L I Z Z I E
01 | first meets
The man before me is gorgeous.
He has a face like one of my dream guys with a chiseled jawline, dark curls which look messy, urging me to run my fingers through them, and his cheeks are endowed with a five o'clock beard. His blue, magnetic eyes are concentrated on my file as he lazily turns the sheets, looking like a professor checking exam papers. His gold watch reflects the light coming through the large glass wall behind him, adding to his charisma.
Dressed in a deep grey three-piece suit covering his broad shoulders and lean muscles, his appearance commands the room.
The sight of him is so breathtaking that the moment I saw him I knew this plan was never going to work if I didn't manage to keep my imagination in check. When you read too many BookTok romance books like me, you end up imagining yourself as the heroine every time a familiar situation presents itself.
"Miss. Elizabeth Gold..." the man begins in a deep voice that makes me squeeze my legs. He shuts the file and raises his eyes to my face. He puts his elbows on top of the file, resting his chin above as he studies me. "I'll ask one simple question - why do you want this job?"
I purse my lips, straightening in my seat. "Mr. Pierce, I have researched all about your company. You have the environment and the management which I think perfectly suits what I'm looking for. If I'm given the position, I'll do my best to prove myself worth it..."
He lifts a hand, waving it in the air to stop my rambling.
"Miss. Gold..." He leans back in his chair like a man who knows he owns the conversation without requiring permission. "You've applied for the position of my PA. The position does not only require hard work and dedication but also compatibility with me. You understand what I am saying, right?"
"I do."
He nods slowly, picking my portfolio again and studying it.
"Your qualification impresses me but the part about your interests and hobbies has me hesitating. Can you describe them to me in more detail?"
"I like to read," I answer immediately. "I like to read and knit and blog about stuff. It helps me pass time."
Mr. Pierce raises a dark eyebrow, shaking his head dismissively. "I have met thirty other applicants with the same hobbies. What makes you special, Miss. Gold? Why do you think I should choose you?"
He drops my portfolio and his gaze on me intensifies as if he can't wait to see if he is finally getting on my nerves. My hobbies should have nothing to do with the job criteria and yet he is making this personal route of conversation sound so official.
"Mr. Pierce, I do realize how my qualifications are nothing out of the ordinary but I have been told that I have a way of surprising people with my dedication towards any kind of work. I'm passionate about basically everything I do and work is another passion of mine. I don't work to earn but because I love work itself. It pleases me."
"Work gives you pleasure, Miss. Gold?" A corner of his lips lifts to form a boyish smirk. I can't deny it. This man has charm. "How much pleasure exactly?"
I sense the way his line of questioning is slowly changing directions. He doesn't smile though. Even his smirk is the tiniest curve. I doubt anyone has ever seen this man smile. All his pictures in magazines and last year's Forbes Top 40 Youngest Billionaires were devoid of a smile.
"I'll say if you give me the position, you'll find me extremely pleasurable, Mr. Pierce. I have been told to have great flexibility," I reply, squaring my shoulders. "For work, of course."
Mr. Pierce's jaw remains hard as his eyes drift down my body, taking in my cheap-expensive Walmart dress which I specifically bought for this interview. My job isn't to get the job. My job is to get to him. I tried my best, just like I was told to. My dark brown hair is tied in a neat bun at the back of my head like a professional woman's but some tendrils frame my face in perfect waves. I have kept the make-up minimal but my lipstick is wine-red, the color that most men find hard to not notice.
Mr. Pierce doesn't look impressed though as he shrugs disinterestedly.
"Miss. Gold, I appreciate you coming in here but I don't think you'll be able to meet my demands. I want an assistant who can stand up to me, speak up when I'm making a mistake, and not rush crying to the bathroom at every criticism I throw at them. Are you capable of managing that? Because to me, you seem as ordinary as the numerous other applicants who came in and sat here today."
"And you got that about my personality just by sitting here and asking me useless questions?" I throw back at him and then lean forward slightly, meeting his gaze with confidence. "If you really want to hire someone today, you might want to ask them something more relevant than about their hobbies. For example, give me a situation and ask me how I'll handle it as your future PA."
"You're teaching me interview skills, Miss. Gold?" The man throws me a curious glance, visibly offended. "You'll do well to remember which side of this room you're sitting on."
"Didn't you just say that you wanted someone who could stand up to you and point out your mistakes? I'm doing just that, Mr. Pierce."
His jaw hardens further. He moves closer, resting his forearms on the top of the desk and crossing them over each other as he stares at me. I don't let my gaze fall from the strong edges of his face and his piercing blue eyes which compliment every part of his name.
Mr. Ryan Pierce
Ranked at Top 15 among Forbes 2022's Youngest Billionaires.
Age: 31
Height: 6'2
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Black
Passions: Scowling and grumbling
Likes: Being challenged
Dislike: People who are scared of him
Source: From a very personal member.
"Miss. Gold..." His voice drops in depth, sounding soft and carrying a seductive tune in it without an intentional attempt. "You're playing with fire here. I'm not like the men you read in your little romance books who find your impulsiveness fascinating. In fact, I'm quite the opposite because right now you're being nothing but annoying to me."
I don't let his words bite me as I lean forward too, clasping my hands on top of his desk and resting my chin above them.
"Mr. Pierce, do you threaten anyone who points out your mistakes? Because that makes your personality look even less appealing. You had a problem and I gave you a simple solution. You should be thanking me."
"Give up arguing, Miss. Gold. You won't be able to do it."
"I will if you give me a chance," I say. "I'm not afraid of you. If you give me a chance, I'll prove it. I will never give up."
I notice the tick of his jaw, the twitch in a corner muscle of his eye and I know that I have got him where I want him.
"Miss. Gold..." he says after a moment's silence.
"Yes, Mr. Pierce?"
"The job is yours," he declares and then pulls back, leaning back casually in his revolving chair.
My eyes widen at this new turn of events. I didn't think it would be that easy obviously. My limbs tremble a little as I move back from his desk, my mouth opening in surprise.
"Are you sure, Mr. Pierce?" I ask, thinking I must have heard him wrong.
"I am very sure. The job is yours..." Then the man finally smiles lightly - a wicked, wicked smile which he is right to hide from the world because the sight of it is chilling. "...for a month."
Damn it!
"A month?" I blink at him, even more taken aback than the first time.
"Yes, Miss. Gold. I'm giving you one month to prove yourself capable of being my PA. Your salary will be triple the package I offered in the advertisement if you can pass this one month without disappointing me in any way. You'll get your own apartment, your medical fees will be taken care of by the company, you'll get a vacation package and many other perks the job offers."
I swallow a gulp, imagining all that actually being mine. It sounds like the deal of a lifetime. Even if I had no interest in the job before, it fascinates me now.
Coming from a family of extreme deprivation and having lost my adoptive father a few years ago, I have been struggling to manage my affairs for long. His offer sounds so reliving that I find it hard to believe this opportunity.
"Really? What's the catch?"
"Just one, Miss. Gold." Mr. Pierce lifts a hand to rub at his bottom lip as his gaze on me deepens. "If you lose, you'll apologize to me for this insolent behavior in front of my whole staff. Is that done?"
The billionaire bastard gets up from his seat and extends his hand for me to shake.
I force myself to smile, getting up too as I look at his hand before taking it. His skin is hot against mine and his hold is tight.
"I accept, Mr. Pierce," I say.
"Welcome to Pierce Enterprises then, Miss. Gold." He grips my hand harder in his. "I hope you have an excellent time here."
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• author's note •
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