“Do not under estimate me Ben. I will work as hard as I need to make this a success. I fervently believe we have a duty to donate a percentage of our time to worthier causes than Joe Mason’s pocket. Where is he anyway?”
Ben told her that their new CEO was not due to start until next week but would undoubtedly be popping in and out before then. “He’s keen to move in here and redecorate,” Ben told her as he waved his arms around Nate’s office.
“I bloody bet he is. I’ll also need an office, but I have no desire to be in here – it’s too painful. I do however, wish to keep Nate’s desk. I’ll leave it to you to move me anywhere you think is suitable. I’ll need an associate to assist me but I don’t mind if you rotate them every 6 months or so. I’m also open to any students who need work experience.”
Ben smiled at her then; a big grin that made his eyes crinkle with glee. “Oh I am so glad you have risen to this challenge my dear. I was rather hoping for a bit of excitement. Since Nate’s been gone it’s been entirely too dull.”
Rachel stared at him; not quite sure she had heard him right. She was convinced he’d switched his allegiance but now she realised he just needed to be sure she was properly committed. “I won’t let you or Nate down Ben. I promise.”
“Then let the games begin,” he chortled as he flipped the intercom button. “Angela – please can you bring Mrs Renton the Genesis files. Thank you dear.”
“Genesis?” Rachel asked.
“That’s what Nate called his new division. It’s quite apt don’t you think – the beginning of a new world for us all. Oh – and then there’s the twin thing; typical of Nate to add a personal note. Good luck, dear girl - my door is always open to you whenever you need my help.”
Rachel stood up and leaned toward Ben giving him a little peck on the cheek. Her eyes had inexplicably filled with tears over the whole Genesis name thing and she was more than grateful for Ben’s understanding and generosity of spirit. He gave her a friendly squeeze then left her to contemplate her next move.
The buzz of the intercom made her jump and interrupted her train of thought; any minute Rachel expected Joe Mason to burst through her door and berate her decision not to cave to his termination request. She didn’t relish the thought of that conversation and snorted remembering how she and Luc pictured him as fat and bald. She kind of had that image in her head now every time she thought of him or heard his name and was mildly curious to see how accurate she was.
“Rachel, are you there?” She was glad to hear it was Angela inviting her to lunch. “C’mon Rachel – I’ll catch you up on all the gossip – it will be fun.” Rachel couldn’t imagine Angela to be the gossiping type but she took the opportunity to get away for a while and her grumbling stomach reminded her she did have to eat after all.
**********
Chomping on a delicious mozzarella, avocado and tomato Panini in a little sandwich bar two minutes from the office, Rachel discovered her first impressions of Angela were all wrong. Gone was the demure office professional and in its place a rip roaring, hilarious, fun to be with gossip queen. And boy was she loud. “I’m sorry,” Angela apologised having finally stopped for breath, “it’s hard for me to keep up the act for too long – I need to release the real me at least once a day or I’ll combust for sure!”
Rachel loved her instantly. “Oh thank god – I must admit you were slightly scary before.”
“That’s how they like me – I have to be able to stand my ground with all the ‘up their own arse’ exec types we get through our doors. Talking of which – have you met Joe yet?”
“I haven’t had the pleasure. “ Rachel responded screwing up her face as if she had eaten something well past its sell by date. To her surprise, Angela never said anything just raised her eyebrows and grinned.
“What? What’s that face for?” Rachel demanded.
“Oh nothing sweetie – I’m sure you’ll handle him just fine. Don’t worry about it – he’s not in for a bit anyway.”
Rachel was about to ask more but Angela launched into a funny story about a famous client that held her rapt until the punch line when they both fell about laughing hysterically. Rachel felt much of her earlier tension drain away and for the first time she was pleased she’d taken the plunge and come to work.
Walking back to the office arms linked, Angela pointed out several landmarks, and the different places to eat lunch; who served the best coffee; where to get the yummiest bagels. Rachel smiled listening to her new friend rattle off her recommendations.
As they turned the corner and their office building came into view Angela pointed out the local gym. “We all try to get there – it’s quite a nice place as far as gyms go. C’mon I’ll show you.”
“I’m not sure I’d use it to be honest; I’m a bit out of practice” laughed Rachel.
“All the more reason then – I’ll arrange to have Nate’s membership transferred to your name and you can decide. They open really early and don’t close ‘till midnight – there’s no excuse! It’s a great way of relieving tension and believe me there’s going to be a lot of that once Joe hears you’re staying.” Angela laughed at the face Rachel pulled.
Reluctantly, she followed Angela into the foyer of the gym and let herself be guided around. Actually, she was quite impressed by the sauna and steam room and there was a small pool and Jacuzzi that looked tempting. A row of running machines filled a smallish room tastefully done out in light coloured wood with full length glass windows that looked out on to the river.
“Don’t worry” Angela reassured Rachel, “it’s one way glass. You can huff and puff away and no one outside is any the wiser.”
