A/N: Wow, you guys! I only posted Chapter 12 yesterday and everyone went to town on voting and commenting. I really appreciate it. This is an exciting time because a lot of the readers are starting to really voice out their take on Sebastian's actions and the split and Cassie's heartbreak.
Here's the next instalment—what you've all been waiting for with bated breath since less than twenty-four hours ago... =P
I'm being very generous here (LOL!) so please vote and comment!
***I'm dedicating this chapter to SheldonCooperRules as a thank-you for updating Met His Match (after a short hiatus) which is one of my current favorites because it's funny and endearing.***
***
During the week, Tamara put me to work and she wasn’t kidding when she said it was going to be a pretty heavy start.
Bradley and I pored over all of Ruthgard’s financial statements and we sat with Tamara and Bob on a number of conference calls and meetings to determine our position in the bid.
We also devised a bunch of business proposals to forecast just how profitable Ruthgard would prove to be for us if we successfully acquire them.
The company wasn’t insolvent but the scandal of its previous CEO over some badly managed investment projects put them in a precarious position. There’d be quite a bit of debt for us to assume but we had a pretty good feeling we would earn every penny back in three years.
By Saturday morning, I was so dead-tired I didn’t get up until Emma came over and pestered me to go out and get some brunch with her because Ty was out golfing with some of the managers who were prepping him for a promotion at work.
“Speaking of a promotion, I have something to tell you,” I told Emma as I came out of the shower in my underwear. She’d already picked out a light gray sweater dress for me and was now sprawled on my bed, flipping through the weekend newspaper she’d swiped from the floor along the hallway.
I quickly told her about my conversation with Tamara, the new job offer and a summary of my first week at work.
“Wow, that’s pretty awesome,” she said with a broad smile as she pulled me into a brief hug. “I’m very happy for you, Cass. You worked so hard for this, you know? You deserve it.”
I bit my lip and picked at the hem of my knit dress. “You don’t think it has anything to do with him, do you?”
Emma scrunched up her nose. “Based on your conversation with Tamara, it doesn’t sound like he’s just handing this to you. Besides, you’ve been there a week and he hasn’t shown you his face yet, has he? If he’s doing all of this for you, I expect he’d want something in return and Sebastian Vice doesn’t strike me as the type to wait around.”
I told myself she was right, of course.
It made perfect sense.
We went out for brunch and a little bit of shopping before I invited her to come with me for drinks with the people from work at Bar None. I was more comfortable with the group now, having spent a few more lunch breaks with them at the cafeteria. Sebastian was still a constant topic but I quickly learned to comment very little when his name came up.
“Actually, that’s perfect!” Emma said brightly. “My cousin Marcus just got back from Maui and he wants to meet up. I haven’t seen him since last Christmas. He can meet us there. You’ll like him.”
I looked at her warily. “Um, I don’t like that expression, Em. It usually means you’re thinking of setting me up with him.”
Emma laughed. “Of course I am, silly. He’s a good guy. A bit friendly with the girls but he’s real nice. He’s twenty-nine, I think. He’s very cute.”
“I don’t know, Em,” I said with a resigned shake of my head as we walked home. “I’m too busy to date.”
“You’ve been saying that in the last four years,” Emma replied sternly. “How many dates have you been out on in all that time? Ten, twelve?”
“Eight, because I don’t count the group dates,” I answered sulkily. “It’s not my fault that no one was interested enough to make a go for it.”
Emma’s eyes widened in disbelief. “You were so picky! There was always something wrong with the guy. You kept giving them excuses as to why you couldn’t go see a movie with them or meet up for coffee after school. They all eventually gave up.”
“Jackson seemed pretty interested—until he started making excuses for God knows what reasons.”
Jackson Marsh was the only guy in college that I had been more than a little interested in. He was cute and hunky and sweet. I met him at a pep rally in my third year and he seemed very eager at first, calling me and inviting me out all the time. We went on four dates in total, the last of which we concluded with some pretty steamy kissing inside his car. He didn’t call me for a week after that. When I called him, he bumbled through some pretty lousy excuses that I decided to drop him completely.
