by Kailin Gow
Including you, I thought. Yes, that was a benefit of this paper. I’d get to spend time with this guy. I liked the idea a lot!
“I really enjoyed this lunch, Charisma.”
“It was nice. Really, it was just what I needed. I’m glad we could finally connect.”
“So, you liked Rendezvous?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Well, you might really like this other place that’s near the new store. It has this amazing seven-layer chocolate cake. If you like chocolate, you’ll fall in love with it.”
“Is that an invitation for cake?” I asked, smiling at him.
“It is.”
“That’s good, Mason, because it just so happens that I love chocolate cake. It’s a weakness, for certain.”
“Something else we have in common,” he said.
Then he lifted my hand up to his lips and softly kissed it sending a wave of pleasure through me and conjuring an instant vision of those lips on every part of my body.
“Well Charisma, until later,” he said.
“Bye,” I said and then he held my car door open and I slid into the driver’s seat. He closed the door and waved and smiled, standing in the same spot until I drove off.
***
Later that night I approached Mom about my paper. “Okay, Mom, here’s the deal. Beast Company will let me do my thesis on them, but only if you still keep the cosmetics agreement with them.”
“That Mason is a smart man,” she replied, shaking her head. “He obviously understands my commitment to my daughter just as much as he does my commitment to business.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“I mean that I’ll keep my cosmetics line there, because I want you to have your best chance with your thesis. Beast Company is a good company for that project, especially considering all that’s happened.”
“I guess Callum is in pretty rough shape,” I said.
“It’s too bad when things like that happen, especially when they are unavoidable,” Mom said. She had a matter-of-fact tone. When senseless things happened, she usually had something like that to say.
“You just never know, do you?”
“Every moment is a gift not to be squandered. Speaking of, how were your moments at lunch with that handsome Mason?”
“Really good, actually. He is so different from his brother—a complete gentleman. Plus, he’s really interesting. We have a lot in common.”
“Good looking, too,” Mom said as she gave me a knowing smile. “It sounds like he treated you very well, yes?”
“Yes,” I said, laughing. “We’re going out for chocolate cake sometime.”
“When?”
“Mom, I don’t know when.”
“If Mason treats you like a princess, then accept it for what it is. He is being a charming businessman like his father and grandfather before him. Just make sure not to fall for him emotionally.”
“Mother knows best,” I said with a smirk.
“Indeed,” she said quite seriously.
After Mom left, I went to my laptop and sent Mason a message answering his question about keeping Helen Chu Cosmetics at Beast’s. All my thoughts led to Mason, though, and as a result, Callum, too. Mason was quite a charmer. He was polite, earnest, and such a gentleman. On the other hand, Callum, was such a dirtbag. They were brought up the same way, yet you could not tell they were brothers. They were so different from each other.
Chapter 5
Charisma
I shouldn’t have been so nervous about it, but I was. What should I wear? I wanted to look professional, of course, but I was also very aware that a part of me wanted to look good for Mason, too. I liked the way he looked at me and through his green eyes I saw that he respected me, as well as thought I was attractive. I didn’t have a lot of experience with dating, because there were so few good options out there, but I knew enough to know that Mason wanted more from me besides a working relationship. A boss and employee relationship wasn’t something I condone, but in this case, I wasn’t opposed to it. So…school research had suddenly taken on a new, more intimate twist.
Deciding on a pair of navy colored slacks and some matching pumps, I put on a white wrap blouse and some silver and blue jewelry that made it all look a bit more chic than it may have otherwise. After my make-up was on, I appraised myself in the mirror and thought it worked. Interesting and appealing, but not overboard.
Shortly later, I was walking into Beast Company to announce my presence.
“Charisma Chu for Mason Beast,” I said.
The receptionist looked at me and gave me a slightly scrutinizing gaze, but then announced. “Yes, he’s expecting you, Ms. Chu. Take the elevator to the left and he’s up on the third floor. I’ll ring his Executive Assistant to let her know that you’ve arrived.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Standing in the elevator, I looked around. It was quite the sophisticated looking elevator, more like a Vegas casino’s elevator, than that of a corporate office. Brass and mirrors and well lit—cameras discreetly tucked in the corner. Something came over me and I stared into the camera and smiled. Take that whoever was observing. Mason, maybe?
“Hello Ms. Chu,” I’m Vivian, Mr. Beast’s executive assistant. She extended her hand and I took it all in. She was perfect—both beautiful and put together in a polished and professional way—no tacky women for Mason.
“Hi Vivian. Please, call me Charisma.”
