by Alexa Blue
“Hi, there.” He takes my hand in his.
"You, young lady, knocked all the other candidates out of the park for this position." We walk down the aisle, and he introduces me to the manager I’d be reporting to. I lift my head, and my iPhone slips from my hand as soon as I catch sight of him. Brody.
Brody glances back at me with gleaming eyes. “It’s an absolute pleasure meeting you, Ms…?”
“You can… um… You can call me Charlotte.” I’ve never had to pretend not to know someone, especially not someone I kissed just a few months back.
“Charlotte, you will be reporting directly through to Brody. We will have a lot of time for catching up, but right now, Brody needs your urgent assistance with a client we’re trying to impress.” Andrew pats me on my shoulder and walks off.
I stand in Brody's office, and my knees feel as if they are about to cave in. Dear God, my life cannot get any more fucking awkward.
“Are you just going to stand there, or are you coming in?”
I take a hesistant step forward.
“Please shut the door behind you, Ms. Charlotte, is it? We wouldn’t want the outside to be listening in on our conversations, now would we?”
A firm grin is planted on his face, and his dimples deepen as he rubs on his beard.
I wish the floor would open up and swallow me whole. Someone, shoot me.
Brody
Charlotte steps into my office, and it's as if my world comes to a standstill. All the office noise and chaos are drowned out by her beauty. I didn’t think it was possible, but she looks even sexier than the day I first laid eyes on her.
Charlotte pulls up a chair, sitting across from me. “Well, this is awkward. So, where do we start… boss?”
“Please, call me Brody.”
I see her struggling to hide her irritation. Now that I’m her boss, she’d have to keep all her cocky remarks to herself. I’ll give it a day or two before she cracks and gives me a piece of her mind.
“Charlotte, I know you’re new here, but we have a lot of work to get through. We’ve been trying to bag Milestone Studios for the last three years. But after their latest scandal with the managing director stealing millions of dollars from the company, they could do with some good publicity. That’s where we, Reputation, come in. You still with me?”
“Yes. Yes, sir.”
“You sure? I mean, I wouldn’t blame you if you’re having thoughts of that kiss. Just know that I probably won’t be able to call you ‘princess’ in the office.”
She lets out a sigh. “Moving along.”
“As you can imagine, all PR companies will be after them, and the competition will be tough. But if we can win this client over, this will be huge for Reputation. Think, big cash bonus at the end of the year.”
Charlotte straightens her shoulders, sitting upright in her chair. That certainly grabbed her attention.
“Don’t get excited so quickly, beautiful. We have two weeks to work on this proposal, and it must be perfect,” I grin at the sound of her grunting, probably because I called her beautiful. “These guys are full of shit. We’ve worked around the clock to win them over for three years, and so far, nothing has been good enough for them."
I sit back in my chair, resting the back of my head against my palms. “Think you’re up for the challenge?”
Her head is upright, firm, and demanding authority. "I was born for this. Trust me; I can handle anything I put my mind to.”
I lower my glance down her full breasts, “oh, I bet you can!” I told myself I would try my hardest not to flirt with her, at least not on her first day. But, it's hard to keep my promise with someone as sexy as Charlotte in front of me.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I hear Charlotte muttering under her breath. I was wrong. It didn’t take her a couple of days for her to reveal her feisty side—it only took a few minutes.
My door swings open and Gabriella allows herself into my office.
Gabriella is the intern that started with us three weeks ago. Initially, she reported through to me and was meant to help with securing Milestone Productions, but I couldn't last two days with her in my office. She now reports through to the other client manager, Stephanie Rodriguez, but I swear she spends more time in my office than in her own.
“Gabriella, how many times must I ask you to knock before you walk into my office?”
She runs her fingers through her shiny black hair and pouts her lips seductively, but her face hardens once she catches sight of Charlotte sitting across from me.
Gabriella is a pretty girl, but she’s too skinny for me. I like real women, women with curves. Besides, after tasting Charlotte’s lips at my brother’s wedding, my heart is sealed. My eyes have not wandered since I laid eyes on her, and I told myself I would stop at nothing until I call her mine.
“Charlotte and I have a lot of work to get through. Anything we can help you with, Gabs?”
She rolls her eyes at Charlotte, looking at her up and down. She lets out a snort of disgust. “This is what you’ve replaced me with?”
"Excuse me?" Charlotte chirps.
“Charlotte, I’ll handle this,” I tell her and turn to Gabriella, "if you would like to keep your job, I suggest you apologize to Charlotte and get out of my office." My words are sharp and crystal clear. I hate that she dared to walk in and insult my Charlotte.
“Ugh,” she sighs and walks out of my office, slamming the door shut behind her.
Charlotte struggles to hold her eye contact when she speaks again. “Thanks.”
“No one messes with you—”
“Thanks, but I’m perfectly capable of standing up for myself. Now, can we start with some actual work, please?”
Now that I have Charlotte in my office, I will be damned if I allow anyone to come between us.
In life, you don’t get what you deserve. You get what you fight for. When it comes to Charlotte, I will fucking fight anyone that tries to harm her. I will fight for her.
