by Ellie Danes
And I imagined that was probably how he felt, and it was understandable.
Still, it wasn't particularly admirable.
There was clearly too much going on in my head right now. I really needed to get outside for some air.
I walked out of the hall and immediately felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The night was cool and the sky was clear and pretty, dotted with a few stars struggling to peek through the haze of lights. I took a slow walk, following a path that wound between some trees.
I started to hear a voice as I got into the trees – a familiar voice. I slowed my walking speed down, keeping my footsteps as quiet as I could as I got closer to the person.
Kyle.
He was talking on the phone to someone, and although I felt kinda bad about eavesdropping, curiosity got the better of me, and I edged closer to hear what he was saying.
“It was kinda awkward, yeah. We spoke a few minutes ago, actually,” he said.
A crimson blush fired up my cheeks. He was talking about me! I got a little closer, hiding behind a tree so I could listen as he talked. I expected him to make fun of me, because it sounded like he was talking to a male friend, and I imagined there'd be some locker room type banter going on between them. As I continued to listen, thought, it seemed he was being sincere and sympathetic. I was a little surprised. It sounded like he respected me and he was manning up, so to speak, and accepting that he now had a responsibility to run this company as well as he possibly could.
Eventually, he said goodbye to his friend. I held my breath and pressed myself against the tree trunk as he turned around and walked back up the path. Luckily, he didn't notice me. When he was a safe distance away I breathed out and stepped back onto the path, watching him walk back to the hall.
“Well, how about that,” I murmured to myself. “It seems like he's actually growing up. And being a decent guy. Damn, who would have thought it?”
I was feeling better, so I decided to head back inside. Just as I stepped in, I bumped into Phil.
“Hey,” he said, “I've been looking all over for you. Ronald wants to have a quick word with you about the job. You're still okay with starting three days from now, right?”
I nodded. “I'm fine with that, yeah.”
“Great, let's go find him. There are just a few minute details he wants to iron out with you. But you're ready for this, right? All excited, ready to get going?”
“Yeah,” I said. “I'm ready.”
* * * * *
“And this is your new office. Great view, huh?” Phil said as he led me into my new office. It had been three days since the announcement, and I was finally here at my new job.
“It’s fantastic,” I said with a delighted smile. “A real upgrade from my former office, which was more a glorified closet, really.”
Phil chuckled. “No glorified closets in here, Meredith. Just great, spacious offices. Ronald once told me that after the dump he started in, he would make sure his workers always had comfortable offices to work in. Happy, comfortable workers are more productive workers, he always said, and I'm inclined to agree with him.”
“I'd be inclined to agree with him as well, to be honest,” I said.
“Indeed. Anyway, that's the end of the grand tour. Is there anything I haven't covered, anything that you need to know?”
I shook my head. “No, thanks, Phil, I'm sure you covered it.”
“You know where to find me if you have any questions.”
“I do, yeah.”
He smiled warmly at me. “Excellent. Well, then, you can go ahead and get started. I hope you have a wonderful first day.”
“I think I will, thanks.”
Phil walked out, leaving me alone in my new office. It really was a huge step up from my former job. I strolled over to the window and looked out over the city. I could see for miles and miles from up here. I hoped that the magnificent view wasn't going to be too distracting.
I sat down in a very comfy chair at the lovely, broad, and spacious desk. It was time to show this company my marketing magic.
After around an hour and a half, I needed to take a quick break, so I decided to head down to the cafeteria and grab a cup of coffee. As I walked briskly out of my office, I almost crashed into Kyle.
“Oh, wow, almost had an accident there,” I said with a goofy smile. Even though we had agreed to keep our relationship strictly professional, there was no doubt that things were a little bit awkward between us still.
“Yeah, well this office isn't a track. Don't run around in here,” he said coldly.
That was weird. Why was he being so stern?
“Well I wasn't exactly running around, you know, I was just on my way to get a cup of coffee.” My tone came off as being very defensive, which I thought was warranted, given his attitude.
“Yeah, well, watch where you're going next time.”
I sighed and shook my head. “Okay, I'll do that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go get my coffee now.”
He didn't say anything else. Instead, he just turned around and stormed off.
Wow, this was weird. My mouth felt dry, and my palms clammy. I really didn't feel very good at all. I couldn't figure out why he was acting like this. Was he that angry just because I had almost walked into him? No, surely that couldn't have been it. I figured that he might be a bit of jerk in some ways, but nobody was that petty. No, there had to be some underlying issue. Was he feeling uncertain about his position, or worried about the company? Either way, neither of those was an excuse to take it out on me.
I walked to the cafeteria, suddenly wondering if this job had been a good idea. It had been an amazing opportunity to work in a high-profile company, and the salary and benefits had been many steps up from those of my former job, but if I was going to have to deal with this kind of attitude from Kyle every day, my time here would be torture.
I got myself a mug of nice hot coffee, and the first few sips at least helped. Still, I needed a little more of a boost, so I thought that I would call Ella up and have a quick chat with her.
