switching gears

She didn’t let the silence linger long. Just as the weight of her words seemed ready to **** you, Tammy clapped her hands together softly, the manicured nails making a crisp, decisive click. Her smile lit up again—perfect teeth, practiced charm, like she’d flipped a switch.

“Alright,” she said brightly, standing up in one smooth, confident motion, her gold bangles chiming against each other. “That’s enough deep talk for day one. You came here to work, didn’t you? Time to get started, my personal assistant.”

The sudden change in her energy was jarring—like Randall pulling a prank, watching your face, waiting for the punchline. One moment she was baring her soul, the next she was gliding across the floor, hips swaying, grabbing her phone off the marble counter with casual ownership of the space.

She tossed a glance over her shoulder at you, hair falling in bright layers that caught the light. “C’mon, Tim. You’re not here to sit and mope. You’re here to make me look good, keep me on track, and maybe even earn yourself a little piece of this world.” She gestured around at the open-plan living room, the view of Long Beach skyline through the tall glass doors. “Sound better than hanging out in Torrance, yeah?”

You stood awkwardly, your mind still spinning from what she’d said minutes earlier. Tammy caught the hesitation in your body language immediately. Instead of pushing, she breezed right past it, already setting the tempo of the day.

“First things first,” she announced, her heels clicking on the polished floor as she headed down the hall. “I’m showing you where I keep everything, because if you’re gonna be my assistant, you need to know where things are. Makeup, fitness gear, planners, invoices—oh, and don’t forget the kitchen.”

She shot you a playful wink, voice dipped in mischief. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep it easy. I don’t need a chef… just someone who can open a bottle of wine without mangling the cork.”

The way she said it, like she’d said a thousand flirtatious lines before, made your stomach knot. She carried herself like a total stranger—and yet every now and then, the quick flash of amusement in her eyes was Randall.