“I need you to run these to the fashion department, they were supposed to go out yesterday so I don’t know what they’re still doing here.” She glared at me as if it were my fault when we both know that the only things I take from her office are the ones she hands over to me personally.
The one time I’d tried straightening her desk I thought she’d deck me one, so I never made that mistake again. In fact I never crossed her door unless she called for me. Though my little cubicle was a mere few feet away, she usually called me on the phone when she needed me.
That was another cause of contention among the others, but I took it all in stride, if that’s what she preferred, who am I to say different? Besides, as she’d said more than once, I was lucky to have landed the job as assistant to one of the top magazine editors in the city.
“Sorry I’ll get right on it.” I grabbed up the stacks of neatly folded material she had on her desk and made a beeline for the door. I didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire if she had another one of her spells.
I said hello to the few faces I recognized on the floor as I made my way to the elevator. My mind was in a daze of some sort as I punched in the number.
I felt the strangest sensation overcome me as I stood there waiting for it to come and before I turned around I knew who was going to be there.
I almost dropped the handful of samples I was carrying when I caught sight of him. How did my body know to react to his mere presence? He was walking beside a very well put together middle-aged woman towards the editing department which I’d just left as I stood at the lifts.
The two of them seemed engrossed in whatever it was they were discussing and he didn’t even see me, but I felt my heart take flight and my pulse began to race. It’s as if I’d been starved for the sight of him, and with that one glimpse of his perfection, I felt a weight lifted.
Suddenly he stopped in his tracks and turned and looked dead at me as if he’d somehow felt my stare. I felt like Bambi caught in the headlights as I stood there staring back. My face was probably giving away my every thought though the look only lasted a few seconds.
When he turned back around as if he hadn’t recognized me I could’ve died on the spot. It took me a minute to realize that I’d taken a step towards him before he’d turned away. I looked over my shoulder quickly to make sure no one else had seen my embarrassing mistake.
I’d spent the past week dreaming about him. At night when I was too tired to do anything else because I was too drained from my running around, I would fall into bed utterly exhausted only to fall asleep to dreams of him. He was always loving and kind in those dreams, the way he had been the one time we’d met, only sometimes he’d take me in his arms and tell me how beautiful I was and I’d melt.
The man who just looked right through me wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon. The stupid tears almost won but I gave myself a brisk talking to and reminded myself of why I was here. I hadn’t come here to get my heart trampled on so it was better that I put all thoughts of him out of my head. My foolish girl heart will just have to go on, granted I can get over feeling like a complete fool.
***
I was deflated and a little out of sorts by the time I made it back upstairs, so wasn’t too happy to see him still there. Not to mention the fact that he looked even better than I remembered.
The suit he wore fit his body as though it had been made for him, and the way he carried himself, shoulders straight and that air of command about him.
It was all too much and I felt like crying again. When I wasn’t mooning over him, it seems I was crying for the loss of something that was never mine to begin with. I tried to make myself as unobtrusive as possible so as not to bring attention to me.
If not for aunt Marion’s volatile mood swings I would’ve headed back the way I came until the coast was clear, but she might call out to me or reprimand me in some way if I tried that, so instead I tried to wait them out by standing back out of the way. I can get to my cubicle after they were gone; then again I was supposed to tell aunt Marion when I got back so she could tell me what’s next on the agenda.
Crap, what should I do? in the end there was only one thing to do. It wasn’t as though we’d shared anything with each other; everything that happened between us took place in my head.
It was silly to hide back here, unless I was planning on making a fool of myself and throwing my poor unfortunate body at his feet. I almost snickered at the image that formed in my head, and then for some unfathomable reason I blushed. What was that about? Yet another thing for me to take out later and ponder I guess.
The woman he’d been talking to was saying something to aunt Marion when I walked in, to tell her that I’d finished the task. I kept my head down, as I stood uncertainly in the doorway not sure which move to make now that I was here. When I finally came to my senses and decided it was probably best if I just left now and come back when they were done, it was too late.
“Well Marion, what have we here? You’ve been holding out on me old friend.” The woman came towards me walked around me, studying me like I’d seen men do to daddy’s prized bull stud. I just about peed on myself in anxiety, there I was trying hard not to bring attention to myself and she had made me the center of attention.
I didn’t even bother looking at Callan to see what he thought of this spectacle, I’m sure he too must be embarrassed. Who was she anyway and why was she pawing at me?
“Turn around here child let me see you. Yes indeed she’d do perfectly.” Perfectly for what, was she sending me out to market?
“Oh Paulette you can’t be serious, she’s too green for that, and besides, she’s not interested, she wants to be an actress.”
“Nonsense, some of the best supermodels were once green girls, just look at that skin, and that hair. That’s it Cal you must get me this girl no question.”
I stood there like a ninny not knowing what the hell had just happened. I was once again forgotten as the three of them went back and forth.
