by Mills, L. C.
After I'd grabbed my bag and bottle of water I met Jones near the city side.
“I'm ready to go, Cameron said earlier you'd have some ID for me and swipe card for the security and lift?!”
He smiled and handed me a lanyard and a swipe card.
“Don't lose them! That's your personal one! It's got your photo on it.” He smiled.
“Has it?!” I turned the lanyard over in my hand and grinned, seeing my face staring back at me. Cameron had used one of our lift photos for it, only he was cropped out.
“Cool. And don't worry, I'm not letting these babies out of my sight!” I pulled the landward on. It was black with Ballard House in a gold repeated print. The card was also black with the gold lettering.
“This way Miss Watson, we had better make a move.” He pushed open the door to the lifts and waited for me to pass him.
“Sure thing.” I stowed the lift card in the back of the plastic case that held the I.D card on the lanyard. That way I'd know where it was.
45 minutes later and Jones had dropped me off at the side of Cameron's building with instructions to walk around and go in the front way. I wandered around to the front and stood and stared upwards at the building. It was on the South Bank of the river. It was all glass and metal and jutted upwards into the sky, with large gold lettering half way up. 'Ballard House.' There were various people milling around at the entrance mostly well-dressed business types, but I spotted a few music types and I was glad because I felt underdressed. I pulled the lift card out of the lanyard and pulled my shoulders back and walked in with confidence. I was immediately in awe, it was all black marble flooring with high ceilings and pale cream walls with various modern art statues around the entrance area. I glanced around and spotted the turnstiles where you entered and exited the lifts. I walked towards them and scanned my card, I smiled as it gave a satisfactory beep and swung open for me to pass though.
I made my way through to the bank of four lifts and pressed the call button. I stepped back and wondered what lift would open first. The lift doors of the third one rolled open and as I went to step in I glanced up and saw Cameron leaning casually against the back of the lift.
“Hello Miss Watson! Welcome to Ballard House!” He eyed me with hungry eyes.
“Why thank you, Mr. Ballard for such a nice welcome!” I stepped in and swiped my card and hit the button for level 22 as he'd told me to that morning. I did wonder why he was in the lift and not in his office.
“I've missed you darling!” He dragged me towards him and buried his head in my hair.
“Well, it's only been a few hours!” I giggled as I let his scent wash over me, God he smelt good.
His lips brushed against mine softly as I wound my hands into his hair.
We pulled apart from the kiss after a while and both grinned at each other.
“So why were you in the lift?! There was three others that might have come before this one!” I grinned, wondering what he would have done if I had got into one of the other lifts.
He chuckled. “I hoped for the best! And I had been to sort out a minor situation, but that's irrelevant! It's heating up outside I see!” His change of subject made me wonder what the situation had been.
“Yeah it's actually hot! Jones said it had reached 30'c and was rising! This is a sticky heat in the city though! I'm glad I've got shorts on!”
He grinned. “Yes, I think the UK is in for a bit of heat for the next few days at least! We could go for a picnic in the park Tuesday if you wanted?! Hyde Park is full of trees to shelter under! I can have a picnic basket made up for the afternoon!” His smile reached his eyes and he seemed excited about his idea.
I smiled widely, it sounded wonderful. “Oh wow, that's a brilliant idea! I'd love that, but don't you have work?!” I was worried he'd neglect work things because of me.
“I can get done what I need to in the morning! Don't worry! I'm the boss!” He smirked.
“Yes, so I see!” I ran my finger over his tie clip.
He smiled down at me. “Well, I rather like wearing it!”
“I'm glad. It looks good!” I glanced at the lift indicator and saw we were almost at his floor.
“We are having lunch in my office, I'm actually excited for you to see it! There is something you might recognize! This way.”
The lift doors rolled open and he placed his hand on my lower back as we stepped out.
This floor was all open spaces with white marbled flooring and high ceilings, the reception desk sat opposite the lifts. I glanced up to see a young man and woman, both very smartly dressed sat behind the desk. They both nodded in acknowledgement as we approached.
“James I'll have lunch in half an hour, please, also make sure the water has ice and a slice of both lemon and lime. I'll be in my office with Miss Watson.”
Cameron addressed the young man as we walked past the desk.
“Yes, sir, I'm on it now.” He grinned as he got up and scuttled off.
I grinned as we rounded the corner. “Do all your staff jump to attention?!”
He chuckled. “That's my PA! He's the best one I've ever had!” He pushed open a large wooden door and stepped in holding it open. “Welcome to my office!”
I stepped in and immediately blushed, seeing a collection of large canvas prints of myself and Cameron adorning the side wall next to his desk.
“Oh my god!” I didn't know what else to say, I just stood there staring at the photos. My moon face staring back at me.
“You don't like them?!” He moved into his office and shrugged his jacket off and hung it over his chair.
“It's like... Well more that... It's unexpected!” I turned around and studied the rest of his office. It was bright and airy.
He grinned. “I don't think I've ever made you speechless, but I'm proud that you're mine and I want to be able to see you when I'm at work!” He held his hand out. “Don't fixate on that, let me show you the rest of the office!”
