His Personal Secretary (Closed For Bellawolf)

[thepoeticmaster2121]

His Personal Secretary (For Clovenfox)

This story contains the following: D/s, Office, One Shot, Modern Romance
Notice: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the authors imaginations or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

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Today was the day.

That was the thought that carried me through the entire morning and well into the afternoon. Throughout all the meetings and the crap that came from being a moderately large cog in the massive cog that was Corporate America. My company was large enough to turn a bunch of other smaller cogs but still small enough to get pushed around and spun around in circles by the larger ones.

So, let’s just state the obvious, I was moderately successful (even with my crap way of using analogies to describe Corporate America and my utter disdain for it) and after working hard for the last ten years I was finally managing a small ad agency along with a bunch of other guys who were managing a bunch of other smaller ad agencies. I was living the dream…. Well at least someone else’s dream. All in all, it wasn’t bad, I was a former military guy and the people that made up my team had long ago learned that my word was law and I ran the office just like I had run my unit in the Navy. It worked well for us securing the big contracts and putting this business at the top of the creative division in regards to the competition.

Of course, winning came with more work and that work came with challenges. Which was why today I was getting a replacement secretary; someone who could assist me directly and be my right hand, the-go-between. The position was important not just because of what was involved with the company but also because of my own needs as well…. See I didn’t have the time to get a woman or go out to a bar and go through the tedious process that was “dating”. No, I had an ad agency to run and staff that needed paid. Of course, I still had needs - wild kinky needs that had to be fulfilled somehow. This was why after mulling the potential candidates around in my head for a while I finally decided to interview just one person today. There was one person in particular that I suspected had a crush on me, a woman who I found sexy as hell, a siren I had envisioned bent over my desk getting fucked by my cock many many times already.

And today was the day for her interview…

I notice the time and smile inwardly. She wasn’t a part of my department but from what little I saw of her, she was always right on time and I had no doubt she was hovering by the door waiting to come in. A glance at my watch and I noted there was only a minute or two left before her “interview” was scheduled to begin. I quickly shuffled the last of the paperwork to the side and shrugged my black suit coat off, draping it over the high back leather chair. I was wearing a white dress shirt with a dark cobalt blue tie that stood out over the crisp white. I run my fingers through the short locks of charcoal colored hair and as expected she was right on time. The corner of my lip curved as I hear a knock at the door.

“Today is the day” I murmur to myself before clearing my throat a moment, then a hand casually resting on hip I stand behind the mahogany desk, the leather chair shrouding half my form in shadow. The scent of leather mingles with the dark woodwork of the executive office. There’s a large leather settee along one wall and a pair of matching short chairs before the desk. In the assertive tone I use when speaking with my employees, I say “come in” and extend my hand, motion for her to take one of the two offered seats.

 

[Clovenfox]

Jerica Crane had devoted a lot of time and effort to her job at this ad agency. To put it bluntly, she’d worked her ass off; grueling hours, little pay and a whole lot of ass kissing. How many pots of coffee had she made her first six months here? How many lunch errands? What about the amount of paper jams she encountered at the printer? Too many to count and those were the easy tasks. The hard ones were navigating the social channels of her peers and superiors. Who was who? Who liked who? Who owed someone a favor? What little glimmer of gossip did she glean that day at the water cooler? It was a rat race and Jerica were trying to keep her head above water. How did she manage that? By rubbing elbows and smiling and being friendly with everyone she encountered. She could turn on the charm and warmth like the flick of a light bulb thanks to her church upbringing. She dressed with conservative elegance. There were other more aggressive sharks in these waters and Jerica knew to keep her head down lest she attract the wrong kind of attention. She wanted to be noticed but didn’t want others to find her threatening. She was the girl next door and yet somewhere between librarian and museum curator all wrapped up into one and she wanted to advance in this job, but on her terms.


And now she was on the other side of the door waiting for an interview for a position she really didn’t want. It had been Jerica’s unfortunate luck that her boss, Greg Robertson, wanted his little side piece close by. It was well known that Greg was tight with Alex Hawthorn, the owner of the ad agency, and so a swap was made, Mrs. Liza Ray for her. How wonderful…. No, not really.


She smoothed the grey pencil skirt down and gathered her things, took a deep breath, tilted her shoulders back and found her backbone before entering the posh office. Her black heels quieted by the plush cream carpeting, carried her up to the front of his desk. She regarded the man silently, watched the way he expected her to look around, perhaps gape openly at his lavish digs and when she didn’t she watched the cool steely eyes of his gaze sizing her up. Jerica took the offered seat, perched on the edge and said in a level voice, “thank you for this opportunity Sir.” Her dark chestnut hair was styled in loose waves, the string of white pearls and matching teardrop earrings offset the lace hem of the sleeve detail of her white blouse.

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

FIVE MINUTES EARLIER


“She’s in the lobby sir.”

His jade green eyes flickered to his computer taking in the picture forwarded to him by Otis the security guard manning the lobby. With one simple click he opened the file bringing up the picture of her on the high definition computer screen. His tongue flicked out like a snake tasting the air as he studied her. There was a sliver of light coming in from the window behind him and he scowled at the way it warped her picture ever so slightly. Strong sure hands gripped the computer screen turning it and removing the light that blemished the grainy security snapshot.

“Much better,” he murmured to himself as he turned his attention back to the picture displayed on the monitor. His eyebrows knitted together as he studied her and the woman’s choice of attire. He was pleased to see she didn’t disappoint having chosen a respectable ensemble that still managed to entice. He felt his hand shake, a tremble that betrayed his excitement.