There was a lot of fast talking going on and then I heard him say ‘maybe we should hear what the young lady has to say.’
Just hearing his voice had my head snapping up and around, seems I’d been starved for that too and hadn’t realized. The sound of it went right through me and it was all I could do not to fall at his feet and ask him why he…what? I was brought back to my senses by the next question.
***
“So how about it Gabriella, how would you like to be the new face of La Femme?” I looked from one to the other still confused. The pit-bull as I had deemed the lady, was back to manhandling me again. This time she was squeezing the life out of my hand as she smiled into my face.
“Sorry Gabriella, this pushy female is Paulette Deveraux and she is head of advertising for our design house.” Callan made the introductions but I still wasn’t clear on what was going on. I looked to aunt Marion who was trying hard not to look displeased since the other two were also looking at her.
“If it’s okay with aunt Marion, but what exactly would I have to do? I have work from…”
“Nonsense girl, don’t you understand? I’m about to make you bigger than any star. I’ll have your face plastered on every billboard between here and Paris, not to mention the magazines and the TV commercials.” She grabbed my elbow and started walking me out of the room, talking a mile a minute.
I looked back once for Callan, I couldn’t help it; even with all that was beginning to sink in he was still the only thing I was interested in. I saw now from the warm look that passed between us before he masked it once again, that he hadn’t forgotten me after all. As Ms. Deveraux prattled on and on about my face and my amazing hair, the only thought in my head was of him.
CALLAN
Ah yes, that had gone well, I knew all I had to do was get my old friend Paulette on board and she would do the rest. It wasn’t hard to sell, since Gabriella really was exceptionally beautiful, but I was more interested in her beauty for my own self
ish reasons.
Paulette on the other hand, was looking for the new face of La Femme, so that worked out beautifully, more so than even I could’ve imagined. And I’d handled it in a way that Marion would never know that I was behind the whole thing. Genius.
My work wasn’t done yet though, I had to get her locked in before Marion was able to talk her out of it. After Paulette had squired her away I’d left a less than happy Marion in her office fuming and headed back up to my office to add the finishing touches. I had the contracts all drawn up and ready to sign, but there was one more touch.
I put a call in to Nebraska. After the night we’d met I’d made it my business to find out all I could about her and her family. I knew then as I do now, where I wanted this thing that was riding me to go.
I hadn’t wasted anytime, though it had killed me to be away from her all this time and before I’d had a chance to make my intentions known. But I was glad I’d done things this way, I could just see everything falling into place.
There was just one more thing after my talk with her parents and then all systems were a go. The last part was going to take lots of cunning and maneuvering though to ensure that things went smoothly. I had no doubt that I was up to the task. To have her in my bed under me, there wasn’t much I wouldn’t risk.
***
Her dad was very personable on the phone, and when I explained to him that although I knew she was of age to make her own decisions, I knew how stressful it must be for him to send his little girl all this way on her own, and that I just wanted to reassure him that she was in good hands, he was more than happy to hear of her good fortune.
So what if I took a little liberty with the truth? I can’t very well tell the man that I planned to fuck his little girl to within an inch of her life in the very near future could I?
No, better keep that little tidbit well hidden until I had her wrapped up tight and tucked away in my lair.
By the time Paulette brought her back to my office I was waiting. “Well Gabriella looks like you’ve caught your big break sooner than you thought.”
“Oh Cal you were right she’s perfect, I can’t wait to get started.”
“So Gabriella what do you think?” I could feast my eyes on her now, here away from the prying gaze of Marion who I was sure would pick up on my feelings like a vulture on carrion.
She looked a little lost, like she still hadn’t found her bearings as yet; Paulette can have that affect on people. She was one of gramps’ best-kept secrets, a real shark in the world of high fashion and a stone bitch, but she was a bitch for all the right reasons.
She had clawed and kicked her way up the ladder in what was once considered a man’s world, and now at fifty-five she commanded respect in her field and not many would say no to her.
I knew if anyone could ride roughshod over Marion it would be her. I could’ve done it myself, but I didn’t want to show my hand too soon. Not while she was still living with Marion, which if I had my way, wouldn’t be for much longer.
“I still don’t know what’s going on. Mrs. Deveraux tried explaining it to me but I’m still in shock. Is it for real?” she turned those wide innocent eyes my way and my cock reacted the way he had been every time I even thought of her in the past week.
“First of all I told you it’s Paulette, and what’s to understand? You’re going to be the new face of our clothing line. Cal we have to get started soon. How does next Tuesday sound? That will give me time to get things set up here before we have to get to L.A. and then oh merciful heavens there’s the Paris shoot. I have to go, make sure she’s ready.” She threw that last at me before heading out the door in a rush.
My little farm girl was still in a daze it seemed, which was fine by me. I didn’t want her coming up for air until I had her well and truly tied.
I’d given it lots of thought in the last week; in fact it’s all I’d been able to think of. That first night after I’d left her, feeling like I was abandoning her somehow, I’d been up the whole night plotting and scheming in my head.
