Chapter Text
The room was silent except for the tick-tock of the grandfather clock that stood nestled in the back right corner of the office. The woman who’d escorted Lumine into the mahogany-walled room lingered just long enough to fill a glass pitcher with iced water and set it down on the oak desk in front of her.
Lumine twiddled her thumbs nervously. She’d already been waiting in the lobby of Fatui International for nearly an hour before she was even shown into the office, and she was starting to get antsy.
“Excuse me. Do you know how much longer Mr. Tartaglia is going to be?” Lumine cleared her throat. “I’m not trying to rush or anything, but it’s been over an hour…”
The woman looked at her with an amused smirk. “You seem anxious to get the interview underway. How cute. I’ll be sure to relay the message to His Lordliness.”
Before Lumine could utter an objection, the statuesque blonde left the room with purpose, her high heels clicking as she walked off down the hallway.
“His Lordliness?” Lumine made a face.
“Ahem. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting long.”
She looked up from the half-written text she’d been planning to send to her brother telling him all about the weirdo who had his employees call him ‘Lordliness’.
Ajax Tartaglia looked much better in person than he did in his photographs, and he’d already been ranked as being in the Top 3 of Teyvat’s Most Eligible Bachelors. The man was no stranger to women drooling over him and Lumine wasn’t the exception.
Focus, Lumine. You’re here for work. You need this job. You’re living on your own now, fully responsible for rent and bills and…
“I was starting to worry that maybe you’d forgotten about me.”
Blue eyes flickered over in her direction and for a split second, Lumine thought she might have just tanked this interview. Until he started chuckling.
“I never forget a face. Especially one as pretty as yours.” He leaned against his desk, plucking her resume from the folder sitting on top.
That’s right. Lumine had included her headshot in her resume. Still, she hadn’t been expecting him to be so… forward? Flirty? Disarming?
“Lumine Realta. Graduated top of your class at Liyue U. 70 words per minute…” He looked rather bored as he tossed her resume aside. “Why do you want this job, Miss Realta?”
Her palms were sweaty. “Well, I have always been interested in pursuing a career in business and I thought, what better way to learn about how a business works than experiencing it firsthand?”
If he’d registered her response, he made no indication to show it. “The truth, Miss Realta. Don’t tell me what you think I want to hear. That’s what every wide-eyed ingenue with a business degree says.”
Lumine felt heat creeping into her cheeks. “Um… Well. I suppose the truth is that I need a job that offers steady income, room for growth, and benefits.”
Ajax nodded, seeming pleased with her honest response. “Much better. Why do you want a job at Fatui International specifically? MORAX Group is just up the street and Wangsheng Consultants is always looking to hire entry level assistants. Why here? Why not go there?”
The blonde swallowed nervously. She’d spent a good portion of the evening before rehearsing exactly what she was going to say based off of typical interviewer questions. But he didn’t ask typical questions. She’d already been honest so far. There was no need to lie.
“Despite what the media says about Fatui International, the company’s influence is far reaching, and you have your fingers in many pies.” She paused, taking in his cavalier expression. “Fatui International in my resume would look very good for my future. Plus… you guys pay more.”
Ajax chuckled. “I appreciate your candor, Miss Realta.” He cleared his throat. “It’s a bit dry in here, don’t you think?”
Lumine shrugged. “I think it’s quite comfortable.”
“It’s stifling.” He argued, walking over to a small cabinet beside the towering bookshelf behind his desk. “Can I get you a drink?”
“Uh. Sure. Yes. Please.”
Ajax reached inside the cabinet and pulled out a decanter filled with some sort of amber liquor. Bourbon, perhaps. He set two glasses down and filled each to about a quarter of an inch.
Lumine laughed nervously after he handed her a glass. “Is this…?”
“Crown Royal.” He raised his glass with a smile. “Bottoms up.”
She watched him knock back the drink with ease, sighing contentedly afterwards. He looked at her expectantly.
“It’s 10:30 in the morning.” Lumine said lamely.
Ajax laughed. “But it’s 5:00 somewhere, as they say.” A wink. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell.”
