“I just wondered if you would like to go to lunch with me?” I ask, sounding a little awkward. “I mean, I normally take my new employees out, but I would love to know more about your ideas too. I… I’m sorry that I shot them down in the meeting. It’s just a little hard for me to accept change.”
“When you hear what I have planned, you’ll soon change your mind,” she grins, filling me with confidence. She seems to know exactly what she’s doing, so I need to trust her. After all, my gut told me she was the right hire, and I usually work from that, so why would this be any different? “So, shall we go?”
An hour later, we are still sitting in a café. It is long after we have finished our sandwiches, chatting happily and enjoying one another’s company. I’m content to hang out, talk about nothing, and forget work. We haven’t even discussed her plans; they’ve been overlooked while we learn more about each other.
“… but luckily, that was just before I finished college, so I didn’t have to live with the humiliation for long!” As she tells me an embarrassing story about a dreadful date in her younger years, I pour her yet another glass of wine. Okay, so we’re acting inappropriately for an employer-employee relationship, but I don’t care. Overstepping boundaries has never worried me in the past, anyway, but it’s even more so with this one. Iwantthings to go further, even if it is wrong, and I have qualms about making it happen.
“So, what about you?” she asks, leaning in and giving me a flirty smile. “Have you had any terrible relationships?”
This is a difficult question because it might lead me to open up more than I should. Do I tell Zaya that I’ve never really had a relationship, so I don’t have any tales for her, or do I make something up? I’ve never even stuck around long enough for anyone to get to know me enough to be a nightmare, but do I want her to get that impression?
“I… I’ve never had a girlfriend.” I decide that being honest now is better than confessing later. It might be an ugly version of myself, but I hope she will see the person underneath and understand that this isn’t who I want to be forever. “I’ve had short term lovers, but that’s about it.”
I glance downward, not wanting to make eye contact, but luckily she bursts into laughter, giggling in a musical way that has me wanting to smile broadly. “So, the playboy rumors about you are true… Mr. Bryson.” For some reason, she doesn’t sound pissed off or disgusted. If anything, she says piques my interest all over again, which only worsens when I look into her eyes and see the intense desire.She wants me,I think to myself in surprise.Maybe she likes me too. Perhaps this will go how I want it to, after all.
All the paperwork sitting on my desk is crying out for attention, but floats away from my mind. How can it be as important as this? Surely, I deserve my own life? Even Dad would understand the right girl, which this is.
“So, shall we bother returning to work, or do you think we should stay here and finish this bottle?”
“Ooh, I don’t know; you’re the boss,” she jokes, smiling. “You need to tell me what to do… remember?”
Oh God, I almost groan loudly with pleasure at the thought of telling this woman what to do, but I can’t take things there just yet - not if I want this to become something. So, I will have to do the one thing I’ve never done before and hold back to allow emotions to grow. I’m sure that if I take her into the bathroom, I could have her naked and screaming within a few moments, but that would be the end of things, and I don’t want that yet.
“Maybe we should finish the bottle,thenhead back to work,” I tell her, smiling. “Sure, we might not be in the right frame of mind to get any work done, but at least we’ll show our faces.”
“That sounds like a good plan!” she exclaims excitedly. “Wow, what a first day. I will like working at International Pharma Co. more than I thought if this is anything to go by.”
“Well, you won’t get this treatment every day, but I’m sure we’ll have fun,” I agree. How much fun? I don’t specify and don’t feel I need to. I think it’s clearly implied.
Zaya
Bytheendofmy first week on the job at International Pharma Co., I’m already at the end of my tether regarding the best way to get the paperwork from Alex’s office without him finding out. That place is kept locked tighter than Fort Knox, and I have no idea how I will get in.
To make things worse, I’m not finding Van much use. If it weren’t for my father’s recommendation, I would never have trusted this man. “I don’t see that you have any other option,” he tells me sadly. “I think that seducing him is the only way.”
I’ve been trying to get some advice on getting into the office alone, and to be honest, I was hoping for much more practical advice thanscrewing Alex. Losing my virginity to him! I guess it helps that I’ve laid the groundwork by flirting nonstop, but talk is one thing while actually doing something about it is entirely on another level. I haven’t found anyone worthy of my first time, and I certainly don’t think Alex is it. Of course, it helps that he’s hot as all hell – however much I despise him – so I imagine doing it, but still… am I ready?
“Yeah, maybe you’re right.” Van is a petite, nerd guy, about a decade older than me, but maybe it’s time to admit he’s right. I did say that I would do anything to get this information, and I know that Dad is relying on me - increasingly so as the days roll on. I hope that I can do it when the time comes. “I guess I’ll get to it then.”
“Look, I’m not saying you need to do anything drastic,” he tells me quickly as if a horrifying thought has just hit him – probably the idea of Dad finding out what he’s suggested. “Just enough to get in there… and you might need to use your imagination to remain alone.”
“Zaya,” I hear Nina call out in her shrill, irritated voice. “The phone has been ringing for ages. I think it’s the caterer coming back to you.”
“Oh shit,” I mutter under my breath. “I completely forgot about the gala. I better go, Van. I’ll speak to you later.” I might have acted all confident in the interview, promising the world when it comes to the idea of throwing a party together within a week. Now that I have to do it, things are different. It’s much more challenging than I thought it would be. I probably should have told Alex that it was impossible. I was thinking only about getting the job, not following through.
I spend the next couple of hours in a state of sheer frustration, trying to hold it together when I feel like I might be falling apart. This job is hard, and with the extra weight falling heavily on my shoulders, it’s damn near impossible. I can talk the talk - I think I’ve found that I’m very good at that – but taking action is something else.
“Yes, that’s what I said,” I cry, holding my head in my hands. Why can’t people do as I ask when it needs to be done? I’m offering to throw in whatever money they need, which I don’t see as a problem considering that Alex never mentioned a budget. Still, it seems too challenging. “By Saturday. Do you think that you can do that?”
To make things worse, Nina keeps walking past with a massive smirk on her lips, as if shewantsto see me fail. I don’t know what it is about her that creates such a barrier between us, but I don’t give a shit. Let her have her problem with me; soon, she will never see me again.
As the guy on the other end of the phone mumbles his excuses, and I offer him even more money, I notice the rest of the staff members filing out. At first, this pisses me off because I want to be the one leaving this nightmare behind, but then another plan starts to form in my mind. If I get left behind because I’m so wrapped up in my work, then maybe… just maybe, I can make this work today. Perhaps I’ll be able to finish what I have started already.
Eventually, the lights flicker out, and the cleaners start making their rounds. I go through the halls with a pounding heart. I’m hoping that Alex is working late too, and he’s sitting there in his office, unsuspecting what will come his way. I will go in there, acting like I have some gala stuff to discuss – which I will make up when the moment comes – and then I’ll return to flirting. But, of course, the boozy lunch we had the other day started this anyway, so it won’t be much of a shock when I make some slightly inappropriate comments.
Then… well, after that, who knows. All I need to do is focus on getting him to leave me alone in his office. That shouldn’t be too hard… right?
I suck in a few deep breaths and do my best to ignore my pounding heart while tight knots of panic swirl in my stomach. I’m almost trembling with fear… but this is why I’m here. I need to do this, so scary or not, I have to take action.