I stepped outside where there was a seating area. I found a seat away from the other two or three people who were sitting out there, and dialed Ella.
“Hey,” she said, “how's your first day of work?”
“Hmm, well, it's been good and bad.”
“I can hear from your voice that it's been more bad than good.”
“Let me tell you about the good first.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“Well, my office is gorgeous. I have a view over the city that's pretty damn magnificent.”
“That's good to hear.”
“And Phil was helpful, and the other people I've met in the office have all been so nice.”
“Phil is a great guy. Hmm, it all sounds really good so far, so where is the bad stuff gonna come in?”
I sighed and shook my head. “Kyle.”
“Ah. I figured there might be some trouble in that area. But I thought that you two had agreed to keep things professional.”
“You know, that's what I thought, too, but I just went to take a coffee break.” I told her the rest of what had just happened.
“Oh, damn, that sounds uncomfortable.”
“It was, and I'm trying not to let it spoil my day. I mean, why should I let that jerk ruin my first day of work?”
“I know. The only problem is, of course, that he happens to be the CEO, and someone you're expected to work closely with.”
“I know.” I sighed.
“So, what are you gonna do?”
“What can I do? Quit? It's my first day! And this is such a fantastic job, and such an amazing opportunity for me. I guess I just have to suck it up and try to avoid him as much as possible.”
“Ugh. It's really awful having to avoid someone at the workplace.”
“Especially when that someone is the CEO and when the CEO happens to be someone you had a drunken one-night-stand with a few days
ago.”
She laughed, not in a mocking way but more sympathetically. “Ah, well, that's just the icing on the cake, isn't it? How are you feeling about, well, that whole thing?”
“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to him. Physically, at least, if you know what I mean.”
“Girl, I know what you mean. He's a ridiculously good-looking guy.”
“Yeah, and even though there are parts of his personality that I find unappealing and maybe even downright repulsive, I just can't seem to shake the physical attraction. And that's annoying—it's not like I want to be attracted to him.”
She chuckled. “Well, don't beat yourself up about it. I'm sure most women feel at least some physical attraction toward him.”
“I know. I just feel stupid when those feelings hit me. It's like, I want to dislike him, I really do, but I just can't.”
“I guess you'd better just try to avoid him as much as you can.”
I sighed again. “I know. It's just difficult. But you're right.”
“All right, I hope your day gets better.”
We said goodbye and I put my phone back in my bag. Then I drank another sip of coffee and headed back inside. I was going to do this. I was going to be great at this job, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let anybody get in my way or get me down, especially not Kyle Williams.
Chapter 10
Kyle
So, this was it – the day that Meredith was due to start work here. So far, I’d decided to just begrudgingly accept it and hope that she and I wouldn't cross paths too often.
Unfortunately, I’d seen Phil showing her around earlier, and she looked hot. I couldn't take my eyes off her. I knew that I had to get past these feelings though, somehow, because it would affect how well I was able to do my work.
And then—the article in the Financial Times. Linda, who was formerly my dad’s PA and was now mine, had brought it in, and it completely wrecked my morning.
Shareholder Confidence Takes a Hit as Inexperienced CEO Takes Over.
My blood had boiled as I’d read the article. It was about my company and how, apparently, shareholders were feeling wary about me because I was “inexperienced” and “too young.” The article was full of unsubstantiated rumors and hearsay, and almost all of it was false. But the fact that it had been published meant trouble was on its way.
Linda had been supportive, saying, “Show these rumor-mongers that they're wrong. Prove that their fears are unfounded.”
I hadn’t been able to talk to her about it. I’d needed air. And so what had I done, but stepped out of my office—and collided with none other than Meredith Benson.
Shit. I’d wanted to grab her and keep her from falling. I’d wanted to pull her against me, protect her, inhale her subtle, flowery scent.
Instead, I’d lashed out. Seen the hurt on her face, which had made me even madder—not at her, but at myself.
She’d gone on her way, and now I was alone again in my office.
I breathed in deeply and held the air in my lungs for a while. This had always served to calm me down, and it didn't fail me now. There, I felt a lot better. Why was I getting so bent out of shape over some woman I’d spent one night with? Man, there were plenty of those around, and I had never given any of them a second thought after I had left them in the morning. Why should it be any different with Meredith? Well, the awkwardness would fade away as time went by, and so would my feelings for her, and eventually she would just be another face in the office.
See? Long-term plans. That's exactly how I needed to be thinking as a CEO. In the long term, what she and I had done together wouldn't matter in the least. It would be forgotten, inconsequential, gone.
Now I felt bad about it, but I was too proud to find her and apologize.
Nonetheless, I did have to speak to her about an upcoming marketing campaign. In light of what the shareholders were feeling now due to the rumors that had been spread, the campaign had become even more important. If this succeeded, profits would shoot up and then, surely, shareholder confidence would be restored and bolstered.
