by Carter Blake
You can do this, I tell myself. It’s going to be fine. Forget about everyone else. Just focus on Wesley, it’s only him that needs to be impressed after all…
Chapter Two
Wesley
“See you, Sarah,” I call out loudly, over the sound of the roaring helicopter as it lands on the top of the Future Pharmaceuticals office building.
I’m pretty sure that I can hear her yelling out behind me, telling me that her name is actually Sara – no h – but I don’t give a shit about that. We’ve had our fun, I got some amazing, freaky sex, and she got a trip to Hawaii out of it. There’s no need to know one another’s names anymore because we won’t ever see each other again.
There isn’t any reason for our paths to cross in the future, I made sure of that before we got involved. I’m not keen on awkward meetings, so I do whatever I can to avoid them.
She’ll get the hint eventually, I’m sure of it. She’ll be annoyed at first – because they always are. But soon enough, all that she’ll remember is the gifts and the incredible sex, and it will become a fun memory for her.
Stepping through the steel door, into the building, my mind switches to business mode. My last PR manager walked out in a huff over some stupid office dispute, so I need a new one and the interviewees are in today.
They’ve already been through the rigorous interview process to ensure that they can keep up with the fast paced nature of the business, now it’s up to me to make the final decision.
That’s the responsibility my Dad left with me when he was on his deathbed, and I’m determined to make him proud.
Sure, there might be elements of my life that he didn’t ever approve of, such as the long list of women that stagger in and out of my life, but I knew the man was proud of me, because I’m damn good at what I do.
Everything that I do.
“Amber,” I call out happily to my sexy assistant. “The interviews going well?”
As she moves closer to me, swaying her hips in that fitted pantsuit which hugs her ass, I can already feel my cock twitching. I might have only just had sex in the helicopter with Sarah not that long ago, but I’d have to be blind not to notice those curves.
Maybe it’s just because she’s married, and that I’ve never been able to make her look my way. Maybe it’s just because I haven’t had her yet. Maybe if she would just let me into her panties, everything would be okay. But of course she never will, and it’s about time that I accepted that.
Plus, I’m not one to sleep with married women. I do have my standards.
“They’re all waiting for you. Well the final five are anyway. Here are all of their CV’s.”
She hands me a stack of paper that I already know I won’t look through. Someone else has already done that, and judged these people as worthy.
What I want to judge is if I believe people will be able to fit in with my expectations and what the company stands for. I take that very seriously, and I believe it helps with the low staff turnover. It’s very rare that we have to do something like this, which is why we go all out for it.
“Some have flown through the tasks, others have scraped through, do you want some more information about that?”
“No. You know what I’m like. I’ll know the right person as soon as I see them.”
As we walk through the building, and Amber gives me the information that I’ve just told her I don’t need, I feel really proud of my parents. They started this company all those years back, and got it up off the ground almost totally by themselves. Sure, Mom had to take a step back when she had me, but I know that she played a huge role in the beginning.
“I’m going to wait in my office. Send them in one by one.”
Amber nods, then disappears down the hall.
Each candidate that walks through my doors has me bored, which is always a terrible sign. If they don’t excite me right away, then I cannot see how they will interest the rest of the world, which is basically their job. Sure, they need to manage the reputation of Future Pharmaceuticals, but I will need them to create fascinating launches and events that keep people interested in what we’re doing. It’s the only way to keep on top of the ever changing competitive world these days.
But then a raven haired beauty wanders into my office, with a real don’t care expression, who has me sitting up straighter in my seat and paying more attention. Of course, I would never hire someone simply because they’re hot, that would be business suicide, but even if this one turns out to be crap, I might have to ask her out for dinner.
“Naomi Hayes,” she says slowly, extending her hand out to me. “It’s nice to meet you.”
As our hands connect, and I feel a frisson of excitement racing through me.
Fascinating.
I sit back and fold my hands together and shoot her a curious look. There’s something in those dark green eyes, something that I want to explore.
She looks like a woman who’s been hardened by external circumstances, by some past pain, and that has me wanting her even more.
Most women are so easy for me, it makes me love a challenge, and I have the feeling that she is definitely that. Maybe not sexually, but emotionally. I don’t usually have any interest in the emotional part, but with Naomi Hayes, I have an inkling to.
I decide to ditch the usual questions, and to ask her something a little more interesting.
“So, let’s say I hire you. And I want you to organize a gala within a week, how would you go about it?” This is a seemingly impossible task, but if she gives me any kind of answer I’ll respect the living hell out of her – especially as I actually want her to do that.
“I would start with contacting all of the high ups in the pharmaceutical industry, to invite them to an exclusive last minute event. I would make it sound so thrilling that they would have to clear their schedules. Then, I would find an amazing catering company, a well reviewed decorator, and a bar tender that could be trusted…”
“Okay, okay,” I hold my hands up, laughing. “I trust you. I believe with that fiery attitude you could pull it off. In fact,” I give her a little look, wondering if I’m doing the right thing. My gut certainly agrees with it, but I just need a split second to see if my brain is on board too. “Look, I would like to offer you the job. You are the only person that I’ve seen any spark or desire from, and I really want to utilize that.”