“Don’t you dare,” he growled at his hand as he clicked away the picture and reached out to wring his wrist. “We don’t show them the excitement anymore. We don’t let them in. We are a wall… A fortress.” he whispered it under his breath as if it was a secret until the shaking subsided. Only then did he release his wrist. Afterwards he brought his hand up, stretching it, then studying it for any tremble or betrayal of weakness. Finding none he sighed in relief before dropping his hand back down to rest in the exact middle of his desk.

Forbes and many other articles mentioned the famous executive desk. The executive’s desk was the ideal for any business man to maximize his workflow and be seen as respectable. His desk was perfect with everything exactly in place and in reach of his hands. The one change was the red marker.

The red marker.

His sword, his whip, his symbol of power. He hadn’t learned of it until after his divorce nor the power it contained. He reached out touching it shivering slightly as he felt the warm plastic.

“Soon,” he whispered to himself just as a knock rang out from his door.

“Soon.”


PRESENT TIME


“The only person you should be thanking is yourself Miss Crane,” he said his voice strong and sure as he moved to close the door behind her “The hard work and perseverance you showed during the process of being interviewed put you above the other applicants.”

He moved stepping in front of her and gesturing at the chair he already pulled out for her. He waited until she sat down before moving around his desk and taking his seat of power. Every step was sure and confident as he came to eye level with her. After a few seconds of starring at her his hand swept over his desk and pressed the intercom.

“I am in my interview with Ms. Crane now,” he said to his receptionist. “I am not to be disturbed until the meeting ends.”

He lifted his finger off the button and waited for a response.

“Yes, Mr. Hawthorn.” The receptionist replied.

Alex Hawthorn nodded his head but made no move to thank her or open the intercom again. Instead he turned his full gaze and attention to the woman in front of him. His hands steepled together before he finally spoke.

“I trust you brought you references and resume?” He asked before bringing his hand out and waiting for it patiently. He could pull it up on his computer but it was far more desirable to see how prepared she was for the interview.

 

[Clovenfox]

“The only person you should be thanking is yourself Miss Crane.”

Jerica’s hands, which were in her lap, squeezed momentarily at the tone in Mr. Hawthorn’s voice. She was good at concealing her emotions while at the workplace however she had absolutely no interest in being alone with this man, especially not here, in his private office of all places.


She listened as he softened the sentence with the second half, “The hard work and perseverance you showed during the process of being interviewed put you above the other applicants.”

It was bullshit, every word the man said. This wasn’t a man that doled out praise without wanting something in return and she wasn’t taking the bait. Instead, she remained silent.


She stiffened in her seat as he took his chair and paid careful attention to the way he addressed his receptionist. She very much doubted he was grandstanding for her sake as he spoke to the woman on the other end of the intercom. If anything, that was how he spoke to all of his employees. So, the rumors she’d heard in that regard had been true…


Jerica watched as Mr. Hawthorn leaned back in his seat and silently regarded her, his hands steepled together. There was a pregnant pause before he spoke.


“I trust you brought you references and resume?”

Then he leaned forward, hand extended waiting for her to pass the documents across the desk. She did so, before lacing her fingers back together and resting them upon her lap.


She’d only been with the company three years but she’d put in a lot of hard work and hours. She never took a sick day, she’d banked all her vacation days and felt no need to use them at present. However, as she studied the man she wondered if now might be a good time to put in a request and take a little holiday for herself. As he thumbed through the papers in hand Jerica refrained from fidgeting. A fine trickle of sweat dappled along her spine and she was forced to shift her weight slightly in the seat. If she was lucky he’d see that she was transferred to another department, after all she lacked the skill and training required for this position of which she was grateful.


After several minutes of silence passed with him reading and then re-reading over the two pages she’d given him she cleared her throat, “If I may sir, I’d like to request a position assisting with the Research Department, I hear they’re very shorthanded.”

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

The nerve of her!

It took all of his self-control and fortitude not to show her what her words did to him. On the outside he was a calm mask as he faced her down. On the surface her request, nay demand, to be transferred to another department didn’t seem to affect him.

Inwardly however….

He was furious practically boiling with white-hot anger. She thought she could demand another placement! As if being thankful for the position to work as his secretary didn’t even cross her mind. She clearly thought she was too good for it, that she was too good for HIM as well. She was just like that bitch he divorced, all high and mighty on the fucking pedestal.

He would show her.

“You may not,” he said finally speaking and giving her a final answer. “Instead you will interview as my secretary or you will walk out of the office and find yourself another place of employment!” He rested his hand on the desk and eyed her evenly, “Now if you’re done asking for a transfer before you’ve even begun working for me then we can move onto the interview process.”

He glanced down and even though he already memorized her resume he spent the time reading it again. It was a damn good read too. One that painted the picture of a dedicated employee who was doing everything possible to put herself ahead of others in the company. He firmly believed in giving credit where credit was due. So, after reading it he glanced up and nodded his head.

“Your qualifications are very impressive,” he told her speaking honestly as he pushed her resume back in front of her. “You’ve done good work for this company. A few more years and under the proper tutelage and you might even find yourself in a very high-ranking position here.”

He paused letting the subtext of what he was saying hit with her before continuing.

Play ball with me and you might get whatever your heart desires.

“Before we move along I want to ask you if you have any questions about the job,” he said as his hand reached out to touch the red marker. Before he reached it however he stopped himself. His hand hovered there for a half a second. Since she came into the room it was the most human, most flawed thing he had done.

