starving. Not to mention exhausted. Nevertheless, she waited while he read through the report
she’d written.
When she saw Blake frown, she hoped it was because of the data and not because of her work,
but when that frown shifted to her, she knew better.
“Would you please close the door?” Blake said.
Sydni hesitated for a moment. At that time of night, no one else was there except the cleaning
crew, but she supposed he didn’t want anyone hearing the lecture he was probably going to be
giving her. Walking over to the door, she pushed it closed, and then slowly came back to stand
before the desk again.
“How long have you been an executive assistant, Ms. Davis?” Blake asked.
She shifted nervously. For some reason, standing in front of the desk like this made her feel
like she was in the principal’s office back in high school. “Eight years,” she said quietly.
He lifted a brow. “Really? Well, I’m surprised to hear that, because your work is shoddy at best.
This report is very poor.”
Sydni flushed. “I-I must have been in a hurry, I guess,” she stammered. “My work is usually
exemplary.”
Her boss frowned. “Really? Unfortunately, I haven’t seen that. By itself, your sloppy work would
be enough to get you fired down at the Dallas office. But on top of your work performance, Ms.
Davis, there is also the fact that you seem to think nothing of showing up late on a consistent
basis.” He paused. “Put both of those shortcomings together and it’s easy to see why I thought
you should be fired. But the HR department says that you have an outstanding personnel file,
and since there are other departments in need of a secretary, I’ve decided to have you
transferred to one of them. I doubt that you’ll be filling an executive assistant position, but at
least you’ll have a job,” he said. “When you come in tomorrow, go to human resources and they’
ll place you.”
With that, Blake Daniels turned his attention back to the report she’d written, effectively
dismissing her. But Sydni didn’t leave. Instead, she stared at him, her stomach in a knot and
her eyes burning with unshed tears, unable to believe what she’d just heard. She was the
executive assistant to the vice-president of the company. Any other job would not only mean
less money, but less prestige as well. She simply couldn’t be demoted.
She swallowed hard. “Mr. Daniels, please,” she pleaded.
He looked up at her, his dark eyes cool. “I’ve already made my decision, Ms. Davis.”
“But...” Sydni’s voice trailed off and she took a step closer to the desk. “Couldn’t you just put a
letter of reprimand in my file instead?” she asked.
He was silent a moment, as if considering her words, but then shook his head. “A letter of
reprimand would not deal with the primary issue at hand here, and that is your work
performance. Punishing you is only half the issue, Ms. Davis. Just as important, is that I simply
must have better performance from my assistant. Besides, a letter of reprimand would go on
your permanent record, which would only hurt your chances of getting promoted in the future
in one of the other departments,” he said. “I think a transfer to a less demanding job would be
best for everyone concerned.”
Best for everyone concerned, Sydni thought. How could he honestly think that a transfer to a
lower paying job be best for her? He might as well just go ahead and fire her right now! She took
another step closer to the desk, her blue eyes pleading. “Mr. Daniels, please,” she said, her
voice trembling a little. “I really love this job and I don’t want to work in another department. I
have the skills to do what you need. They’re just rusty because Mr. Willis didn’t require as
much from me. If I promise to work harder and do a better job, don’t you think you could come
up with some other form of punishment? Something that would just stay between us.”
Blake sat back in his chair to regard her in silence. He couldn’t deny that the beautiful Sydni
Davis was a welcome change from his previous executive assistant, but he couldn’t simply
ignore her poor work habits, even if she was sexy as hell. This job was too important. If he did
well here, he could pretty much write his own ticket in the company, which was why he needed
someone competent working with him.
But if she were willing to work harder, then perhaps he could give her another chance.
According to her personnel file and evaluations, Sydni did have the qualifications, he
reminded himself. However, she needed to learn that he wouldn’t tolerate her lackadaisical
attitude. And she had asked him to come up with some other form of punishment. He supposed
he should try something practical and boring, something the HR department would approve of.
But having a woman as sexy as Sydni in front of him led his mind in another direction.
“I do have something in mind,” he finally said. “It’s rather unorthodox, though, so I would only
consider it if you were in full agreement.”
She nodded, relief coursing through her. Whatever it was she knew she would agree to it. She
loved her job that much. “Of course,” she said. “Anything.”
He regarded her for another long moment, and she thought he might change his mind. “Rather
than have you transferred to another department, I could give you a spanking instead,” he said
softly.
Sydni blinked, not sure if she had heard him right. “A sp-spanking?” she stammered.
He nodded. “In my experience, a spanking can be an excellent method for adjusting a poor
attitude,” he said. “But you would have to fully agree to it, of course.”
Sydni chewed on her lower lip. She had gotten spanked a few times by an old boyfriend, but it
had been during sex, so it had been fun. However, she didn’t think a spanking administered by
her boss as a form of punishment would be very much fun at all. In fact, it would probably hurt
quite a bit. Still, she admitted, getting spanked would be better than getting demoted. It would
also probably be a lot better than getting yelled at, she thought, remembering how Blake had
shouted at her that morning when he’d come back from the staff meeting. She really hated
getting yelled at. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if his offer to spank her
instead of demote her could be considered sexual harassment. Probably, she thought, but a
spanking was still a whole lot more acceptable than a pay-cut, especially since her lousy
performance justified the demotion.