Chapter Three
Charlotte
“Charlotte, have you seen your boss?” Andrew asks me, stepping into Brody’s office.
I turn around and smile at Andrew. “Sorry, sir. I don’t think he’s in yet.”
Andrew shakes his head disapprovingly. “Thanks,” and walks out, closing the office door behind him. I can't make my mind up with Andrew. He's amiable, at least he is towards me, but he walks around the office with his head dropped to the ground like he’s always deep in thought. As for my boss; where the hell is he? I’ve been at work for the last hour and a half, and the man that’s supposed to be running with this big project is still not here.
“Good morning,” I greet people as I make my way back from the kitchen to my office with a fresh cup of morning coffee. I feel like royalty working in an enclosed office, while the rest of the staff are forced to work in an open-office setup, cramped up in tiny little cubicles.
The staff are mostly friendly and greet me back. “Hey.” “Morning.”
“Sup?”
My clicking heels draw to an end when I notice Gabriella stepping out of Brody’s office.
My eyes narrow, and she closes the door behind her, pausing to give me a look of contempt. “Cow,” I hear her mumbling under her breath as she bumps her shoulder into me.
Walking into the office, a coffee mug with heart printing catches my attention. There are lipstick stains on the rim of the cup. Under the mug is a handwritten note.
Hi handsome,
Soz for yesterday. Let me make it up to you tonight?
My place, tonight at six?
Mwah
My breath grows sharp and erratic. Who the fuck does this girl think she is? I’m not sure if it’s anger at the audacity of this girl, or if I’m jealous. Surely, it cannot be the latter?
The door is open, and I allow myself into Stephanie's office. I tap on Gabriella’s shoulder. “We need to talk.”
She looks up at me and gives me a look of ut
most resentment. “I’m sorry, but who allowed you in here?”
"We need to talk," I repeat.
"Talk? Are you sure that's where you want to spend your energy? Shouldn't ‘hitting the gym' be higher up on your list?" I can't believe she's laughing at her stupidity.
I try getting her out of the room, so we can have a conversation like civil adults, especially because her boss is sitting opposite her, but I’m done playing nice.
"Listen, I suggest you stay away from Brody unless it's work-related. For the record, I'm not the competition, because I’m not interested in him. So, you can drop the desperation level down a few notches.”
“Oh, pleas—”
“I’m not done. Finally, if you dare insult me in public again, I will make sure it’s the last thing you do in this company. I may be new, but no one speaks to me the way you do. I hope I’ve made myself clear?”
She doesn’t say anything. Instead, she just stares at me with large eyes.
“Glad we have an understanding.”
I turn and add an extra bounce in my step as I walk out of her office.
Bitch has another thing coming if she thinks she’d be able to step on my toes and get away with it. I may be the new girl around, but that does not give anyone the right to speak to me like shit.
I walk into my office, or rather Brody’s office, and begin working on the client proposal. Milestone Productions is behind some of my all-time favorite movies, but with the latest scandal of Randal Steele stealing company funds, the company has not been doing well. Of course, the media has taken full advantage of this, writing up insatiable stories because they know people love a good scandal on top of a scandal. Randal has since been fired, but people still don’t trust the brand. This is a massive project, but if I can help win them over, this is one sure way to get my foot in the door.
If the goal was to make friends, I’m not starting off on a great foot, especially after my little fallout with Gabriella. But, I’m not here to make friends, or to give in to Brody’s fucking sexy dimples. I’m out to prove I can make a success of my life and I’ll be damned if I let anything or anyone stop me.
Brody
I’ve spent weeks trying to earn Milo’s trust. A lady phoned us about the homeless Pitbull that found comfort in her backyard. Whenever humans get too close to her, she’d run away. The problem is that the poor dog hasn’t eaten for weeks in fear of humans.
God, it fucking kills me to see dogs in such a state. When I’m outside, with the crew, I hold a brave face. But at night, images of these poor dogs terrified and ridden with bite marks haunts my dreams. The thought that I’m helping these dogs, bringing them to safety and to owners that will take good care of them makes it all the worthwhile.
I can tell from the bite marks all over her face that she was used as a fighter dog, that she probably escaped her previous owner’s house, with no plans to return.
We set up the net to prevent her from running away again, and she goes crazy. She gives us a warning growl, and I try calming her down. She doesn't take well to the leash we wrap around her neck.
"There's a good girl," I tell her, trying to calm her down, getting her to trust me. I feel my phone vibrating inside my pocket; it's probably Andrew looking for me. I'm running late for work, but getting this poor dog the help she needs is more important than me sitting in an office. I ignore my phone and focus on calming Milo down.
After half an hour, I manage to work her into a crate, and the guys drive her off to the vet. I'll check up on her after work. I don't have any kids, but these dogs are my babies.
I walk into the office, and my face lights up at the sight of Charlotte sitting in my office. Gabriella walks past me and looks at me as if I stole her lunch. She's probably still pissed at me telling her off yesterday.
