The English Enchantment (Ralph Fiennes)

Chapter 1: "Wisconsin's It-Man"

Chapter 1: "Wisconsin's It-Man"

"Ah, here you are, Ginny." The new, scrawny intern smiled boyishly as he handed me my morning coffee. As polite and conservative as he was, no force in the world could hide the thick New Jersey accent that followed his words.

"Thank you, uh... um... yeah, thanks." I smirked, feeling regretful for constantly forgetting his name -especially since he knew mine well enough to establish his own nickname for me.

Clever boy, really. He must've caught on quickly to things, having heard my close colleague, Ariel, calling me by my middle name throughout the office. Thinking back on it now, Ginny proves a much better fit than Ginnifer. Honestly, could there be a more god-awful name than Amber Ginnifer Smith? It's as if my parents already realized the generic aftertaste of my maiden name and gave up on its being altogether.

He carefully slicked back his greasy black hair before nervously shrugging. "It, uh, it was nothing really. The guys send me on coffee runs around the clock, so I'm always on my feet. You know, Ginny, if you ever need anything... I mean anything... you just give me a holler and I'll be here in an instant."

"Yeah, uh, thank you. I mean, I truly appreciate it."

"Ah, it's nothing. Is there anything else I can get for you, Ginny? I know you've got a long week ahead of you." He glanced down at the messy stacks of papers I had sprawled all over my desk.

"No, no, I'm alright." I grinned back awkwardly, internally yearning for his absence so that I could get back to work.

Please leave me be.

"Oh, okay." He scratched at the back of his neck before heading through the glass door. "Yeah, um, okay then. Bye, Ginny. We'll talk soon?"

I nodded once to strengthen his assurance. "Certainly."

Thank God. It's far too early for me to be sociable. Especially when I have such a work-filled day ahead of me.

Just as I'd finally sat and managed to calm myself, Paul Whitman came knocking with yet another stack of files in his arms... and smiling as he did so.

It's Paul... great...

Paul Scott Whitman was Wisconsin's favorite 42 year-old it-man, and had proven to be the most note-worthy candidate for our state governor. His white-collar lifestyle and obvious sense of entitlement would often stir in the presses and spill from the mouths of his opponents. His lack of humble wisdom aside, Paul, nevertheless, enjoyed the attention that shaped his campaign and savored its new-car smell. He was a politician, a narcissist, an open 'family-man', and, frankly, a bit of a sexist ass. Better yet, he was my boss.

"Ms. Smith, I presume you've finished my speech for the annual U.C.W. (Underprivileged Children of Wisconsin) charity event this Saturday?"

"Yes, Sir. I left it in your box last Friday." I tried not to let his incompetence bother me as he showed himself into my office.

"Good... Good..." He dropped the new files onto my desk with unnecessary force, as if to emphasize his dominance over me. "I'll expect these to be sorted by this afternoon, of course."

"... of course, Sir."

Paul grinned again... ah, that friendly election winning smile... and placed his hands into the pockets of his black, custom-made suit. "Yes, that-a-girl."

His chauvinistic attitude and fumbling hands made me wonder if he was playing a solitary game of pocket-pool. The thought left me physically repulsed.

Disgusting pig.

As his eyes traveled down the visible bit of my cleavage, I folded my arms and leaned back into my chair. "Is that all, Sir?"

"Mmm yes," he breathed heavily. "That's all.... You know, Amber, I have to hand it to you and give credit where credit's due..."

Paul placed his hands on the corner of the desk and leaned more closely. "You have an excellent way with words; it's a true gift. God, could you imagine if I wrote my own public addresses? Well, I certainly wouldn't be where I most obviously am now."

I forced a half-smile as he tucked my hair behind my ear. "I... I'm glad to hear that, Sir."

The stubble on his cheek brushed against my face while he proceeded to whisper in my ear. "Such a pretty girl you are...Blonde hair, Blue eyes... And I can only imagine what you can do with that feisty little mouth of yours."

Coughing as I inhaled his overpowering cologne, my watering eyes managed to spot Ariel through the glass wall.

"Ginnifer!...." she choked out as she entered. "Um.. Uh.. Sorry to interrupt, Paul, but could I speak with Ms. Smith for a moment?"

He immediately straightened his posture. "Of course..... I was just leaving anyhow."

His fingers traced across the front of my desk and onto my now luke-warm coffee cup.

You wouldn't dare...

Shivers went down my spine as he raised the white cup to his lips and indulged in a long, lengthy sip of my latte.

"Mmmmm..." he moaned. "Vanilla."

Ariel and I kept our blank stares set upon him as he placed the contaminated cup back down and left my office.

Words cannot describe how much I despise that man.

Once Paul was out of sight, Ariel ran to my side in a frantic panic. "Ginnifer, are you alright?"

no.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm alright. He was just being his usual self."

She bit down onto the fatty bit of her lower lip. "I've never seen him act so inappropriate towards you... at least not in the workplace. I swear, part of me hates the board for setting me up as his campaign manager. I could care less about the pay... I'd give anything to see that asshole crash and burn at the end of the term."

"You and me both, Ariel." I squeezed my eyes shut and began to massage my temples.

Examining my distress, she took a large pile from the stack of unsorted files I had sprawled about my desk. "Here, let me help you take care of these..."

"Oh no, Ariel, don't. I have it all under control. It's just a bit of paperwork... it's harmless, really."

"Just a bit of paperwork? Okay, it's official; you've finally gone off the deep end." She added more to the pile and then started walking toward the door. "You're coming out for drinks with me tonight and I'm paying, no exceptions."

"Ariel... It's Monday. We have a shitload of work to get done the next morning..."

"NO EXCEPTIONS, GINNIFER. You're ass better be at Barney's at ten or I will hunt you down and kidnap you. Trust me, you won't like how much duct tape I use."

Ugh... fine.