by Helen Cooper
“You’ll postpone it.”
“What?”
“I won’t repeat myself twice.” He frowned at her. “So listen very carefully Sophie.”
“Ok.” She swallowed. This was a very different Max than she was used to.
“Read through the papers and tell me your answer.” He sat on the table in front of her and unzipped his pants, pulling his cock out. She looked at him in surprise and with lust wondering what he wanted to happen next. “Read the papers Sophie.” He commanded her while playing with himself.
Sophie nodded her head and tried hard to concentrate on the words as he grunted and moaned while jerking himself off. She could barely read the papers when he patted her on the shoulder. “What do you say?” He grunted and for some reason unbeknown to her she muttered, “Yes.”
The next thing she knew he was pushing his cock in her mouth and coming. She tried not to gag as his sperm flooded her mouth. She managed to swallow everything and lick his cock clean.
“Good girl.” He smiled at her and got up. “I think we are going to have an excellent working relationship.”
She sat there feeling stunned and confused, unsure of what she had just agreed to.
“Be sure to go on the patch.” He ordered her. “The pill is too unreliable, way too easy to forget.”
She nodded her head in agreement, suddenly feeling queasy.
“We don’t want you falling pregnant now do we?” He laughed at the look of fear on her face.
“No.” She tried to smile at him but felt her heart ticking quickly. “Not at all.” He came over to kiss her and she kissed him back passionately, happy to be in his embrace. But she couldn’t stop worrying and thinking: What if I’m pregnant already?
Chapter 5
The piece of paper flew away quickly in the wind. She watched it go without trying to catch it. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to run after it with all of her might. She did. Her head told her to go and grab the paper and hold on to it tightly. It told her to leave Winterside and to never come back again. It told her that Maxwell Van Harkel was bad news. But she didn’t listen to her head; she listened to her head. She watched the paper that contained her school schedule for the next semester float away and she walked back to the house.
Sophie had made a decision. One she wasn’t really sure of, but it was a final decision. She was going to work for Max as his assistant, no matter what the position entailed. She owed it to herself. She loved him. And she always said that love would come before everything else in her life, even her education. Her precious Columbia education. What would her aunt and uncle say? Could she break it to them? They wouldn’t understand what possible reason she could have to take her last semester off. She decided that she wasn’t going to tell them. They were too old to have to worry about her future. She knew that they used their retirement money to help pay her living expenses; no life insurance policy lasted that long.
She walked into the house and stood in the lobby, thinking back to the night a few days before when she and Maxwell had done unspeakable things to each other. She walked over to the large mirror that hung in the hallway and stared at herself to see if she looked any different. Dark brown frizzy hair. Check. Green eyes. Check. Freckles. Check. Average build. Check. Look of terror in the eyes. That was new. She was terrified that she was making a mistake; that somehow she was about to embark on a path that she had been lucky to avoid but was too weak to stop going down. All of a sudden she wished more than anything that she could run up the stairs and ask Ella what she should do. Her wonderful best friend Ella. The one who always had the best advice. The one person she couldn’t ask. She wasn’t even sure how she was going to tell her about the time off. She was scared that Ella would guess that she was in love with her brother. There was no way she could talk to Ella about the way she was feeling.
“Hey Sophie.” The husky timbre of his voice made the hairs on her arm stand on end. She turned around slowly, not wanting to show her eagerness to see his face.
“Hi.” She smiled briefly, taking in his appearance. His face looked unkempt and unlike the Maxwell she knew. He hadn’t shaved in a few days and had a thick layer of stubble, which made him look even more brooding and foreboding.
“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you.” His words were harsh and they made her jump.
“I was just outside Max.” Her words came out high and annoyed. “I was just enjoying the day. Am I able to do that?” She was mad at herself for allowing herself to take his bait. Could they never just have a normal conversation?
“You didn’t tell anyone.” He looked at her accusingly. “I asked Ella.”
“Ella’s not my keeper. I can go for a walk.”
“Do you want Mitch to come and rape you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“We’ll be targets now Sophie. After what happened at the pub. You need to be more careful.”
She looked at him in shock and astonishment. He was crazy. Really crazy. Why would Mitch stalk her down just to rape her?
“Well, I’m fine.” She looked at him coldly. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to go to the kitchen and have a glass of water now.”
His gaze softened and he sighed. “That’s fine. Come find me in my study afterwards so we can talk.”
“About?” She was pretty sure she already knew the answer.
“The job.” He frowned at her. “Did you finish reading all of the papers I gave you?”
“Yes sir.” She thought about bowing but didn’t think he was in the mood for a joke.
“Good.” He stared into her eyes and she felt herself getting lost in the blueness of his eyes. How funny that they looked as blue as the sky today when the previous night they had looked almost black. There was a glint of excitement in her eyes that was reflected in her stomach and she felt a ball of nervous anticipation well up inside of her.
