Denise was ready. She answered question after question, and it seemed to impress the man. When it was finally over, he sighed, smiling at her.
“You know, I don’t think I can choose anyone else. You have the job. You can start on Monday,” he told her.
“Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome. It’s nice to have someone that I feel I can trust again. I’ve got a lot of stress, and sometimes I’m not really the type to tell others about it, but with you, I feel like maybe, just maybe, I can,” he said.
She paused. She didn’t want to seem like his therapist or anything. “I appreciate that. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll have Charlotte at the front desk tell you the finer details of this job. She’ll get you set up,” he said.
Denise nodded, stepping out and back to the elevator. She was so excited to have this job! It was like a dream come true. But why did Charles look so sad? The way he regarded her was different from when she first walked in. Was there something else there he was refusing to tell her about? Maybe, but she wasn’t going to ask yet. She didn’t want to worry him.
Charles watched as she stepped out, feeling a thump in his heart. It was the first time in a long time he’d felt this, especially from a younger woman. He didn’t feel anything this strong in a long time, but when he watched as Denise ran out the door like a mad woman, he couldn’t help but smile.
Perhaps this would work. He didn’t want to hold his breath, but maybe, just maybe, this will all turn out okay.
Chapter Three
Denise was rushed to one of the fitting rooms, a uniform thrown at her.
“Do you think this will fit?” she asked.
“It is a size small. If it’s too big on you, I’ll take it in,” Charlotte said.
Wow. Denise didn’t think this woman was more than just a receptionist. But she did as she was told, throwing the garment on over her head and trying it on. It fit like a glove, and when she told Charlotte that, the woman whistled.
“Thank God. I’m glad I don’t have to tailor ours like I had to with the woman before you. That chick was nasty, and not just because of the embezzlement,” Charlotte muttered.
“Can you tell me a bit more about her?” Denise asked.
“Well, she always seemed to have a stick up her ass and always thought she was better than me. I have no idea where she got that notion because trust me, she was far from a looker. But, I guess when you’re desperate, you think you’re hot shit. I mean, Charles is not the happiest man out there. I can’t get into why, but I’ll say right now the man has it rough, and he’s been through a lot,” Charlotte explained.
“I see. I guess I’ll learn more eventually.”
“Yeah. Anyway, have a good weekend,” Charlotte said.
Denise bade her farewell, heading back to her car with more questions than answers. What kind of secret was Charles hiding? Why was he a broken man? She wondered this, but she knew deep down that the only way to get answers would be to earn the man’s trust, which was something she’d do eventually.
Denise went home that night, a call from Steve on her phone. He asked her if she wanted to hit up a bar tonight. Denise usually spent her weekends doing that, but there was something about this weekend at made her wonder if that was a smart idea. In the past, she never felt extremely driven or anything, mostly just following where the current took her. Now, she felt like this new job was one she needed, so she didn’t want to get too crazy.
Denise decided to go out, thinking it was indeed what she needed. It was a nice evening, and Steve could tell something great happened.
“You good?” he said.
“Yeah. Really good. I got the job. I start Monday,” she said with a smile. It felt like a breath of fresh air had hit her when she realized this was it. This was the start of her future.
“That’s good. Isn’t it with that Charles Matterson guy? He’s really nice. I’ve seen some of his investment seminars at the store I stock. Seems like he’s got a good head on his shoulders.”
“Yeah. I just worry about him though,” she said.
“What do you mean?”
Should Denise tell him about how the man got quiet earlier? She didn’t know if that was a smart move yet, but it did bother her.
“I just notice that the man is not really as strong as everyone thinks. I hope that me working there helps him though,” she replied.
“I get that. It probably will. Seems like the guy went through a hell of a time before you came around. Maybe you’re the saving grace he needs,” Steve explained.
Maybe. But Denise didn’t want to worry about that yet. She didn’t even understand why when she was around him she felt nervous. She didn’t think there was a reason to be, but there was something she wanted to know about. There was something he was hiding.
“Well remember, don’t try to sleep with your boss right away,” Steve teased.
“I’m not doing that. I haven’t ever had a boyfriend anyways. I don’t understand relationships, so why bother?” she replied.
“I know. I’m just messing with you. Just be smart, okay?”
“Yeah, I will be. Thanks for listening Steve. I don’t know if I’ll be able to hang out with you guys as much once I get started with this job, but I’ll try to,” Denise said.
“I know girl. I get it. Just do what you feel is right,” the other said.
Denise nodded, and the rest of the night was spent bullshitting and hanging out. It was refreshing since she knew once she started working for him, things could get hectic.
The first day of work was relatively simple. She walked in, and immediately Charlotte hands her something.
“What is this?” Denise asked.
“Your schedule. Charles said he’s got business first thing this morning. I think it has something to do with the lawsuit he’s got out, but I guess you’ll see him after that,” she said.
Lawsuit? Oh yeah, the bullshit with his last secretary. Denise grinned sheepishly, grasping the papers and looking at her.