I didn’t actively prevent myself from dating in college.
In fact, I had been convinced I should do it.
It was healthy for me to enjoy my youth and meet other guys instead of letting my thoughts constantly drift to a man I would do well to forget.
But no one had intrigued me.
No one had sparked anything in me but friendliness.
I decided not to force it—that if it was going to happen, it should happen naturally. Forcing matters just made me seem more desperate and I didn’t want that.
Later that evening, Ty and Emma picked me up on our way to Bar None.
It was a very high-end kind of club—swanky, polished and hip—easily attracting young professionals and the rich crowd.
“Cassandra!”
I scanned the crowd as we walked through the door and easily spotted Bradley in his lime green and pink striped shirt. He was over at a corner booth with a guy I recognized as Liam from the pictures he showed me, along with Chad, Sasha from the reception desk whom I learned this week was sleeping with Chad, Annette, Miriam, and Tamara’s secretary Justine.
We sauntered over to them and I made the introductions.
They all quickly warmed to Emma and Ty—they were hard to dislike—and invited them to squeeze into the booth.
Emma sweetly declined, telling them we were meeting up with her cousin too and that they were going to return me as soon we found him.
“He said he’s got a table by the DJ,” Emma said as she fiddled with her phone, reading a text message as Ty shepherded us through the dance floor.
Emma paused and craned her head around, suddenly seizing my shoulder excitedly.
“There he is!” She waved at the direction of the more secluded booths at what looked like a loft area near the stage where the DJ was spinning some tracks. “Marcus!”
I followed her, Ty trailing behind me, and I ducked my head slightly to avoid the swerving trays from passing waitresses and the flailing arms from the crowd gathered in the dance floor.
Emma released me as she lunged forward to hug a guy who got up on his feet at our approach.
“Hey, Ems, good to see you.”
Ty and I slipped into the booth and waited as the two cousins hugged affectionately.
I smoothed down the front of my simple body-hugging, black boatneck dress I paired with red patent stilettos, reassuring myself I didn’t look like I was too eager to meet the guy.
Emma finally stepped back and gestured to us.
“Hey, Ty, good to see you too, man,” Marcus said, reaching forward to shake Ty’s hand. “Thanks again for keeping this one out of trouble.”
Emma laughed and swatted Marcus’s arm before she grabbed me by the wrist and yanked me forward. “I also want you to meet my best friend, Cassandra. I told you about her before. Cassie, my cousin, Marcus Aldridge.”
I froze, my eyes sweeping up to his face as recognition dawned on me.
He was as tall as I remembered, his light brown hair and bright blue eyes familiar.
He looked a bit older but still definitely the same Marcus Aldridge I met at Cove Manor on a fourth of July party four years ago.
He blinked at me, recognition clear on his face now too.
“Cassandra Collins?” he asked before his face broke into a grin, his arms coming around me in a brief hug. “It is you! Wow, you are more beautiful than I remember.”
Both Emma and Ty glanced at me in question.
I cleared my throat and smiled weakly. “We’ve met before. At a party at Cove Manor.”
Emma’s expression filled with understanding.
I had eventually told her everything after Sebastian’s appearance at school, and only she and Ty knew of my painful past.
Before I could fully recover from the shock, Marcus gestured for us to take our seats, signaling for a waitress to take our orders.
“So how have you been?” Marcus asked as he settled next to me, his voice low enough for just the two of us to hear it. Ty and Emma were still arguing about the drinks list while the waitress patiently stood, waiting for them to make up their minds.
“Good,” I answered as casually as I could manage, smiling a little. “Busy with work now.”
“Where do you work now?”
“The Vice Group.”
His brows furrowed slightly. “Hmm, interesting. I asked Sebastian about you, you know, when I saw him again around fall that year, after he came out of mourning for Alfred. I actually asked him for your number but he just glared at me so hard I worried a little that he was going to smash my nose in.”
