Page 10 of A Good Girl's Guide to Dominance
“Nope. I really wish Sierra would have answered my—”
Simon cuts his sentence short as his head nearly breaks to look at the entrance door. Sunlight beams into the office in a long white streak as the door opens, and everyone in the building stops moving. Simon and I step into my doorway, cramming into the small space to get a peek of who might be coming in. Is this it? The moment we’ve all been waiting for?
The first person to walk in is Sierra Martinez. Her brown skin looks golden in the sunbeam, her lips plump and covered in dark lipstick, her hair wavy as it careens down her back, and her brown eyes focused on someone behind her. She holds the door open while the rest of us hold our breath. Then, he enters.
The air in the room is sucked out along with the oxygen in my lungs. We all see him at the same time, and I swear he is the only thing moving. He's the only thingalivein the entire building, and my forehead is blanketed with wrinkles as I gawk at him in confusion.
He’s at least six-foot-two—maybe even six-three—with broad shoulders carrying a fit frame, but not overly muscular. His black hair is perfectly styled and almost looks wet, but when he instinctively runs his fingers through it, there is no residue coating his hand. His jawline is the strongest feature on his tanned face, and it is covered in a perfectly trimmed, well-kept beard. His lips are pink and full, drawing my eyes to them whenhe sucks the lower one into his mouth, biting it before letting it flop back out again. The gray suit he's wearing looks tailored to his body—not too big, not too small, but perfect for him and him only. His light brown eyes scan the room, and even though he’s moving at a normal speed, it feels like he’s in slow motion. The rest of the world has stopped turning in order for him to make his entrance, and it is more grand than I ever could have imagined. The man is absolutely stunning.
Everyone gawks at him as the door finally closes and he begins following Sierra. She leads him down the path, only stopping to explain what he’s seeing.
“This is the bullpen,” she says in her strong Spanish accent. “Managers, individual contributors, and everyone who is entry-level works here. Directors of marketing, advertising, brands, social media, and products all have offices—as well as you and I, of course. I’ll introduce you to everyone soon, but let me show you to your office first.”
He doesn't reply verbally, only with a subtle nod. Sierra spins on her heel and begins down the path again, and my heart starts to hammer. The walkway runs directly in front of my office, which means he is going to see me. We are going to be face to face, if only briefly. I don't know why, but I’m more nervous now than I was when I thought he could be an old racist. Shit. Should I go back to my desk and act like I’m hard at work? That’s what Simon would do—look like the hardest working person in the building—but even he is frozen solid. My feet won’t move. I’m stuck in cement with my eyes glued to his face. Before I can even shift an inch, his eyes find me as he and Sierra approach.
“G … good morning, Sir,” I hear myself say.
Why? Why the hell did I say that?
Again, he doesn't reply with words. He nods at me, but the look on his face isn’t polite or inviting. In fact, I’d say his gaze is menacing. So much so that I involuntarily take a small stepbackward. I couldn't move myself, but the stone cold stare in his eyes forced me back with nothing more than a look.
The moment passes as he and Sierra keep going. The entire office watches as Sierra walks into the CMO office and turns on the light. Mr. Giovanni walks in behind her, and she steps to the side to allow him access to everything that is now his. Even Sierra, who is usually so bold and headstrong, looks anxious and quiet around him. She moves like a servant, pointing out things to the owner of every item in the building. I’ve never seen her look so meek, even when standing next to Mr. Thomas. It’s clear that the man she’s showing around nowis notMr. Thomas. They couldn't be more different, and even Sierra knows it.
The door to the office closes, and sound and air finally re-enter the building. Everyone in the bullpen comes back to life. Mouths pop open and jaws hit the floor. Smiles take over the faces of quite a few of the women and even a few men, and when I look at Jeremiah, his eyes are saucers.
We stare at each other, both of us clearly thinking the exact same thing, but Jeremiah is the only one to say it out loud. He speaks my thoughts into existence with the exact level of enthusiasm that I hear inside my head.