He wondered if she would pick up on that.

“And I do mean about the job,” he told her quickly before she got a chance to pipe up. “I won’t hear another word about this transfer nonsense.”

 

[Clovenfox]

While she couldn’t pinpoint it, she could feel the tension in the room. It was so thick one could slice it with a knife. So, it came as little surprise when the man across from her refused her request. What did shock her however, was his threat of termination! She wanted to stand and demand to know on what grounds he could do such a thing! But given his track record, he’d say something and the three years she’d put into this ad agency would be flushed down the toilet along with her references, the slime ball. He only wanted her because his last secretary wouldn’t let him get his rocks off, being that she was involved with Greg Robertson. The entire office knew of their little affair. It was just her damn luck that Mrs. Liza Ray wouldn’t give it up for the big boss himself. Poor little boy didn’t get a chance to share…


She also knew damn well she wasn’t qualified for this job no matter how he boasted about her qualifications! She called bs on the entire thing. Jerica knew better then to let the bastard know that he’d gotten under her skin. He was baiting her, giving her no way out.



“Now if you’re done asking for a transfer before you’ve even begun working for me then we can move onto the interview process.”

In a level voice Jerica replied, “No that will be all sir, please proceed.”



“Your qualifications are very impressive.” You’ve done good work for this company. A few more years and under the proper tutelage and you might even find yourself in a very high-ranking position here.”

That essentially equated to you scratch my back and I’ll consider scratching yours…. The only problem here was, that was a lie. He could tell her until he was blue in the face but she’d been here long enough to understand that that was just an empty promise. He’d get her over his desk and then discard her in a few months and then she really would lose everything…



“Before we move along I want to ask you if you have any questions about the job and I do mean about the job. I won’t hear another word about this transfer nonsense.”

Jerica’s eyes widened momentarily. Did this guy just attempt to minimize her request? Who did this guy think he was? The woman straightened in the seat and eyed him coolly for a long moment. “Sir, while I may appreciate the praise for the acknowledgement of my work while here; we both know that I’m not qualified for this position. I am not equipped to adequately fulfill the requirements. I would appreciate it if you would reconsider my request.”


She let her words hang in the air a brief moment before continuing, “If however, you’re determined to have me fill in on a temporary basis until a suitable candidate can be hired, I would like to know what the exhaustive list of the position entails beforehand.”

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

Defiant

The word pulsated in his mind like an angry annoying gnat as he stared at her. He wondered if she saw it as a victory, a victory that she managed to crack through his carefully constructed mental fortitude and elicit a physical reaction from him. His hand was twitching now, a slight movement but for him akin to him fully shaking with rage. It was all a battle after all, a battle of wills and domination.

And she scored the first point.

He realized too late that he had underestimated her. He knew she was smart, he knew she was capable, yet he never expected her to actually pipe up and make such demands. He thought she understood the hierarchy and that she was going to take whatever job the company asked of her. He realized now that wasn’t the case that instead she was going to act as if she deserved to CHOOSE her position in the company.

THAT was his failing.

He finally swallowed hard his Adams apple bobbing before he cleared his throat.

“Whatever rumor you’ve heard about their being many openings is wrong,” he said his voice tight as he crossed his arms. “As of right now this is the only position that is available to you. It also seems as if you were misinformed. It is not a temporary position. It will be your job until you either find employment elsewhere or you get a promotion. That will of course be based on my own evaluation.”

He paused letting that sink in before continuing.

“The requirements will include all the standards of a secretary for a senior partner such as myself,” he told her his hands finally unfolding as he felt a modicum of control returning. Now that he knew what she was capable of he wasn’t going to let her get one over on him again.

“Of course, there will be a bit more to it,” he remarked continuing, “I’m a hard taskmaster as I am sure you’ve heard. There is a lot of paperwork and letters we will need to draft and write out. I except your grammar skills to be impeccable. There will be many long hours of work. I’ll also be needing your help for social events of varying nature; all company related of course. Any trips I go on that include business will include you going as well. There is much to do in this season so expect that to play a hand in how much work you’re subjected to.”

“That about covers it for the particulars of the position. Again, I open the floor to any questions you have with the stipulation that it be about the job.”

 

[Clovenfox]

Just what was this guy’s problem? She regarded the man carefully, noticed a slight tremble run through his hand, noted how his hand had hovered over the red pen earlier and the vein at his temple was pronounced. Oh, this was rich. The louse was angry! Angry because she refused to play to his ego? She had a hunch that every single woman before her walked in here with their eyes wide, in awe of his office trappings, the fact he was the owner of the company, and swooned at his feet. In fact, she’d watched the slew of secretaries that walked in bright eyed, meek and glowing only to leave months later with the contents of their desk in cardboard boxes, tears in their eyes and broken hearts. She REFUSED to be one of them! The guy preyed on the women in this building not because he didn’t have free time but because it was easy, he used his position of power in order to get what he wanted and right now he didn’t like her very much. Too damn bad… for him!



“Whatever rumor you’ve heard about their being many openings is wrong. As of right now this is the only position that is available to you. It also seems as if you were misinformed. It is not a temporary position. It will be your job until you either find employment elsewhere or you get a promotion. That will of course be based on my own evaluation.”

She held back the chuckle that was forming, she knew this wasn’t for a temporary position. Let the bastard think he had one over on her.