She smiled and nodded. “Mr. Beast is expecting you; follow me.”
I walked into Mason’s office and immediately loved its musky scent and masculine feel. It was like a law office—organized and precise.
“Charisma, good morning,” Mason said. I watched him peruse me from head to toe unapologetically and when our eyes finally connected, I saw approval in his.
“Good morning, Mason. Once again, I wanted to thank you for this opportunity,” I said, suddenly feeling a small flip in my stomach. I was nervous! This is just business, I thought. Business excites me; it doesn’t make me nervous.
“Why don’t you have a seat,” Mason said.
I sat down in one of the black leather chairs and Vivian sat down in the next one.
“This morning I have a few things that have come up and Vivian is going to take you around and introduce you to everyone for me,” Mason said in a matter-of-fact voice. I had to admit, his CEO voice was sexy. I also had to admit that I was ridiculously disappointed that Mason wouldn’t be taking me around. Why I would have thought he’d book out his entire day for me was ridiculous.
“Wonderful,” I said.
“Then we’ll go for lunch, say 1:30,” Mason said. “If that works, of course.”
“That would be fine,” I said. Darn, I wish I’d eaten a bit more breakfast. That was a late lunch.
“Okay, that should do it. Vivian, you can follow the agenda I put together earlier,” Mason said.
“Yes, Mr. Beast,” she said. She got up in a graceful move and walked toward the door, turning around and waiting for me. “Ready?”
“I am,” I said. “I just have to grab my portfolio.”
Vivian and I walked around and I was introduced to all the key people on the management team in marketing, distribution, legal, accounting, and customer service. Each of them was given one specific set of instructions by Vivian: “Mr. Beast requests that you give Ms. Chu your full cooperation.”
It seemed strange telling people to cooperate with me. Usually, they did all on their own and I didn’t want people to think I was being a disruption to their day, someone that was there to take up their time more than learn from their experiences.
Before I knew it, it was 1:30 and time to meet Mason for lunch. The time had gone by quickly, but I was so hungry, too. Vivian went one direction and I went to knock on Mason’s office door softly, just in case he was on his telephone.
“Come in,” I heard a muffled voice say.
I walked in and froze. There he was, changing in
to his suit from some work-out clothes. His white shirt was open as he pulled on his slacks. I could not stop staring at his tanned and smooth muscular chest. Underneath that suit was one hell of a sexy beast. Pun intended. I almost swallowed my tongue forgetting it was there as I tried not to drool. He was built just as or even more muscular than his underwear model brother. “Sorry, I thought you said to come in.”
“I did, no worries,” he said confidently, giving me a sly grin. Even that look he gave me…almost predatory and dark sent a chill up my spine. It seemed Mason wasn’t just the uptight heir to the Beast throne. He had another side to him.
“Oh.” Excessive modestly sure wasn’t an issue with him. And from the looks of it, I could see why. He was pretty hot without his clothes on, and he probably knew it.
“Ready for some chocolate cake today?” he asked me, smiling as he buttoned up his white shirt hiding his hot body and put his tie on and then his custom made Italian slate gray suit jacket. With a body like his, his suit couldn’t help but look fabulous on him. He could be a cosmetics model or one of those exquisite male cologne models.
“That sounds wonderful,” I said, still thinking about that vision of him getting changed.
“Great, there’s something that I need to discuss with you,” he said. He looked at me and I tried to read what it might be, but I couldn’t gauge it. He was as good at showing what he was thinking as he was at hiding it. The perfect poker face.
He told me as soon as we got to the restaurant.
***
“So Charisma, how did your morning go?” Mason asked right after we sat down at the restaurant at a small table in the back corner.
“Wonderful. Everyone was nice. I want to make sure they understand that I’m not here to disrupt their days, rather to learn from them, though.”
“Did anyone give you a hard time?” he asked, leaning in and raising one eye brow in a speculative way.
“No, nothing like that, Mason. They were all very polite, but I know how busy people are. It takes a lot to run a corporation,” I said.
“No one really understands that unless they’re in the culture, do they?” Mason said, staring at me, his green eyes growing slightly darker.
“Not too often. That’s the case with even the professors at USC, don’t you think?”
Then together we said, “Never worked in a corporate environment.” It made us both start laughing.
“Well, we’re already finishing each other’s sentences,” Mason said softly.
I looked at him and was taken aback by the intimate sound of his statement, but I couldn’t deny it. It had just happened. “Great minds think alike,” I said casually, trying to avoid the fluttering of my nerves under my skin. “So, what was it that you wanted to talk with me about?”
