I bring up the word processing document on my computer, smirking to myself as I compile a list of ever-so-important tasks for my pretty new aide to accomplish. She can enjoy her victory for now, but the ball is in my court, and I don’t plan on letting that opportunity go to waste. Game on, Aimee.
Chapter Four
Aimee
I step out of my new boss’s office breathing a sigh of simultaneous relief and disappointment. I’m not entirely sure what to think of the situation—when I think he wants to grab me and kiss me more passionately that I’ve ever been kissed, he swiftly shifts gears to indicate that thought couldn’t be further from the truth.
I can’t say I would mind if he swept me up in his strong arms. I can only blush at the thought, resisting the desire to scold myself for how unprofessional I’m being. I’ve never been so immediately enamored with someone before, and I realize it can’t be anything more than primal lust.
All the same, with the way those beguiling blue eyes bore into my own, I don’t imagine he’d mind having some…fun, for a while. More specifically, I think he’d like to have a toy of his own. I’m under his spell, hypnotized by the thought of being with the handsome older man.
Ever still, I can’t allow myself to be entirely swept away. I’ve worked hard for this job, and I don’t intend to let a surge of fleeting arousal steal it away. If he wants to have me, he’s absolutely welcome; I’m just not going to be the one to initiate any sort of intimate encounter.
For now, I’ll focus on the job at hand. It’s not the marketing internship I worked so hard towards, but it’s something. Perhaps he wasn’t being completely deceitful in the assurance that I would learn much from this position.
Granted, I can think of positions I would rather be in. Take that as you will.
Swept up in my thoughts, I scarcely notice when my phone begins to vibrate in my pocket. Drawing it out and swiping the lock screen, I see a message from a number I don’t recognize. I realize who sent it as soon as I read the message.
According to Mr. Sharpe, running across the building accomplishing menial tasks will completely prepare me for a better job in his real estate empire. Of course, he didn’t say as much, but the implication is clear enough.
I message him a short response, irritation creeping up my spine as I scan over the list he sent. First and foremost, apparently, the break room needs to be replenished with coffee filters.
I try to keep contempt out of my expression as I make the trek to said break room. I recheck the text, making sure that I’m heading to the correct floor, only to realize that he’s sent a second text to amend the first. I’m to replace the coffee filters for every break room, and see that the recyclables are sorted through.
Fighting the desire to roll my eyes and only partially succeeding, I storm towards the first of many stops for the day. The employee lounge on the top floor is relatively clean, but I can’t begin to guess how unorganized things may get as I journey down through the building. I check the coffee pot, opening the cabinet above it and noting with some disdain that there seem to be plenty of filters. I withdraw the large box, weighing whether it’s worth risking my job to skip this room.
This is likely the first place he’ll check, however, and I’m reluctant to make such a rookie mistake so early on. I snap a picture of the box of coffee filters with my cellphone, intent upon getting the right brand. Then, I step towards the recycling bin in the corner. From what I’m able to gather, Carson is rather strict with his policies regarding keeping the company as green as possible. At least, I would gather that from the task I’ve been assigned.
The inside of the recycling bin is another story entirely. It looks as if half-empty paper cups have just been thrown in willy-nilly, and old coffee coats the entire bottom of the bin. I try not to gag, unable to keep a vaguely-disgusted expression off my face. I look around for some sort of cleaning supplies, growling under my breath as my phone vibrates again.
“What the hell,” I swear, yanking my phone out of my pocket and reading the message. Apparently, the cleaning supplies need to be restocked, as well. Great, amazing, fantastic.
Before I’m able to stop myself, I type out a snide reply. I ask the man—with good reason, in my opinion—what on earth cleaning break rooms has to do with learning about real estate, let alone marketing. I move to slam my phone onto the counter, but it vibrates in my hand before I can do so. I fumble to keep my grip on it as it continues to buzz.
It would seem I’m receiving a call, this time.
