SKYE

chapter two

CHAPTER TWO

Skye couldn't believe her eyes. She tried her hardest to hold in a chuckle and to keep the ends of her lips in the same position as his intense gaze silently questioned her.

It was like he was daring her to say something about it, actually he was encouraging her to oppose him and Skye couldn't explain it but she felt like she couldn't give him the satisfaction of knowing he was correct; of knowing she would complain.

She took in a much needed in take of breath before plastering a fake smile on her face and nodding. "A rule book!" She said, with a little too much enthusiasm.

Ashton placed his hand under his chin and as if he was trying his hardest not to laugh, the left end of his lips twitched as a flash of amusement glinted in his eyes. "Yes, a rule book. I mean, every one of my employees need a few rules to accompany their work ethics. I wont have you telling people you know that you work for me when you act or dress like a riff raff." He casually said, like he hadn't just insulted her.

She unconsciously looked down at her clothes and up at him to see he wasn't even paying attention to her as he typed away on his computer. She couldn't find fault with her outfit, she was in fact taking care of a toddler and it would be irresponsible if you weren't comfortable.

She was clad in plain blue jeans, an old band t shirt and a pair of worn out sneakers; she was comfortable.

"Is there something wrong with the way I'm dressed?" She asked, her brows furrowed and her doe eyes searching his demeanour for an answer before her could speak.

He darted his blue eyes up at her and finally let a smirk snake its way to his lips. "I think we both know the answer to that." He said stoically.

A look of hurt flashed on her features when those words escaped his lips. She didn't know why but she felt really offended by what he said; this coming from some one who worked as a standing burger handing out flyers. She never cared about what people said or thought of her but for some reason, his opinion offended her.

"you're not offended are you?" His voice brought her back to reality.

He rose to his full height, towering over her; his hands deep in his pockets and his icy eyes staring at her as if daring her to say she was indeed offended.

When she said nothing, he sighed and jutted his jaw to the clear glass walls behind her. "Forgive me if I did offend you but you would be an idiot if you said you hadn't noticed the way my employees dressed. Male and female."

She turned around, looking out of the office they were currently situated and just like he said; every man and woman she looked at were extremely well dressed and all of a sudden she felt like she was clad in her giant burger costume; handing out flyers and practically forcing people to go in and get themselves a burger or two.

She looked down at her clothes for what felt like the millionth time and for the first time in a long time, she felt embarrassed to even speak. A red tint stained her cheeks before she mustered up the courage to finally speak. "I, I apologize but I don't have clothes like-" she stopped herself mid sentence before jutting her jaw towards his other employees. "Like that." She finally completed.

"I thought as much." Ashton said, shrugging his shoulders and returning to his somewhat favourite part of the office; his chair.

His movements were very swift as he pulled open his desk drawer, pulling out a cheque book and wrote down a sum of money. Skye didn't know what he was doing but for some odd reason, she couldn't wait to see the next arrogant words to fly out from his perfectly shaped lips.

Sliding the thick piece of paper across his glossy table top, he finally graced her with his eye sight and a stoic look to accompany it. "Your first pay check. I trust you will do something reasonable with it; starting with your wardrobe." He said, making her praise herself mentally for she was right; he had spat a bunch of words together and successfully made them rude and arrogant.

She silently let her eyes dart toward the amount of money he had written and suddenly choked on her own spit. Ashton raised a perfectly shaped brow at her, questioning her dramatic reaction.

He believed the amount of money he had written was more than enough for a new wardrobe and perhaps some other pending matters she might have.

Skye finally regained her composure before she grabbed the cheque and stared closer at it. "Are you nuts?"

The look on his face made her heart skip a beat; not in a pleasant manner but from complete and utter terror.

His lips and curled up in anger and her eyes flared as his posture became even more rigid than it was. "Do I seem nuts?" He calmly asked; contradicting his physical expression.

"Two thousand dollars? I um in the add it said standard nanny salary, as in; seven hundred dollars!" She exclaimed, practically shoving the piece of paper in his face.

He only smirked and collected the piece of paper. "That might be the standard for, standard people but this is my standard." he replied, stretching his hand forward; silently encouraging her to take the cheque.

"I can't accept that." She shook her head dramatically. "Its absurd and I wont take it." she added, folding her arms like a child.

Ashton couldn't help but let his eyes dart toward her chest. Her breasts had gathered over her forearms; momentarily distracting him. He knew he was a boob guy and for once in his life; an employee had successfully distracted him.

Finally he looked up at her and smirked. "If you don't take the cheque, I'll simply send the money to your account and refuse any entries from said account. Its your salary, take it."

The gears in her head went on full speed as she tried looking for several reasons why she shouldn't accept such and amount of money. A wide grin hugged her lips when she finally came up with one. "I haven't even done a single thing to accept that cheque. Its my first day and Andrea have spent the past four hours sleeping. It would be insane and not to mention irresponsible on your part to give me that." She pitched, pointing at the now wrinkled rectangular shaped paper.

"Take it as a one time thing. I refuse to have someone working for me; dressed like that or live in the type of apartment building you currently stay in." he nonchalantly said, diverting his attention to a stack of documents on his table.

Skye knew exactly what he just did; he had dismissed her and he didn't even have the decency to do it with words.

Angrily, she huffed and made her way to the nursery he had conveniently made right next to his office. Surprisingly, Andrea was sat in a circle made of her dolls and toys. Upon her entrance, the toddler looked up at her with a smile on her face.

"Daddy likes you." She simply stated, paying her dolls more attention. Skye wanted to fall into a heavy fit of laughter but she found herself being intrigued. "Why do you say that?" She asked, joining her on the floor and dividing her own attention to the dolls on the floor.

"He yells all the time; at everybody. Even mummy." Andrea said, her large blue eyes filled with so much innocence and abandonment that Skye felt like she needed to fill up that space.

"Where's your mum?"

She waited patiently for an answer but when the little girl finally mustered up the courage to speak; a thicker and manlier voice stopped her. "You don't need to ask her stupid questions. You need to be doing your job."

A chill ran down her spine and she felt like she was back home, getting caught sleeping when she was supposed to be doing her chores. She looked up at the scowling man and instantly knew the subject was a touchy one.

Tucking her stray hairs behind her ear, she nodded and turned to face the distracted little girl.

"Its time for lunch Drea." She mumbled, rising to her feet and snaking her way past his tall figure and heading out of the tension filled room, her hand clutching the toddlers.