I placed my hand into his and smiled shyly. “No one’s ever had photos of me at work before, I don't dislike it! I'm kinda proud.”
The smile spread across his face. “You should be, you're very photogenic!” He walked into the room.
“It's very impressive!” I took the details in, the end of the room was all glass with views over the river and the south bank below. The rest of the room was all pale tones of gray with leather furniture and a coffee table.
“Oh wow, I love that skull statue, it's very macabre, and I think it reflects your dark foreboding outward front!” It really did, I think it said a lot more about him, his personality and his life than he'd ever meant to giveaway.
He smirked. “You see right to my soul, which was kinda dark and troubled until you started pulling me into your light!”
“I think I just observe more than anyone one else would dare!” I took off my jacket and hung it on the metal coat tree near the door.
“Hmm, maybe! So regards our shopping trip, I've had a few viewings of the items emailed to me via the personal shopper and I think you will like my choices but of course you may choose whatever you wish.”
I raised a brow at the fact he was so organized that he'd actually thought ahead. “So do I get to see before too?! And where are we going for the dress?!”
He indicated for me to sit next to him on one of the large leather couches. I sat next to him and made myself comfortable.
“Nope, it will be a surprise and didn't I say?!” He laced his fingers through mine.
“You didn't say, I'm actually excited! Against my better judgment!”
“Selfridges! It holds a variety of fashions from right across the board.” He brought our combined hands to his mouth and kissed it.
I giggled. “Oh wow, I've not been there before!”
His office was lovely and cool, the air con keeping the heat from outside at bay.
Half an hour later there was a knock at the door.
&nb
sp; “Come in.” Cameron called from next to me.
I glanced up as James pushed the door open and walked in backwards with a trolley.
“Lunch has arrived sir, can I get you anything else?!” He smiled as he removed the cover from the water.
Cameron smiled. “No, that's all, thank you, unless it's anything majorly important I don't want to be disturbed!”
He nodded. “Of course, sir! Enjoy lunch.” He grinned as he made his exit.
Cameron got up and picked up the water jug and poured out two glasses before covering it again.
“Can I help with anything?!” The salad looked wonderful.
He shook his head. “Nope, I got this!”
“Okay, this is so weird being waited on! A girl could get used to this!” I sat back and waited.
“I like to make a fuss of you, I wouldn't do this for anyone else I can assure you.” He grinned as he handed me a dish with a knife and fork wrapped in a deep blue napkin as he sat down.
“Thank you, let's toast to looking after each other!” I lifted up my glass and held it out to him with a wide grin on my face.
He leant forwards to get his glass. “Looking after each other.”
Our glasses clinked against one another's and I brought the water to my lips and took a swig. “Oh the lemon & lime combo is so refreshing!” I put the glass down and undid the napkin pulling out my fork I dug right in. The salad was crispy and the tuna and sweetcorn had a sweet snap to them, it tasted divine.
I glanced sideways at Cameron and caught him watching me eat, I couldn't work out if he was amused or found me interesting?!
“Tis good.” I managed between mouthfuls I hadn't realised how hungry I actually was until I'd started eating.
“Yes, we have a very good staff restaurant here, but I always eat either at my desk or here, I like to be private.”
“Yeah, well, I guess being the boss it pays to keep an air of mystery.” I grinned as I finished my bowl, put it on the coffee table and picked up my glass.
“Yes, you're quite right and I get to keep you all to myself! That's another bonus!” He put his own empty bowl down and picked up his glass.
I laughed. “Well, I rather like having you to myself too! Has its advantages!” I glanced around the room, his office was much like his home office, he reflected his personal taste wherever he went.
“Can I speak you about one of the songs you submitted today?!” His tone was soft and it made me suspicious.
“Sure, didn't the label like one of them?! I never normally have any issues?!” I chewed the inside of my cheek as I turned to study him.
He reached out and stroked his fingers down my face. “Don't look so worried, they loved it, but I asked to see all your submitted work and I've held one back until I understand it better.”
I was confused as to why he'd request to see my submitted work, let alone why he'd hold one back.
“Oh.” I let a breath go. “Was it barely legal?! You think it's too much?!” I knew it was risky, but wasn't that the point of song writing?! Well, it was to me.
He smiled as he got up from his space next to me and walked over to his desk and fetched a page of paper and handed it to me as he came back.
“I'm not worried about the song itself Evangeline it's more that I know you intimately now and I'm worried.”
I gave him an odd look, but scanned the page anyway to see if they'd changed anything from my original to make him worry.
Barley Legal - Evan Watson.