“Miss Rhodes, are you having trouble with your assignments already?” Carson says by way of greeting.
I grit my teeth, smothering the angry retort I’d like to make.
“Of course not, Mr. Sharpe. I simply fail to see the relevance of these tasks—” I begin, only for him to cut me short mid-sentence.
“I have about a dozen stops to make around town today, and as such, won’t be in the office. Our day-shift janitor is out sick, so I thought instead of dragging you around the city, I should allow you to acclimate to your new surroundings,” he says coolly.
My initial reaction is to call him on his bullshit, but I manage to stifle my retort.
“Would my assistance not be better served…actually working with you?” I manage, somehow keeping my tone somewhat measured.
“You have to learn to walk before you can run, my dear,” he answers condescendingly. Balling my free hand into a fist, I feel my face twisting into a sneer and thank the stars that he can’t see it.
“Of course, Mr. Sharpe. I’ll see to my assigned tasks immediately,” I say with a level of grace I could only hope to truly achieve at this rate. If I was expecting some sort of positive response, I’m sorely disappointed when he hangs up.
Resisting the near-overwhelming desire to throw my phone across the room, I stride towards the elevator with purpose. If he wants my first day to be spent as a janitor, I’ll make the filth in this building my bitch. Nothing is going to come between me and success. Not even my billionaire boss and his scheming ways.
I don’t see Carson for the rest of the day, and I’m not sure if I should feel relieved or incensed. By 7 p.m., the time he sends a text to inform me that my workday is over, I’m exhausted, covered in grime, and all-too-eager to go home. As much as I would like to give him a piece of my mind, I’m simply too tired to reply beyond a simple ‘okay’.
Stepping out of the building and into the cool evening air, a sense of joy washes over me as I realize that I’ve somehow made it through my hellish first day. I’m not sure if he’s testing my limits, but as angry as I’ve found myself getting with him, it only serves to make my passion for him burn hotter. I’m not sure if that’s his intent, but I know it’s only a matter of time before one of us breaks. I’m determined that I won’t be the one to give first.
The interior of my car is hot to the touch after sitting in the blazing sun all day, and I curse under my breath as I grab the seatbelt to buckle myself in. The skirt I wore today seems painfully short as I realize the scorching leather material is burning up the backs of my thighs. I smother a discontented grumble, starting the ignition and pulling out of the parking lot.
Driving home isn’t an awfully long process, though I’m nearly ready to fall asleep behind the steering wheel. I pull into the parking garage of my apartment complex, allowing myself to sag against my seat. It’s all I can do to keep from falling asleep right then and there. Somehow, I manage to unfasten myself, lurching out of the car and fumbling for my keys as I make my way to my apartment.
My feet are killing me after wearing high heels all day, and the first thing I do as I step into my apartment is kick the shoes off. I’ve done a lot more walking than I expected today.
Walking to the bathroom, I strip off my clothes before stepping into the shower. My thoughts have been consumed with all the lewd things I’d like to do with the man who has been driving me insane all day, but now that I have a moment to myself, I want nothing more than t
o get clean and sink into my plush mattress.
I keep my shower short, and as I dry off, consider blow-drying my hair, but realize I’d rather deal with the wet pillow in the morning than waste any more time. I shimmy into my pajamas, glancing into the mirror in hopes of seeing a vaguely more refreshed expression. I’m nothing if not disappointed. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow will be an easier day, though I have my doubts.
Slinking to my bedroom, the aching in my feet seems to return tenfold. I groan, flopping face-first into my bed. Intent upon getting a good night’s sleep in spite of my hard day, I play some soothing music on my phone as I drift into what I hope is a pleasant slumber.
A few hours later, however, I jolt upright in bed, covered in sweat. I’d kicked the blankets off, and it takes me a moment to realize what had made it so difficult to sleep.