Lumine took a hesitant sip from her glass, watching him from above the curved rim. He didn’t seem as if he were going to drop the issue and so she quickly chugged the rest of it down, her chest burning.
“There you go.” He took the glass from her and set them on his desktop. “Lumine. I can call you Lumine?”
She nodded. “Of course.”
“I will be honest with you. Brutally so, if I may.”
“I’d expect nothing less.”
He chuckled. “I didn’t set up this interview today because I was impressed by your resume.”
Lumine was offended almost instantly. “Then… why ?”
“I thought you were pretty.” He replied. “Uncommonly so. Your eyes are so beautiful. Innocent. I have to admit, I couldn’t get them out of my head. But seeing you in person? Well. Let’s just say that your photo has done you no justice.”
Now she didn’t know whether to be offended or flattered. Perhaps she was both, if the flush on her cheeks was any indication. Either way, she was certain that the sudden warmth she felt wasn’t simply because of the whiskey she’d just guzzled down.
“Forgive me, Mr. Tartaglia—“
“Ajax. Mr. Tartaglia is my father.” He laughed.
Lumine scoffed. “And here I was thinking maybe you’d want me to call you Lordliness.”
Ajax looked surprised for just a moment before he was once again grinning with amusement.
“Nadia likes to throw that title around.” He admitted shamelessly. “It’s sort of a… A game we play.”
Lumine raised a brow. “Do you play games with all of your staff?”
“Only the pretty ones.”
“Er…” The blonde coughed and straightened up in her chair to maintain an air of composure. “I am not sure what to say, Mr. Tartaglia. But this seems awfully inappropriate…”
“Of course. How silly of me.” Ajax shook his head. “Let’s start again. You stated in your cover letter that you were available to start right away. Is that true?”
Lumine nodded. “Yes. It’s true.” So, they were just going to ignore that awkward exchange. Cool.
“Perfect. Then you’ll start right now. A probationary period, of course. Think of it as sort of a working interview.”
“W-Wait…” Lumine laughed. “Seriously? You want me to start now ?”
Ajax suddenly looked slightly less amused and more perturbed. “Is that not what you just said? As soon as possible?”
“Well, yes, but—“
“Are you a liar, Lumine?” He stared at her as if to challenge her.
“No, sir. I’m not.” She frowned.
“Very good. So, you start now. Right now.” He sat down behind his desk and leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers beneath his chin.
Lumine was confused. She’d never met a person like Ajax Tartaglia before and she wasn’t sure how to deal with him. Not that she wasn’t grateful for the opportunity to prove herself, but she hadn’t been expecting to start working so soon.
“Ok! First order of business…” He looked at her and smiled. “How about another drink, hm?”
“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass.” She held up a hand.
“Not for you, silly girl. For me .” He loosened his tie. Red. Probably silk. “It is stuffy in here and I’m feeling awfully parched.”
“O-Ok…”
The blonde stood up and began looking around uncertainly. She walked around the desk to the liquor cabinet and picked up the decanter, fully aware of his eyes following her every movement.
“No, no.” He shook his head.
“No?”
“It’s not even 11:00.” He grinned. “How about some iced water?”
Lumine huffed. Ok…
She went to the tray that Nadia had left in the room and poured a nice tall glass of cold water. She set it down in front of him and waited. But he made no move to drink. Rather, he gave her a curious look.
“I normally take a slice of fresh lemon in my water, Lumine.” He stated.
She blinked. “Where am I supposed to get lemons?” This guy…
Ajax sprang up from his chair. “I thought you’d never ask. Follow me.”
He took her down the hallway to what must have been the employee break room. She could feel the curious stares and sidelong glances she was getting from the staff as they spotted her walking with their boss. She could hear their whispering. They were judging her. For what, she didn’t know, but it made her self-conscious.
“Lumine.”
Ajax’s voice was firm and brought her attention solely on him. His eyes were so blue, she realized. She’d never seen eyes this color before. Pretty.
“Focus.” He set his jaw. “Eyes on me. Only me.”
Lumine didn’t know what was happening to her or what had come over her, but she was suddenly nodding. Her vision tunneled on him, the rest of the world fading away into the background.
Apparently, fresh fruit was kept in the refrigerator crisper, and Ajax picked a juicy looking lemon and handed it to her.