Jerica sat quietly, digesting the information. She glanced out the window for a brief moment focused on the skyscrapers and eyed the way the sun glinted off of the windows of the building adjacent to theirs. Finally, she gave him her full attention again and said in a level tone, “I would appreciate proper notice, a week at the very least, before any out of town trips that way I can have sufficient time to make necessary arrangements.”



She then continued, “Secondly, will the company be paying for my flights and hotel lodgings?”



Jerica thought a moment and then asked, “thirdly, for social events who will be responsible for funding the wardrobe expenses? Some of these events can be quite financially imposing and Sir, I do not have the resources to cover such extravagance no matter how important the event may be. In fact, I'm going to be perfectly direct with you a moment here, I cannot afford travel expenses.”



“And lastly, I will do my best to honor the position however I expect a professional relationship to be maintained between us at all times, do not elicit me for sexual favors or dangle the threat of termination in order to get me to comply. I have a fiancé that I respect very much and I will never allow myself to be in a position to jeopardize my relationship for this job.”

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

“Bullshit”

He said it before he could stop himself and froze as the implication of what he said took root. Damn this woman! Every time he thought he had her handled she turned around and snapped something else out at him. It was enough to make him want to tear his hair out!

“What I mean is that I do not believe you have a fiancé,” he said clearing his throat and recovering. “I do own this company after all, part of your employment called for a background check. While you may have a fiancé I sincerely doubt it. I have no desire to get slapped with a sexual lawsuit anyways I promise you Miss Crane. Now if we can continue….”

He paused reaching for his glass water bottle and taking a measured sip before placing it back down and leaning in to regard her.

“Now you’re getting into brass tacks,” he told her placing his hands on the desk “You will have a clothing and travel budget. You will be made aware well in advance of both traveling and the need to dress up. I will let you know what I am wearing to formal events so you can coordinate. You will be my date for a lot of these functions and even if it’s not romantic in nature you will look good on my arms and represent our company to the best of your abilities. Based on your choice of attire I think you’ll have no trouble with that one.”

She couldn’t deny him his looks nor her needing to showcase herself. Of course, she could pitch a fit but he suspected she wouldn’t. Events were after all part of the corporate world. If she wanted to make a name for herself she would attend regardless of being his secretary. Forcing the point just reminded her that no matter what, she would be seen on his arms.

“Your travel budget will be the same as mine as well,” he told her. “First class… your own room. Everything will be provided for.”

 

[Clovenfox]

“Bullshit”

Jerica’s eyes widened and then a small smile formed at the corner of her scarlet red lips. Was he getting a little hot under the collar? Tsk, tsk, who would have thought he’d get so worked up over semantics…



“What I mean is that I do not believe you have a fiancé.”

Ah, so that little tidbit about her being involved didn’t sit well with him. Jerica coolly regarded him, her blue eyes watching him struggle to regain control like a man drowning out at sea without a life raft. Pity… she had expected more from him.



“I do own this company after all, part of your employment called for a background check. While you may have a fiancé I sincerely doubt it. I have no desire to get slapped with a sexual lawsuit anyways I promise you Miss Crane. Now if we can continue….”

While she could argue with him about the status of her relationship, which to be fair was in fact a lie, she saw no importance on elaborating further. She had gotten to him, that was all that mattered. He could say whatever he wanted about not wanting to get a lawsuit but the fact remained, she’d struck a nerve. A big one all things considered by his reaction. Her love life wasn’t his business but it helped her to establish boundaries. Make him think she wasn’t obtainable. She wanted him to chase after someone else and let her do her job. And he could bet his ass that she would press sexual lawsuit charges against him if he so much as tried to take advantage of her. He better have ironclad evidence to support firing her too, of that he could be certain.



“You will be my date for a lot of these functions and even if it’s not romantic in nature you will look good on my arms and represent our company to the best of your abilities.”

Jerica’s eyes took on a steely darkness as he emphasized “his arms”, that unmistakable implication of possessiveness. Bully him, she thought.



“Your travel budget will be the same as mine as well. First class… your own room. Everything will be provided for.”

Like a flick of a switch, Jerica managed her trademark winning smile, the one she’d managed to perfect in church and said, “Certainly Sir, now may I have that in writing please?” She turned her head to eye the clock in order to break eye contact and then yawned into her hand. “Oh goodness, look at the time. I’m sorry to have kept you so long. You can have your assistant draw up the paperwork and I’ll have it signed, send it via courier. You have my address, right?” She nodded as she rose from the seat extending her hand to shake his.

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

He glanced up noting the time at being five o’ clock exactly. Oh? So, she thought she was going to get off exactly on time huh? A small smile crossed his face akin to a fox skirting around the chicken house as he rose up and shook his head.

“We’ll do the paper work now,” he told her his hand moving to his desk and pulling out a drawer. “Unless you’d like to walk out? I can take another applicant if that’s the case?”

He assumed she wouldn’t be ballsy enough to walk out and potentially lose her job and pulled the paperwork out. He was glad he had prepared in advance of the interview and drew up the paperwork. There was never any doubt that he was going to hire her in the first place. He pushed the paperwork forward and fished a pen out of his desk before placing it directly on the sheet of paper. He then stepped back smiling and gesturing for her to look it over.

“Sign please,” he told her taking a drink of water. “And then I can tell you the itinerary for tomorrow. It’s a busy day and while I hate to throw you into the waters I have EVERY bit of confidence that you will rise above and prove yourself.”

 

[Clovenfox]

Jerica watched as Mr. Hawthorn smiled and felt a sense of unease wash over her.