“Right. Thank you.”
“No problem. Just get started. I know he doesn’t like people that dawdle,” the other replied.
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
Denise nodded, heading out of there and over to the office stated on the paper. When she got in there, it was one of the largest spaces she’d ever been in, and when Denise looked at it, she thought there was a mistake.
“No way. This can’t be it, right?”
But then, Denise saw the plaque on the table. It had her name on it. Wow, Charles was a busy man, but he still managed to get everything ready for her. He was a good person, and Denise appreciated it.
The first thing she way assigned to do was filing, which was pretty easy. Most of it was just menial papers, and they seemed easy to put away. Denise liked the idea of filing stuff like this. It was a nice respite from the typical bullshit other jobs had. She didn’t have to deal with others when she did this. After she finished that, she then grabbed the schedule, working on the next element.
Next, was scheduling interviews for some construction that Charles needed to be done. It was simple, and while this did involve speaking to others, it wasn’t like pulling teeth or anything. Denise was satisfied once she had all of them put down, and then, she moved onto the next task. This was sending out emails, which was yet another simple task, and Denise loved it. Once she finished, she heard a knock at the door. Denise looked up, unsure of who it might be.
“Come on,” she stated.
It was Charles. He looked haggard, and Denise was worried. She couldn’t believe this was her first day, and she saw the man so run-down. She knew she’d have to pick up the workload to make his life easier.
“There you are,” he said with a smile.
“Yep. How was the meeting?” she asked.
“As good as it could be. This lawsuit is stressing me out. But then again, this is the price I get for making such a foolish mistake,” he r
eplied, sighing.
“I get it. I mean, if you want to talk about it, we can,” she said.
He looked like he wanted to, but then, he shook his head.
“It’s not right for your boss to talk to you about this. Don’t worry about it, I’ve got it,” he insisted.
“But—”
“Did you get the work done?” Charles inquired, going onto a different subject. He was avoiding it.
“Yes, I did. It was simple,” she replied.
“Great. I’m glad I can count on your,” he said.
He extended his hand, and she shook it, but when they let their hands touch, something changed. Immediately, he looked at her with a glance, and she did the same. It was obvious they needed to talk about something, but then, Charles pulled back.
“I need to get going. I need to put in some time on a few properties that I have. Thank you for your hard work though. I appreciate it,” he said.
“You’re very welcome. Whenever you want to talk again, let me know,” she replied.
He walked f, and Denise could tell he was holding himself back. It was obvious that this wasn’t going to be easy. She didn’t even know why the hell she cared so much. If it were her old job, she would just tell the manager to go fuck himself, but this man was different. He was holding back for an entirely different reason, and she wanted to know why. But she didn’t feel like pushing it. Forcing it would only hurt her more. She wanted this job, and she didn’t want to seem like a threat. The best course of action was to wait.
Chapter Four
Charles sat in his office, the tears falling down his face. Why did she care so much? Why did Denise have to pry like this? He hated it because it reminded him too much of her.
“Goddammit why does she remind me of Ellen so much?” he said to himself. He didn’t want to bring up those thoughts and feelings again. It would only hurt him if so. But every time he tried to put those feelings to the side, hoping that they would go away. But it was no use.
Every single moment was still flooded with thoughts of her, how he couldn’t save her, how suicide was her way out. He loved her more than he did life itself, and the fact that she was still gone still made him feel things to this day. He wanted to get over it, but this wasn’t going to be easy.
Yet, when he looked a Denise, he was reminded of her. She was a free spirit, one who didn’t take shit from anyone, who seemed ready to face the unknown with a smile on her face and her head held high. That was something he found attractive in a woman, and whenever he saw Denise, those feelings tugged at him constantly.
No. He couldn’t do it. She was his secretary. He already had one mess to deal with. Shelly was putting up one hell of a fight, trying to bring forward assault allegations against him. They weren’t true of course, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t give up. It was all too stressful, and as Charles sat there, pouring out a scotch for himself, he wondered what to do.
“Do I pursue this?” he asked himself. He didn’t think it was a smart idea. She was probably too young for him, even though he knew she was in her twenties. She probably never knew what it was like to sit there, finding the one that you loved dead in our arms. He started to tear up again, trying to think about it.
“The damn therapist won’t help,” he said to himself. He’d been seeing one since the incident happened, and while it did work initially, it still didn’t yield any results. Anytime he was alone with his thoughts, they would always turn to Ellen, even if he didn’t want them to. But Charles didn’t want to be held down by this anymore. He wanted to tell someone, anyone about this.
The phone rang, pulling him out of his reverie. He saw it was coming from Denise’s office. He picked it up, trying his best to maintain composure as he spoke.
“Hello?
“Hey Charles, it’s Denise. I’m just calling to let you know I put in all those numbers into the database. All the work is done for the day. Is there anything else you need? Cause I’m done about an hour early,” she said.
