by Cara Nelson
“For Christ's sake, Sasha, I don’t need you to proof things. I’ve been doing this a lot longer than you have. I just needed it sent—that was all. So do me a favor, and just do what I ask next time. No questions.”
She stood up, and I could see her nostrils flaring. “Excuse me?” she said. “I know you’re used to having things your way, but the minute you start talking to me as if I'm something you stepped in on the street, I'm out of here. So how about you do me a favor and let me know if that's what you want me to do.”
I was sure I looked like a stunned idiot. I was fairly certain that no one had ever talked that way to me once in my entire life. And here Sasha was, my assistant, putting me in my place. What was worse, she was absolutely right. I was being a dick.
“Sasha, I'm sorry. Sometimes I can seem overly strict. I just don't like mistakes. At all. You’ve been doing a great job here. It's just that people expect a lot from me, and I don't want them to think I can't handle things.”
“Who is 'them'? Because I can assure you none of your minions think of you that way.”
“No, probably not. I was speaking mainly about my dad. He can be a really tough guy to deal with. The guy has made a zillion mistakes—he’s on his 6th marriage, after all—but he still won't tolerate mistakes from anyone else, especially me.”
“Oh . . . I see.”
“Yeah, so again, I'm sorry. If I seem like I'm being a jerk, it's only because I don't have the best relationship with my father, and I'm always determined to be the best and do the best for him. But those are my issues, not yours.”
“Well, you're also right—I dropped the ball, and it won’t happen again.”
When she turned to leave my office, I couldn't help but watch her ass as she walked out.
Chapter Six
When I said that I loved working at Jacobson Empire, I wasn't kidding. The job was insanely amazing. If that was even possible. Well, of course it was possible. I got to work on rather large and important projects with high-profile people. Sometimes there was travel involved, and the best part about it is I wasn't always just doing secretarial tasks like answering the phone and fetching coffee. The atmosphere was much more laid-back and luxurious than other jobs I’d had for the 'working man.' There were times when Solomon genuinely asked for my opinion on things. He didn't do it just to humor me–he really wanted to know what I thought about a certain project or idea, often picking my brain and really listening to the ideas I had. I greatly appreciated that as it made me feel like I was part of the team and not just the person who provided the coffee. Not to mention, my salary was triple what it had been when I worked at the dealership. I just couldn't ask for anything more.
Well, I guess that wasn't exactly true. I wouldn't mind a different boss, and that was putting it lightly. Never mind the fact that we’d once shared a steamy moment in a bathroom, but the guy was insufferable. He was very difficult to work with. When he’d told me things had to be his way and only his way, he meant it. He was often rude, impatient, and demanding. His calling himself strict was the understatement of the century. He always complimented me on a job well done, but there were times that I felt I could never do anything right, so I continued to try harder. I was sure he thought I was just taking everything in stride and refusing to show my true feelings about things in the office because I loved my job.
In reality, the only reason I hadn't lost it like I had the other day was because of what he had said about his father. That situation made me feel bad. I certainly knew what it was like to try desperately to gain your parents approval while always feeling like you fell short. I knew all about those feelings, so I understood why he behaved the way he did. Although he had lightened up a bit since my explosion, I could hardly call him a changed man.
I was responding to emails when Solomon came out of his office. It was after lunch, but I had yet to see him that day because he’d been in one meeting after another. He had a tired smile on his face, and he came over and sat on the corner of my desk.
“Hey, how are you?”
“I'm peachy, Solomon, how are you?”
“Peachy? That's a new one.”
I smiled.
“You know, you have a really beautiful smile. You should use it more often.”
I smiled again, feeling slightly uncomfortable.
“Don't worry, I'm not hitting on you. Just stating the obvious. I've had a long day so far, and you're a sight for sore eyes.”
“Yeah, well keep it in your pants, mister. I don't want a repeat of the wedding.”
“And what exactly happened at the wedding?”
We both turned around to find Roger Jacobson standing behind us, and he wasn't smiling. I gasped before I could stop myself, and Solomon slowly removed himself from my desk.
“Just a spilled drink, Father. That’s all we were talking about.”
“Solomon, I'm going to need you in France next week.”
“Sure, not a problem. I’ll have Sasha clear my schedule. She been invaluable here at the company dad. She’s a good fit.”
Roger eyed me in a way that made me feel like I was being assessed. It was really weird. I felt like I should try to be a bit accepting of him because he was, after all, my stepfather, but he had the manners of a corpse.
“Well, she’ll need to clear her own schedule as well because you’ll need some help. Do the two of you think you can handle being alone for a period of time without making a mockery out of my company?”
My mouth dropped open, and I couldn't utter a word. The implication of his words were mortifying.
“Father, that's not really fair. You don’t know Sasha. She's highly prof—”
Roger cut off Solomon's sentence with a great amount of disregard. “But I do know you, don't I, Solomon? So it doesn't really matter if I know Sasha or not. Make your trip arrangements and get back to me.” He started to walk away but then turned to look at me. “Sasha, I think I would like to speak with you in my office.”