Yeah, let's face this head on, I was barely legal, but that didn't bother you none,
I was 17 and you were 24 but age is just a number right?! At least that's what you told me lying in the darkness of your bedroom,
I was barely legal when we lay together in the darkness of your room with my eyes wide open, with the light of the moon the only forms I could decipher out of the surrounding piles of shadows was the dips in your rib cage, that deepened with every quiet intake of breath, but you never cared, I was barely legal
You took me places I had never seen, places I had never been, and said I loved you's oh so sweetly, but you collected hearts like the game tokens I won from quarter machines,
I was barely legal out of high school, but things came easy enough, I believed you when you said you loved me, but I don't think you truly loved anyone but your self-medication,
I'm turning over everything you did in my mind, those four years I've cried more tears than I care to remember but I was barely legal
I was barely legal when we lay together in the darkness of your room with my eyes wide open, with the light of the moon the only forms I could decipher out of the surrounding piles of shadows was the dips in your rib cage, that deepened with every quiet intake of breath, but you never cared, I was barely legal,
I don't see the point in trying, when you were simply lying, crying crocodile tears, well, I'm turning over everything you did in my mind, and I've cried more tears than I care to remember
Well, I was barely legal baby, when I bared myself to you, but you can't deny that you didn't encourage me, it was easy for you to manipulate me when I was barely legal.
It was the same song I'd submitted, but I began to see what he meant when it was in black and white it read worse than it was meant to.
“Well, if you don't wanna use it, then don't!” I scrunched the paper up until it was a ball in my hand. Sean had lied and manipulated his way through our two year relationship I wasn't letting him mess around with my head anymore.
“Why did you do that?!” He took the paper ball and sighed.
“Because it's just a song! About how Sean manipulated me for as long as I've known him, but since we've been together, you've made me see that real love doesn't work the way he said it did! Honestly, if you don't want to use the song don't! I still get paid whatever way you look at it!” I didn't know what else to say to him.
“Oh, Evangeline it's not that, I'm worried that fucker pretty much manipulated you at every turn and that you felt the need to get it out on paper! I hope I don't make you feel like you've got to do anything if you don't want to.” His eyes searched mine with concern.
I leant forwards and kissed his cheek. “I'm not that 17 year old girl anymore! I'm a grown up now and I won't do anything I don't want to! I love that you cared enough to be worried, but you don't need to be! Okay?!”
He smiled broadly. “Well, I'm glad, and yes, you’re a wonderful young woman whom I'm very proud to call my girlfriend.”
Hearing him say that made me feel 10 feet tall.
I rested my head on his shoulder. “Seriously though, I get that you might not want to use the song, its fine.”
His arm slipped around my shoulder. “I will release it now I understand the meaning behind it. I am glad he can't hurt you anymore.”
“Me too baby, me too.”
I lost track of time as I sat resting my head on his shoulder, his hand resting on my shoulder, a noise made me jump and I looked up to see James clearing away the empty bowls. He gave me and Cameron a funny look, like he found us fascinating and I blushed knowing it was because he'd caught his boss cuddling his girlfriend but Cameron didn't move his arm he simply looked up. “We will be leaving in 15 minutes, unless an emergency arises I don't want any phone calls, you can email me anything that needs sorting out!”
James regained his composure and nodded. “Of course, sir! I'll let you know when Jones has arrived for you!” He smiled and pushed the trolley back towards the door.
“Thank you.” Cameron smirked at me as James left. “I think that was rather a novelty for my staff to see me with my arm around a woman!” He chuckled.
“So Jones is driving us to Selfridges?!” I hadn't really thought about how we'd get there.
He nodded. “Yes, he is! I was thinking we might cook Italian for tea tonight so while we are dress shopping he will go fetch in what we need!”
“Oh, okay, so what di
d you have in mind?!” I knew he liked cooking and he was very good at it so I didn't mind.
He stood up and fetched my jacket holding it out to me. “Well, I was thinking Rigatoni with roasted tomatoes ricotta salata!”
I became distracted by how his tongue wrapped around the Italian perfectly. “And that's what in English?!”
He slipped my jacket on and ran his nose down my neck. “It's essentially pasta in a roasted tomato sauce with cheese!”
I grinned. “Oh, I see, well that sounds lovely and you’re such an accomplished cook that I am sure it will taste as wonderful as you made it sound!” I grinned as I adjusted the collar of my jacket as he slipped his jacket back on.
“I made it sound wonderful?!” He quirked an inquisitive brow at me.
I walked over to him and placed my hands on his lapels and used them to pull him to me. “You make everything sound wonderful! The words roll off your tongue beautifully.” We were mm’s away from each other now I loved how his pupils dilated, making his eyes look dark.
“Really?! Well, my tongue was rolling beautifully around you this morning!” He smirked as his lips brushed mine.
I moaned into his mouth as I kissed him back, my tongue dancing with his.
“Oh my god. I am so sorry... Jones is waiting for you and Miss Watson.”
I jumped hearing James voice in the room, but Cameron simply pulled back from the kiss and turned his head. “That will teach you not to knock! That's twice today! You're never normally like this! Don't let it happen again, please!”
James blushed and hung his head. “But I did knock, you didn't respond, but it won't happen again Mr. Ballard!”
I flattened his lapels down and stepped back. “I guess he's not used to seeing you kiss in your office! We'd better go before we scare him anymore!” I turned around and picked up my bag. I hadn't heard him knock, but it wasn't to say he hadn't. I'd been preoccupied at the time.
He frowned. “He's normally very good, I've never had an issue with him before.”