by Phavy Prieto
"From now on you will only carry out my orders."
"What if I don't?" I replied. If his intentions went the same way where my heated mind kept going, I was almost ready to beg him to give the first of those orders.
"Keep in mind that I have your planner and that your position in the company can totally depend on my decisions. I think, it is not necessary to explain what would happen, right?"
Pushy pig! Daddy's boy!
"You can go to hell if you think you're blackmailing me again! I'm not your personal assistant, nor your maid and even less someone who will perform services of dubious taste because of your beautiful face. Better if you look for another one!"
I wanted to get out of the car. Fuck my planner, despite the fact that it contained all the appointments already scheduled for the rest of the year, despite the fact that I had to rack my brain looking for numbers and accounts, and the fact that I lost a lot of important personal information. Not even in my nightmares would I reduce myself to becoming anyone's bitch!
No matter how hard I tried to open that damn door I couldn't.
"Bloody door! Why doesn’t it open!?"
"It won't open," he said with a serious voice. I turned towards him, looking him in the eye. "I think you misunderstood my proposal if you got so angry," he said.
"I think I understand it perfectly!" I replied in a rage.
"Never, never would I force or coerce a woman to get into my bed, and even less in exchange for something."
"No? So what do those orders refer to?" I pressed him.
"To the fact that you are going to directly work for me," he calmly said.
"What do you mean?" a high pitched voice came out of my mouth and I couldn’t recognize it as mine.
"You are going to move to the headquarters and be my account coordinator."
That can't be true... It's like a triple promotion from where I am now!
"Why?" was the only question I was able to ask still surprised.
And what's more, I sent him to hell thinking he was a degenerate daddy’s boy.
"Because I'm going to squeeze all I can out of your potential and, incidentally, I won't have to make up an excuse to invite you for lunch."
Either this man is the devil in disguise or I'm a complete idiot. "Think badly and you'll get it right, Maria," my grandmother used to say.
"I don’t know if I should accept it, considering it wouldn't be due to my merit. I don't find it decent."
"Decency matters very little to me, Miss Acosta. I am only interested in your potential and, of course, your exquisite presence in my office."
Well, even if I had the slightest doubt, I think it has just dissipated like a fog in the sun.
Chapter VIII
During the three days that followed our last meeting I had no news from Damian Devoir, except for the plane tickets that were delivered to my office. How could I forget about the weekend in Scotland? Easy to say: thanks to the devil named Ramirez who had flooded my office with reports and old accounting documents just to waste my time. Consequently, I didn’t even think about what to wear for the wedding. What if all the guests showed up in kilts and with bagpipes? Could I show up with a dress so tight that marked even my ribs?
"I'd better go shopping," I whispered to make a mental note, replacing the time in the gym with what would have bled my credit card dry.
Start thinking about a pay raise to compensate for your blackmail, Mr. Devoir.
"Maria," Andrea said as she entered my office. "They called from the Human Resources Department and told you to go downstairs immediately. Did something happen? Do they want to fire you? "
She sounded worried and I frowned.
Why the hell were they calling me from the HR? Could it be because of the job offer made by Damian?
"I'd rather it were a promotion," I replied with a smile as I got up to head for the elevator.
Indeed, my new contract was on the desk there and it was to come into effect the following Monday.
"Please, sign here, Miss Acosta, and also here and... here," said the narrow-nosed secretary with nerdy glasses who was on the other side of the desk in the office where I had been summoned.
I couldn't believe my luck. Could that mean that Adonis was expecting wild sex in the hotel room?
"Oh my God! I have to remember to buy sexy lingerie!" I reminded myself as I left that office with an idiotic smile.
I was wondering if it was a good idea to get intimate with Adonis, knowing that later on we would see each other every day at the office. I had always thought that mixing sex and work was a mistake, even if... To hell with it! Who did I want to deceive? My panties and I were burning for that irresistible man!
After two hours of browsing all the boutiques at Calle de Serrano where I used to go shopping for special occasions, I opted for the best option: midnight blue dress, semi-transparent on the arms and back, fitted to the waist and sober enough to appear elegant.
I packed my suitcase just before going to bed and it was strange that I hadn't heard any news from Mr. Devoir during the week. Had he been particularly busy? I hadn't even received any messages from him, not even to confirm that I would accompany him to the event.
My week at the office had been a hell, mostly because I didn't have my damn planner. My God, how I missed it! I wasn't one of those people who put post-it notes all over their desk to remind them of things to do. No, I needed my planner urgently. Immediately! Fortunately, I expected to recover it the following Monday, the same Monday when I would start my new job at the headquarters.
At that moment my phone rang and I realized I hadn't put it on silent. I took it immediately and saw that it was a message from Damian.
"I'll have to change his name on the contacts," I murmured as I got ready to read.
Damian
"I remind you that you have to catch a flight tomorrow at 5.00 pm. Do you need me to send a car to pick you up, Miss Acosta?"
