by Alexis Davie
“I just wish sometimes they would acknowledge me and the ideas I put forth, you know? I feel like I’m invisible, only good enough to steal ideas from. I know I’m just an entry-level assistant, but still. I have pretty good ideas that could save so much money on marketing, but I’m afraid that if I tell them about it, they’ll claim it as their own.”
“And that’s something they do?” Oryn asked.
“More often than not. They’ll shoot my ideas down and take them and present them as their own. They get promoted while I’m still stuck in an entry-level position,” she replied, lowering her gaze. “That’s life, right? I don’t even have the courage to stand up to them.”
Oryn’s strong jawline distracted Adley completely and she stopped talking.
“Why don’t you?” he asked.
Her lips parted slightly, completely sidetracked, not even paying attention to what he was saying. The feeling she had been wondering about the entirety of last night had returned, and she just couldn’t control it. What was it about this man that made her feel this way? Was it his intense green eyes which practically looked into her soul? Was it the way the corners of his mouth curled up into a sexy and alluring smile? Was it the way he smelled? Was it the close proximity of his body to hers? Maybe it was all those things, Adley simply couldn’t be sure. All she knew was that there was something about Oryn that was irresistible to her, and she wanted more of him.
He raised his eyebrows expectantly, and she realized that he had probably asked her a question.
“What?” she asked breathlessly.
“Why don’t you stand up to them?”
“Because they’re my superiors,” she answered.
“That doesn’t mean that they can treat you like that. You just need a bit of confidence.”
“It’s easy for you to say, Oryn. You walk into a room and everyone looks at you. You exude confidence, and I don’t. I don’t think I ever will,” she said. “Could we not talk about this anymore?”
“Sure.”
Adley sighed a breath of relief. “So what do you do here?”
“Oh, I’m in charge of a bunch of people,” Oryn said.
“What division?” she asked.
“All of them.”
Adley looked up at him, and her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I own GreenVeil.”
Adley’s jaw dropped, and the blood drained from her face. “Oh, my god.”
A smile formed on Oryn’s lips. “It was nice to meet you, Adley. Enjoy your coffee.”
Adley watched in horror as Oryn, the CEO of GreenVeil, walked out of the kitchen area and left her standing there alone. The world spun around her, and she ran her free hand through her hair. “Oh, shit.”
She had just told the CEO of GreenVeil that her superiors didn’t take her seriously. How could she be so stupid and irresponsible? She had never said any of those things out loud, or to anyone, but somehow standing beside Oryn, in his presence, she had told him exactly what was on her mind.
Her blood froze in her veins, and she started to panic. What was he going to do with the information she had disclosed to him? Was he going to have a meeting with the senior marketers? Was she going to get in trouble?
She couldn’t afford to lose this job, and she had to make things right, but how? She was pretty sure that Oryn already thought she was a whiny entry level assistant who felt sorry for herself. She stepped out of the kitchen and her heart continued to pound in her chest. Everyone else was going about their business. Maybe she was just being paranoid. She couldn’t see Oryn anywhere, much to her relief. She couldn’t bear to face him after she had embarrassed herself in front of him.
Sitting down on her chair, behind her narrow desk, she placed her coffee cup in front of her and dropped her head into her hands.
“What’s wrong with you?” She heard a voice, and when she looked up, she saw Garrett, one of her colleagues, standing at her desk. “You look like shit. Like you’re going to throw up or something.”
“I think I should.” Adley stood from her desk and rushed past Garrett towards the bathroom. She locked herself into a stall. Kneeling in front of the toilet, she lowered her head and closed her eyes. Her world didn’t spin as viciously and fast as it had a moment ago, and she took a deep breath. She wasn’t a fan of throwing up, and she wanted to avoid it if she could. After a few minutes of gathering herself, she stood from the cold floor and left the stall. She washed her hands and splashed water on her face and stared at herself in the mirror. She was paler than she had ever seen herself, and she wondered whether she wasn’t coming down with something. After running her mouth towards Oryn, she wouldn’t mind staying home for a few days. At least then she wouldn’t have the time to think of something to say to him to redeem herself.
Adley left the restroom feeling much better, especially when she realized it was almost time to leave, but as she walked back to her desk, a tall woman with light blonde hair which looked like silk, wearing a tight fitting black dress and red high heels, approached her like she was on a mission.
“Are you Adley Murdoch?” the young woman asked in a stern voice.
“Yes.”
“Mr. Veskovic would like to see you in his office,” she answered.
“And who are you?” Adley asked.
“I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear you ask me that,” the young woman retorted, turned on her heel, and walked away. “This way.”
Adley realized the woman was serious, and she followed her, taking strides as long as she could with her short legs. The blonde woman was much taller than her, and Adley had to practically run to keep up with her.
“Wait, Mr. Veskovic?” she asked, but then the blonde woman opened the glass door, and Adley glanced at the golden plaque on it.
Oryn Veskovic, CEO.
She came to an abrupt stop, and her shoulders slumped.
“Come on,” the blonde woman said. “He’s waiting for you.”