“Knives are by the coffee machine.” He motioned with his chin.
Lumine normally didn’t have tremors, but for some reason, when she pulled a utility knife from the block, she was shaking like a leaf. Maybe it was because she was being watched. Or maybe it was because it was the way he was watching her.
It was difficult to concentrate on such a mundane task as slicing a lemon when someone was staring like this. Desirably. Ajax looked at her as if she were doing something unbelievably attractive and she wasn’t sure how to deal with it. Her hands slipped on the knife, and she sliced into the fruit askew rather than in a straight line.
Lumine paused and steadied her breathing. She glanced at Ajax out of the corner of her eye and saw him smiling from behind his hand.
“Something wrong? You seem nervous,” he remarked.
“I’m sorry. No. I’m not nervous.” She swallowed.
“You sure? You’re trembling.”
Lumine stiffened when she felt him move up behind her, warmth radiating from his body. He circled his arms around her and held her tiny hands in his, guiding her along as she carried out the task.
“There.” He breathed against her hair as the lemon fell apart into lovely, evenly sized slices. “That’s perfect.”
Lumine gasped when he moved closer, his pelvis pressing against her backside. He reached over her head into one of the cabinets for a styrofoam cup. Lumine fell forward with her palms on the countertop, cheeks burning as she realized the position they were suddenly in.
“Here we go.” Ajax’s breath was hot on her nape, and she bit back a gasp. He scooped up the sliced lemon and dropped it into the cup.
Lumine missed his warmth the second he backed away from her. She took the styrofoam cup in her hands and followed him back to the office in silence. Even from the back, Ajax Tartaglia was intimidating. He was all business in an expertly tailored designer suit, perfectly coiffed hair, and long, confident strides. Perfect posture, too.
Once they were back in his office, Ajax sat back down behind his desk and urged her to continue constructing the perfect glass of iced water. Lumine fetched another glass from the liquor cabinet, poured from the pitcher, and dropped 2 lemon slices onto the surface. Using a glass stirrer, Lumine gave everything a few good swirls and set the beverage in front of him.
Ajax kept his eyes on her, watching like a hawk. Evaluating her every move. She did her very best to remain calm and collected, standing upright with her shoulders back and chin up. When she gave him his beverage, he barely even looked at it. His eyes were locked onto hers, holding her gaze, stubbornly refusing to let her look away.
“Delicious,” Ajax remarked after taking a sip. “You have very nice hands, Lumine. Long fingers. Slender wrists…”
He reached across the desk and took her hands in his, running his thumbs in small circles over her skin. Remarkably, Lumine was no longer trembling. But her heart was racing, threatening to beat right out of her chest.
“Still shaky, though.” He released her and sat back. “But I can work with that.”
Lumine crossed her hands over in front of her. “Thanks. I think.”
He smirked. “Great first day. Can you be back here tomorrow at 8:00 AM?”
“Wha…? I… Yes.” She stammered, confused. “B-But I—“
Ajax stood up. “I have no other tasks for you at the moment. So, you’re free to go home. Unless…”
“Unless?” She perked up at the prospect of more work.
Ajax shrugged off his suit jacket and held it out to her, eying her with clear expectations. Lumine took the blazer from him and awaited further instructions. What she received, however, was quite a show.
The man kept her pinned beneath his confident gaze, like a butterfly in a specimen collection, while he loosened the tie around his neck. She heard the whisper of silk against the starched collar of his shirt as he slid it off and held it out for her to take. And then his hands were swiftly working apart the buttons of his wrist cuffs before moving onto the row along his front.
Lumine quickly realized that he wasn’t wearing an undershirt as his broad chest and toned torso came into view. She gulped and looked away just before he took off the shirt, focusing instead on the view from the office window. Ajax’s shirt was placed in her waiting hands before he excused himself briefly to step into his personal washroom.
Lumine stood in the office with her arms full of her prospective employer’s designer threads and all she could think about was his body. It was like her head was suddenly empty, robbed of all logic and reason, and replaced with impure thoughts. And his shirt smelled amazing . She wondered what brand of cologne he wore as she held the collar up to her nose and inhaled.
