by Sienna Ciles
“That’s one hell of a coincidence. Man, of all the women in the world you could have picked, you picked the one who was gonna end up working right alongside you,” he laughed. “What are the chances? Seriously! It's like winning the lotto – if the lotto prize was workdays full of awkwardness and avoided eye contact, that is.”
I had to chuckle at that. “No man, like I said, I don’t think it’s going to be that awkward now. We've agreed to keep things professional. And that's the way it should be.”
“Can't you just fire her and hire someone else?”
“That would be the coward's way out, Jake. And you should see her resume – she's got serious talent, talent that this company really needs if we want to take this to the next level. And I genuinely believe she can help us to do that.”
“Well, listen to you, man, already sounding like a real CEO.”
“I am a real CEO now, buddy. And I'm trying to think and act like one. And that means putting the company's interests before my own. That means despite any awkwardness that might exist between Mandy and I, she needs to stay. It'll be great for the company and, I think, pretty damn great for her career, too.”
“That's good. You're sounding more and more like your old man. To be honest, that's a good thing! It doesn't mean you're getting older. Just more mature.”
“More mature,” I mused. “That concept always used to scare me but now I feel like I'm growing into it. I'm actually okay with it.”
“That's what I like to hear. You're gonna handle this thing, I think. You're gonna make us all proud.”
“I hope so. I'm going to do my best. Anyway, I'd better get back inside. I'll see ya tomorrow.”
I put the phone back in my pocket and, once more, thoughts of Mandy began to run through my head. Had I done the right thing by keeping her on? Should I be doing this, or should I fire her? Only time would tell.
I took one more sip of my wine and started to make my way back inside.
Chapter 9
Mandy
I needed to get outdoors to get some fresh air. I don't know why but the air inside this place just felt so oppressive and stifling. Perhaps it was because of the awkwardness I had just experienced with talking to Kain for the first time since he had left my apartment a few days ago.
To be fair though, he’d handled it well. And it hadn't been nearly as awkward as it could have been. That didn't mean, though, that he and I were in the clear, or that everything was fine between us. I mean, I was still having a pretty tough time coming to terms with the fact that I was going to have to be working closely with this guy. Furthermore, I guess there was something else that had me feeling, well, not so great about it: the fact that I was still attracted to this guy.
Any illusion that the physical attraction between us had been a product of the massive quantities of alcohol that we had both consumed that night had been shattered a few moments ago when he and I had spoken face to face. It was true, I had been thinking about him a lot over the past few days but nothing had prepared me for just how strong the physical attraction would be when we bumped into each other again. While we had been speaking, my eyes had been roaming all over his body, concealed beneath the stylish contours of his expensive suit, and now I kept on having flashbacks of his naked, sweaty, muscular body. It was embarrassing; it wasn't as if I wanted to be thinking about him like that! And parts of him still turned me off. I mean, I couldn't just forget about what he had said about selling off part of the company and laying a bunch of people off. When he had said that stuff to me, sure, he had been drunk but there had been a sincerity in his words that had been undeniable. And now, yeah, he had made a pretty convincing speech about how he was going to take this company to new heights and how everyone who worked here was part of one big family and such, but I just couldn't stop those words he had said to me before from echoing in my head.
And I was sure that I had seen something in his eyes that told me that some part of him felt as if he was overwhelmed and unready for all of this. That's how he had come across that night he and I had been together, anyway – as if he didn't really want the job as CEO, as if his dad was putting too much pressure on him, and that he kinda wanted an easy way out.
Part of that was understandable. I mean, he was only thirty-three, which was very young to become a CEO of a company of this size. Heck, if someone had offered me that position right now, even with all the prestige and benefits it offered, I would probably run screaming from it. In a couple of years, sure. When I had a lot more experience and maturity under my belt I would probably feel more prepared to take something like this on but now, no way.
And I imagine that that was probably how he felt, and it was understandable.
Still, it wasn't particularly admirable.
Ugh, there was clearly too much going on in my head right now. I really needed to get outside for a bit.
I walked out of the hall and immediately felt as if a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. The air was cool and almost crisp out here, and the sky was clear and pretty, with as many stars as one could see through the light pollution of Los Angeles. I took a slow walk, following a path that winded between some trees.
I started to hear a voice as I got into the trees – a familiar voice. I slowed my walking speed down, keeping my footsteps as quiet as I could as I got closer to the person.
Kain.
He was talking on the phone to someone, and although I felt kinda bad about eavesdropping, curiosity got the better of me, and I edged closer to hear what he was saying.
“It was kinda awkward, yeah. We spoke a few minutes ago, actually,” he said.
A crimson blush fired up my cheeks. He was talking about me! I got a little closer, hiding behind a tree and continued to listen as he talked. I was sort of expecting him to make fun of me, because it sounded like he was talking to a male friend, and I imagined there'd be some locker room type banter going on between them. As I continued to listen, it seemed he was actually being quite sincere and sympathetic. I admit, I was a little surprised. It actually sounded like he respected me and he was manning up, so to speak, and accepting that he now had a responsibility to run this company as well as he possibly could.