“Holy fucking shit.”
Six - Rome
When the door opens, I see more than just a room full of people who will be working for me. I see opportunity. I see my vision for my future and the vision my father always had for me … before. My purchase of Sandcastle is about more than just owning the business. It’s about who I am as a person and who I want to become. It’s about being great and making my parents proud … and Natalia.
I spent the early part of my morning with Sierra Martinez, the vice president of Sandcastle. At Larry Thomas’s suggestion, she and I met up for coffee and talked about the ins and outs of the company. She did her best to break it all down for me, and also gave me the impression that she really knows her stuff. She will be someone I can rely on going forward. Seeing as how this is the first business I have ever owned, I’ll need someone like her to help me along the way. I’m ambitious but also inexperienced, so her expertise will certainly come in handy. However, her eyes have a habit of landing on me and staying there. Her gaze is strong and enticing to say the least. I can tell she has a Type Apersonality and is a control freak. Perfect. She’s the opposite of anything I’ll ever want, which means she won’t be a distraction.
I see the way they look at me when I walk into the building. They have probably been wondering about the man who swooped in and bought the company, stressing themselves out about the kind of boss I will be. They stare hard, their mouths agape as I walk past them on my way to the office, and I’m not the kind of person who wants to shout out some sort of cheerful greeting or motivational speech. I’m not in the mood to smile or act in a way that is different from who I really am. All of them should get used to seeing this face and the expression on it. It is the real Rome. I am steel—cold and hard at all times. I don't want to be friends or think of my new employees as my family. This is business, and business only.
“This is the bullpen,” Sierra says as I look out into the crowd of people in their cubicles.
Some of them stare at me in a way that lets me know exactly what they are thinking. No matter. Once they get to know me, they'll stop.
“Managers, individual contributors, and everyone who is entry-level works here. Directors of marketing, advertising, brands, social media, and products all have offices—as well as you and I, of course. I’ll introduce you to everyone soon, but let me show you to your office first.”
I nod at Sierra and she continues to guide me down a path of gray hardwood that leads to all of the offices on the perimeter of the bullpen. I follow her lead, doing my best not to make eye contact with anyone just yet. When I’m ready to address them I will, but until then, they can stay on pins and needles.
As we walk, the path takes us past the first office. Two people stand on my right, squishing themselves into the doorway as they gawk at me with unblinking eyes. One is a man who either needs to shave or learn how to care for his beard. He is wearingkhaki pants and a glaringly fake smile, and the little nod he gives makes me want to frown in response. I don't know who he is here, but I hope he is not someone I have to work with regularly.
Next to him is a woman with mesmerizing brown skin and strawberry brown locs that hang down to her waist. Her almond-shaped eyes bore into me, and my gaze drops down to her seductively plump lips as she speaks.
“G … good morning, Sir.”
Now I’m the one who is staring, but I shouldn’t be. There is something about her, though. Something intriguing that threatens to make me stop walking and start saying things I shouldn't. Her eyes never move from mine, even when she takes a step back as though she’s afraid of being too close. I know she's waiting for a response, but the look on her face is like she's waiting for … a command.
No. I’m not here for that, and I refuse to let myself get sidetracked when this journey has just begun. So, I force myself to move on from her, pulling my eyes away without uttering a single word. When I reach the office, Sierra is already waiting for me. She steps aside so that I can move about the room where I will be spending most of my time as I try to take this business to heights it has never seen before. I want it all to be bigger and better than ever, and as I take inventory of everything in the office, noting the things I will want to change now that it is mine, I know that I’ll be successful. I will run this company the same way that I run my life.
I am dominant. I am in control at all times, and anything standing in my way will be pushed aside. This company will be the biggest ad agency in Philadelphia before I’m done with it. All I have to do is remain focused … and ignore the girl who called me Sir.
Red & Green Flags
