Heartthrob ✓

ten

T E N

THERE SHE WAS, STANDING CLOSE ENOUGH FOR ME TO DO SOMETHING RASH, BUT I KEPT MYSELF UNDER CONTROL.

That she in person happened to be none other than Meredith Marks who was bold enough to walk past my desk and straight into Ashton's office without even acknowledging me. It hurt since she was the one who put my job in even more jeopardy than it already was in, but at the same time, I just wanted nothing to do with her. She was, simply put, not one to be messed with.

In the black screen of my computer, I could see her reflection standing there in the doorway as she talked over Ashton about something business-related, and I could feel my hands shaking with the urge to strangle her.

Thankfully, I didn't have to because for some reason, Elijah was up on this floor and standing behind her with a frown on his face. I looked at him, hoping he could try to communicate to me what exactly was he doing, but he kept his eyes trained ahead without turning away.

Finally, she shut the door turned around, jumping slightly when she saw him but she quickly recovered. "What do you want, asshole?"

"Well look here," he said, "if it isn't The Devil Wears Ann Taylor. I suppose you're not trying to start anymore drama aren't you?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Isn't that what you're doing? Besides, this is from Coldwater Creek," she said before storming off towards the hallway.

When she was finally gone did Elijah finally acknowledge my presence there, his usual smile on his face that could only mean three things: mischief, mayhem, or a mix of the both of them. "Hey, Fiona, how was your bus ride home last night? It better have been good or you'd make me feel guilty for allowing you to endanger yourself like that."

I couldn't help but chuckle at him. This was the most worried I ever heard him sound since I got this job. While I wanted to savor the moment, I went with telling him all about my ride home with Ashton if he told me about his night with Eric.

"You didn't do anything with him," Elijah asked in shock. "You missed the opportunity of all opportunities, Fiona. If we had both gotten laid on the same night, we could've been in sync or whatever."

The moment those words slipped from his mouth, I couldn't stop myself breaking out into laughter. He seemed to be thoroughly confused about what was just happening, raising an eyebrow up at me as if his expression didn't give that fact away already. "Elijah," I said when I finally recovered, "that only works for periods."

He rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I'm here to help Ashton with organizing the venue and the guest list. Did you know that the event is in two weeks, Fiona?"

No, I did not know because I wasn't exactly invited - at least not formally. I knew about it since I was caught in the middle of all of the controversy, but it had totally slipped my mind that it was a steadily approaching deadline. This event was supposed to be the release party for a new product from Baldwin Industries, one that would throw the company headfirst into its most competitive season yet. It made perfect sense why I wasn't invited to it because I had the least seniority and I was the one who had backed Ashton into the corner that was sleeping with Emilie just to make all of this happen the way he had been planning it for months. But it still stung, just a bit, enough to feel it in the long run.

"Yeah," I lied, running a hand through my hair. "I knew."

Maybe, he didn't like me as much as I - and plenty of others - let myself believe he did

-

"MAY I HAVE EVERYONE'S ATTENTION?"

It was Ashton Baldwin who had spoken after standing up on a chair situated near the center of the forty-fifth floor landing, clapping his hands together to make sure everybody was paying him attention. At Happenstance, when Katie or any other superior had to stand on an elevated platform, that only meant trouble was yet to come. This seemed to be the opposite type of case - thank heavens - because he looked genuinely happy and young at this moment. His tie was undone and the top two buttons of his shirt were as well, not only exposing a gratuitous amount of hair and chest, but giving off a laid-back appearance for him that definitely complemented the smile he wore on his face.