I swallowed hard but didn’t say anything.
“But then, you’re a family friend so I guess it makes sense,” Marcus continued. “Everyone thinks I’m a playboy. He probably didn’t want me taking interest in you.”
He angled me a look and smiled. “He must be happy to have you on board the company.”
I forced a smile. “Um, he doesn’t actually know I work there. We, uh, lost contact over the years. Besides, I don’t want our association to make any difference so I would really appreciate it if you don’t mention it to him.”
Marcus looked at me for a long moment before nodding. “You’re still as mysterious as you were four years ago, Cassie. Don’t worry. I want to see you again and I don’t doubt that Sebastian’s going to guard you like a dog if he knows you’re here.”
And just like that, Marcus dropped Sebastian out of our conversation.
We talked lightly over drinks and for the first time that night, I felt myself relax.
Half an hour later, with my beer finished, I stood up to go. “I have to join my coworkers at another booth. I’ll be back in a little bit.”
“I’ll come get you if you don’t,” Emma warned with a wink.
Marcus got up on his feet as well. “I’ll walk you. I need to grab another drink at the bar anyway.”
I let him escort me through the thickening throng of people on the dance floor and just as we were about to split up, he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him.
“Can I call you, Cassie?” he asked, his blue eyes earnest. “I’d really like to to see you again.”
I bit my lip as I deliberated before I smiled at him and nodded. “Okay. I’d like that.”
He grinned and took out his cellphone, handing it to me so I could type my phone number in.
He rang it to register his number in my own.
“I’ll wait till you get back to us,” he said before lifting my hand to his lips and brushing a light kiss on the back of it. “Later.”
“Later,” I agreed before I turned to go, pulling my hand away slowly.
Bradley was whistling loudly as I came up to their table.
“Who was that hottie?” he asked as he scooted over to give me a spot in the booth.
I laughed. “An old friend I haven’t seen in a while.”
“I’m pretty sure that was Marcus Aldridge,” Sasha said, raising a brow at me curiously. “He’s a celebrated car racer. How in the world do you know him?”
I stiffened at Sasha’s tone but forced a polite smile out. “He’s cousins with my best friend.”
Before she could say anything else, I turned and waved at a waitress. “I could use a drink.”
The conversation was flowing much like the alcohol in the booth and despite Sasha’s narrowed glances at me here and there, I decided to enjoy myself.
The world would never be rid of annoying people but it didn’t mean I shouldn’t have fun just because they were there.
“Oh, my God, don’t look right now but Adrienne Olsen just came through the door,” Miriam whispered excitedly.
I downed another sip of the fizzy apple cocktail Bradley recommended to me and leaned in to ask, “Why, who is she?”
Miriam’s looked at me incredulously. “You don’t know? She’s the starlet rumored to have attempted suicide after Sebastian Vice dumped her for a British model two years ago. They were out to two events—two!—and she thought he’d marry her or something. It’s pathetic.”
“Maybe he meant that much to her,” I said quietly before taking another swallow of my drink.
“Probably but we know how much she meant to him,” Sasha sneered. “But then, that’s the reason they all want him. Because no one can have him.”
“God, is it always about just having the person?” I grumbled. “Like they’re your possession? Maybe if they stop objectifying him and focus on who he is a person, they might understand who he really is. Then they’ll see that he’s not just some arm candy but a man to love and care for. And maybe then he’ll let them in.”
“Cassie?” Bradley asked in concern seconds after I realized everyone in the booth was silently looking at me. “You okay?”
I bit my lower lip, annoyed that my lowered inhibitions were going to rat me out before the night was through.
I nodded and got up. “I have to go back to my friends, guys, and then I’m heading home. I think I’ve had enough to drink tonight.”
They didn’t argue as I left my money on the table and headed back to the other booth only to find Marcus sitting there alone, sipping another beer.