“Certainly, sir.” I cast Solomon a glance that promised bodily harm when I returned.
I followed Roger to his office and took a seat across from him as he sat behind his desk.
“So Sasha, I hear you found Solomon by accident when you came looking for a job.”
“Yes, sir, a temp agency placed me. I had no idea who my boss was until I set foot in the office.”
“You do realize that I have set up a trust fund for all my children—even you. That trust fund is considerable, Sasha, and it never goes away, even in the event of a divorce.”
“Yes, I understand that.”
“Fabulous, so explain to me then why you would rather bring coffee for my son every morning rather than host parties and fund-raising events? You’re totally ignoring the gift I’ve bestowed upon you.”
Is he for real? Fund-raising events? Like I would know the first thing about hosting something like that. He really didn't know me at all.
“With all due respect, sir, I'm not turning your gift away. The trust will always be there, as you say, but I was raised to work for the things I want—just as your son is doing. Our jobs are considerably different, of course, but I want something I can call my own. Something I worked for myself.”
“So it has nothing to do with a relationship developing between you and my son?”
I wanted to die right then, at that very moment.
“There is no relationship developing between Solomon and me.”
“Well, that's certainly what I like to hear. I may not run things around here anymore, but I sit on the board of the Empire. I do not approve of office relationships, not under any circumstances. They’re nothing but trouble, and the workplace is not the place for them.”
I visibly gulped. I was having a hard time pulling in air. How had I not known that this guy was so terrifying to speak to?
“Now Sasha, I was pleased to hear that you started working with us, but I did encourage your mother to help you find something more fun to do. We d
o have a house in the Hamptons, you know.”
If he had spoken to my mother, I’d heard nothing about it. She hadn’t tried to encourage me to host parties or anything else so mundane. Probably because she knew I would have a complete fit if she even suggested it. Although I was all for doing some traveling and spending some time in the Hamptons, I wasn't a complete fool. I knew I would grow bored of wandering around my home with nothing to do all day.
“Yes, sir, I’m aware of your assets. But like I said, I enjoy working, and there are many successful women who are wealthy and work as well.”
“Yes, but they’re not working as assistants, either.”
It was like I had been slapped in the face. I took a deep breath and decided to stay silent. I wasn't about to get into a fight with my stepfather, and I clearly wasn't going to be able to make him understand. He thought my job was a joke and probably didn't like having to tell his friends that one of his children was working as an assistant. Well, that was too bad. I wasn't about to be getting bullied into staying at home to be a boring socialite.
“I'm going to try to say this with as much tact as possible here, Sasha. I don't want there to be anything going on between my son and you, especially in this building. I do not tolerate it with any of my employees, and I can't even begin to imagine something going on between two of my children.”
I blushed furiously, and tears welled up in my eyes, but I’d die before I would let them run down my cheeks.
“When I say it's intolerable, I mean that anyone engaging in that behavior in the workplace will be fired immediately. There will be no question about it. Am I making myself clear?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Fabulous. It was nice having this little chat with you, Sasha. Your mother speaks very highly of you. She’s very proud.”
“Thank you.”
He slid a file folder over to me. “Take this with you. I think you’ll find it an interesting read.”
I grabbed the folder quickly and headed for the door. I didn't say anything more, and I didn't look back at him. The man was scary and intimidating, and I was beginning to wonder why my mother had married him.
I went back to my desk and took a seat, running my hands through my hair and closing my eyes. I considered taking the rest of the day off, but I didn't want to appear weak or look like I couldn't handle Roger. Opening my eyes, I eyed the folder. I just knew there was something inside it I wasn't going to like. Looking inside, I found a memo along with a picture of two people holding hands at what appeared to be an office desk. As I read through the memo, I suddenly got the gist of what Roger had been telling me. The memo was in regards to a relationship the two in the photo had begun while working together at Jacobson Empire. They were caught holding hands in the office, and both were fired immediately. As I continued reading the memo, it was apparent that they had both been model employees, but because of Roger's decision, that hadn’t mattered at all—they were let go anyway.
Solomon came out of his office just then. “Hey, how did it go with my father? I thought I might have to go in there to be sure he hadn’t eaten you.”
“He a bit terrifying, isn't he?”
“What did he have to say to you?”
“Basically the same thing he said when he was here, but meaner. And he sent me a message.”
I handed the folder over to him and watched him read it. “This is unacceptable. Especially with you—you're family now. I'll go talk to him and straighten this out.”
“Please don't. I can handle it. Besides, it's not like anything will ever happen between us anyway, so it doesn't really matter.”
“Yeah . . . I guess that's true.” He turned away from me abruptly, and I had to wonder what I had said.
Chapter Seven
The next week was crazy. Being in France and working with Solomon was both amazing and, as usual, very busy. No expense was spared, and we were staying at one of the most elegant hotels in France. There hadn't been much time for sightseeing with all the work we had to do, but Solomon had been kind enough to take me to see the Eiffel Tower. Words could not describe its beauty, and pictures did it no justice at all. What a remarkable sight! I would remember it always.