Pressing my thighs together, I throw my head back against my pillow and grumble under my breath. Slowly, the dream that woke me up pieces itself together, and one image sticks out particularly in my mind: Carson’s ice blue eyes peering up at me from his place between my thighs.
The dream itself isn’t what alarms me, not really. My raging desire for the older man has been clear since I laid eyes on him. The one thing that truly bothers me is how badly I wish he would discard the pretenses of professionalism and make my dream a reality. I can only wonder if he’s having similar dreams about me…
Turning over in bed, I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself to ignore the almost painful throbbing between my thighs. If I don’t get a few more hours of sleep, I’ll be entirely useless in the morning. In spite of what I can hope is a mutual desire, I don’t want to mess up my chances of landing a job with more prestige. When sleep claims me once more, my dreams take me to a familiar office, to the polished wood surface of a familiar desk.
Boy, am I in deep.
Chapter Five
Aimee
A week passes and I can’t help wondering if I’ve misread Carson’s intent. As much as I wait for him to make a move, he’s nothing but professional. The work I’m doing now is much less intensive than that first day, and I don’t know if I should be grateful or not. At least I’m not wearing my feet down to the bone every day, but I feel almost…neglected. It’s not like I can run up to the handsome billionaire and demand that he continue his strange torture, just because I’m in need of attention.
Don’t get me wrong—he isn’t ignoring my existence entirely. He is assigning me the sorts of tasks you would expect for a personal assistant: fetching files, sending emails, the whole shebang.
I suppose what bothers me most of all is the lack of playful, high-stakes banter we had shared on my first day. It’s not that I’m not putting myself out there; I feel like I’ve made it almost painfully obvious what I’d like from him. He simply watches me through those all-seeing eyes, lips curved in a benign smile as he sends me to my next task.
Expecting to miss my internship in the marketing department, I’m relatively surprised at the ease in which I fall into assisting the handsome CEO. Admittedly, I feel like my talents are a bit wasted with the work I’m currently doing, but who’s to say I won’t actually learn something useful?
One troublesome issue is the constant whispering of my coworkers when I’m at Carson’s side. It seems as if everyone in the office knows something that I don’t, and I can only wonder if my desire for the CEO is more obvious than I’m aware of. Granted, I’m not totally stricken by the idea that it may be obvious. Apparently, it’s not clear enough for the man himself to notice.
Which finds me here, in my large corner office, sitting at my desk facing a window that allows the warm sunlight to filter in. The view is astounding when I find time to stare out the window, but I’m more concerned with the view inside the building. I breathe a sigh that is filled with more longing than I care to admit, forcing my eyes back onto the computer screen before me.
Idly tapping my nails on the top of the desk, I bite my lip as I try to wrangle the wild machine. My computer and I have been having our share of issues, but it’s likely because of the unfamiliar software installed on every computer in the building.
An unexpected perk of my new job is that I’m one of the few employees with permissions to add and delete files in Carson’s private network. Currently, I’m trying to find a specific file that my boss had instructed me to copy into his personal account, but he hadn’t been clear about which sub-section the file would be in. It seems like I’m going to have to scour the entire server to find this one tidbit of information.
I’ve only been through about twelve out of approximately one thousand sections, one for each employee. I’m frantically trying to locate the search feature on this particular server, but it’s like reading another language.
I’m not even entirely sure what I’m looking for. Apparently, it’s vaguely related to a Russian property deal that Carson is supposed to be finalizing in the coming days. I have no doubt that Carson can pull off the deal; he has a way with people that I could only hope to someday achieve.
Getting caught up in my infatuation with the CEO, however, won’t serve to locate this file I’m agonizingly searching for. I exhale an entirely unladylike snort through my nose, glancing towards the window for a moment. I idly click the button that will take me to the next directory, taking a moment to rest my chin in my hand.
As I move to draw my hand away from the mouse, I accidentally bump my keyboard. I jolt in surprise at the loud clacking sound, staring plaintively at the peripheral device for a moment before groaning and returning my attention to the monitor.