There was a TV on one wall on the Bloomberg Channel – no surprises there, but it was on mute with subtitles and Rachel noticed most people had ear buds in anyway. “I think Joe is here today.” Angela said in passing just as Rachel spied a portly, older gentleman sweating profusely on one of the running machines. “Oh god, I’m not ready to meet him yet; quick let’s go.” Rachel grabbed Angela’s arm and dragged her back on to the street.
“Stop, stop – it’s fine. I will deflect him for you until you’re happy to be introduced. Honestly, though I don’t think you need to worry.” Angela gave Rachel an appraising look nodding her head in appreciation of what she was seeing.
“I sincerely doubt that considering I’m about to push forward with Genesis against his wishes.” Rachel looked troubled.
“Well he’s going to have to get used to not getting his own way some of the time. I don’t think that’s ever been an issue for him before – the challenge will be good for him. He wanted to come and work in London; he’ll have to adapt.” Angela shrugged her shoulders to emphasise her point. “Look – Rachel. I shouldn’t be telling you this but I think you need some background information to help dispel the mystery. Joe Mason is part of a New York legal dynasty – his family have more money than most small countries and he has led a very privileged lifestyle. He’s been working with his father and older brother in the family firm but decided to uproot and start again in London where he’s basically on his own. I believe he was married for a short while – an alliance of families instigated by their fathers, but he’s divorced now. He has two teenage kids but no significant other.”
Rachel gaped open mouthed at Angela. “How the fuck do you come to know all that?” she blurted.
Angela threw her back and guffawed loudly turning heads in the street. “Holy shit you’re rude. Love it! Anyway – it’s my business to find these things out about the people I work for. It helps me predict their needs and manage them better. And I have a feeling this new CEO is going to need a lot of assistance stroke managing. Listen hon; I aim to please.”
“You’re not just the receptionist are you?”
“No sweetie; I’m PA; PR: office manager: fixer upper – whatever you need me to be.”
“Well; hopefully you’ll be my friend Angela – I’ve a feeling I’m going to need one.”
/> Angela stopped to gain Rachel’s full attention for what she was about to say. “Rachel – Nate was one of the best people I have ever worked with – he was fair; considerate and honest as the day is long. He was demanding too but never rude. I learnt so much from him and we all miss him. It would be an honour to be your friend because knowing Nate; you must be a very special person.”
Tears welled up in Rachel’s eyes. Of all the things she was expecting to happen today; making a new friend was not one of them and she was a little overcome. “You might not think so when you get to know me better: I swear a lot when I’m mad, and stressed, and I’m going to need a lot of help.”
“I’m here for you Rachel – let’s go make it happen.” Leading the way forward on her long legs, Angela entered their building and headed for the bank of lifts leaving Rachel breathless and struggling to keep up.
“Maybe I will go to the gym after all – working in the City is exhausting!”
**********
The rest of the week passed quickly. Rachel sorted through the remainder of Nate’s stuff and cleared his office ready for the new CEO Joe Mason to move in. She had yet to meet him but was less worried than before as the Genesis business was already demanding more time than she had expected. It really was in its fledgling stages and Rachel was keen to research every aspect of the project before she was forced to confront the partners to explain her motives for engaging with pro bono clients. She knew Ben Pierce was on her side but she wondered how many of the other executive staff would go up against their new CEO who had already expressed his negative views on the matter.
Ben had found her a new office – it was much smaller than Nate’s but perfectly adequate. As promised her late husband’s desk had been relocated there and she faced it towards the door so that when it was open she had a good view of the rest of the office. She was tucked away in a corner but this had the advantage of huge windows looking out over two aspects of the City, and a little ensuite shower room with her own loo. It was a very cosy space and Rachel was in the process of personalising it with some photos and knickknacks from home. She had also commandeered Nate’s chair and although it was a little large for the room she drew comfort and strength from it. Facing her desk, along the wall was a small two-seater sofa in soft tan leather. Rachel had indulged herself with this purchase wanting to have somewhere comfy to sit as an alternative to her desk and it would be less intimidating for some of her clients.
Much to her surprise, Rachel had indeed taken advantage of the nearby gym. Angela often joined her for a run before work and she was definitely building up her stamina. She had been updating the Twins daily and they in turn were catching her up on all their news. Any minute exams would start and Rachel knew she wouldn’t hear from them for a couple of weeks. Jess and Lucy were the type of girls who crammed hard over the exam period freeing up the rest of their time to party. This seemed to work for them as their results so far had always been excellent. Luc was mentioned in passing by one or other of them and Rachel lapped up any information about him. She had resisted contacting him directly and Luc hadn’t called her again. Even though this is what she wanted, it still felt a bit shitty.
**********
CHAPTER 13
6.00am on a Friday morning was not the busiest time at the gym if being the sole user of the running machines was any indication. Rachel had changed into her running gear; black Lycra shorts and vest top and plugged her ear buds in setting her iPod to shuffle. Fifteen minutes in and she’d found a good pace; she had built up quite a sweat and reaching for her towel without breaking her stride she was momentarily distracted by someone else jumping on a machine behind her. Looking at the reflection in the glass window Rachel vaguely recognised the man and it took her a few minutes to remember where she’d seen him before.