***
In the early hours of the morning I’d formulated my plans and not willing to waste a second, had headed for the airstrip and L.A. I hated like hell leaving her in the city unguarded, but it needed to be done in person. I didn’t tell Paulette what my plans were though, that was no one else’s business after all.
But I did tell her about the new beauty that had fallen into our lap and how great she would be for the campaign.
She knew all about Marion and her ways, so it was easy to talk her into playing along there as well. And I knew that once she saw my Kitten that she would be sold.
I’d decided that that’s what I would call her, Kitten, because her hair reminded me of a tabby. Now she was looking like she was about to pass out. “Here have a seat, drink this.” I passed her the bottle of water I’d taken from my mini fridge after opening it for her.
“What about my job here? I feel so bad leaving aunt Marion after she’s been so kind.”
Really? I knew she had been anything but. I’d been keeping tabs on the goings on on the editing floor and knew very well how Marion had been treating her.
I also heard that my Kitten had been a trooper and had taken it all in stride. I’d expected no less, but it burned me up that Marion had been treating her so shabbily.
“I don’t think she would mind at all, after all, isn’t that why you came to New York? To become famous?”
“Yes, but, this is all happening so fast.” She looked at me as if to ask what she should do.
“I think it’s great; and so you know, I’ve taken the liberty of calling your folks and giving them the good news. They’re very excited for you. In fact why don’t you call them right now?”
“I’ll have to wait until I get back to the apartment, I don’t have a cell phone.”
“Here use mine.” That’s the first thing I have to take care of, getting her a phone. I need to have a means of contact with her at all times, and calling Marion’s house phone was out of the question.
For what I had planned, cutting Marion out of the picture was high on my agenda, that’s why the phone-call to her parents earlier. I planned on opening a line of communication with them, and building a trust so that they never questioned anything I said or did in the future.
I knew that a girl like my Kitten, who was still so loyal to her roots, would appreciate that. I didn’t see it as being deceitful, more like a means to an end.
I had great plans for her after all and all for her benefit and mine. I couldn’t wait to get started on her training. It just might kill me, but it was worth it, she was worth it.
She’s the only woman who’s been able to bring out the feelings in me that she had and in such a short time. Something I’d been searching for, but had almost given up hope of ever finding. My cock sprang to life at the thoughts that played in my mind.
To possess all that innocent beauty would be better than the world’s greatest aphrodisiac.
I could already feel her beneath me as I pound into her sweet body. Could hear the sighs and moans I’d draw out of her as I loved her. More than that, I could clearly see her there in my bed, my home, and my life.
As a man who’s treasured and guarded his independence so stringently it certainly was a huge turn around. But after laying eyes on her I couldn’t imagine any other outcome. There was no way I could exist in this world with her and not own her completely. She was mine from the moment our eyes met in that crowded train station.
After she made her call and I could hear the excited voices of her mother and father through the phone that seemed to settle her down a little, she hung up the phone and turned to me expectantly.
“Okay, what do I have to do next?” I studied her for perhaps a minute too long. It had been days since I’d seen her and I couldn’t believe that she was even lovelier than I remembered.
In the clear light of day, I saw how effortlessly flawless she was, and that sweet biddable att
itude was still there. Don’t get ahead of yourself Callan, one thing at a time.
“Well, first, I have these contracts here for you to sign, we can’t do anything until you’ve signed them. Normally I would advise you to have a lawyer look over these before you sign them…”
“Do I need to do that?” So innocent; everything about her made me want to bundle her up and keep her safe. Something I planned on doing as soon as I made it possible.
“Do you trust me?” it was a strange question to ask a young girl who’d only seen me for the first time a little over a week ago, and who didn’t know me from Adam, but it was the first step in my move on her. If what I’d read from her that night was accurate, then she’d give me the answer I wanted to hear.
“Of course I do Mr. O’Rourke.”
“Mr. O’Rourke?” I lifted my brow at her and smiled easily to let her know I was just teasing, maybe.
She gave me her patented blush before ducking her head. “Aunt Marion said that it wasn’t appropriate for me to call you by your name.”
“Nonsense, you’re an adult.” You’ll call me many things in the future sweet Kitten, but Mr. O’Rourke isn’t one of them. I didn’t say that out loud of course, didn’t want to scare the poor girl to death. I’m pretty sure the hungry look in my eyes was giving her more than enough to think about as it was, but that I had no control over.
“We have a lot to do in a short time so let’s get started shall we?” I pushed the papers over to her to sign and she did it without hesitation. I put them away in my safe before picking up the phone to call downstairs.
“Yes, Marion, Gabriella won’t be back today there’re some things that we need to take care of this afternoon.”
“What am I supposed to do without an assistant? I have tons of stuff to take care of this afternoon, I can’t possibly spare her.”
My Little Farm Girl Page 6