InsaneJournal

Hope had been at her job for five and a half months now, and she had worked her way up to PA already. She was incredibly pleased to had achieved that under her own steam, and far too inexperienced to realise that -in fact - she hadn't. It wasn't her own steam at all. It was grooming. The pitying looks she occasionally got from older staff she misread as jealousy. To her, she had gotten her position because she was incredible. But it was her first job. How was she to know no one worked their way up from intern to PA in five months without neoptism or favourtism or something darker? Though to be fair, with Hope it could had been any of those things - being the daughter of a senator. But it wasn't, and the older women in the office knew. They also knew they couldn't say a word.

Not that Hope would have listened anyway. John had told her some people might be jealous of how trusted she was, and they might talk behind her back. She was used to that anyway, and it didn't bother her. He had said they might lie to scare her off, but Hope had assured him she wasn't that easily scared. She was strong! She knew what she was doing!

Which was why, when a text came in from John as she was already cleaning her desk to head home, she answered it. I need a file now, no questions! You are the only one I can trust with this. Get the files off my desk, I trust you in my office not to snoop, and then bring them to my home.

She was the only one he trusted! She was exhausted and hungry, and she was supposed to watch White Lotus with Tori later, but she was trusted and she couldn't let John down. It sounded so important. And she wouldn't want to let him down. She shot off a text to Tori to tell her that she needed a raincheck and then another one to John to tell him she was on her way. He could count on her! That was why she had the job, after all!

She arrived at his doorstep, cheeks a little red from the jog from the Uber. But she was smiling when she buzzed up. She had the files in a manila envelope clutched close to her chest, and if it had been raining she would have shoved them under her light spring jacket. Luckily, everything was dry and she wouldn't be seen as having failed him.