Ajax reappeared shortly after, donning a new shirt that hung unbuttoned over his shoulders. He approached Lumine and had her place his old clothes on the chair, after which he handed her a different tie. Blue this time. Like his eyes. Which were currently staring deeply into hers and filled with a sort of mischievous amusement.
“Do you know how to do a Windsor knot? I’ve always been pretty awful at it.”
Ajax’s smirk was undeniably sexy and Lumine was just like any other flesh and blood woman in that it made her feel things . She was certain she was blushing like a schoolgirl when she nodded, still very much aware of the exposed strip of his abdomen as she went in to help him get fixed up.
The little blonde’s hands trembled slightly while she buttoned his shirt, knuckles grazing over toned muscles and smooth skin. Her heart was pumping, blood rushing in her ears. Deafening. Ajax stood perfectly and patiently still as she popped his collar and draped the tie around his neck. She was working on the knot when he spoke again, grinning at her.
“You seem to know what you’re doing. May I ask how you learned?”
Lumine forced herself to focus on the knot she was weaving between her fingers rather than the swell of his lower lip and the bob of his Adam’s apple.
“I’ve tied a few knots before.” She explained vaguely.
“You don’t strike me as the type of woman to wear a necktie.” Ajax considered her with a slight tilt of his head.
“Of course not.” Lumine avoided his gaze, sliding the end of the tie through a loop in the center.
“Who was it then, who had you tying his Windsor knots, hm?”
In spite of herself, Lumine blushed. “A friend.”
“Just one?”
This time, she met his stare. “Several.”
Ajax chuckled softly. “Several, huh? How interesting.”
She rolled her eyes. “Not especially.”
“Oh, I beg to differ.”
She finished the knot and pulled it snugly to his throat. It wasn’t until she looked at his face again that she realized how close they were. Definitely outside the boundaries of her personal space. But before she could step back to put distance between them, he gripped her wrist.
“I am interested in you, Lumine.” Ajax said. “What kind of person you are and what kind of company you keep.”
Lumine wondered if he could feel the flutter of her pulse as it thrummed wildly beneath her wrist. “Why?”
“As my personal assistant, you’ll bear witness to many private matters in my life.” He explained, “You’ll be present at important meetings and learn company secrets. You’ll even have the access code to my penthouse.”
Lumine’s eyes grew wide as he tugged her gently towards him. She gulped audibly and he grinned, releasing her wrist and letting out a lighthearted laugh.
“It’s important that I know you, you see! It’s about trust, Lumine. And that goes both ways.”
The blonde nodded, relieved that he was no longer close enough for her to feel his breath on her skin. She circled her fingers around her wrist, rubbing over the area he’d just been holding. Her skin was tingling. How odd.
“But it’s a bit much for your first day.” He winked at her. “I get it. Wouldn’t want to overwhelm you so quickly.”
Lumine cleared her throat, regaining her composure. “I’m not easily overwhelmed, sir.”
Ajax eyed her with a bit of curious amusement. “That’s good to know.”
Lumine watched him as he reached into his pants pocket, pulling out his cell phone.
“What’s your cell number?” he asked.
Lumine blinked. “It’s on my resume. But I thought… Your ad said company phones would be provided—“
Too late. Ajax was already calling her. She scrambled through her purse for the device, thankful that she’d had the ringtone on silent. The last thing she needed him to know was that ‘Call Me Maybe’ was her ringtone of choice.
Ajax clicked his phone off and grinned at her. “Company phones. Yes. Nadia should have one for you at the desk when you leave.”
“If I’m going to have a company phone, why would we need to have each other’s personal cell numbers?” Lumine lifted a brow.
He chuckled, tucking his shirt tails into his pants. “As I said before, Lumine. Our relationship is about trust. And I need you to trust me when I tell you that I must have more than one way to contact you.”
Lumine sighed. It didn’t seem practical to her for him to have her personal number, but she chalked it up to the fact that he was rich. Probably spoiled. And would likely be calling on her at all hours of the day and night.
The pay is good, Lumine. Benefits. Paid vacations. Bonuses. Travel, all expenses paid…
She eyed the billionaire inconspicuously while he adjusted his pants just right .