“Oh my god – it’s the big bloke from the revolving door!” Rachel recollected. She couldn’t resist checking him out and discreetly turned her head to the mirror on the far wall.
“Fuck me” she shouted in her head. The man was shockingly devastating. She had correctly assessed he was around the same height as Luc – easily over 6 foot, but the comparison stopped there. Nothing about this man was remotely similar to Luc, or Nate. Both men had been fit and Luc particularly was very well defined, but this guy was massive. He had huge biceps and a broad chest narrowing to a trim waist and very sturdy legs with thighs the size of tree trunks. He was extremely handsome and Rachel wished she could see what colour his eyes were because from here they looked silver and she knew that couldn’t be right. His nose was straight and his mouth wide with full lips. He had dark hair worn longer than was fashionable but it suited him. Silky curls brushed his neck meeting his beard. Rachel had never considered full on facial hair sexy before, but now she wondered just what it would feel like against her skin.
“Whoa; easy girl!” she chided herself. But her hormones seemed to have gained control of her senses and when he took his sweatshirt off her nipples stood up to pay attention. “Oh that’s just great” she mumbled to herself but still couldn’t help but enjoy the slight friction inside her bra caused by the steady pace on the running machine. “Just bloody concentrate!”
Concentrating however, was proving to be extremely challenging as action man obviously didn’t feel the need to wear a shirt and his ridiculous pecs were now glowing with sweat. Rachel had switched her iPod off preferring instead the rhythmic grunting from behind and her mind raced thinking about all that raw power and what he could do with it with her.
Her sinful speculation had made her embarrassingly wet and she was instantly mortified that a few days away from Luc had her chomping at the bit. Suddenly inexplicably angry at herself for being so needy she abruptly stopped her machine intending to get out of there as quickly as she could. Towelling her face she grabbed her hoodie and tried not to look as she passed the incredible hulk on her left still pounding the moving platform at an impressive speed.
Rachel should have predicted that nothing in her world ever went as planned lately and what happened next would haunt her until the day she died. The string of her hooded top was trailing behind her and as luck would have it got caught in the conveyor of the man’s running machine dragging her backwards. Instead of letting go of her top she tried to yank it back which is when she lost her footing and went flying on to the machine causing the hulk to lose his balance and topple backwards. Instinctively reaching for him in a futile gesture to try and break his fall, Rachel only succeeded in making things worse. The poor man grabbed her arms resulting in him pulling her down with him as he hit the wooden floor, landing flat on his back with a loud “Oof.”
Rachel was currently lying along the deliciously sweaty length of him; her head having crashed into his massive chest as she screamed, “Oh shit; oh fuck; I’m so sorry. Fuck I’m such an idiot.”
Rachel’s mouth was stuck on repeat as she scrambled and slipped back down his big body and on to her feet. Leaving him lying there winded and looking completely flummoxed and totally gorgeous, Rachel grabbed her bag, raced out the door, and legged it back to the office.
**********
Dripping with sweat and mortification, Rachel let the water from her little office shower cascade over her in an effort to calm down. “What the hell?”
A replay of the last 10 minutes of her soap opera of a life was on a loop in her head and she couldn’t shake the feeling that this wouldn’t be the end of it, especially if she saw him again in the gym. Rachel groaned at the humiliation of it all – how on earth did she end up falling on top of a bloke again? She was usually so refined; hardly clumsy at all, and yet recent events were conspiring to prove otherwise.
The other niggling annoyance was that he had felt so good underneath her that the entire episode had left her downright horny. No denying the man was ‘totally fit’ as the twins would say. In fact, Rachel didn’t recall ever having seen a more handsome and masculine man ever. The feel of his hard muscles and smooth skin lingered in
her memory and she drifted off into a daydream, which had him sweeping her up into his arms off the floor for a passionate kiss by way of introduction.
Rachel was tempted to lather herself into oblivion but it didn’t seem appropriate at work so she dried herself off quickly; dressed, and dashed out to get some coffee and breakfast. Now back at her desk with an adequate quota of caffeine close at hand and a sausage sandwich laden with brown sauce, Rachel indulged herself in a little internet surfing. She needed to prepare for her Monday meeting with the new CEO so she decided to follow up on Angela’s brief description of Joe Mason by Googling him. She reckoned he probably had a lot of web coverage if he was half the hot shot Angela had claimed.
Throwing up several sites Rachel opted for a recent New York Times interview from their business pages. As she waited for the page to load she chewed on her breakfast and washed it down with a long gulp of coffee. Not twenty seconds later and said coffee was decorating the front of her PC monitor as she had spat out a full mouthful in shock at the image in front of her. Joe Mason was not short, or bald or fat. Her new boss was tall, dark, handsome and huge. Remarkably like the man in the gym she had just assaulted. Rachel groaned.
Mrs R (Mrs R & Mr V #1) Page 19