“We’ll do the paper work now unless you’d like to walk out? I can take another applicant if that’s the case?”

The smile that she had managed only a moment ago died on her lips. Her hand fell to her side as she watched him withdraw a contract and push a fountain pen towards her. The look on his face made her stomach clench, she wanted to hurl… The fucking bastard had this planned all along!



“Sign please and then I can tell you the itinerary for tomorrow. It’s a busy day and while I hate to throw you into the waters I have EVERY bit of confidence that you will rise above and prove yourself.”

She swallowed hard as she reached for the paperwork, ignored the offered pen and walked over to the large office windows to read it over. As she went through it she noted that the things they’d discussed were not included. Ha!



She turned, strode back over and tossed it back upon the desk. “Sorry, but the terms we just agreed upon have not been included into this document. So as much as I would like to get straight to work for you Mr. Hawthorn, I will not until the proper clauses and terms have been outlined to reflect those of which we discussed this afternoon.” And with that she turned on heel and strode out of his office, the moment she stepped over the threshold of his office, the click of her black pumps could be heard. “Ilene wasn’t it?” she said to the receptionist just outside Mr. Hawthorn’s office, “please see that the employment contract reflects the terms of the agreement that Mr. Hawthorn and I discussed in this meeting. You can have it delivered by courier to my residence, he has the address and I’ll see that it gets returned promptly in the morning.”


Ilene smiled at the woman appreciatively for taking the time to acknowledge her by name and the pleasant tone she’d used. “C-certainly Ms. Crane, I-I’ll see to it straightaway. Oh and Ms. Crane, thank you.”


Jerica exchanged a knowing look with the receptionist. “You’re quite welcome Ilene.”


The contents of her desk had been packed earlier that morning and she’d taken it to her car until she could determine the outcome of her job. After all, Greg, her former boss, couldn’t be kept waiting for Mrs. Ray to take over her desk. She wondered what the two of them, Greg and Alex Hawthorn, had agreed upon in order to get her into this predicament.


Jerica took in large gulps of air as she exited the building. It had taken all her willpower to hold her own in that office and still she felt as if the loss was significant. Mr. Hawthorn’s words echoed in her ear, “We’ll do the paper work now unless you’d like to walk out?” As she reached her car in the parking garage, she knelt by the back tire and vomited. This was going to be a living hell and there would be no escape come tomorrow. How she wished she could have had more warning, some inclination that this was going to happen. As it was, she couldn’t afford to quit anymore then she could expect to be picked up by a rival company at this juncture in her career. On paper, it looked bad to walk away from this deal. No, she’d have to play the game, she’d have to roll up her sleeves and give it her all.


As her late model BMW convertible merged into traffic, his words echoed in her mind, “I can take another applicant if that’s the case?” Jerica’s grip on the steering wheel tightened and her heel pressed down on the accelerator. She shifted gears as she changed lanes, the feel of the wind in her hair and the pulse of the music blasted all around her until the darkness and highway became one with her. After a few minutes she let off the gas and took her time driving home, the traffic had thinned out considerably and she could begin to relax.


Unfortunately for her, this was a Monday… She had four more days to get through. In the back of her mind she thought, two weeks to adjust my ass… A lifetime wouldn’t be enough to acclimate to what awaited her in that office.

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

His smile faltered, his lips forming into a hard line as she spoke and said something was missed. That was impossible he wanted to say as she continued to talk and state that she would be waiting for the contract to be drawn properly. He was in such a state of shock that he didn’t even stop her as she spoke about coming in at a later date and then walked out of his office. He only moved when the door finally clicked shut sounding off like a gunshot and finally snapping him out of his funk.

“ARGH!” He screamed sweeping his large hand across his desk. The executive’s desk he spent so much time and effort was destroyed in a second flat as his large hand swept across the surface like a tidal wave. Even the computer wasn’t safe crashing to the floor along with everything else as he screamed and kicked his chair. He sent the papers of her contract flying, creating a mini tornado of papers in his office as he let his anger take control.

“There’s no way” He finally said his chest rising and falling up and down as he huffed “There’s no way I missed something!”

He growled moving to the papers and picking them up one by one. He checked the papers trying to figure out what and where he missed one of the terms of their contract. He meticulously reconstructed the contract scanning it over and over again as he tried to find an error or a missing link.

He found none.

“There’s,” he said his eyes widening in realization, “NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS DOCUMENT!”

He flew to his coat rack pulling on his coat so fast he put the coat rack on as well! That brought a fresh round of anger and cursing as he tried to extract himself from said coat rack. By the time he finally got it removed thirty minutes had passed since she left his office. He collected the contract in his briefcase and stomped out of his office and past his shocked receptionist.

“Mr. Hawthorn?”

“GO HOME!”



…………………………………………..



ONE HOUR LATER

His headlights cut a swath through the tree as he brought his car to a stop opposite her house. His tinted windows gave him a degree of privacy and the chance to get a look at her house before he went up and made his presence known. It seemed like a nice enough place in a neighborhood that was semi upper class. He pulled the documents out checking them one more time to make sure they were airtight before he finally opened the door. He left his briefcase in the car instead taking the papers in hand and going to her door.

He rang the doorbell and then stepped back to wait for her to answer. He kept himself composed and made sure to keep any smugness out of his face. When she finally opened the door, he smiled a pleasant and polite smile as he nodded his head at her.

“May I come in Miss Crane?” He asked his tone polite and not angry.