“They’re out on the dance floor,” he answered to my unspoken question as I slinked down on the booth next to him, too tipsy to worry much about sitting there alone with him.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked, touching my arm gently.
I shook my head. “I actually have a headache. I think I’m going to head out. I can take a cab so they won’t have to leave too.”
“Nonsense, I’ll drive you home. I’ve only had two beers and I’m still perfectly sober,” he said as he signaled to a waitress. “Go tell them goodnight while I settle the bill here. I’ll come get you and we’ll be on our way.”
“It’s alright, Marcus. You don’t have to drive me home,” I insisted as I got up and picked up my bag.
“But I want to,” he said softly, tilting my chin up slightly. “I promise I’ll be a perfect gentleman. Emma will have my hide if I do anything stupid.”
I looked at him for a moment, decided that he was no threat, and nodded. “Alright. I’ll go find them.”
Ty and Emma weren’t on the dance floor anymore. They were at a table with a few people from Emma’s work. She made quick introductions before I pulled her aside to tell her that Marcus was driving me home.
“Oh, my God, you’re totally having sex already?” she squealed in delighted surprise. “My cousin’s that good?”
I groaned. “No, silly. I have a headache and he was kind enough to offer me a ride home. This means nothing.”
“Well, I wish it would soon mean something so you can move on with your life,” Emma said stubbornly. “I want you to be happy, Cass. You’re doing great on the career track but I don’t think you’re very happy.”
“I am happy,” I said quietly as Emma pulled me into a hug. I patted her back. “I have you and Ty and I’m only twenty-two which means I have plenty of time to figure out the rest.”
“If you say so,” Emma said as she released me. “Text me once you’re home, okay?”
“I will.”
Just then, Marcus appeared, pressing a protective hand on the small of my back. “Ready?”
“Take care of my best friend, okay, cuz?” Emma gave Marcus a meaningful look.
I rolled my eyes and went to hug Ty goodbye. “Goodnight you two. I might see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Cass.” Ty patted my shoulder and nodded at Marcus. “See you around, Marcus.”
I stopped by the booth with my coworkers and said my goodbyes too, Marcus smiling at everyone while waiting patiently for me.
It was a bit chilly when we got outside and without a word, he slipped off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. We walked a short distance to where his sleek red sports car was parked and he opened the door for me.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked, glancing at me as we coasted down the street. For a car racer, he was surprisingly driving at a decent speed.
I nodded. “A bit especially without the pounding music. I don’t drink very often and I was never big on the clubbing scene.”
He grinned. “I believe you. I’m not either but it’s part of staying social so I occasionally go.”
His expression grew thoughtful. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Rest and more rest,” I answered with a soft groan. “Work’s been pretty hectic and Monday’s going to be a big day.”
“Alright. How about next weekend?” he asked with a hopeful smile. “Will you join me for dinner on Saturday evening? No pounding music, I promise.”
I was ready to say no because that was my automatic answer but I caught myself just before it spilled out of my mouth.
Marcus was very cute and easy to be with. We haven’t seen each other in four years but it felt like we were old friends. There were no fireworks but then I didn’t want to get burned. What was the harm in hanging out with him?
“Sure, I’d like that.”
He pulled up in front of my apartment and went around to open the door for me.
He was smiling broadly as he walked me up to the entrance. “I’ll call you. I can’t wait for next Saturday.”
I couldn’t resist smiling back as I slipped off his jacket and handed it to him. “I’ll have to get through this week first but I’m looking forward to it as well. Thanks again, Marcus. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Cassie.”
I rose on my toes to kiss him on the cheek before turning my key in the front door and stepping in.
Seeing Marcus tonight shook my world a little bit—he was another fragment from that past I wanted to forget.
I knew I was playing a dangerous game.
I only wondered how long it would be before everything else caught up with me.
***
I came to work earlier than usual to give myself enough time to double check all the reports before sending Bradley off to print them out. I also went through Tamara’s entire slideshow, cross-checking graphs and tables with our data before emailing it to her and Bob.
