Arabella's POV
(Nearly a year later)
Never-ending traffic, frenzied streets and the annoyingly and wretchedly loud noises of New York are the reasons I seek comfort in quiet places, like my condo. Thankfully, when choosing the place, I was lucky enough to find this beautiful, spacious condo in a relatively quiet neighborhood, a 20-minute drive from the centre.
Now, fully dressed with tea in my hands, I stare adoringly out of my window looking at the same sight that astonishes me every morning. No matter how hectic New York may be, it never fails to amaze me and this particular window gives me the best possible view of the city. Releasing a content sigh, I feel more relaxed already.
Grabbing my coat, I have one last look in the full-length mirror before heading out. Putting my coat on, I lock the apartment door and head over to my car. As soon as I start driving, I let the music from the radio consume my senses and soon enough I'm in front of the all too familiar building with black matte letters on top "Cutter Hotel Corporation".
Anticipation finds its way back to me as I shift uncomfortably in my car seat, questioning my next move. I take a few deep breaths while regaining my composure and I finally get out of the car, straightening my posture while doing so. My confidence is coming back to me with every step I make towards the entrance and as soon as I reach the doors, Mr Dabney opens up for me and greets me cheerfully, as always.
"Good morning Miss Cutter." He says with a small smile.
"Good morning to you too Mr Dabney, how have you been?" I ask sweetly. I have grown fond of the old man.
"Very well thank you. How about you?"
"I've been well, thank you." And with a curt nod I head towards the elevator.
As I press the button for the twelfth floor, signs of stress and discomfort start leaving my body completely. I'm ready for this.
The little dinging sound of the elevator indicates that it has reached its destination and with no further hesitation I start heading towards the conference room while greeting the secreatry, Suzana on the way.
Slowly, pushing open the see-through glass doors of the conference room, I step in and all the council members, including my father, turn their attention towards me. I give everyone a small greeting and proceed to go to my father to whom I give a kiss on the cheek. In return he gives me a reassuring squeeze on my hand, alongside a smile. As I take a seat next to him, he stands up and clears his throat, in an attempt to catch everyone's attention.
"Dear colleagues and dear friends, welcome. First of all, thank you all for being here today, in this very special day. Words are not enough to describe the gratitude I feel towards all of you, since you have worked tirelessly throughout all these years to help expand this company and to help fulfill my dreams of building a powerful empire. I'm also grateful for the patience you have shown towards my..." He stops and searches for the right words with a smile "less happy moods, let's say." He adds with a chuckle, which is followed by light laughter from his audience, including mine.
"It has truly been an honor working with all of you and time indeed flies fast. After many years of hard work, I feel it is time for me to step down. No matter how much this saddens me since all of you have become my second family and since this company has become a part of my life, I rest assure, knowing that it will be in good hands." He says, looking me straight in the eyes, a teasing smile on his lips.
"I would therefore like to introduce to you the new CEO of this company, my daughter, Arabella. In the past three years, she has been an extremely active member in the company and no matter the young of her age she has already managed to prove her worth and potential. In this limited amount of time she has managed to introduce new, fresh ideas which have benefitted the company massively in a variety of ways." he pauses for a second, a prideful look taking over his features, while a blush covers mine.
"I believe that with all of your guidance and support she will achieve great things. Of course, I, myself will continue keeping an eye on the company and its progress. Arabella would now like to share a few words with you." A round of applause follows, and as my father sits back down, I start rising from my chair. Facing my audience and maintaining strong eye-contact I proceed to talk, straightening my posture while doing so.
"First of all I would also like to personally thank all of you for being here today. Most importantly, I would like to thank my father for always believing in me, supporting me and teaching me everything that I have learnt up until today. He has been the greatest father, friend and tutor that I could have ever asked for and not a day will go by that his absence will go unnoticed. It's a great privilege and honor to get to work with all of you however and I promise to work hard to gain your trust and respect. I look forward to future progress and successes. Thank you." More applause follows and the members of the council are dismissed, the only people left being me and my father.
"I'm so proud of you, my sweet" Dad says, as he affectionately touches my cheek. To that I give him a smile.
"Thank you daddy. I'll make you proud, I promise! I declare, determination clearly laced through my voice as I throw my arms around him in a tight hug.
"I know you will." He embraces me back. "Now come, let's go to your new office." And with that, hand in hand, we head over to his office.
- - -
Dominic's POV
Sitting in my office I sigh deeply, attempting to stretch my body which feels extremely heavy due to lack of sleep. Abruptly, standing up in an attempt to stretch even more, my leather chair makes a scratching sound, my muscles complaining from yesterday's workout. Once again I glance towards my desk, looking over the never-ending piles of papers, hoping that by simply staring they will eventually disappear.
To my disappointment, they stare back at me, almost as if mocking me.
A loud knock on my door grabs my attention, to which I reply with a simple "Come in.".