Eventually, he said goodbye to his friend. I held my breath and pressed myself against the tree trunk as he turned around and walked back up the path. Luckily, he didn't notice me. When he was a safe distance away I breathed out and stepped back onto the path, watching him walk back up into the hall.
“Well, how about that,” I murmured to myself. “It seems like he's actually growing up. And being a decent guy. Damn, who would have thought it?”
I was feeling better, so I decided to head back into the hall. Just as I got back inside, I bumped into Phil.
“Hey!” he said as he saw me, “I've been looking all over for you. Ronald wants to have a quick word with you about the job. You're still okay with starting three days from now, right?”
I nodded. “I'm fine with that, yeah.”
“Great, come on, let's go find him. There are just a few minute details he wants to iron out with you. But you're all ready for this, right? All excited, ready to get going?”
“I'm ready,” I said. “Yeah, I'm ready.”
* * * * *
“And this is your new office. Great view, huh?” Phil said as he led me into my new office. It had been three days since the announcement and I was ready to get started.
“It’s fantastic!” I said with a delighted smile. “A real upgrade from my former officer, which was kind of a glorified closet, really.”
Phil chuckled. “No glorified closets in here, Mandy. Just great, spacious offices. Ronald always said that after the dump he started in, he would make sure that his workers always had comfortable offices to work in. Happy, comfortable workers are more productive workers, he always said, and I'm inclined to agree with him.”
“I'd be inclined to agree with him as well, to be honest,” I said.
“Indeed. Anyway, that's the en
d of the grand tour. Is there anything I haven't covered, anything that you need to know?”
I shook my head. “No, thanks, Phil, I'm sure you covered pretty much all of it.”
“You know where to find me if you have any questions.”
“I do, yeah. And if I do think of something that you haven't told me, I'll find you.”
He smiled warmly at me. “Excellent. Well, then, you can go ahead and take a seat and get started. I hope you have a wonderful first day of work.”
“I think I will, Phil, thanks.”
Phil walked out, leaving me alone in my new office. It really was a huge step up from my former job. I strolled over to the window and looked out over LA. I could see for miles and miles from up here. I hoped that the magnificent view wasn't going to be too distracting.
I sat down at the lovely, broad, and spacious desk, with a very comfy chair and got to work.
After around an hour and a half, I needed to take a quick break, so I got up and decided to head down to the cafeteria area and grab a cup of coffee. As I walked briskly out of my office, I almost crashed into Kain, who happened to be walking past.
“Oh, wow, almost had an accident there,” I said with a goofy smile. Even though we had agreed to keep things strictly professional, there was no doubt that things were a little bit awkward between us still.
“Yeah, well this office isn't a track. Don't run around in here,” he said coldly.
That was weird. Why was he being so cold suddenly?
“Well I wasn't exactly running around, you know, I was just on my way to get a cup of coffee.” My tone came off as being very defensive, which I thought was warranted, given his attitude.
“Yeah, well, watch where you're going next time.”
I sighed and shook my head. “Yeah, Kain, I'll do that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'd like to go get my coffee now.”
He didn't say anything else. Instead, he just turned around and stormed off. Wow, this was weird. I was now feeling really uncomfortable, and my mouth was even a little dry and my palms kinda clammy. I really didn't feel very good at all. I couldn't figure out why he was acting like this though. Because I had almost walked into him? No, surely that couldn't have been it. I figured that he might be a bit of jerk in some ways but nobody was that petty. No, there had to be some underlying issue. Was he feeling uncertain about his position? Worried about the company? Either way, neither of those was an excuse to take it out on me.
I walked off to the cafeteria, suddenly wondering if taking this job had been a good idea. It had been an amazing opportunity to work in a high-profile company, and the salary and benefits had been many steps up from those of my former job but if I was going to have to deal with this kind of attitude from Kain every day, then it would make my time here torture.
I got myself a mug of nice hot coffee, and the first few sips at least helped to make me feel a little more comfortable and eased some of the pent-up tension I was feeling. Still, I needed a little more of a boost, so I thought that I would call Ellen up and have a quick chat with her.
I stepped outside, where there was an outdoor seating area and found a seat away from the other two or three people who were sitting out there. I had another sip of coffee and then dialed Ellen.
“Hey, Mandy,” she said as she answered, “how's your first day of work going?”
“Hmm, well, it's been good and bad, I guess.”
“I can hear from your voice that it's been more bad than good. You want to talk about it?”
“Well, let me tell you about the good first, as I guess that'll make me feel a little better.”
“Sure thing, go ahead.”
“Well, my office is just gorgeous. I have a view over LA that's pretty damn magnificent.”
“That's good to hear.”
“And Phil was so helpful, and the other people I've met in the office have all been so nice.”
“Phil is a great guy. Hmm, it all sounds really good so far, so where is the bad stuff gonna come in?”
I sighed and shook my head. “Kain.”
“Ah. I figured there might be some trouble in that area. But I thought that you two had agreed to keep things civil, to be professional with each other.”