Her eyes light up, which I take as a good sign. She wants this desperately, which means she will do an amazing job once she’s here. Those with determination and a backbone are always the best employees.
“So, do you think you could start today? Your office is already set up, and once you’ve done the paper work, there isn’t anything to prevent you from getting to work…after all, I actually need that gala to be organized by next weekend.”
“Are you serious?” she gasps out at the happy surprise. “Oh my God, that’s incredible. I would love that.”
Oh wow…that smile, those lips…she’s incredible. I’m almost regretting giving her the job, just because it’ll make it more difficult to hook up. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time that I’ve dipped the pen in company ink, but I’m well aware at how messy it can get, and I’m not sure if I should be going through with that again.
Then again, maybe I won’t be able to resist.
“Let me show you around.”
I take her through the building, proudly showing her everything, before taking her to the human resources office to get all the legal documents sorted out. Usually, this is where I leave employees safe in the knowledge that they will be okay, but for some reason I don’t want to with this one. Naomi Hayes seems to be changing my opinion on everything already.
“Right, let me take you to your desk.” As I walk her into her new office, complete with the most phenomenal view, I enjoy the way her eyes light up.
She’s clearly a strong and confident woman, who probably has a good career a head of her, but she’s impressed by Future Pharmaceuticals, wh
ich is the way I always want it to be. I’m determined to be the best of the best, to serve my Dad’s memory well.
“Shall we talk about your duties?”
As I tell her the list of things that I will be expecting her to do, on top of organizing the gala, she doesn’t even bat an eyelid, which tells me that she’s going to be good at this. She might just be the best hire that I’ve made.
By the time I’m forced to leave her alone, to get on with what she needs to do, my mind is all over the place.
I like Naomi, like really like her, in a way that I haven’t liked anyone in a long time. Sure, I find her hot in the same way that I do a lot of chicks, but there’s something more between us too, and it isn’t something that I know how to deal with. I have the reputation of a heartless playboy because that’s always how I’ve behaved – I feel like any guy in my privileged position would do the same – but that isn’t who I am deep inside.
What I want, what I’ve always wanted, is to fall in love. I want what my Mom and Dad had, a companion, a true deep love. I haven’t yet found it, so I might as well have some fun while I wait, at least that’s what I’ve been telling myself.
Because, as soon as I find the one, I’m sure everything will change – the real me will come out finally.
I look forward to that day, when I can be with someone who likes me for the person I am, not for what I can give them. And I have the sense that I would like it to come soon before I get really bored of one night stands.
I just need to be patient, to wait, to let it just happen…even if sitting back and allowing things to happen isn’t my strongest trait.
I wander back into my office, with only Naomi on my mind, and I can’t help but wonder if she could be the one to pull me into the actual dating game. I’m not saying that she’s the one or anything, I’m not crazy enough to believe that yet, but she could be someone that I could get a little more serious with.
Sure, I’m reading stuff into something that might not even be there, but I can’t help the way that my mind thinks. Naomi could end up being another Amber, someone I obsess over but could never have, or she could end up being just someone else that I screw, but for the time being, it’s actually fun to think that maybe…just maybe, there could be something real there.
Chapter Three
Naomi
As soon as Wesley leaves the room, I tug my phone from my bag and I pull a call into my Dad. I want him to know that things have progressed, and hopefully he will get more on board with the plan now that he knows I’m in.
“Hello?” this time when he answers, he sounds more efficient, which I’m glad for. “Naomi, are you okay? What’s going on?”
I can only assume that he’s had a proper think about things and a change of heart since our last conversation.
“I’m in, Dad,” I whisper quickly. “I got the job.”
“You did?” Despite what he said earlier, he actually sounds really happy to hear the good news. “That’s wonderful. Was it easy? Do you have an office? Did you meet Wesley?”
“It was hard,” I tell him honestly. “But I got through it, and yes I do have an office. I’ve met Wesley, and now he has me organizing a gala. So I can probably get closer to him.”
“Yes, you do need to get close to him,” he muses thoughtfully for a second. “You need to do whatever you can to distract him, to keep his attention on you, then you can do what you need to under his nose. Luckily, I think that you’re just his type.”
Being his type didn’t fill me the sense of dread that I thought it would. In fact, it sent a weird fission of excitement racing right through me. I didn’t particularly intend to use my feminine charms to get what I wanted, in fact before I got in I was pretty determined that I wouldn’t do it at all, but now… well, now I feel like I might do anything. I’m in now, and if a little harmless flirting is what it takes to survive, to get through this, then that’s what I’ll do.
“I just…” My Dad hesitates before continuing, “I really need that document, and now that you’re in, I would love it if you could get it.”
