Riley flopped onto her couch and flipped on the tv. Another Monday.

Every night she promised herself she would get up early to work out. Every morning, she hit snooze instead.

“Another morning coffee with Robin Roberts and friends…,” she thought to herself….

“It’s time for POP NEWS…..Is Justin bringing SEXYBACK? The singer teased new music from his upcoming alb-“

“UGH…The year just started…Can we not…” she said outloud to no one. As she changed the channel with a scowl, two furry ears poked out from the corner of her couch…

“…Don’t look at me like that, dude…You know how we feel in this house…”

Poor Benji the dog did not share her frustration with the former boybander…

Riley had been obsessed with *NSync as a kid. Posters covered her walls, and as the only girl with two older brothers, she got teased mercilessly for it.  As an 11-year-old tomboy, she didn’t have a favorite, but she knew there was something different about those 5 guys. Their “break” had been the most devastating blow in her life at the time, and she had never really gotten over it.

Her friends still teased her every time they caught her singing “Rock Your Body” or anything off Justin’s solo albums. She was really mad at him….But UGH, Why was his music so CATCHY?

“Alright, Benj…That’s my cue to do something with my day, isn’t it? “

Riley had been between jobs for 6 months, and she was slowly losing her mind. A year ago, it felt like her life was set. By now, she should have been learning how to be a “country girl” in Austin, Texas, and starting a blog to document the transition – a blog she would never keep up with, because life.

But- Things don’t always go the way you plan, and she had quit her cushy agency job before she knew how this chapter would end.

She was stuck. What was she supposed to do now? She had loved her life in advertising, but was never quite sure if it was the work or the lifestyle she connected with more.

This was an opportunity. An opportunity to really start fresh and chase a passion. The only problem was, she wasn’t *quite* sure what that passion was. She loved music…She loved to cook…She loved to write… She was…all over the place.

3 different resumes, countless job applications across every industry, and two recruiters later, she still hadn’t landed anywhere.

She was seriously considering looking into becoming a social media sensation – Was there a seminar somewhere she could take? NYC had seminars for EVERYTHING.

Riley stepped out of her shower to her phone ringing. She answered every call these days, hoping it was an answer…

“Hello, is this Riley Marin?”

“Yes, um...speaking…”

“Hi! This is Olivia calling from the Wyland Agency… You submitted a resume on our website regarding an assistant position…”

Had she? Probably. She did not remember the listing, but if the pay looked good and it had seemed intriguing at the time, she had definitely clicked send.

“Oh yes! Thank you for following up…Is the position still available?” Thinking on her feet. One thing she KNEW she was good at.

“Yes it is, and our client liked your experience. Now I have to be honest before we move forward. The position is…unusual. The client is quite high profile, and you would be left to manage things yourself. His requests would be mostly remote, as the position concerns business around his New York commitments.”

Damn…a high-profile client? WOW she was a good writer. Was her cover letter THAT good? She started to go a little numb at the possibility. Riley had NEVER been a personal assistant before in any way other than her internships after college, but she knew how to multitask, and had acquired production skill and a lot of “useless” knowledge and contacts in her time in advertising.

“Um…Well that would be fine. I am used to handling responsibility without much supervision. I like a challenge.”

Good God, Riley, she thought to herself…Cliché much?

“Great! Well we’d like to bring you in for a formal conversation…If things go well, we will have you meet with the client’s management team…”

Oh my God…What had she gotten herself into…?

Four VERY long weeks later, Riley waited for the subway ride that could change her life. She felt like a total fraud, but somehow her interviews had gone VERY well, and she was on her way to finally meet her new boss – Wyland Agency’s “high profile client.”

Who the HELL was she going to be working for? New York celebrity...It could be anyone, really…

Broadway star? Oscar winner? DeNiro?

Calm down, Riley…This isn’t a movie. It’s probably some random millionaire with an ex wife and two kids you have to babysit…

She took a deep breath before walking into the office and already felt like a fish out of water. She waited in a small lobby with soft leather sofas and minimalist modern art.

She recognized Olivia as she walked toward her- an impossibly cool looking middle aged woman with a haircut she could never pull off, and shoes she could never walk in.

“Riley, hi! Ready to meet your new boss?” she smiled.

“…As I’ll ever be!” Riley smiled back.

They walked down the short hallway toward a conference room, and Riley felt her confidence start to settle in…Until they walked inside.

Holy….Shit…

Riley paused before sitting down, and hoped the expression on her face didn’t give her way.

This wasn’t happening. This could NOT be happening. Someone was playing an elaborate (and probably expensive) prank on her.

She cleared her throat softly, and went to sit, but was stopped by a hand reaching out to her…

“Great to meet you, Riley… Happy to have you…”

He was not dressed how she always saw him in her mind.

Faded jeans that were somehow both fitted and loose. A Jimmy Hendrix t-shirt that looked like it was at least 20 years old, but still in great shape, and a pristine collarless bomber jacket- Members only, maybe?

His hair looked freshly cut, but darker than she remembered…

She couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact, and caught herself as she started to look at the floor…Were those Jordans on his feet? At a BUSINESS meeting??

Yeah…I guess that tracks,  she thought.

“H-Hi…Pleasure to meet you…Looking forward to working with you…”

No she wasn’t. What…the…hell…

This was going to be the worst job she had ever had.  Why did he even NEED an assistant in New York?

UGH….Privileged ass…

Deep breaths, Riley….You’ve dealt with jerks before…You CAN do this.

Could she? He had BETTER pay her well….