The whole office was abuzz with the board meeting.
Although this was the main corporate office, the board members and top executives weren’t always around and definitely not all here at the same time so when they were, it was a big deal.
Everyone was dressed more sharply than usual, desks were tidier and everyone appeared to be busy with work.
I started out okay, happy with my simple outfit of a berry-colored silk blouse, pencil skirt, black stockings and red mary-janes, the top half of my hair swept up with a silver clip. I didn’t eat much because of my nerves but I downed two cups of black tea and wolfed down a donut for some sugar boost.
By ten, my composure was starting to fray at the edges.
It was only my second week at work but a lot of the materials on this meeting heavily relied on me. If I wanted to prove my worth to Tamara, this was the chance to do it.
My cellphone buzzed with a message from Bradley.
All reports printed and bound. Meet me at the fish bowl. Gabe’s here.
I snatched Tamara’s laptop up and the three memory keys where I each saved a copy of the presentation in the event I needed spares.
“Let me know if you see him, Cassie,” Savannah piped up from her cubicle as I walked past her. “I’m wearing my lucky thong, you know? I have a good feeling about it today.”
I wrinkled my nose. “TMI, Sav. I gotta go.”
I marched down the hall and made my way to the elevator, punching in the forty-second floor where the large, glass-walled conference room nicknamed the ‘fish bowl’ was located, overlooking the city.
I saw Tamara talking with a couple of important looking men outside the door and she just gave me a brief nod as I waltzed into the room where Bradley was carefully laying out the reports around the long twenty-four-seater conference table.
The meeting wasn’t starting until eleven but we needed to make sure everything was ready before the board members and executives started arriving and all non-participants were kicked out of the entire conference hall.
“Good morning, beauty,” was Gabe’s warm greeting as I set down the laptop and handed him two of the memory keys. “Are you all fired up for the big meeting?”
I grinned at him. “I’m only here to get it going. I trust you can make sure it will run smoothly? Tamara will have my head if it doesn’t.”
Gabe and I have seen each other a lot the past week. He made good on his promise to hunt me down once, not for lunch but mostly for a quick afternoon coffee break. He still flirted with me outrageously but I’ve decided it was part of his charm. He was too much fun to get rid of.
“Here’s your coffee, by the way,” he said, handing me a Starbucks venti cup with my name scribbled on it. “You’ll need it to see the day through. Bradley says you’re too nervous.”
I bit my lip before taking a long sip of the warm, frothy latte. “I just don’t want to screw this up. That’s all.”
“I’m sure you won’t,” he assured me just as we heard the door swing open with a soft swish.
Bradley was holding the door open for Dana who wheeled in a small cart full of water and juice bottles and a few trays with an assortment of bread and buns, cold cuts, cheese and other selections to complete a mini-sandwich bar we decided to set up along a side table in the back next to the coffee maker.
“I don’t know why I get the server girl job when I’m so much better at reports,” she grumbled, throwing me an irritated glance, as she stopped the cart and started to distribute the water bottles among the seats.
Bradley just rolled his eyes.
Gabe snickered. “Well, Dana, you do remind me of a really grumpy diner waitress I once met at—”
“Let’s wrap it up, team,” Tamara suddenly said as she poked her head into the room. “Let’s run the slideshow, get all the snacks out and then exit the room. Some of the members have already arrived in the building. They’ll be in here in no time so let’s go.”
I turned back to Gabe who plugged in the memory key and clicked through the whole slideshow to makes sure everything was in working order. Dana was being deliberately slow for some reason, even as Bradley and I helped her move the food trays over to the table. She managed to drop one of the juice bottles which exploded spectacularly on the floor.
She started panicking, just hovering and staring at the fizzy orange puddle like an idiot that I just snapped.
I grabbed a handful of paper towels by the coffee machine and got on my knees and started wiping while Bradley hurried to unload the rest of the paper plates and cutlery from the cart.