Adley took a deep breath and stepped into the office. Sure enough, Oryn sat behind a large mahogany desk. The offices in the building were modern, with glass and chrome, in hues of grey and white, but Oryn’s was completely different. It looked like the office of Sherlock Holmes. The paneled walls were made of wood, and the floor was covered in lush carpets with designs which reminded her of those Persian rugs in catalogues. There was a large wooden fireplace on the far-right wall and a large grandfather clock rhythmically swaying. The air was warm and cozy, and she felt as though she could almost kick off her shoes and go sit by the fire.
The blonde woman closed the door behind Adley. It was like she had just walked into another world.
“Oryn…” she stuttered and shook her head. “Mr. Veskovic, I am so sorry. I didn’t know that it was you, and—”
“Please stop apologizing, and please, call me Oryn.”
“But you’re the CEO of this place,” she countered.
“And?”
“Okay, Oryn. I was out of line in the kitchen.”
“But all those things were true, weren’t they?” Oryn tapped his fingers on his desk.
Adley stared at his hands for a moment too long and exhaled slowly. “Yes, but I didn’t think that it would get them in trouble.”
“You’re not getting anyone in trouble, Adley,” he said.
Adley frowned at him and took a step closer. “And I’m not in any trouble?”
“No, not at all. In fact. I would love to hear a little more about your ideas for the marketing team,” Oryn replied.
“Really?” she asked.
“Yes, have a seat.”
“Okay.” She slowly sat on the soft leather bucket chair in front of her. Oryn’s eyes were fixed on her, and shivers of delight ran down her spine. “Well, I’m not a fan of social media or anything like that. I mean, I take the occasional selfie and post it to my feed, but…” Her voice trailed off as she realized he probably didn’t want to hear her babbling about her social media accounts and selfie
s, although he seemed very interested in every single word she said. She cleared her throat when she noticed a small smile form on his lips and continued.
“Anyway. I might not have a huge following on social media, but there are a lot of people who do, and I mean hundreds and thousands of people watching their every move. Why not approach a handful of them and offer them a service the company provides for free? Of course, with the bigger influencers, there will have to be money exchanged. Your company has a history of using traditional media, but it’s so expensive and you’re not always guaranteed to target the right type of people. Utilizing the followers of social media influencers can be so much more effective than traditional media. I think we need to focus more dollars there.”
“Are you afraid of technology, or do you just avoid it?” Oryn asked.
“I just avoid it. Social media is too public for me. I prefer reading a book to going online and posting about what I ate for breakfast at which restaurant. That is prime bait for stalkers and psychos. They don’t need to know my every move. Not even my mother knows my every move.”
“I bet she’s too far away to keep tabs on you, right?” he asked.
“Yeah. How did you know?” Adley narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
“Your accent. It’s still very American. Where are you from?”
“I thought you called me in here to talk about my ideas,” Adley retorted.
“I did. I’m sorry,” Oryn answered. “So you think social media is the way to go?”
“In this day and age, definitely. You’ll be giving influencers the opportunity to advertise and market your services to the world. You can easily target influencers who share your target market. Again, it’s less expensive than traditional media and can be more effective.”
“We could definitely look into that. GreenVeil needs to start expanding to individuals, and not only to companies.”
Adley nodded. “Good idea. Also…”
“Yes?”
“I took a look at your website, and it’s pretty high tech. I mean, it’s nice and fancy and all, but if you’re going to expand to individuals, like people on the street, you’re going to have to make it more accessible, you know. Make it more user friendly,” she suggested. “Look, I don’t want to tell you how to do your marketing, or your website, for that matter, but I really feel like this is the way to expand your user base.”
There were a few moments of silence in the office, but Adley didn’t feel uncomfortable at all. Oryn stared out in front of him for a few minutes, clicking his pen as he pondered things over in his mind.
“I absolutely agree with you, Adley,” he said eventually.
She blinked and gaped at him. “You do?”
“You’re worth much more than being stuck in an entry-level assistant job,” Oryn repeated her words from their earlier conversation.
Adley’s cheeks flushed, and she lowered her gaze. “I honestly didn’t expect you to be the CEO of the company. You didn’t seem, you know, like the CEO of a company.”
“That’s a good thing, though,” Oryn said with apprehension.
“Not for me, especially not right now, either,” Adley admitted. “When I found out who you were, I silently hoped the earth would open up and swallow me whole.”
“You don’t need to be embarrassed, Adley.”
“I should. You’re my company’s biggest client at the moment. I can’t be pissing off the big boss, especially not on my first day.” She sighed and looked at him. “But, judging by the expression on your face, you’re either amused at my honesty, or you’re going to get me fired, and you hide it very well.”
“I’m not difficult to read. Ask anyone, especially Naomi,” Oryn chuckled.
“Naomi? The leggy blonde?”
“That’s her,” Oryn chuckled again and sat back in his chair.
“Is she your wife? Girlfriend?” Adley asked hopefully.
“Worse. She’s my personal assistant.”
Adley cringed and rolled her shoulders. “Poor you.”
Oryn laughed heartily. “She’s not so bad. She has a very direct personality, but she’s great. She gets me through my day even when I think I can’t.”
