excited to be here!" "We have plenty of fun here at Lakeville, but we also have a bit of wild stuff happening from time to time. The kids can be kind of crazy. You remember what it's like to be a high school kid, right? I mean that couldn't have been that long ago for you, maybe 4 years?" I chuckle in response. It's probably because I'm so short. Correcting him, I say, "8 years, sir. I'm 26." "Ah nice. I remember what it was like being 26." He's probably in his late 30's, I think to myself. He continues, "So what brought you to work as a secretary?" He wants to get to know me, I assume. "I believe it's a great place to begin to eventually get to achieving my goal." I answer, positively. "And what might that be?" He wonders. Smiling, I respond, "Eventually I want to become a principal, sir." He smiles his crooked smile. "You want to sit here, huh?" Principal Anderson gestures to his lap. Oh, he's probably gesturing to his seat. Duh. "Any seat as a Principal will do." I laugh. He laughs as well. "You like to be in charge?" He asks. That question could definitely be taken a different way. Why is my mind going there?Why are the insides of my thighs quivering? Kate, keep yourself together. "In certain situations, yes." His eyes narrow and he smiles slightly, letting out a quiet laugh. "Well, I think that's a wonderful goal. I'm glad you came here for your start. So, you remember high school. We can have a lot of fun, but we also have to deal with some mischief as well." "Of course, we have a school full of teenagers, learning to control themselves" I chuckle and continue, "there's bound to be some mischief." Principal Anderson smirks, "Yes, Yes. So when students come to the office, make sure you are checking their passes for signatures from teachers, and time stamps of those signatures. Kids like to linger around on their way up to the office, meeting up with each other. Some kids try to do drugs on campus, others try to participate in other activities together... if you catch my drift." Is he talking about sex? Are we talking about sex during our first work conversation? I mean, He's right. That happens in high schools. I'm taking too long to respond. Say something, Kate. "Yeah, I catch your drift." Ooh. Maybe too dismissive. "I know that's a thing that's done in high schools." I add, chuckling. Ooh. Maybe too suggestive. Don't respond to that, please. Please... "Oh yeah? You know about those types of activities in high schools?" He laughs. Ugh. What did I get myself into? Principal Anderson bites the corner of his lip. Now I really don't know what to say to him. I mean, I've done my fair share of mischievous activity while in high school. I do actually remember a time on the school bus that's pretty wild, but I can't tell the Principal that! Change the subject, Kate. "I just know of them. I was the kind of girl who kept my nose in books for the most part. Do you like to read?" I blurt out. That was a dumb question. Principal Anderson chuckles. "I don't think I could have this kind of position if I didn't." He continues, "I just need you to keep an eye on things. Speak up when you need to. Don't feel like you're not able to speak out and be heard. I'll hear you, Ms. Miller. I'll be listening for you and my door is open to you any time." His crooked smile... it's so alluring. I feel my face warming up. Am I blushing? I look at his hands that are cupping each other on his desk. They're decently sized, probably twice the size of mine. I can't help myself, but to wonder what his touch would feel like. Oh damn, he's wearing a wedding ring. Stop it, Kate. "Thank you, Principal Anderson." I say through a smile. "In here, call me Taylor." He orders. He sounds so demanding, yet so longing. I can honestly say this is the weirdest conversation I've had with a boss before and I can't help it, I'm a little turned on. It's been too long for me and his authoritative demeanor is really attractive. It's such a shame he's my boss. "Alright, Taylor." I smile at him. "What's your first name?" He asks, inquisitively. "Katherine. Most people call me Kate" "Are you ever called Cat?" He asks, smiling at me with his eyes narrowed. Pondering, I answer, "No, sir." His smile grows. "Good. I will call you Cat." Me-ow. It feels like he's smiling deep into my soul and I feel something. I'm just not sure what his intentions are here in this room right now. "So, Cat. I'm sorry to cut this lovely conversation short, but I'm about to do morning announcements. Tomorrow, you can be in charge of that. For now, I need some copies made." He touches some papers on his desk. "Do you think you could do that for me really quick?" He gestures to the copy machine out by my desk. "Of course, Princi-" "Ah!" He puts his finger up at me, winking. "Of course, Taylor." Correcting myself. I stand up out of the chair and his eyes follow me up, almost as if he's analyzing me. I grab the papers off of his desk and go to walk out of his office. "Oh, one more thing. Don't let the others know you call me Taylor at times. That's a privilege... and you should feel special." He smirks at me. What the hell does that mean, I wonder. However, I need this job to achieve my goals and he's the boss, so it is what it is. "Thank you for this privilege." I smile back at him. I walk out of his office and click the door shut behind me. Time to make copies.