The only thing that seemed to put a damper on my trip was Solomon's behavior at times. He was still his usual arrogant self, but that was something I was getting used to. It was more the fact that he looked at me a little too long sometimes, like I was a morsel to be eaten.
Sexual harassment, right? Wrong. The problem I had with it was the way my body reacted when I realized he was looking at me. It was exactly the way I had felt that day in the bathroom, like I had absolutely no control over my feelings. I wasn't sure what was causing it—maybe it was the many late nights together in his hotel room ordering room service. But it wasn't like I slept there. I always returned to my own room. No—something was definitely different between us.
***
I was going to give Sasha her bonus today like the rest of the employees, leaving it up to Chuck to handle it. But I felt like I wanted to present it to her personally, mainly because I liked her so much. She was a great employee, and I didn’t know how I would have survived the past month without her. I was crunching numbers when she walked into my hotel room that morning. My jaw nearly fell off my face when I saw her. She was wearing a tight chenille sweater that draped off one shoulder and even tighter white linen pants that showed off her firm ass. I was almost positive she wasn’t wearing underwear as I couldn’t see any panty lines—totally shocking to my mindset since it was Sasha, and Sasha just didn't do those things. The thought of her bent over an article of furniture flitted through my mind. She is so hot!
“Good morning, Sasha. You look lovely today.” She’s more than lovely, she makes my cock hard. I tried to shake that thought from my mind. One minute, I was thinking straight—and appropriately—about her being a great employee, and the next, I thought of fucking her. I wasn’t quite sure what was wrong with me sometimes. She was just so hot I couldn’t help himself.
“Thank you, Solomon. I thought this outfit would suit Paris perfectly.” She looked down at her feet.
What, is she blushing? Maybe she thinks about me, too. I wonder if she’s thought about fucking me. Would she like it if I spread her legs for her and we gave this hotel room something to remember? I wondered what it would be like to hear her scream my name.
“You look gorgeous, and you're right, it's perfect.” Something new had been happening between us lately. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I liked it—a lot. It just seemed like she hated me a lot less recently. Maybe it was just because we were in the City of Love and she was in a good mood, but it was a pretty big deal that the hate seemed to have dissipated. Maybe nothing would come of it. It would probably make for a much better working relationship, at the very least. But something was telling me that I might get what I wanted in the end.
I needed to get a grip on myself. She was a bit younger than I was, and she was my employee. The thought of us together had probably never even crossed her mind. Not that it would have mattered if it had crossed her mind because I was not about to incur the wrath of my father over Sasha. I should probably try to keep in the front of my mind the threat he’d given her before considering this any further.
“Hey, I have something for you.”
“For me?” She smiled, and I was sure her blush deepened.
She wants me, she wants my cock. Those pants she’s wearing are killing me. Those are fuck me pants. Oh boy, Solomon, get a hold of yourself!
I cleared my throat. “Yes, of course. Everyone in the company gets a bonus at this time of year. I know you haven’t been here very long, but you’ve done such a great job so far that I felt like you earned it regardless. You’ve been a life saver. Not to mention I know you haven't even tried touching that trust fund of yours, so you can probably use it more than anyone else.”
She laughed. “Yeah, you're right, I haven't.”
She
beamed, and I found the fact that she had a hard time using money that wasn't really hers so endearing. She didn’t expect a thing from me or from anyone else for that matter. She just did things selflessly, never asking for anything in return. I didn't know too many people—especially girls—like that. Most women were gold diggers that took whatever they could from a guy. Not Sasha though—she really was special.
I passed the envelope to her and watched her open it. I was amazed to see her eyes well up with tears. They spilled down her cheeks, and she wiped at them quickly trying to compose herself.
“Is everything okay? Is it not enough?” I felt like an idiot. People didn’t normally cry when they received bonuses from me. I wasn’t quite sure what to do with myself.
“Oh, wow Solomon, this is amazing. I don’t know how to thank you. It’s just too much. Are you sure you want to give me this?”
She’s incredible. Just watching her was making me hard all over again. I wasn’t going to be able to leave my chair anytime soon.
“Sasha, you earned it. I’m very pleased with you. Please accept it. You can buy something pretty from Paris before we head home.”
“Maybe I’ll do just that. Thank you again.”
“Can I ask why you haven't dipped into your trust fund? Like not even to get a new car?”
She laughed. “I know it sounds silly, but I want to prove to my mother—and now, especially Roger—that I can make it on my own. Maybe one day I’ll use it, but it won’t be right now.”
“Fair enough, and very commendable, I might add.”
I was shocked to find I really cared about her future and wanted to help her as much as I could. I knew, however, that she would only allow me to go so far before she stopped me altogether again. She was an incredible creature, and I felt close to her. I hoped that she felt the same way.
“Anyway, we have a networking gala to go to, so I took the initiative and sent a dress over to your room. You’re good to go. It’ll be a fun night.”