 

[Clovenfox]

It was nearing eight o’ clock when Jerica heard the rap at the door. Who in the blazes could be calling at this late hour? Soft classical music was playing in the background, a half bottle of Moscato wine remained in the bottle and half a glass of wine in hand as she pulled the door open.


Her eyes blinked slowly taking in the man standing on her front stoop.


“May I come in Miss Crane?”

God in Heaven, why was he trying to punish her she silently wondered. For the briefest of moments, she looked up at the night sky before leveling her gaze at him. She was dressed in a band t-shirt, black jersey shorts that rode high on her thighs and had a pair of pink fuzzy slippers on her feet, her hair hung loose around her shoulders. Jerica chewed the inside of her cheek a long moment, his tone had caught her off guard. She was already feeling a buzz from the wine and openly shook her head from side to side at him then said, “Yes, Mr. Hawthorn, can’t this wait until morning? Visiting hours are over.” As the words left her lips she leaned back against the door giving him access before closing the door behind them.


She then took another long sip of the wine and felt the burn as it went down her throat. The flicker of a large three-wick candle burned on the coffee table and the scent of campfire marshmallow wafted throughout the small two-bedroom brick home.


She walked further into the room and extended her free hand motioning for him to take a seat before grabbing the remote to the stereo and lowering the volume. A small salad plate sat on the edge of the coffee table, the contents half eaten.

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

Wine

Comfortable clothing

The smell of marshmallows roasting on a campfire.

The intimacy of her life caught him off-guard and stood in stark contrast to his own. Where she seemed warm and even comfortable, in his own home he was not. He thought back to his rather cold sterile town-home. He moved into it after his divorce and in the three years he lived there he never saw fit to put in a single personal detail.

He blinked realizing she was inviting him in and nodded his head. He moved past her the briefest of brushes, giving her a subtle hint of his Prada cologne. He walked into her dining room trying not to pry too much on her personal life (because it also made him uncomfortable). His eyes did note the bottle of wine as he sat the paperwork right down next to it.

“I’d like to get started right away,” he told her shrugging his shoulders. “Getting the paperwork signed means that we can get started with our partnership and you won’t miss any work. It could have waited until morning but I’m not the type to rest on my laurels.”

“Excellent wine,” he told her before pushing the paperwork forward and shook his head at her offer of a seat. “I wanted you to go ahead and sign. If you want, you can read it and check and make sure everything is in order this time? I'm terribly sorry about that business in my office with the paperwork.”

He watched her, his eyes giving nothing away. Would she notice it was the same document? And if she did would she own up to her mistake? He was curious to find out. So, he said nothing instead watching her closely as she looked at the papers. All the while, he decided to take the opportunity to get a few subtler peeks at her home.

 

[Clovenfox]

As he entered her home she felt the slight brush against her and then the scent of his expensive cologne. To her horror it wasn’t half as unpleasant as she had expected. Still, she was in her home and had a good buzz going for her. Liquid courage, familiarity. This was her space…


“I’d like to get started right away, getting the paperwork signed means that we can get started with our partnership and you won’t miss any work. It could have waited until morning but I’m not the type to rest on my laurels.”

This equated to = I’m a workaholic and I can’t wait to get my new toy on board to play with me…


Jerica frowned at him before picking up the packet of stapled papers. As she read the first sentence her eyes blurred, she then held them away from her in the hopes of being able to make sense of them. As she struggled to read the papers and failed, she happened to glance over at just the right time to catch him looking with curiosity at her space. The tension she’d felt earlier in the day returned, and that dapple of sweat at her lower back appeared once more; her refrigerator door had postings of encouraging quotes, and photographs of waterfalls, sandy white beaches with azure blue waters and another of a dark ocean wave against a gorgeous sunset. Her home was decorated in fall colors of burgundy, dark green, and brown; an inviting space yet there was nothing to indicate that she shared the space with another person.


She reached over and grabbed a pen, eager to be rid of the man intruding on her personal space, and signed her name in long graceful strokes, beside the signature she dated it along with the time and wrote in parentheses “inebriated”. She couldn’t afford the lapse in pay, and as much as she hated signing a document without going over it thoroughly, she was incapacitated. She wasn’t sure how well that would stand up in court, if necessary, however it was the best she could do given these circumstances. She highly doubted he would have allowed her to sign it the next morning without some heavy consequences; possibly with a hiccup in pay, of which she couldn’t afford.

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

She finally moved to sign her name on the document. He leaned forward watching her as she wrote and noting the wavering penmanship. His intense eyes flickered to the wine judging the half a bottle to her weight and coming up with one simple fact.

She was inebriated.

So, when she scrawled the word on the paper he let out a genuine laugh. His composure and the calm mask he wore was broken again by her. This time however, it was out of mirth and genuine humor at the situation. He continued laughing, his chest rising and falling in short bursts as he shook his head and collected the contract.

“I’ll have you properly sign the paperwork in the morning,” he told her still chuckling. “Try not to drink too much more Miss Crane. While I’m sure you know your own limits, I’d wager a guess to say your flirting close to it. I’ll expect you first thing in the morning so you can properly sign and get our day started.”

He gave her one last chuckle at the situation before turning and heading to the door.

“I’m not laughing at you by the way,” he told her stopping at the threshold leading out. “It’s the situation, I hope you enjoy the rest of your night Miss Crane and… well I look forward to working with you.”

And with that he started to make his way out of the house.