However, I didn't want to talk to her face to face, so I called her office phone and explained the importance of the campaign. Her tone on the phone was cool, understandably, but she assured me that she would be able to make a success of it. I could only pray she would. My fate was partially in her hands now, although, of course, I didn't let her know that. Still, her success would be my success. I not only wanted her to succeed now, I badly needed it.
* * * * *
“Get a load of this,” Linda said with a satisfied grin as she tossed me the latest issue of the Financial Times.
One week had passed since the last terrible article. Feeling nervous, I picked it up. Then I smiled as I read the article she had highlighted. Shareholder confidence had been restored, despite the pack of lies that had been printed about me and the company the week before, and now things had been completely turned around.
“This,” said Linda, “is in no small part due to the hard work and brilliance of the new marketing director. The campaign she designed – in record time too, I might add – had business shooting through the roof the last couple of days.”
I nodded; I had to acknowledge that Meredith's expert marketing strategy had helped massively. “She has done an amazing job.”
“Perhaps you should tell her that – in person.”
Again, I had to agree with her. I had been pretty good at avoiding contact with Meredith over the past week but continuing to do so was proving to be difficult. We communicated mainly via email but once or twice I had bumped into her in the hallway or the cafeteria, and each time that feeling of intense, fiery attraction had ripped through my whole system, filling my blood with its burning flames.
“All right. I'll call her into the office now and tell her what an excellent job she's been doing.”
Linda nodded, smiling sagely. “Good.”
She walked out, and I drew in a deep breath and called Meredith's office phone.
“Hi, Kyle.” Her tone was cool and flat; this was how we talked to each other now, just like a pair of damned robots or something.
“Could you come to my office for a second?”
She paused for a few moments. “Um, all right,” she eventually replied, her tone hesitant and uncertain. “I'll come now.”
I really hoped this wasn't going to be too uncomfortable. Well, I would find out soon enough.
After a minute or so there was a knock at the door.
“Come on in,” I said.
She walked in, looking stunning in a black business suit that showed off her gorgeous curves. The sight of her almost took my breath away, and I really had to focus hard on not staring.
“Hi.” She paused halfway between the door and my desk, unsure of what to do next.
“Take a seat,” I said.
“All right.” She walked over and took a seat across from me.
“Your marketing campaign was brilliant,” I said. “And I want to congratulate you personally on a job very well done. As I mentioned last week, we had some issues with bad publicity and rumor-mongering in the press. The success we've had with this new campaign of yours, it's managed to turn all of that around. So, thank you.”
She nodded, and then looked me right in the eyes. The fire of attraction ripped through my blood as she did this. “That's the longest you've spoken to me since I started here, Kyle.”
I looked away, as I didn't really have any way to respond to that. “Yeah,” I eventually said.
“Are you going to keep on punishing me like this? Are you going to keep up this petty schoolyard crap, avoiding me and giving me the cold shoulder all the time?”
Now an altogether different fire was warming my blood – the heat of anger.
“That's not fair,” I snapped. “It's not as if you've exactly been friendly.”
“Only because you started it. Every time I see you, you look away or turn around and walk in the opposite
direction. And, quite frankly, I'm getting sick of it.”
“And you think you're innocent? You give me that cold stare the instant you lay your eyes on me, and you clam up and turn away whenever I'm in your presence.”
We both stared at each other in cold silence for a few moments. A strange mix of conflicting emotions was gushing through my blood. On the one hand there was anger but on the other, intense attraction and arousal.
“Look,” I said eventually, doing my best to swallow the anger and stuff it deep down inside me. “Can we just stop fighting? Can we just try to be civil toward one another?”
“I can, if you make the effort, too. Don't try to pin all of this on me.”
I wanted to lash out, but instead I forced myself to keep my cool. “I'm prepared to make the effort. Starting now. Thank you, Meredith, for your hard work. I really appreciate it. You're a true asset to this company, and I'm glad we hired you.”
For the first time in a very long time, I saw her smile. And it was a genuine one, too; there was nothing fake or plastic about it.
“Thank you, Kyle,” she said. “I appreciate that. Let's do our best to try to keep the peace between us. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more work to do on the upcoming campaign. The deadline is looming, and I can't afford to waste any time.”
I nodded. “Good luck with the new campaign. I hope it's as successful as this last one was.”
“It will be,” she said as she stood up. “Trust me.”
She turned and walked out, and my eyes were locked on her gorgeous body until she disappeared from view.
* * * * *
Things had just been getting better and better over the month—business-wise anyway. I had been handling my responsibilities well. This wasn't to say that I wasn't under a lot of stress. I definitely was. But the pressure I had felt in those first days of taking over as CEO was finally starting to ease off a little.
A lot of the success the company was enjoying was because of Meredith's brilliance as marketing manager. I hadn't seen her much, although not from consciously trying to avoid her, like I had done when she first started. I had been out of the office a lot over the past few weeks, meeting people and going on business trips to secure new contracts, and I just hadn't been around.