Wait…
“Oh, for Christ’s sake!” I find myself screeching, bordering on hysteria. As I watch helplessly, the computer chugs along, deleting over ten thousand files in the directory I’ve clicked over to.
I fumble with the keyboard, trying to find a way to reverse the action. It seems I’m helpless, however, as more and more files are wiped from the system. In a panic, I grab the phone on my desk, dialing for tech support.
“Tech support, how can I help you?” a bored voice mumbles, and I can hear the clack of a keyboard in the background. As calmly as I’m able, I try to think of an un-incriminating way of finding out if there’s a way to restore the files that still in the process of being deleted.
“Yes, just a quick question. I’m new to the cloud server system, and I accidentally deleted a file from…my personal directory. Is there a way to restore it?” I ask shakily, trying to keep my voice under control.
The man on the line breathes a weary sigh, and I feel my heart plummet into my stomach.
“Well, sure. For your personal directory, it should be pretty easy to restore a file. You’d be out luck if it was one of the private directories, but good luck getting access to those,” he snickers.
I draw in a sharp breath, and hesitate for a moment before managing to find myself.
“Not that it’s of any relevance, uh, but…why wouldn’t we be able to recover a file from the private server?” I say with as much disinterest as I can muster.
The man chuckles, and I hear his keyboard beginning to clack again.
“For security reasons, Mr. Sharpe has insisted that files on the private system be utterly and completely purged upon deletion. He’s very picky about who gets access, so I guess he figures it’s safe enough to have such a precaution in place. Not entirely sure it’s wise, considering how finicky the system is, but try telling Carson Sharpe anything. Anyway, do you need me to walk you through recovering your file?” he asks disinterestedly.
My breath comes out in shuddering gasps, and I inhale a quaking breath before I can manage a reply.
“Actually, I think I figured it out. Thanks for your help,” I say in a rush, hanging up the phone with the intense fear that he can somehow trace the call. Of course, as far as anyone else knows, everything is just fine and dandy. If I can keep my head down, maybe this whole thing will blow over.
Ha, yeah right. I just deleted the entire d
irectory related to the Russian real estate deal. I had been able to surmise that much as I watched the server systematically destroy the files, what with the hundreds of ‘IMPORTANT!!!’ headers. The file names had been clear about what was contained within each document, and it’s with a sense of bitter irony that I realize I had just so happened to find the right directory at the entirely wrong time.
Stricken by the desire to rush out of the office with an imaginary migraine, I sink into my office chair and groan loudly. Carson has billions of dollars at his disposal, and I have no doubt that this deal would have served to line his pockets even more comfortably. This is an offense beyond being fired. I’ll be lucky if he doesn’t sue me for every penny I have, and then have me thrown in prison. With his cash, he’d have no problem paying off the police, lawyers, anyone…I’d rot in jail for the rest of my life.
Blind fear grips me as the severity of the situation crashes into me at full force. Rotting in jail forever might be a bit of an extreme reaction, but nevertheless, I don’t want to face him when he finds out what has happened. I pull my phone from my pocket, hesitating for a long moment as I try to come up with a reasonable excuse to step out for the day. Desperate as I am, I’m almost willing to play the explosive diarrhea card.
Before I can enter the message, however, my phone vibrates and a message pops up on my lock screen. I swear my heart stops when I see that it’s a message from Carson and, expecting the worst, I swipe my screen to read it. It’s an innocuous enough message, but the simplicity of it sends a jolt of fear down my spine. He’s saying he wants to see me in his office as soon as possible.
Glancing towards the window in my office, I briefly lament the fact that I’m not desperate enough to throw myself out of it. I could, however, just escape the premises and not stop until I’m home in Colfax, sobbing on my mother’s kitchen floor. It seems to go against everything I’ve worked so hard for, but hell, everything seemed to be in the shitter at this point.
The Boss's New Plaything Page 3