Well. At least the view is nice…
Ajax turned to her once more, clasping his hands together. “All right. Well, I have one last assignment for you, and then you can clock out for the day — so to speak.”
“What is it that you need?”
“My clothes. I need you to take them to the dry cleaners.” He fussed with his hair in a small mirror that hung on the wall. “Express. One-day service. Extra starch on the collar. Wrap separately.”
Lumine mentally checked off every single one of his requirements. Ajax gave her a look before folding his arms over his chest.
“You aren’t going to write all this down?”
The blonde shook her head. “No.” She tapped a manicured fingernail against her temple with a smile. “It’s all up here.”
“Heh.” He scoffed. “I suppose we’ll see how good that memory serves you soon enough.”
Lumine felt tiny standing beside him. He loomed over her like a giant, his presence demanding respect and was intimidating. Then, he smiled - that dashing and debonair smirk - and she suddenly didn’t feel as intimidated as hot under the collar.
“It was really great to meet you, Miss Realta.” He shook her hand. “I’ll walk you out.”
Just his palm on her lower back was enough to make her stomach do somersaults. The way it settled comfortably along her lumbar curve, like it belonged there. And he kept it there until they arrived in the lobby.
Nadia looked up from her computer screen, tapping a finger against her Bluetooth headset to place a call on hold. She beamed at Ajax, then directed a small grin towards Lumine — an action meant to please her employer.
“Make sure she gets her company phone, handbook, and benefits portfolio. Ok, Nadia?” Ajax placed a palm on the marble-topped reception desk.
“Yes, My Lord,” she said without batting an eyelash.
Ajax tapped his hand twice against the stone and winked at her. “Good girl.”
The praise seemed to please Nadia, and she reacted like a well-trained pup might, with a proud smile and a bat of her lashes.
“Lumine, I will see you tomorrow morning.” He turned to her expectantly.
“Y-Yes, Sir. It was… um.” She furrowed her brow. “Interesting.”
Ajax said nothing, simply flashing a small smile and giving a quick wave before disappearing down the hall. Meanwhile, Nadia had procured a ‘welcome package’ for new prospective employees, and she handed it to Lumine with a chuckle.
“I see you’ve made it through phase one.” She said, opening up a box that held a brand-new smartphone.
“Phase one?” Lumine echoed.
“The interview stage.” Nadia powered on the device. “It’s active and all charges will be billed to the company.”
“Thanks.” The blonde took the phone and looked through it briefly, realizing Ajax’s contact info had already been plugged in. “Could I ask you something?”
Nadia nodded. “Sure. What?”
“How long have you been working at Fatui? Ah… F-For Mr. Tartaglia. His Lordship.” Lumine felt her cheeks burning. How silly, to call a grown ass man a lord .
“10 years this fall.” Nadia said.
“And his assistant before me…? Did you know them?”
“Her.” Nadia corrected. “His Lordliness only hires female assistants.”
Lumine swallowed a grunt of disgust. Of course he did. “Why did she leave?”
To this, the receptionist had to laugh. A throaty chuckle and blood red lips that curled into a wicked grin. She almost looked like a villainess, Lumine thought.
“Let’s just say that there’s a high turnover rate for personal assistants at Fatui.” Nadia sat back in her chair. “And that not every girl that walks through that door has what it takes. Believe me when I say that the job will require more than a bachelor’s degree and a killer pair of heels.”
“Noted.” Lumine nodded, laughing nervously. “Thanks.”
“Mhmm. Oh. One last thing…”
Nadia pulled out a manila envelope and handed it to Lumine.
“That’s your employee contract.” The receptionist said. “I suggest you read it over very carefully before signing on the dotted line.”
“Ehe… Ok. I’ll do that.” Lumine nodded curtly and quickly exited the office, all but running to the elevators.
What an interesting first day. Lumine would have to tell Aether all about the great Lord Tartaglia and his odd relationship with his employees.
Or maybe she’d leave all that stuff out after all. Aether was overprotective enough. She didn’t need to give him a reason to freak out about her new boss. All anyone had to know is that she was going to be working for Fatui International.
She was going to rock this probationary period.