 

[Clovenfox]

The woman didn’t know how to respond to his laughter. It caught her totally by surprise and a blush crept up hot and vivid into her cheeks. She’d barely managed to eat, certainly not enough to counter the alcohol she’d put into her system. Today had been a nightmare that just didn’t want to quit… And the source of her discomfort was now standing in her dining room heartily laughing at her expense.


“I’ll have you properly sign the paperwork in the morning. Try not to drink too much more Miss Crane. While I’m sure you know your own limits, I’d wager a guess to say your flirting close to it. I’ll expect you first thing in the morning so you can properly sign and get our day started.”

Jerica was so disgusted at the situation; the man she loathed was in her home, she was in a state of vulnerability on two fronts: intoxicated and in her pajamas. Why had he made such a deal of it to come to her home? Why the need to persist in this way?


She nodded in silent agreement but didn’t feel the need to say anything further to him. The damage was done and she felt like a deflated balloon. She locked the door behind him and shut everything down. Her goal now was to get to bed without losing the contents of her stomach or worse, wake with a hangover. That would go over so well….


THE NEXT MORNING


Jerica was up and moving at six thirty, abelite wearily. While the alcohol had helped her to sleep, she was haunted by the previous day. It went on and on in one vicious loop and didn’t stop until the alarm had went off.


A half hour before nine, her heels clicked as they made contact upon the lobby floor of the ad agency. She boarded the elevator with the contents of her office supplies in hand in one large cardboard box. She received several curious looks from fellow employees as the elevator made its ascent. She merely glanced at the floor, defeat clear in her posture. She felt like a lamb headed for the slaughterhouse.


Silently she hoped Greg’s wife would find out about his little side piece… It would serve him right for the injustice of this situation.


Thankfully she had no rebound hangover, that seemed to be the only good thing going for her today.

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

He carefully reviewed his mental checklist of what he learned about her so far from his trip into her home.


1. She liked Moscato wine
2. Her taste in pajamas
3. She lived alone
4. She liked motivational things


Everything he learned about her helped paint a picture of who she was and what she was about. He valued that information, collecting and using it to his advantage. He was intent on what he wanted from her and though she didn’t know it yet, she would find out soon enough.


He was there bright and early that morning waiting for her when she came in. He placed a steaming mug of coffee right on her desk then said, “Don’t get used to it.” Then he gave her a soft smile and said, “but I thought you could use some coffee after the morning you had.”


He pushed the steaming cup her way.


“If you can join me in my office we can get the paperwork finished and then get started on the events we have planned for the day,” he told her smoothing out his charcoal gray business jacket and moving to the door to his office.

 

[Clovenfox]

That morning Ilene showed Jerica to her desk and gave her the tour of the executive floor. It was during such time that Ilene revealed that she was getting moved to another office three floors down. The woman was quick to explain that she had only been filling in for Mr. Hawthorn until a suitable replacement could be found but Jerica couldn’t help but feel a measure of responsibility. As the pair completed the tour however, Jerica learned that Ilene was all too happy to transfer, and who wouldn’t be, she thought to herself.


Back at her desk, she was carefully unloading the contents of her box and familiarizing herself with the equipment when Mr. Hawthorn had placed a mug of coffee upon her desk. She offered a weak smile in return for the gesture.


“If you can join me in my office we can get the paperwork finished and then get started on the events we have planned for the day.”


“Certainly Sir, I’ll be right there just let me fetch a legal pad and a planner.” Two minutes later she was seated across from him in the same chair she’d taken just the day before and just like then she sat on the edge with both feet on the floor, legs tightly pressed together, her hands on her lap atop the pad and planner.

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

He arrived at the office earlier than usual in order to clean up his workstation and office from the night before.


“Certainly Sir, I’ll be right there just let me fetch a legal pad and a planner.”


“Please do so,” Alex said his tone polite as he waited for her.


By the time she came into his office everything had been reorganized with the morning’s agenda and paperwork laid out before him on his desk. He was sipping his coffee as she took a seat.


“You’ve actually come at an excellent time,” Alex told her as she sat and looked poised on the chair. “Right now, we’re in the process of landing a big ad account.”


He paused noticing her legs were pressed so tightly together that she looked wooden, stiff. He opened his mouth ready to tell her to relax or at least loosen up before stopping himself. Doing so would more than likely not be received well. So, he let it go opting to let time loosen her up and not his words.


“Now that Ilene is done filling in you will take her desk,” he explained. “The big account we’re trying to land is female based. I believe a company called Rush? They’re something of a new game in the online retail world. I’ve heard that they were fairly innovative and now that they’re making serious money they want to get serious about their ad campaigns. It’s a cosmetics-based retail app and one of the main reasons why I picked you was that you had experience working these types of accounts and getting them off the ground. Have you ever heard of them?”

 

[Clovenfox]

Jerica flipped open the planner and had her legal pad ready as she began taking down notes.


“Now that Ilene is done filling in you will take her desk.”


“Yes sir, Ilene has already given me a tour and familiarized me with the equipment and my desk is nearly ready, though it won’t impede my work going forward,” she said in a carefully worded response.


“The big account we’re trying to land is female based. I believe a company called Rush? They’re something of a new game in the online retail world. I’ve heard that they were fairly innovative and now that they’re making serious money they want to get serious about their ad campaigns. It’s a cosmetics-based retail app and one of the main reasons why I picked you was that you had experience working these types of accounts and getting them off the ground. Have you ever heard of them?”