The waitress came up right when I asked that and Mason raised his pointer finger in that “wait a few seconds” look. Then we ordered and he got right back to the question without skipping a beat. “I’m hoping you’ll be my guest to an event I have.”
“Well, when is it?” I asked. Yes, I was curious and certainly not opposed.
“It’s a gala, tonight.”
“Tonight?” I asked. That wasn’t much time. Galas were big deals, not like a burger after work in your jeans.
“What’s it for?” I asked. “That’s not much notice.”
“Sorry about that, I just remembered it, myself. It’s for my fraternity and our annual fundraiser for our cause—childhood hunger. With so much going on, it…” He didn’t finish his thought and I didn’t need him to, either.
“That’s okay, but I don’t know, Mason. Not to be cliché, but I don’t think I have anything to wear and I have a paper to work on for school.” Suddenly I could hear my mother’s voice cautioning me, too. Mason was a smooth operator and it wouldn’t be wise to let my guards down too quickly—just in case.
“You don’t want the kids to go hungry, do you?” he asked.
“Ouch, that’s some guilt trip,” I said, a coy smile spreading across my face.
“I’ll take care of it, Charisma, I assure you.”
“And how can you do that?” I asked curiously.
“Well, I took the liberty of picking out a dress that I believe would be perfect for you. It’s being delivered to the office right now.”
“But after work, I don’t know that I’d even have time.”
“I can get a stylist up to take care of everything.”
“My heels are navy,” I protested.
“And Beast Stores has one of the most amazing shoe departments. I believe you’ve heard of that. And our new cosmetics line, Helen Chu—it’s divine.”
“I’ve got make-up covered,” I said with a laugh. “But seriously, you can’t find anyone else to go.”
“I could,” he answered directly, but offered nothing more.
“You are certainly persistent, and organized. I think I’ve run out of excuses to say no,” I said. “But, I’d better let Mom know.”
“Of course,” Mason said. Then he looked down and pinched his fingers on the table cloth, like he was picking up a piece of lint. “Can I be honest with you, Charisma? I’m not really prone to beating around the bush.”
“Yes,” I said. My heart started racing. To be honest was a vague statement, for certain.
“I was looking for an opportunity to ask you out and this one seems perfect.”
“Oh,” I gulped. I hadn’t expected such a straight forward statement. Despite seeming poised, I was no pro when it came to dating and men. “I’m flattered,” I finally sputtered.
“Good, so it’s a yes and it’s a go?”
“It is,” I said.
“For the record, you wouldn’t have to change a thing. You’re great right now and would more than represent,” he said.
“Thank you,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
***
Back at the office, I called Mom to fill her in. She was so funny, reminding me that I was an adult and didn’t have to clear everything through her. Yet, I knew she was grateful that I did call so she wouldn’t have to worry. Then she ended with, “Don’t do anything you’ll regret,” which made me laugh.
“Oh Mom, I forgot to ask. Do you need me to come in tomorrow?”
“Thanks for bringing that up. Yes, I do need you, if it works out okay. We have a new employee—some big retail guy who’s going to help us integrate our line into Beast Stores—but he doesn’t know much about our products so he’ll need some guidance. You’d be perfect to do that. Might even learn something for your school paper, too.”
“Where’d you find him?” I asked.
“He was recommended through an old friend,” she said. I knew she was being vague and it made me curious. When she was that way, it was always something interesting—and something I’d have to wait and see firsthand.
“Okay, so I’ll behave tonight so I have a fresh mind,” I teased.
“You know, Charisma, I think that Mason has more in mind than just helping you with research on your paper,” she said.
“I know—be alert. I will, Mom.”
“But have fun, too. You’re young and there’s more to life than studying and work.”
“Spoken by the woman who loves to work,” I said.
“Work is my lover,” Mom said, making us both laugh.
“Well, the only lover I need is work right now, myself, Mom. Trust me.”
“The heart and mind don’t always work in unison, my dear.”
“On that note, I’ve got to go,” I said.
***
I’d never had a fashion team before, but that’s what it felt like as I sat there and let everyone do their magic on me. The dress that Mason had picked was indeed amazing—black with encrusted diamonds and a pair of strappy Manolo Blahnik sandals to match.
Now it was time to get my hair done by Jerry, the stylist.
“You’re scrumptious,” he said, clapping his hands together. “This will hardly se
em like work at all.”
“That’s nice to say,” I said, laughing.
Then Jerry started talking and styling.
“Oh, you’re going to look like a movie star,” he said.
“And that’s not overdoing it for some frat gala?” I asked.