Maria
"Don't worry, I'll be there on time. I remind you that I will want to see my planner on the desk of my new office on Monday morning. "
Damian
"We'll see about that, Miss Acosta. You will have to earn your precious black planner this weekend... "
What the hell was he talking about? How could he expect me not to think badly of him?
Maria
"I'm beginning to suspect you're a natural born manipulator. What am I supposed to do? Didn't I just have to accompany you?"
Damian
"You will know in due course. Now go to sleep, Miss Acosta. It's late and tomorrow will be a long day."
Shit! If he didn't tell me, it was because he knew I could refuse. What the hell should I do? Was not going an option? Deep down, my masochistic side needed to know what I wanted from that weekend and the most irrational part desired that what he demanded was a capital sin.
"I definitely need a good fuck," I sighed just before closing my eyes and trying to get some sleep.
The last day of the week at the office was not much better than the previous ones. Why was I killing myself with those reports when others would finishe the job on my behalf anyway?
"To hell!" I exclaimed, leaving the pen and my glasses on the desk. I took my bag and left the office.
"Where are you going?" Andrea asked in amazement. I was not a person used to taking many breaks. In fact, I hadn't even had one in the whole week because she brought me coffee to the office so that I didn't waste my precious time.
"To get a coffee," I said as if nothing had happened. She gave me an inquisitive look. Was it so strange to leave the office for a moment just to have coffee?
"Are you sure you don't want me to get it for you?" Andrea asked investigatively, clearly worried.
"No, on the contrary. Do you want to accompany me? I'll offer you one," I replied, raising an eyebrow. If at that moment I poked my intern with a needle to provoke her reaction, she would not have moved.
I was not used to hanging out wit
h employees under my supervision so as not to raise suspicions of favouritism, though, considering it was my last day there, who cared?
"Er... yes, of course," she replied, leaving the documents she had in her hand on the desk. We walked towards the cafeteria instead of the small room where the coffee machine was located.
Andrea turned out to be a nice, kind and responsible woman, despite her young age. I had no doubt she could grow within the company and that she would also reach a position of responsibility. Even though she was nervous because of our informal chat, I had a good time. She told me that she was the youngest of four daughters of farmer parents and that she had always managed to get by on her own. She had been an excellent assistant and I was satisfied with her work. It was a shame to have to leave her after we had reached such harmony. Could I take her to my new job as an assistant? I weighed the idea and it didn't displease me at all. Maybe I could do it later.
When I arrived at Barajas airport, I checked the time on the phone: I had plenty of time for the various customs checks because I was traveling with only hand luggage. Forty-five minutes before the flight, I saw him in the boarding area: Damian Devoir and his aura of masculinity showed themselves.
His smile intoxicated me and made me smile at the same time.
"I admit that for a moment I thought you would run away, Miss Acosta," he said with his typical sensual low voice.
"Cowardice is not one of my virtues, Mr. Devoir," I replied ironically, biting my lip.
"I'm pleased," he said and turned to look around as if he was looking for someone.
"What's up? Are we waiting for someone?" I asked a little confused.
"No," he denied, looking at me again with a smile. "But there are other people who were invited to the wedding and we might encounter them on the same flight."
I trusted his words and nodded not knowing what to add.
"How will I be introduced to the rest of the guests?" I asked because we had never talked about that detail. A friend? A work colleague? A distant cousin? I didn't have the faintest idea.
"I got your contract. I'm glad you didn't take long to sign it."
"The conditions were very good and... Are you trying to change the subject so you don't have to answer me?" I insinuated.
"Me? Absolutely not," he smiled. "I think the boarding is about to begin. I assume you don't like flying because you may consider it a waste of time."
"You assume correctly," I said. Wasting two hours just to catch a plane seemed aberrant to me because most of the time I couldn't profit from it in any way.
"That is precisely why I chose a commercial flight," he replied, laughing.
"What?" I said so loudly that more than one person turned to look at me.
Did goddamn Devoir have a private jet?
"Our company has several private jets," he whispered, "but this option seemed more fun to me."
"You are certainly not trying to impress me, but to incite hatred towards you."
"Shit!" I said, putting my hand on my mouth because my words had sounded so spontaneous.
His loud laughter made me turn completely red and, luckily for me, it was already our turn to show the documents at the last check.
"I don't think you're a woman who gets easily impressed," he replied once he walked through the gate. "That's what I like most about you."
"What does he like most about me?" Were there other things he liked about me? Maybe that man needed glasses.
"I guess you are waiting for me to do something really bad or embarrassing to quit praising me," I commented as we took our seats.
"What you say has nothing to do with reality," he said. I cursed my flair which always helped me to understand when there was something weird. I was convinced that this guy wanted something else in return.
"Can you admit that you're aiming for something? What is it about? What am I supposed to do? If your intention is that I striptease for the groom or something similar, I'll take the first flight back!"
He began to laugh at my reaction. At that precise moment I wanted to strangle him.