There was a sense of pressure in his voice, one that I didn’t feel like he meant at all, so I did my best to ignore it.
“I know. And I will.”
“You know what you’re looking for, don’t you?”
“I’ll figure it out, Dad, don’t worry about it.”
“If you need any help, I have a man on the inside who can give you what you need.”
That statement made my heart flutter a little with confusion. I didn’t think my Dad wanted to get revenge, now it seems like he might have had a plan all along.
Why didn’t he just tell me?
Why did he lead me to believe that it wasn’t what he wanted?
He clears his throat, and says, “He was around when I was a part of the business, and we’ve always kept in touch. Oliver Cain. He works in the IT department.”
I take note of his name, not really thinking that I’ll use it at all. I can trust myself, I’m not too sure about anyone else. I don’t want to fuck this up by putting my faith in the wrong people.
“I spoke to him earlier on and he told me that he thinks the formula is in Wesley’s office, an area that you won’t be able to get into alone. He’s very protective of it.”
“I was in there earlier,” I gasp out, trying to recall the layout in my mind. “I had my interview in there.”
“Yeah, but he won’t allow you in there by yourself. He even tries to keep meetings in other rooms.” There’s a long silence, before he says, “He’s been known to take lovers in there, but that’s about it, so it will be a challenge.”
“I’ll figure it out.”
“There’s a safe. The formula is inside.”
I’m a smart woman, so I’m pretty sure that this won’t be too difficult for me. It will all be about being in the right place at the right time, which I’m confident I can orchestrate. “I’ll set about it today, and see what I can find.”
“I can tell you’re thinking about doing this alone, but I do need to implore you to contact Oliver. He really is a good guy, and he will be able to help you get into the safe.”
“Okay.” I feel a little weird about this. I don’t know this guy one bit, my Dad hasn’t mentioned him at all, and now all of a sudden he’s vital to the plan. Maybe Dad was forming ideas behind the scenes the entire time, and he just didn’t want to put any pressure on me. That would be so like him. He’s always been that way. Even in school, when other parent’s were pushing their kids to do amazing in their exams, my Dad simply sat back and allowed me to do things in my own way.
“I have to go,” I can hear the click clack of heels coming down the hall, which makes me think that I might be about to meet one of my brand new colleagues, and although this might not be real I need to make a good impression. I need everyone to believe that I’m here for good reasons. “I’ll speak to you later.”
By the time the woman enters my office, I am typing furiously away at the computer, looking like I’m in the middle of something epic.
I glance out of the corner of my eyes, to spot a petite, red haired woman with cute elfish features that make me feel a little jealous. She’s adorable, but somehow sexy too, which is the sort of look I think any woman would love to have, and she doesn’t even seem to know how good she has it.
“My name is Amber Page,” she tells me in a very serious tone of voice. “It’s nice to meet you.” She extends a hand to me, which I shake awkwardly as I try my best to work her out. “I’m Mr. Montgomery’s personal assistant, so I guess we will be seeing a lot more of one another.”
I get the impression that she’s trying to size me up, so I stand up slowly, towering over her with a smirk on my face. She might be beautiful, but I won’t be intimidated by her. I don’t give a shit about office politics anyway, I won’t be here for long enough for it to matter. If things go to plan, the company won’t be around for long enough for it to matter.
Do I f
eel bad about losing all of these people their jobs?
Of course I do, but there are plenty of other opportunities in the city. They’ll find something else. It’s the owners who will struggle to move on. They will be the ones who are devastated by this, which is good because they deserve it. They won’t ruin anyone again after this, that’s for sure.
“I guess so. I mean, I’ll probably need a lot of information for you to ensure that I’m getting the right company impression across.” I don’t mean to sound bitchy with that remark, but I get the distinct idea that it comes across like that anyway. “So it’s good that I get to know you now.”
She runs her fingers through her hair, before glancing down at the paper work in front of her. I feel like she has no idea how to take me, which is probably a good thing. I would much prefer to keep people on their toes. The more time they spend trying to figure me out, the less time they’ll watch what I’m doing.
“Well, the department heads’ meeting will be taking place in a moment,” she eventually tells me. “I’m sure that Mr. Montgomery would like you to be there. And I’m sure it’ll be a good thing for you to meet everyone else.”
This is a test, I know it is. She’s probably been ordered to drag me along, but she’s acting as if it’s all casual to try and see how far she can push me. Well, I won’t be pushed around, I’m already on to her.
“I’ll come,” I grin, grabbing some papers that actually have nothing written on them. “That sounds great, plus I have some good ideas that I’m sure they will all want to hear.”
She gives a small nod, slightly frowning at me.
I follow her down the hallway, with my heart racing in my chest. I can hear Amber telling me a bunch of stuff about the business, but as it’s probably a load of rubbish that I don’t need to know anyway, and I can’t seem to focus on her voice. Instead, I’m trying to figure out how I can bag this, what I can say to make myself sound like I know what I’m doing.