Charles thought about it. He didn’t want to overwhelm her on the first day. That would be bad.
“No, you’re good sweetie. You can head out,” he replied.
That’s when he realized what he said. Fuck, he called her sweetie. He always called Ellen that. Worry and regret flowed through his head. He hoped she didn’t take it the wrong way.
But then, she spoke once more, seemingly fine with the sudden words from him.
“Sweetie. I like that. Thank you, sir, I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said with a tease.
He hung up, his pulse racing. He didn’t even mean to do that. It just came out like vomit. He began to scramble, to think about what to do, settling to drink the rest of his scotch and think about what to do next.
“I can’t tell her right away how I fell. I also don’t want to scare her off. Maybe I can just see how this goes, and if she isn’t interested, I’ll back off. I don’t want to put too much effort into it just yet, but I hope that what I do put in does yield something, anything,” he muttered to himself.
He continued to drink his scotch, which did help with the overwhelming emotions. Drinking was one of those things that helped to calm him down. His doctor said to not use alcohol as a crutch, which he did adhere to, but he did use it occasionally when the feelings were too strong, and he didn’t know where else to turn to. It had been the first time in a while he felt this way.
Why did Denise make him feel like this? Why was his heart eager to fall for her? Why was he like this? None of this made sense to him and Charles feared what this might mean. The best thing to do in a time like this was to wait and see what might happen next, and hopefully, it would work out according to plan.
Charles pushed the feelings of worry aside, settling for focusing on the messes he had to focus on. He finished putting in time on the investments, smiling when he saw how far he’d gone with it. He then finished everything up, and once he was done, he left the office. Denise was long gone, which disappointed him. He wondered if she would stick around for him, but that wasn’t the case. However, there was something satisfying about knowing that Denise wasn’t scared off by his pet name that slipped from his mouth, but rather she enjoyed it. Did it mean something more? He wasn’t totally sure, but the only thing he could do right now was to wait and see how it would all play out.
Chapter Five
When Denise heard the pet name, she was taken aback first, but in truth, she liked it.
“Sweetie. I like it,” she teased.
She could tell Charles was flustered on the other line. So, this was what flirting entailed. She felt a strange satisfaction hearing him get a bit stressed on the other end. She didn’t even know why. Maybe it was because she knew the man liked it, and deep down, she did as well.
She normally never pursued something like this. There was something wrong about trying to pursue a relationship with your boss, but Denise didn’t mind the idea of playfully flirting with the man every now and then. He probably liked it. But of course, she didn’t want to make this a habit. That, and she still felt uncomfortable flirting with someone, mostly because she had no idea what the hell he was doing.
It was at this point she regretted not having a boyfriend in high school or college. Despite her exterior, she never got into relationships with anyone. Sure, she did have a lot of guys that liked her, probably because she could kick their asses, but when it came to anything beyond friendship, she backed away and pretended it didn’t exist. She didn’t want to get involved, that’s for sure. However, there was something about this man that interested her, the way he seemed to hold back his feelings. She wanted to know more about it but was afraid to ask.
The next couple of weeks were different for her. While Denise used to talk back to others constantly when it came to her old jobs, when it came to this one, she felt smitten just working for him. She didn’t feel the urge to sass Charles off, but rather, she liked playfully flirting with him and teasing him. He seemed to enjoy it as well, fli
rting back occasionally after getting his bearings. She thought it was utterly adorable, but Denise wasn’t ready to ask for anything more.
Whenever she had a document for him to sign, it was almost magical what she felt. She would touch his hand slightly, and the spark was there. They looked at one another, their gazes unwavering, and it was all Denise could do not to smile at him in a flirtatious manner, trying to tease the man once more. She didn’t want to get fired or give him an idea that she was just here for sex, but she did like him. She came to that conclusion after a while, something that surprised even her.
She never thought she’d fall for a guy. She just never expected it to be like this, but there was something almost satisfying about this that made Denise want to pursue this further, which made her want to experiment a bit more. Of course, she didn’t want to worry Charles either, and she wanted to be there for him as both a potential mate and as a friend.
One night, after staying late, Denise knocked on the door. She heard a sigh, and then she heard Charles speak.
“Come in.”
She did so, bringing the papers in her hands over to him, settling them down on the table.
“Here you are sir,” she said meekly.
“Thank you, Denise. I do appreciate this. Really. I’m glad I can count on you,” he said.
“You sure can,” she replied. Denise looked around the room, and then at the glass on the table.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Oh…it’s nothing.”
“That’s alcohol, isn’t it?” she said. She did drink, but there was something almost sad about the contents in front of him.
Charles paused. He didn’t want to tell her his secret. He quickly swilled it down, almost retching at the burning nature of it, and then looked at her.
“It’s nothing. See?”
“Come on Charles. I know something is up. You can tell me. I won’t go to the press about you drinking if that’s what you’re worried about,” she said pointedly.
The Virgin Secretary: A Billionaire Romance Page 2