Suddenly, a pair of expensive-looking, black leather loafers came into my line of vision and a sense of déjà vu streaked through me.
Biting back a curse, I wiped the last of the orange mess and got up on my feet, tossing the soaked paper towel discreetly into a trash bin under the makeshift food bar and feeling quite mortified.
“Excuse me, we had a slight accident,” I mumbled apologetically as I stepped aside and stood next to Bradley just as more people bustled into the room.
But the man didn’t move so I looked up and felt the wind get knocked out of me in an instant.
Glittering green eyes stared back at me intently.
“Cassandra.”
I swallowed hard, willing the air to return to my lungs as I struggled for something to say.
“What the hell were you doing on the floor?” Sebastian suddenly rattled off in his unmistakable British accent, grabbing my wrists and looking at my wet, sticky palms. He cursed under his breath and whipped out a clean handkerchief from his pocket and wiped my hands dry. “Are you okay? Cassandra?”
I couldn’t begin to imagine how I must have looked as my eyes darted around the room and noticed everyone staring at me. Some of the executives were there, watching us keenly, Gabe, Bradley and Dana looking stupefied.
I snapped back to Sebastian when I felt his warm, large hands tighten around mine and realized he was still holding them.
“I’m fine, th-thank you,” I stammered, hastily pulling my hands back.
I lowered my eyes, afraid that if I stared at him longer I would do something reckless, and nudged Bradley.
“Please excuse us,” I said curtly before marching out of the room, Bradley and Dana following suit, wheeling the cart with them on their way out.
Before they could ask me anything, I dashed into the nearest washroom and collapsed in one of the stalls.
Sebastian.
It wasn’t until now that the truth sank in.
He now knew I worked here. He’d seen me, talked to me, touched me.
It’s been four years and he still had the power to turn me inside out.
It’s been four years and his touch was still warm, his eyes tender, his tone concerned.
If not for that memory of walking in on him and Natalie at his penthouse, I would almost believe that the last four years never happened.
But it did and you’ve both moved on with your lives. Now you just have to act like an adult.
Groaning, I pulled myself together and stepped out of the stall.
I washed my hands and patted my face with some water to refresh me.
I was going to be okay.
There was nothing illegal or wrong about working at the company my ex owned.
It certainly wasn’t wise but it wasn’t the end of the world.
I just had to stay cool, calm and collected if we ever ran into each other again.
And if people talked about what they saw there in the conference room, well, no one can do anything about it if I didn’t confirm anything.
Satisfied with my little pep-talk, I emerged from the washroom and calmly made my way back down to the office.
Bradley was back at his desk while Dana was huddled with a group of girls, Savannah among them, talking excitedly.
I forced my chin to stay up as I was about to walk past them but it was extremely difficult especially since a hush fell over the group at my arrival. I could feel their eyes boring into the back of my head but I fought hard to ignore it.
When I got back to my desk, I took a deep long breath and went through my emails, searching for some calming routine to get me back into my element.
A window for the office chat popped up with a message from Bradley.
Ignore them. It’s no one’s business but your own.
I smiled a little at that and messaged him back a simple thank you and a smiley icon.
I didn’t owe anybody any explanation.
I was here to work and not share my sordid life story with everyone.
I’d be better off avoiding Sebastian in the future.
I just hoped he didn’t come looking for me.
***
The next two days had been rife with office gossip.
It took all of my will power to keep showing up at work and acting as if nothing happened, as if people around me weren’t speculating thanks to Dana’s big mouth.
Bradley acted as if nothing happened. Gabe insisted I sit with him at lunch on both days so I could avoid the nosy group.
I told Emma and Ty what happened but neither of them could offer any helpful insight.
Marcus called and confirmed our plans for Saturday night. I was grateful for the distraction.
According to Tamara, the closing of the deal was very intense but looking very positive. She didn’t mention anything to me about that day. She simply gave me a pat on the back and had me sit with other teams for more shadowing on the other projects.