I open the glass door to my office when Andrew’s voice catches my attention. “Brody, a word.”
Shit.
“Where the hell have you been?” Andrew begins shouting.
“Sorry, sir. I got caught up this morning.”
“Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to have the intern come in before you? Do you even care? Brody, if you don’t get your shit together, that intern will be replacing you. Consider this a warning.” Andrew lowers his gaze down on her keyboard again. “You may leave.”
“Dickhead,” I mutter under my breath as I walk out of his office.
“Nice of you to join,” Charlotte remarks as I step into the office. From the grin on her face, I can tell she’s joking. I wonder if she’s as happy to see me as I am to see her?
“Oh, it sounds like someone missed me?”
“You are so full of yourself, Brody.”
I drop my laptop bag and find a seat in front of her. God, this woman is beautiful. I could get used to seeing her beautiful face every fucking day.
Charlotte flicks a pencil between her fingers and her grin broadens. “Did you shit yourself?”
“Huh?” I look down at the brown stain on my white shirt. “Oh, no. That’s mud.”
She stares at me curiously.
“Long story. Anyway, how far are we with the proposal.”
Charlotte gives me a warm smile and pulls out a pile of printed papers from her file. “I’ve done some research on Milestone productions. I’ve gone through their social media accounts. From what I can tell…”
Her voice drowns out in my head. All I can focus on is the image of perfection in front of me. How is it possible that a woman can look this fucking good? From the long blonde hair that rests on her perfectly plump breasts, to the full lips that move seductively when she speaks.
Hell, I have no fucking idea how I’m going to hold professional boundaries with Charlotte.
“Are you even listening to me?” Charlotte snaps. I refocus my attention and gaze into her eyes. “Yes. Of course. Research, social media… and all that.”
She continues speaking when I cut her off.
“Do you maybe, want to grab some lunch?”
She pauses, studying my face curiously. “Sure, we can do lunch.”
“Great. My treat.”
“On the condition that we discuss this proposal. We need to knock this out of the park.”
“We can do whatever you say, beautiful. All I care about is being with you.”
Charlotte struggles to fight back the redness that spreads across her cheeks. “You realize you cannot flirt with employees, right?”
I bite on my lower lip and lean in closer. “You realize I hate playing by the rules, right?”
Chapter Four
Charlotte
It’s been a week since I first started at Reputation and my life could not get any better. By next week, I will have received my first paycheck—my first taste of freedom.
“Buckle up, beautiful,” Brody tells me, “you’re in for a bumpy ride.”
I’ve grown used to his constant flirting. If anything, it’s starting to grow on me. I've never had a man dish so many compliments at me, and unlike other men I've met, I can tell he means every word. He notices the smallest of things, like the color of the dress I wore last Tuesday, or when I just did my nails. Not only does he notice the little things about my appearance, but, in his own way, Brody cares about me. He’s the first to remind me that I have not eaten in six hours and brings me lunch, or that he doesn’t want me dying of dehydration and brings me a glass of water with cut up cucumber slices.
I had no intention of ever seeing the man after Sarah’s wedding, but the universe sure has a funny way of telling me to let loose and live a little.
I’ve seen his cock pressing against his pants, mostly whenever I catch him by surprise and force him up to his feet. I pretend not to notice it, but holy shit; from the small preview I’ve had, the man is packing!
“Fuck, Brody, I’m so nervous for this presentation.”
I'm in the passenger seat of his car, and we're minutes away from the studio.
He places his hand on my thigh and c
arefully turns his head, searching for my approval. His face immediately relaxes once he discovers I’m not stopping him either. He smiles. God, that damn smile always gets me. When those dimples deepen, the man could say or do anything to me, and I’d probably let him. Shit, I think a part of me even wants him to touch me, to move his hand higher up my thigh.
“You’ve got this, Charlotte. I’ve tried bagging this client for years, but if there’s one person that can win them over, it’s you.”
I look away to hide the heat spreading across my cheeks. By my winking eyelids and the massive grin on my face, Brody has me blushing like some silly teenager obsessed with her high school crush.
“If it helps, I’ll stand in for you. Perhaps, you can present next—”
“No!” I cut him off. “We agreed that I would handle this presentation. Besides, this is my chance to prove I have what it takes to make it in the corporate world.” As much as I like Brody willing to stand in for me, I don’t need him fighting my battles. I’m perfectly capable of looking after myself. Besides, I need to prove myself.
Brody hands me a folded piece of paper.
“What’s this?”
“That’s in case you find yourself nervous and need a reminder of the important points.”
“Thanks. This might come in handy.”
A group of execs sit around a large boardroom table. None of them look particularly interested in hearing what I have to offer.
I stand at the head of the table, and Brody takes a seat next to me. He gives me an encouraging wink.
“Um, hi,” I mumble nervously. I open Brody’s notes and begin reading from the top.
“I bet you’re all wondering how we, at Reputation, can help Milestone Production claim back the number one spot in Canadian television?” Judging from the silence and their flat faces, I doubt any of them have ever wondered that.