“I’ll see you in about an hour then.” He broke their gaze and strode off to his study. Sophie stared after him breathing deeply before she went to the kitchen. Part of her was still unsure of what she was getting herself into. She clutched the gold cross that hung from the necklace around her neck and she prayed that she wasn’t making a huge mistake.
She walked to the kitchen slowly thinking about how quickly her relationship with Maxwell had changed. He had been her rock growing up. He hadn’t known it but he had been the catalyst that had helped her to heal from her heartbreak. When her parent’s had died, she had become numb inside. Her Aunt and Uncle had done their best to welcome her into their home; but they hadn’t known how to understand and comfort her. 15 year-old Maxwell had broken through her barriers with his brutish and cocky teenage self in ways he would never be to know. She had looked up to him as a teenage God; handsome and confident, yet still unsure of himself as teenagers are. And in the days and evenings when it was just the two of them, he would be soft and gentle and kind. Kinder to her than he was to his own sister Ella. Maybe it was because he knew that she was an orphan, and she always had a lost look in her eyes. Her friends used to tease her and say she could give Little Orphan Annie a run for her money but Sophie had never realized the sad air she gave off.
Maxwell had brought her out of herself with his games and stories. He had told her of dates and pranks he had pulled because he needed a confidante and he was too scared that Ella would tell their parents. Their friendship had blossomed throughout the years, as she had spent most of her summers with the Van Harkels. But everything had changed in her 17th year. She had been excited to show Maxwell that she had finally blossomed and had immediately ran to his room when she and Ella had arrived at the train station. He had been sitting at his desk writing something and she had squealed and hugged him from behind. He had gotten up and twirled her around and she had giggled as he kissed her on the cheek. At 25 Maxwell was already on his way to being the brilliant businessman that he currently was and he had already embarked on his trip down stony junction. He had an almost im
penetrable wall around him to most people and he didn’t let people get too close.
“Sophie.” He had smiled at her with genuine happiness in his eyes. “It’s great to see you.”
“You too goof.” She had hit him on the arm, pleased that she had caught him giving her the once over.
“You’ll have to tell me how the semester has been.” He looked away from her quickly. “But not now, I’m busy.”
“Oh, okay.” She jumped up quickly from his bed. She had sat down eagerly; ready to tell him about her first kiss and how boys had started to notice her. “I wanted to tell you about Harry.” She spoke eagerly as she walked to the door.
“Who’s Harry?” He looked at her with a frown.
“My quasi-boyfriend.” She grinned at him.
“Boyfriend? Aren’t you too young for a boyfriend Sophie?”
“No.” She twirled and danced around. “Not at all.”
“Well we can talk later. I’m busy now.” He walked her out of his room and she felt a sliver of disappointment run through her. Sophie didn’t see Maxwell again that summer; he had gone to London on an emergency business trip and stayed. And they had never had the same easy friendship on any of her subsequent visits. She didn’t know what made him distance himself from her like that. On the surface, they had the same casual easy friendship but it was strained with tension and odd comments.
Sophie sighed as she thought back to their relationship. Now they had added a whole new layer to their dynamic and she wasn’t sure if it would bring them closer together or drive an even bigger wedge between them. Especially if he found out that she lied about being on the pill. She resolved to herself that she would never let him know the truth.
Chapter 6
She knocked on his study door hesitantly. She was scared to make a decision. Scared to move forward in his crazy world with his crazy contract and plans. She walked into the room when he beckoned her in because she knew she was too scared to walk away.
“Did you get your water?” He smiled at her softly. He looked calm and gentle and he reminded her of the Maxwell from her childhood.
“Yes. Thanks. It was high quality H2O.” She grinned at him and he laughed at her quote from ‘The Water Boy”. They had spent many a weekend watching Adam Sandler movies.
“That’s good to hear. I wouldn’t want you drinking non high quality H2O.”
“Yeah.” She looked at him cautiously not sure what to say or if she should sit down.
“Sit Sophie, you are making me uncomfortable just staring down at me.”
“Ok.” She sat opposite him and looked at his desk. It was strewn with papers and folders and a MAC laptop. “Is that the new MacBook Pro?”
“Yes, I got it a few weeks ago.” He nodded and his expression changed. Suddenly he looked serious and annoyed. “But that’s not what you came to talk about, is it Sophie?”
“No.” Her voice was quiet. “It isn’t.”
“ Let’s cut to the chase Sophie. What we have done cannot happen again.” He looked at her harshly. “Do you understand me?”
“What?” She looked at him furtively, trying to not let him see the panic and hurt in her eyes. “I thought you want me to be your assistant?”