“It’s a done deal. We’ve got Ruthgard,” Miriam said to me with a smile when I happened in on her at the elevator.
When I just smiled back and said nothing, she nudged my shoulder. “Hey, now that this whole business has been concluded, he won’t be around much. The talk will die down.”
“I hope so,” I told her sincerely, relaxing a bit. “It was starting to get on my nerves.”
She laughed as we both stepped out of the elevator and headed towards the office. “I’m sure it was. Dana’s a really nasty gossip. I’m sure she’ll hear from Tamara about this. So, Sebastian Vice knows you. So what? He must know some people. I don’t think the man’s a hermit.”
My respect for Miriam just increased ten-fold. “We’re just old friends. Nothing interesting about it.”
“Say that to Savannah. She looked green that day Dana was telling everyone what happened,” Miriam said with a roll of her eyes. “Come back to lunch, Cassie. We miss you.”
I beamed at her before we parted ways to head to our separate cubicles.
I was feeling so much better all of a sudden I was even whistling a low tune when I went back to my tasks.
Miriam was right. The talk would eventually die down. There would always be something new to talk about in a company this big.
An email alert popped up on the lower corner of my screen showing it was from Sebastian Vice.
I tensed.
I haven’t heard from him in two days.
Surely he couldn’t want anything from me now.
I went to my inbox and clicked on the message, my throat suddenly dry.
From: Sebastian Vice <sebastian.vice@thevicegroup.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 1:16 PM
To: Cassandra Collins <cassandra.collins@thevicegroup.com>
Subject: Office
Cassandra,
Please see me in my office. Now.
Sebastian Vice
Chairman, CEO, The Vice Group
My brows rose at the succinct message.
“Still as demanding as ever,” I muttered under my breath before switching my screen to one of the reports I was reading.
If I didn’t reply, he might think I wasn’t at my desk and back off.
Besides, what the hell could he possibly want from me?
Ten minutes later, another message came into my inbox.
Despite my irritation, I couldn’t help but notice how Sebastian had gotten so free with the word please. This was a man who simply asked for what he wanted and always got it.
From: Sebastian Vice <sebastian.vice@thevicegroup.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 20, 2012 1:27 PM
To: Cassandra Collins <cassandra.collins@thevicegroup.com>
Subject: Please
Cassandra,
Please. It’s important.
I’m waiting.
Sebastian Vice
Chairman, CEO, The Vice Group
I groaned and clicked to another window on my screen.
I didn’t want to see him, dammit.
Couldn’t he take the hint?
But maybe it’s about work. Maybe I’m the only one who thinks it’s something else.
I would be crazy by the time my one year here was up.
I decided to ignore the email again, hoping it would confirm his possible suspicion that I was away from my desk.
When nothing else came in through my inbox, I relaxed, relieved to get him off my back.
I was reading a marketing proposal when a shadow fell over my cubicle and the usual sounds of the office seemed to quiet down.
I looked up casually, wondering what was going on and found Sebastian standing there behind me, his towering build as intimidating as I remembered.
I sucked in a breath and blinked up at him, wondering if my overactive imagination had somehow conjured him up.
He couldn’t possibly be here.
I slowly straightened in my seat, risking a glance around the aisle and finding every head turned to watch us.
“Um, Mr. Vice, I was just about to head up to your office for that um, brand research report,” I mumbled, absently grabbing at a random folder from my desk.
A corner of his mouth turned up. “Yes, I can see you couldn’t contain your enthusiasm. Come along, Cassandra.”
I watched him turn and start to walk down the aisle but I was still glued to my seat.
My legs felt like rubber and I didn’t trust them to hold me up.
He stopped when he realized I hadn’t followed and he turned around and sighed loudly before marching back to me.
“Come on, Cassandra,” he said, holding out a hand. “You know I’m not a very patient man.”