"No, it's not that. Even though it wouldn't be a bad idea if you did it for me," he said while I was waiting for an answer.
"Just kidding. I'm actually going to ask you something easy," he said calmly. "Or at least I hope so," he added a little anxious.
My mind was thinking the worst and of all the possible options it was unable to imagine which one was desired by that man.
"What is it about?" I insisted, unable to control the desire to satisfy my curiosity.
"This is not a family event," he began to say with apparent calm and in a low voice. "It's not even related to the company," he added to clarify. "It's about my ex-girlfriend's wedding."
For all the saints of Heaven! At that moment being hit by a hammer on the head would have been less painful for me.
Ex-girlfriend? Who goes to an ex's wedding? I certainly wouldn't have gone there even dead drunk.
"Your ex girlfriend?" I asked bewildered.
"Yes," he sighed. "Let's say it was she who left me... to be with my best friend," he added, reclining the seat to lie down for a bit.
Oh my! My heart cringed and I felt a profound sorrow.
"What a bitch," I whispered helplessly. A moment later I put a hand on my mouth as to apologize. He was going to her wedding, wasn't he? Maybe he had forgiven everything and everyone.
"No worries. As far as I'm concerned, you can call her any way you think is appropriate," he added with a mischievous smile.
"And why the hell are you going to this wedding?" I asked without understanding why he wanted to undergo that torture.
"Because he's always been my best friend," he replied calmly. "And I owe him."
"Well, I'm not in a position to express an opinion," I replied not wanting to judge the situation.
"Well, you will because I told him that I was going with my fiancée."
"No," I whispered. "Tell me this is a bad joke," shaking my head, thinking he was making fun of me.
How could I be taken for the fiancée of that Greek statue? I was definitely the opposite of a stunning blonde.
"If it were a joke, Miss Acosta, you wouldn't be at my side, and even less on this flight to Scotland."
"You mean that," I said analyzing the situation, "all this mise-en-scène of the planner was already premeditated? Was that incredible promotion just a trick to make me accept the offer?"
"I recognize that it was an incentive for you so that you interpreted your role better, although I do not dislike having you every day in the office as my account coordinator. I fully trust your ability to do the job well. I have verified that you are a person committed to the company."
"The fact remains that you treated me like a fool, when from the beginning you could have told me the truth to reach an agreement."
"I assumed that if I had told you from the beginning, you would have said no, as two other people did before," Damian admitted with a sigh. I opened my mouth in disbelief.
"So I'm your third choice!" I exclaimed hitting him in the arm. I heard the hiss of one of the hostesses scolding me.
Great, now they reprimand me like a little girl making a mess.
"I admit you weren't my first choice," he said in a low voice. "But I must say in my defense that at that moment I hadn’t met you yet."
Well, that could be true.
"And at what point did you think it would be a good idea since we obviously barely know each other? I don't even know what your favorite colour is, your favourite dish or your shoe size. How do you think our staging can work?" I moaned feeling a pressure in my chest that occasionally increased in intensity and was not due to the acceleration of the plane that was gaining altitude.
"People generally believe what you make believable," he replied without further ado and took one of the magazines that was on the back of the seat in front of him to have a look at it.
"I am on the verge of collapse, although it does not involv
e me directly, and you stay there so calm," I said touching my forehead with my right hand trying to calm down.
"These are people you don't know. Why do you care what they may think of you?"
"They expect you to appear with a stunning blonde. A Russian model with enviable measurements and without an ounce of cellulite, who does not take off her stilettos even when she sleeps and who doesn't know what it is to wear a ponytail because she hasn't had time to wash her hair. How can you expect me not to care about what they think? They will surely think you found me in a garbage bin."
He began to laugh as hard as he could in the silence that reigned on the plane.
Great, he even laughs in my face.
"I never thought that a person like you could think so badly of herself," he declared with some seriousness. "I think that being such a control freak made you forget who you really are."
"That's why I say that I'm a realistic person," I answered staring at him.
"Well, if you were realistic, you would see that you are absolutely lovely, Miss Acosta."
At that moment I noticed how all the tension was gone and my heartbeat began to accelerate.
"I don't... I don't..."
"It won't be very difficult. If you don't like me, you can always pretend. Luckily there won't be much time to spend with them. "
Pretend I didn't like him? Adonis probably did not realize that if my attraction for him had been the result of pretending, I could have opened an acting school.
"Okay," I finally said because I didn't know what to add.
You're so handsome that you'd convert even a lesbian.
"Thank God. You have no idea what burden you took off my shoulders now that you know everything," he said.
At that moment I pondered over the possibility that his way of acting was motivated solely by his desire to make me accept everything. And that Damian behaved like this only to achieve his goal and later would abandon me like a cigarette butt and tear up the contract of my promotion. Was I maybe creating a problem that didn't exist? I wouldn't have had any answer until Monday. For the moment I didn't know if everything he had told me, all his actions and all his dedication were based on one goal: to make me accept that pantomime as his girlfriend.