“Well, Ms. Davis?” Blake prompted quietly. “What’s it to be – the transfer, or the spanking?”
Swallowing hard, Sydni lifted her chin and met his gaze. “I-I’ll take the spanking,” she said
softly.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
She nodded. “Y-yes.”
If he were surprised by her answer, Blake Daniels gave no indication of it. In fact, Sydni
thought she saw the corner of his mouth quirk, but it was gone before she could be sure.
Nervously, she watched him get to his feet and come around the desk. How did one usually get
a punishment spanking? she wondered. Having only been spanked during sex, she honestly
had no idea.
“Bend over and put your hands on the desk,” he instructed her.
His request sounded so polite that Sydni hesitated for a moment, but then did as she was told.
She had agreed to this, she reminded herself as she bent forward and put her hands on the
desk. The position made her curve-hugging skirt cling to her bottom, and she blushed as she
felt it ride up a little higher on her thighs to reveal even more of her slender legs than it already
did. Had she known she was going to be bending over for a spanking, she thought wryly, she
would have worn slacks. Strangely, that thought almost made her laugh. That’s okay, she
thought. It was completely natural to be unsure of the proper etiquette when it came to
spanking in the workplace.
Blake Daniels took a step closer so that he was standing right beside her, and Sydni tensed
when she felt him put a hand on the small of her back. Oh well, she thought, here we go. A
spanking in the office. If she wasn’t so nervous, she’d probably be laughing right now.
“Are you ready, Ms. Davis?” he asked.
Was she ready? What kind of question was that? Sydni wondered. Of course, she wasn’t! But she
had agreed to take this spanking, so she couldn’t very well change her mind. So, telling herself
that it would just be better to get it over with, she nodded.
she’d written.
When she saw Blake frown, she hoped it was because of the data and not because of her work,
but when that frown shifted to her, she knew better.
“Would you please close the door?” Blake said.
Sydni hesitated for a moment. At that time of night, no one else was there except the cleaning
crew, but she supposed he didn’t want anyone hearing the lecture he was probably going to be
giving her. Walking over to the door, she pushed it closed, and then slowly came back to stand
before the desk again.
“How long have you been an executive assistant, Ms. Davis?” Blake asked.
She shifted nervously. For some reason, standing in front of the desk like this made her feel
like she was in the principal’s office back in high school. “Eight years,” she said quietly.
He lifted a brow. “Really? Well, I’m surprised to hear that, because your work is shoddy at best.
This report is very poor.”
Sydni flushed. “I-I must have been in a hurry, I guess,” she stammered. “My work is usually
exemplary.”
Her boss frowned. “Really? Unfortunately, I haven’t seen that. By itself, your sloppy work would
be enough to get you fired down at the Dallas office. But on top of your work performance, Ms.
Davis, there is also the fact that you seem to think nothing of showing up late on a consistent
basis.” He paused. “Put both of those shortcomings together and it’s easy to see why I thought
you should be fired. But the HR department says that you have an outstanding personnel file,
and since there are other departments in need of a secretary, I’ve decided to have you
transferred to one of them. I doubt that you’ll be filling an executive assistant position, but at
least you’ll have a job,” he said. “When you come in tomorrow, go to human resources and they’
ll place you.”
With that, Blake Daniels turned his attention back to the report she’d written, effectively
dismissing her. But Sydni didn’t leave. Instead, she stared at him, her stomach in a knot and
her eyes burning with unshed tears, unable to believe what she’d just heard. She was the
executive assistant to the vice-president of the company. Any other job would not only mean
less money, but less prestige as well. She simply couldn’t be demoted.
She swallowed hard. “Mr. Daniels, please,” she pleaded.
He looked up at her, his dark eyes cool. “I’ve already made my decision, Ms. Davis.”
“But...” Sydni’s voice trailed off and she took a step closer to the desk. “Couldn’t you just put a
letter of reprimand in my file instead?” she asked.
He was silent a moment, as if considering her words, but then shook his head. “A letter of
reprimand would not deal with the primary issue at hand here, and that is your work
performance. Punishing you is only half the issue, Ms. Davis. Just as important, is that I simply
must have better performance from my assistant. Besides, a letter of reprimand would go on
your permanent record, which would only hurt your chances of getting promoted in the future
in one of the other departments,” he said. “I think a transfer to a less demanding job would be
best for everyone concerned.”
Best for everyone concerned, Sydni thought. How could he honestly think that a transfer to a
lower paying job be best for her? He might as well just go ahead and fire her right now! She took
another step closer to the desk, her blue eyes pleading. “Mr. Daniels, please,” she said, her
voice trembling a little. “I really love this job and I don’t want to work in another department. I
have the skills to do what you need. They’re just rusty because Mr. Willis didn’t require as
much from me. If I promise to work harder and do a better job, don’t you think you could come
up with some other form of punishment? Something that would just stay between us.”