"Dom, man, where the hell have you been?" comes the slightly cheery yet teasing voice of my best friend, who makes himself at home within seconds by putting his legs on the coffee table.
"I knew you wouldn't last long without me." I reply back, displaying a teasing smile on my face.
Suddenly, his calm stance turns into a much more hostile one, his hands flying in all directions from frustration. "Cut the bullshit. You aren't even replying to my texts. When was the last time we went out for a drink?", He says, a serious tone now evident in his voice.
Sighing deeply, I avoid eye-contact for a second, feeling a slight ping of guilt for ignoring him.
"I've been really busy with work James, that's all." I reply shortly.
"What the hell man? You are the CEO! Just hire people to do the job for you." He replies with a frown.
"That's not how things work James. You should know better considering you'll be taking over your family's company one day." I say in a frustrated tone.
"I'll handle it just fine." He replies stubbornly to which he continues, "Just because you're the CEO, doesn't mean you don't get to have a social life. How about you hire another assistant?" He asks.
"Hmm." I trace my overly-grown beard in thought. "I'll consider it. These last three months have been hectic. A new business deal is coming up and dad wants to ensure that everything will work out perfectly."
"That's great, but for now, how about we get your ass out of here?" He asks smugly.
"Do I really have a choice?"
"Nope"
Arabellas's POV
After a long day at the office with plenty of people congratulating me, I headed over to the dance studio. Now, after completing my session, I'm leaving with a big, goofy smile plastered all over my face.
Dance is the best get-away. Years and years of ballet and contemporary classes have not only helped my flexibility and body, they have also helped me maintain a state of calmness and serenity. The first thing I did as soon as I came back from my studies, was sign up for ballet classes in the dance studio I used to attend when I was younger. Now, the feeling of sore muscles makes me more happy than you would expect, since not only does this give me motivation and purpose to continue, it also makes me feel alive, after such a tiring day.
The chilly weather of late November has me shivering and I desperately search my dance bag for another warm layer. As I keep looking what catches my eye makes me shiver again, only this time it's not the cold to be blamed.
The familiar, oversized, dark grey hoodie catches me by surprise, since the only place I would ever, if I ever wore it, was in the safety of my own home. Even though it isn't technically mine, it would be a shame to throw away such a warm and cozy hoodie, especially when it's the best thing to wear during cold winter nights. Deep down though, I know this isn't the only reason I still have it. Maybe a part of me refuses to let go of that night and this is the only thing that keeps the memories ongoing. Those deep green eyes still patronize me in my dreams sometimes. I still remember when a few days after our night together I had tried to find him, wanting to return the hoodie, but luck wasn't on my side. Returning the hoodie however, might not have been the only motive for my search.
Clearing my thoughts, I don't dwell much on how the hoodie ended up in my bag and put it on, desperate for its warmth. Heading over to my car, the engine roars to life and despite the cold weather, my intense workout has me seeking a cold, refreshing drink, which is how I end up at a nearby coffee shop.
Oversized hoodie on, baby-pink colored tights hugging my legs and on top of that grey shorts with black boots engulfing my feet in a warm layer of fur, I head over to the counter. A few annoying messy strands of hair hang out of my pony-tail, which I try to somehow tame. As soon as the cashier sets eyes on me, he smiles knowingly and gives my order in. I'm a very loyal customer.
The cashier shouting my name indicates that the order is ready for pick-up, and I grab my Vanilla Cream drink while searching for my keys. While searching, I feel a pair of eyes boring into me, which has me looking up and towards a chair at the right corner of the coffe shop, not too far away from me.
As soon as I do that though a sudden erge of panic consumes me, a swift wave of electricity penetrates my body and what I'm faced with has me gasping for much needed air. A blush is making its way onto my face and I feel as if my entire face is being heated up by a non-existing heater. My entire body freezes and nothing seems to function properly. Those eyes. It's him.
We look straight into each other's eyes, his beautiful eyes appearing to recognize exactly who I am. His eyes follow a path downwards, towards my hoodie, and I suddenly put one and one together when I see his smirk. I'm wearing HIS hoodie. Promptly, he gets up from his chair and runs his eyes all over my body, a raw emotion apparent in his churning eyes. Lust? Arousal maybe? But it can't be.
He then starts walking towards me and that is exactly when my brain starts functioning again, processing what is happening. Still speechless and shocked, with my drink and bag held firmly in my grasp, I start walking towards the exit with long strides. My breathing gets heavier and more uneven by the minute, a wave of humiliation coursing through me.
As soon as I get out of the coffee shop, I search for my car like a maniac, since all thoughts have disappeared from my head and I can't even remember where I parked my own car. Finally spotting it, I'm ready to open the driver's door when a voice stops me.
"Wait!" He shouts, his deep voice sending chills down my body.
I give him one last look, our eyes locking, his own eyes appearing surprised and quite angry at the same time, but before he reaches me, I get in the car and run away. Just like I did the first time.