I ignored his hand and pushed myself up on my feet, taking small steps until I was certain they were steady.
Bernie Mathers, one of the senior business analysts, was just walking down the aisle when he spotted Sebastian.
His face lit up as he eagerly approached him. “Mr. Vice, how good to see you around here! I was wondering if you got my invite to that meeting about the market engagement research we’ve pro—”
“Good to see you, Mathers, and yes, I got your invite,” Sebastian cut in smoothly. “Dean will get back to you on that for me. In the meantime, I have something urgent to attend to so please excuse us.”
Without warning, he turned and grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me behind him as he stalked past a stunned Bernie. In his haste and with my slow reflexes, I dropped the folder and sheets of paper fluttered to the floor.
“Wait!” I pulled my hand back and sank down on my knees to the carpeted floor to pick up the sheets.
Suddenly, Sebastian was kneeling beside me, gathering the pile and slipping it back into the folder.
“I don’t like seeing you on your knees like this, Cassandra,” he mumbled, angling me a meaningful look. I resisted the urge to reach up and touch his face. “You’re not a servant here.”
“It’s no big deal, Sebastian,” I muttered back, snatching the folder from him indignantly as I got up on my feet, ignoring the jolt of electricity that bloomed on my elbow when he grasped it to help me up. “I wish you wouldn’t make a spectacle of us in front of everyone.”
Speaking of which, everybody was watching the whole scene play out, shameless in their unconcealed interest.
Sebastian was either plain oblivious or he didn’t care.
“I wouldn’t have had to if you only followed instructions and met me at my office,” he mumbled in a low voice, his head turned towards me, his hand pressed intimately against the small of my back as he ushered me out of the room.
“I don’t even know where your office is,” I snapped a little more loudly when we were out on the hallway.
It wasn’t as crowded as the office but people were glancing at us in surprise as Sebastian steered us towards the elevator.
Everyone cleared out when it opened and no one else got in with us after a meaningful look from Sebastian.
Once the elevator doors closed, I moved away from him, crossing my arms over my chest in a defensive gesture.
“Don’t do this to me, Sebastian,” I stiffly said. “I don’t want the attention. The last two days have been difficult enough thanks to your stupid stunt on Monday.”
“What stupid stunt?” he demanded. “I came in and you were mopping the floor like a servant girl. Your hands were still wet and sticky and I had a handkerchief. It sounds all perfectly logical to me.”
I studied him with narrowed eyes for a moment. “How did you know it was me mopping the floor?”
A muscle on his jaw twitched before he rubbed it in slight agitation. “I will recognize you anywhere, Cassandra. That shouldn’t be news to you.”
I opened my mouth to demand what he meant by that but the elevator doors slid open and Sebastian grabbed my hand again and led me down a spacious lobby where a long steel-framed, wood-paneled counter stood next to the massive, dark oakwood door.
There were two people manning the desk—a young woman who was on the phone and a slim, wiry man with glasses and neatly combed back brown hair who looked up at our arrival and rose awkwardly when he saw Sebastian.
“Dean, hold all my calls and clear my schedule for the next two hours. Tell Vanessa to send Victor to my meeting with Kirkwood instead,” was Sebastian’s crisp instruction before he led us into the office and locked the door behind us.
Once in the privacy of his office, I dropped the folder on a chair and pulled away from him, placing myself in a far corner by the floor-to-ceiling glass wall that overlooked the city and the distant ocean.
“Now, Sebastian, just what the hell do you—”
The words dived back into my throat when I suddenly found myself yanked up against Sebastian’s warm, solid body, his arms tight around me, his mouth coming down to capture mine in a kiss with the vengeance of the last four years.
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Cliffhanger? LOL! Well, there's more to come but please, do me a huge favor—if you really, really, really like this story, share it with family, friends, Wattpad pals, etc. I want to see how well-received this story becomes and whether I should continue the whole series (which has stories of the other characters in Cobalt Bay). Please and thank you!
XOX! - Ninya
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