“You know, that's what I thought, too, but I just went to take a coffee break. Admittedly, I wasn't paying too much attention on where I was walking, so I almost walked into him. He was pissed! He just came off so cold and almost aggressive. And he didn't even finish the conversation we were having, he just kinda turned around and stormed off.”
“Oh, no, Mandy. I'm sorry to hear that, it sounds like it must have been a pretty uncomfortable experience.”
“It was, and I'm trying not to let it spoil my entire day. I mean, why should I let that jerk ruin my first day of work here?”
“I know. The only problem is, of course, that that jerk happens to be the CEO of the company, and someone who you're expected to work really closely with.”
“I know, I know, and that's the worst thing about this.”
“So, what are you gonna do?”
“Jeez, what can I do? Quit? It's my first day! And this is such a fantastic job, and such an amazing opportunity for me, that to quit now would be to totally throw it all away. I guess I just have to suck it up and try to avoid him as much as possible.”
“Ugh. It's really awful having to avoid someone at the workplace.”
“Especially when that someone is the CEO and when the CEO happens to be someone you had a drunken one-night stand with a few days ago.”
She laughed, not in a mocking way but more sympathetically. “Ah, yes, well, that's just the icing on the cake, isn't it? How are you two feeling about, well, that whole thing?”
“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to him. Physically, at least. I don't know what it is about him but he really gets my motor running, if you know what I mean.”
“Girl, I know what you mean, trust me. He's a ridiculously good-looking guy.”
“Yeah, and even though there are parts of his personality that I find unappealing and maybe even downright repulsive, I just can't seem to shake the physical attraction I feel for him. And that's annoying! It's not like I want to be attracted to this guy!”
She chuckled. “Well, don't beat yourself up about it. Like I said, he's a very good-looking dude, and I'm sure most girls feel at least some physical attraction toward him.”
“I know. I just feel stupid when those feelings hit me. It's like, I want to dislike him, I really do but I just can't. Those damn feelings of attraction just keep on surfacing.”
“I guess you'd better just try to avoid him as much as you can. Sorry, I know it's not the greatest advice but he is the CEO and you're gonna have to work closely with him sooner or later. Just try make those encounters as painless as you can, I guess.”
I sighed. “I know, Ellen. It's just difficult. But you're right.”
“All right, Mandy. I hope your day gets a little bit better from this point on.”
“I do, too, Ellen. Chat later.”
“Bye.”
I put my phone back in my bag, drank another sip of coffee and then headed back inside. I was going to do this. I was going to be great at this job, and I sure as hell wasn't going to let anybody get in my way or get me down, especially not Kain Williams.
Chapter 10
Kain
So, this was it – the day that Mandy was due to start work here. To make matters worse, her office was just down the hall from mine. This was a decision that my father had made prior to leaving the company, and I guess I had the authority to change it but I didn't want to spend my first few days overturning my father's decisions. It wouldn't have gone down well with him or the other senior members of staff. So, in the end, I just had to begrudgingly accept it and just hope that she and I wouldn't cross paths too often.
I saw Phil showing her around, and man, did she look hot. I just couldn't take my eyes off her. I knew that I had to get past these fee
lings though, somehow, because it would affect how well I was able to do my work.
I breathed in deeply and held the air in my lungs for a while. This had always served to calm me down, and it didn't fail me now. There, I felt a lot better. Why was I getting so bent out of shape over some woman I’d had a one-night stand with? Man, there were plenty of those around, and I had never given any of them a second thought after I had left them in the morning. Why should it be any different with this woman? Yeah, things were a little awkward but that would fade away as time went by, and so would my feelings for her, and eventually she would just be another face in the office.
See? Long-term thinking. That's exactly how I needed to be thinking as a CEO. In the long term, what she and I had done together wouldn't matter in the least. It would be forgotten, inconsequential, gone.
I leaned back in my chair and cracked my knuckles and smiled. I was already feeling way better. This woman wouldn't have any power over me, none whatsoever. I wasn't about to let her get under my skin, no way. I had this under control. Totally under control.
Just then there was a knock at the door.
“Yeah, come on in,” I said, feeling optimistic.
Mildred, who was formerly my dad's PA and was now mine, opened the door and stepped in. She looked worried, and was holding a copy of the Financial Times. “Kain, have you seen this?”
I shook my head. “Not today's edition, no.”
She walked calmly over to my desk, opened the paper up and pointed to an article, entitled Shareholder Confidence Takes a Hit as Inexperienced CEO Takes Over.
I skimmed over the article, and as I did, my blood began to boil. It was about my company, and how, apparently, shareholders were feeling wary about me because I was “inexperienced” and “too young.” The article was full of unsubstantiated rumors and hearsay, and almost all of it was false but the fact that it had been published meant that trouble was on its way.
“This isn't good at all,” I muttered, shaking my head.
“No, it isn't,” echoed Mildred. “But this is what being a CEO – a good one, anyway – is all about. If you look at this from another perspective, you can see that this is your chance to shine, Kain. Show these rumor-mongers that they're wrong. Prove that their fears are unfounded.”