Jerica’s eyes widened incredulously. Of course, she’d never heard of it, her own makeup kit was a modest yet practical affair; she herself didn’t understand the appeal. With her long work days and single lifestyle, she didn’t have time for and found the notion to be nothing short of a frivolous expense of time and money. Kudos to the men and women that maintained such an extensive regimen, she was lucky however, if she remembered to apply sunscreen!


The woman had absolutely no idea what he meant when he said that she’d had experience getting accounts off the ground, where did he get this information? It was ludicrous! This was why she had tried without fail several times the day before to stress to him that she was underqualified for this job. She was a paper pusher, she made calls, she sat in meetings and took notes, she went and grabbed coffee and lunch for the boss, she spent large chunks of her workdays either behind a computer screen filling out documents or behind a filing cabinet. Whatever this was, she was not right for the job. Had Greg went so far as to fabricate her abilities in order to steal away Mr. Hawthorn’s secretary?


Jerica wasn’t sure how to proceed. The man had stated there was no other job openings in the building. None. And she wasn’t in a position to lose a job, especially not under these circumstances. So, she did what anyone in her position would do, she took down notes and decided she’d be spending all of her free time researching and asking questions so as to get a better handle on the duties that came with this position and "bluff" her way through it as convincingly as was possible. From what she knew of her new boss, he wasn’t one to mess around, so she was going to be losing a lot of sleep over this.


She realized that he was waiting for her to answer as she finished taking down notes and glanced up and said in a nervous nod, “Oh yes, yes Mr. Hawthorn. I’ll do what I can to get you the information. This is such a great opportunity for the company.” Her smile lacked any warmth, it was however the office smile that she gave everyone. It exuded an assurance she didn’t feel. But she couldn’t let him know that.

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

He caught the nervous nod as well as the fearful look she gave. She said yes but Alex suspected that she had not heard about them in reality. His eyes flickered down to his research on the company as well as the history of the account and who was in control of it before it made its way to his ad agency.


“I have all the research here,” he said pushing the paperwork forward. “While you’re mostly going to be setting up calls and reaching out to our liaison at the company, I would like for you to have at least some measure of info about the company. Take a deep breath, you’re not going to be asked to do anything I don’t think you capable.”


He waited for her to nod or say yes sir before gesturing at her to start taking notes again. He broke down the schedule for today which mainly consisted of meetings with the creative team and then the business team respectively. He let her know when he took his lunch and most importantly how he took his coffee.


“The big thing for me is having you around to pitch ideas to,” he told her speaking honestly. “I’m not exactly a part of the creative team but as the owner, I like to get in on every aspect of the business. I may ask you to come in and comment on something one of my creative boys puts up or I might ask you a direct question. In those cases, you are to answer honestly without holding anything back. I value any opinion presented to me. Now how about we go get started for the day? You can do the research right now since I don’t have anything else for you yet. However, before you go did you have any questions for me?”

 

[Clovenfox]

“While you’re mostly going to be setting up calls and reaching out to our liaison at the company, I would like for you to have at least some measure of info about the company. Take a deep breath, you’re not going to be asked to do anything I don’t think you capable.”


Jerica kept her composure even though on the inside she felt like a heavy weight had been lifted. It was like a switch had went off and he had realistic expectations of her this morning, whereas in their first meeting she got the sinking suspicion what he really wanted was a copywriter, something she was not.


“Of course, I will review the file and familiarize myself with the particulars of the account immediately Sir.”


Jerica listened intently when Mr. Hawthorn spoke, taking notes and wasn’t prepared when he told her that he wanted candid answers from her, most of her career she’d spent pretending to like something she didn’t, this requirement was foreign territory for her. “I’ll give it my best Sir, but please allow me to feel comfortable before proceeding.” It was an honest statement but she worried that it wasn’t going to be at all what he wanted to hear.


-------


As Jerica transitioned into her new position working with Mr. Hawthorn directly, she realized that much of her job would be multi-tasking for the sole purpose of doing everything behind the scenes so that his life moved at a smooth, predictable clip. She was to be his eyes and ears; if he had someone in mind and needed a gift, she’d be the one to skip lunch to go and make the purchase. She was the person responsible for arranging his meetings, greeting the clients as they came up to the office, serving refreshments, setting the slides up, the endless amounts of research and fact-finding. She also had the task of keeping his coffee cup full, picking up the dry cleaning two times a week, and as she signed the newly printed document that morning, attending events as his “date” was also part of the job description. Just as he’d assured her, wardrobe and travel expenses were provided courtesy of the ad agency. How wonderful to be unattached, she thought as she signed her name in long elegant strokes, for a relationship of any worth wouldn’t be sustainable under these rigorous conditions.

 

[thepoeticmaster2121]

When she mentioned getting comfortable in her new position he nodded his head. Alex knew everything was a process and getting settled into a job was just another aspect of said process. He was willing to give her the time to do that as well as play the game slowly as she adjusted to him and her new role.


“I will message you to take down my lunch order shortly and then you can take your lunch hour afterwards. Alright, that will be all for now,” he told her watching her as she gathered her things.


He let her go and when she got to her desk she would find the research already prepared and ready for her. On top of that there would be a welcome letter from Alex himself. Enclosed she would find a plaque with her name on it notating her new position as well as a new badge. It was a small touch but one meant to promote inner-office connectivity.


One hour on the dot her intercom buzzed and his voice sounded out of the small box.


“Miss Crane,” he told her coming in with a slight crackle, “I will have a Caesar salad please with blue cheese dressing and a can of Coke.”