“She sounds like the perfect assistant.” Adley folded her hands on her lap and took a deep breath. “So, you’re sure that I am not getting anyone in trouble or anything like that?”
“I swear. In fact, I have a proposition for you.”
“A proposition?” she asked.
“Yes. And it’s a good one, I promise,” he replied with a wink.
“Let’s hear it,” she answered confidently, surprising herself for the umpteenth time that day.
Oryn stood from his chair and walked around the desk to sit on the edge, his line of sight directly parallel to hers. Adley noticed the muscles underneath his shirt, and a shiver ran down her spine, spreading to the rest of her body. She straightened her shoulders and tried her utmost not to stand from the chair and kiss him. He was so close to her and yet so far, his knee inches away from hers. Adley glanced up at him, into his bright green eyes, which practically glowed. She noticed a scar running down the side of his face, from the outside tip of his right eyebrow down to his cheekbone. The sudden urge to reach out her hand and lightly touch it with her fingertip overcame her, but she fought the urge.
Adley waited for him to tell her of his proposition.
“I like your ideas, Adley. I think if they’re implemented and executed well, it could save us a lot of money on marketing and get GreenVeil’s name out there to the individual consumers. Small businesses, network marketing companies, even these influencers you spoke about. It’s a good idea, Adley. Well done.”
“Thank you. It feels nice to have someone say that to my face.”
“I’d like to promote you.”
Adley’s smile fell, and she frowned at Oryn. “What?”
“Well, I’m going to ask your boss to promote you. I want you to lead the team working on this assignment,” Oryn explained.
“Wait. You can’t do that. Can you?”
“I am pretty sure that I can. I’m the big boss, remember?”
“Right. No, wait. I can’t let you do that. I don’t have enough experience.”
“I thought this was what you wanted. I am giving you credit where credit is due,” Oryn defended.
“My boss is going to be so upset with me! And my superiors—”
“You’ll be their superior now. Well, at least you’ll be the superior of the mid-level managers working on the team. They’ll answer to you, and you liaise with me before the final decisions are made.” Oryn smiled. “What do you say, Adley? Are you up for it?”
Adley bit her lip as she thought about the repercussions of her accepting the new position. She loved the fact that Oryn thought she had good ideas, and he heard it first-hand from her. She even loved the thought of having to work closely with him, but she couldn’t help but wonder what Scott and all the others would have to say about it.
Fuck it. She deserved this.
“I am up for it,” she said confidently.
“Wonderful. I will have Naomi draw up the contract, with the added terms and conditions. If your boss has a problem with it, I will just have to choose another marketing firm to work with.”
“They’re a good team, Oryn,” Adley defended them.
“And I don’t doubt that for a second, but I am giving you the chance to be great. All you have to do is take it.”
“I’ll take it.” She held out her hand to him.
“Excellent.” He shook her hand, and the feel of his skin against hers ignited her entire body. She was pretty sure that her whole body would burst up in flames. “I will make the announcement tomorrow morning in the conference room.”
“I am looking forward to it, Oryn,” Adley replied and stood from the chair.
“Wait.” Oryn reached out his hand to her face. He tucked a wayward lock of brown hair behind her ear and smiled at her. “I’ll see you tomor
row morning.”
“Thank you, Oryn. I really appreciate this. You have no idea what this means to me.”
“I think I do.” Oryn smiled at her with a nod. “Have a nice evening.”
“I will. You too.” Adley walked to the door of the office and gave him one last glance over her shoulder before leaving the office. Once she knew she was out of sight, the brightest smile formed on her lips, and she threw her fists into the air a few times out of sheer excitement.
She just simply could not contain it, neither did she want to. She was finally getting somewhere she knew she belonged.
She would finally be recognized for her contributions, and she deserved it.
5
Oryn took a long and slow sip of his coffee as he sat in his office the following morning. He had sent an email to Naomi informing her of his change to the staffing of the marketing team, and he expected her to come crashing through his office door at any moment. He knew it was somewhat unorthodox and not procedural at all, but it was a good move. He wondered what other brilliant ideas Adley was hiding behind that gorgeous face of hers.
He spent the entire night dreaming of her, what it would be like to hold her against him, have his chin rested on the top of her head, smell her, kiss her, taste her. He wouldn’t even be surprised if he wasn’t able to let go of her once he held her. He wondered whether she thought about him at all, but he was sure that him wanting her to lead the team of marketers would leave a lasting impression on her.
Adley being a human complicated things a lot, as he would have to break the one rule he had vowed never to break. He had to tell her the truth sooner or later, but at the moment, it would have to be later. Much later, for that matter.
He could see she was very reluctant, so first, he had to reel her in slowly. She didn’t want to share too many private details of her life, and he respected that. She also wasn’t the type to flirt with the boss in order to get a raise, nor would she ever be. Adley was definitely the kind of woman Oryn could see himself with. Not only was she gorgeous, but she was smart as hell.
He thought of the minor complication in this whole situation. She wouldn’t live forever like he would. He wondered whether she’d be open to become a dragon—a dragon princess—but his thoughts all came tumbling down when he figured that she would think he was crazy if he told her all these things. After all, humans didn’t believe in things like that, did they? Not the ones he had seen in his life.