Blake sat back in his chair to regard her in silence. He couldn’t deny that the beautiful Sydni
Davis was a welcome change from his previous executive assistant, but he couldn’t simply
ignore her poor work habits, even if she was sexy as hell. This job was too important. If he did
well here, he could pretty much write his own ticket in the company, which was why he needed
someone competent working with him.
But if she were willing to work harder, then perhaps he could give her another chance.
According to her personnel file and evaluations, Sydni did have the qualifications, he
reminded himself. However, she needed to learn that he wouldn’t tolerate her lackadaisical
attitude. And she had asked him to come up with some other form of punishment. He supposed
he should try something practical and boring, something the HR department would approve of.
But having a woman as sexy as Sydni in front of him led his mind in another direction.
“I do have something in mind,” he finally said. “It’s rather unorthodox, though, so I would only
consider it if you were in full agreement.”
She nodded, relief coursing through her. Whatever it was she knew she would agree to it. She
loved her job that much. “Of course,” she said. “Anything.”
He regarded her for another long moment, and she thought he might change his mind. “Rather
than have you transferred to another department, I could give you a spanking instead,” he said
softly.
Sydni blinked, not sure if she had heard him right. “A sp-spanking?” she stammered.
He nodded. “In my experience, a spanking can be an excellent method for adjusting a poor
attitude,” he said. “But you would have to fully agree to it, of course.”
Sydni chewed on her lower lip. She had gotten spanked a few times by an old boyfriend, but it
had been during sex, so it had been fun. However, she didn’t think a spanking administered by
her boss as a form of punishment would be very much fun at all. In fact, it would probably hurt
quite a bit. Still, she admitted, getting spanked would be better than getting demoted. It would
also probably be a lot better than getting yelled at, she thought, remembering how Blake had
shouted at her that morning when he’d come back from the staff meeting. She really hated
getting yelled at. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered if his offer to spank her
instead of demote her could be considered sexual harassment. Probably, she thought, but a
spanking was still a whole lot more acceptable than a pay-cut, especially since her lousy
performance justified the demotion.
“Well, Ms. Davis?” Blake prompted quietly. “What’s it to be – the transfer, or the spanking?”
Swallowing hard, Sydni lifted her chin and met his gaze. “I-I’ll take the spanking,” she said
softly.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
She nodded. “Y-yes.”
If he were surprised by her answer, Blake Daniels gave no indication of it. In fact, Sydni
thought she saw the corner of his mouth quirk, but it was gone before she could be sure.
Nervously, she watched him get to his feet and come around the desk. How did one usually get
a punishment spanking? she wondered. Having only been spanked during sex, she honestly
had no idea.
“Bend over and put your hands on the desk,” he instructed her.
His request sounded so polite that Sydni hesitated for a moment, but then did as she was told.
She had agreed to this, she reminded herself as she bent forward and put her hands on the
desk. The position made her curve-hugging skirt cling to her bottom, and she blushed as she
felt it ride up a little higher on her thighs to reveal even more of her slender legs than it already
did. Had she known she was going to be bending over for a spanking, she thought wryly, she
would have worn slacks. Strangely, that thought almost made her laugh. That’s okay, she
thought. It was completely natural to be unsure of the proper etiquette when it came to
spanking in the workplace.
Blake Daniels took a step closer so that he was standing right beside her, and Sydni tensed
when she felt him put a hand on the small of her back. Oh well, she thought, here we go. A
spanking in the office. If she wasn’t so nervous, she’d probably be laughing right now.
“Are you ready, Ms. Davis?” he asked.
Was she ready? What kind of question was that? Sydni wondered. Of course, she wasn’t! But she
had agreed to take this spanking, so she couldn’t very well change her mind. So, telling herself
that it would just be better to get it over with, she nodded.
It was after seven-thirty when Sydni finally finished. It was tough
work, but she actually felt kind of proud about the job she had
done. It had been years since she’d used any of her college
education, and it was nice to know it was still there. The work was
hard, she thought, but she might actually like doing it. Going into
Blake’s office, she placed it on his desk.
“If it’s all right with you, I was going to go ahead and go,” she said
quietly.
He reached for the report. “Actually, I’d like you to wait while I
look this over.”
Sydni almost groaned. Besides the apple she’d brought with her to
snack on, she hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, and she was
work, but she actually felt kind of proud about the job she had
done. It had been years since she’d used any of her college
education, and it was nice to know it was still there. The work was
hard, she thought, but she might actually like doing it. Going into
Blake’s office, she placed it on his desk.
“If it’s all right with you, I was going to go ahead and go,” she said
quietly.
He reached for the report. “Actually, I’d like you to wait while I
look this over.”
Sydni almost groaned. Besides the apple she’d brought with her to
snack on, she hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, and she was
| Excerpt |
© Paige Tyler and ABCD Webmasters, 2007
The Executive Assistant