“I made a mistake Sophie.” He grimaced and looked away from her. “It won’t happen again.”
“What?” Her voice was angry.
“There’s no need to be upset Sophie. I will still get you into the internship program.”
“I don’t want to be in the internship program.” Her voice sounded like she was pleading and she winced. “I want to be your assistant.”
“No you have to finish school.” He looked at her coolly.
“I already withdrew from my classes for the semester Max.” Her voice was strong. “This will be a good experience for me. It will help me in my career.”
He grinned at her. “Well, who knew you had it in you to be calculated Sophie?” He frowned to himself. “Maybe you aren’t as pansy as I thought.”
“Excuse me?” She glared at him. “I’m not a pansy.” Except around you she thought to herself.
“Well I hope not. Not if you want to succeed in this business.”
“So, am I still going to be your assistant?” She looked at him passionately, praying with all of her might that he would say yes.
“I’ll have to think about it.” He looked at her curiously. “I’ve never seen anyone so excited to be an assistant before.”
“You were the one who told me I was going to do the position in the first place.” She cried out.
“That was a different kind of assistant position.” He looked at her and licked his lips. “But that is no longer on the table.”
“Oh.” She wanted to ask him exactly what that position would have consisted of and ask him to still consider her but she wouldn’t resort to begging. She wasn’t that far gone and she would die of a broken heart before she would let him know just how deeply she cared for him.
“So we’ll start in a week.” He wrung his hands as he spoke to her. “You can help me here in the study and then you’ll start fulltime in the City in 2 weeks.”
“Ok.” She tried to hold back her grin but she couldn’t. “Sounds good.”
“Oh and Sophie.” He called after her as she walked out of the study.
“Yes.” She turned back to look at with sparkling eyes.
“Don’t get into any trouble.”
“I’ll try not to.” She laughed as he groaned and ran up the stairs to her room to write in her journal. She lay on the bed and opened a new page. She was excited that finally she had something to write that was positive and happy as opposed to gloomy and naïve. She was going to write a poem to express her feelings but she bit her lip and paused. Everything hadn’t gone exactly as she wanted it to: she wanted Maxwell to want her and love her. She had hoped that after they had slept together he would have realized that he had feelings for her and that he wanted to be with her. But the opposite had happened. Not only did he not declare his love for her, he didn’t even want to sleep with her again. Had she been that bad? Maybe she had been too eager. She sighed. She didn’t even know what the other type of assistant position had really consisted of but she wanted to know. She was also worried that he would get someone else to fit that role. Pangs of jealousy reverberated through her and she wanted to cry. She needed to think of a way to get him back into her bed and maybe then she could try and reconnect with him again. Break through the shell he had developed. She also wondered what Ella had been talking about the previous evening.
What had Maxwell done that had been so bad? Because it had to have been really bad if Ella wouldn’t tell her. Ella told her everything; she was incapable of keeping a secret. Sophie knew that she needed to find out. She wanted to know about Max more than she wanted to write about her feelings so she put her journal down and decided to go and see what she could get out of Ella.
***
“Ella?” Sophie knocked on her door a couple more times before walking into her bedroom. “Ella?”
“Sophie.” Ella’s face popped out from underneath the covers. Her eyes were blotchy and red and she looked like she had been crying.
“Are you okay?” Sophie rushed across the room to comfort her friend. “What’s wrong Ella?”
“Nothing.” Ella smiled weakly and brushed her eyes. “I’m fine.”
Sophie paused as she reached the bed and sat down. “You don’t look fine.” She spoke softly and took her friends hand. “But if you don’t want to talk about it right now, I understand.” She smiled at her friend with love and squeezed her hand. “I’m here for you whenever you want.”
“Oh Sophie.” Ella burst into tears. “You are really the best friend a girl could ask for.” She placed her face on Sophie’s shoulder and sobbed. Sophie drew her friend close and hugged her as she cried. She rubbed her back and prayed that nothing too serious was bothering her friend.
“Ssh. It’ll be okay Ella.” Sophie soo
thed her friend and pulled back to stare at her. “Whatever it is Ella, we can get through it.”
“It’ll never be okay Sophie.” Ella sniffed. “I can’t talk about it now but it’ll never be okay.” Her eyes welled up and Sophie could see that she was about to start sobbing again.
“It would have to be something absolutely dreadful for it to never be okay again El.” Sophie smiled at her friend softly and Ella looked at her with abject misery.
“Life as we know it will be changed forever Sophie.”
Sophie felt a sudden jab of worry hit her stomach. Had something happened to Maxwell? Was this related to the story that Ella couldn’t tell her about? “Is this about Max Ella?” She gasped out, unable to contain herself.
“Huh?” Ella looked at her in confusion. “Max? What do you mean?”