by Ashley Blake
“I was really looking forward to us getting a place together, Eva. Come on, it will be so much fun.”
“I know it would be fun but you have had the experience of having your own place and I think I want to have that same experience for a while. Maybe we can get a place together in a year.”
“Okay, I can understand that and if you can afford your own place you should get your own place.” Her eyes suddenly lit up and I knew she was coming up with one of her crazy ideas. “We should get apartments in the same building!”
I thought about that for a second and it actually was not a bad idea. I would love to have my best friend in the same building. We could see each other all the time without having to compromise anything. It was the perfect idea.
“Oh my gosh, Carrie, you are a genius. That will be so fun! Let’s start looking for places this weekend.”
Before I went to bed that night I picked out what I was going to wear on my date with Mark the next night. I was in such a good mood as I chose a red dress and strappy heels, and I finally felt like everything was falling into place for me. I had the dream job, the dream guy, and soon would have the dream apartment. I couldn’t imagine how anything could go wrong.
The next morning I got a call around 7:00, which I found strange because no one ever called me that early. I was still in a bit of a sleepy fog as I said hello and was caught off guard by the voice on the other end.
“Eva.”
That familiar, deep, sexy voice made me freeze in place and my heart began to hammer against my chest. How did he get my number?
“Hi Mark. How did you get my number?” I blurted out the question without thinking.
“My assistant. I’m sorry to call so early.”
“That’s okay. What’s going on?”
“I’m going to have to cancel our plans tonight because I have to go out of town on business. I got a call about a problem that just can’t wait so I will be gone for a couple of weeks. Can we reschedule when I get back?”
I had a sinking feeling that he was blowing me off.
“Um, sure.”
“You sound hesitant, Eva. I can’t go into specifics right now because we are getting ready to take off but I do want to see you again. I will call you when I get back into town, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Talk to you soon.”
We said goodbye and I sat there trying to figure out if he was telling me the truth. A couple of weeks was going to be a long time to go without seeing him but at least I had my new job to focus on and help me not spend every second thinking about Mark. I couldn’t fall back to sleep so I busied myself working on my portfolio and preparing new ideas to bring with me on the first day of my new job.
The next two weeks passed slowly and I was hoping I would get, at the very least, an email from Mark during that time, but I didn’t hear a peep from him. The closer it got to my start date, the further Mark Rogers was from my mind and I started to accept that he had blown me off.
At least I didn’t invest too much time in him. I told myself that to make myself feel better about being blown off and it almost worked. I did my best to push him completely out of my mind and I was happy when the first day of my new job finally rolled around.
I was up extra early that morning with first day jitters coursing through my veins. I arrived at the office 30 minutes early and Ms. Stevens’ assistant met me in the waiting area.
“Eva?”
I stood up and smiled at her.
“Yes.”
“Hi, I’m Kelly, Ms. Stevens’ assistant, and I will show you to your office.”
“Office?” I didn’t even know I had said it out loud.
“Yes, it’s right this way.” She was a little bit cold but I didn’t think anything of it.
Each step was filled with more excitement than the previous step as the reality of what was happening settled over me. I had my own office and a real job with a major company. Life was feeling really great in that moment. My office wasn’t some huge ornate space, but it was mine, I had a window, and that was more than I thought I would have.
Kelly showed me around the office and introduced me to a few people and then she walked me back to my office. I thought we were done but she stood next to my desk and gave me a serious look.
“Eva, you have been given an incredible opportunity and I would like to offer you some advice.”
Her tone surprised me and I felt myself getting defensive.
“Okay.”
“Mr. Locke is very demanding and expects his assistant to be at his beck and call. Anything he needs, you will get for him right away. His needs come before anyone else’s. If you keep him happy, the whole office is happy and that is the goal at Locke Designs.”
What in the hell was she talking about?
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Mr. Locke’s assistant? I applied for the design assistant position.”
“Yes, and that is what you are. This is Locke Designs, Mr. Locke owns the company, and you will be his assistant.” She didn’t even give me a chance to respond. “Follow me.”
I followed her over to the bookshelf against the wall and she pressed a button inside the shelf and I watched the bookshelf slide open revealing a huge office on the other side.
“This is Mr. Locke’s office and he prefers that you enter and exit his office through this door. You will spend much of your time working closely with him so don’t be surprised if you find yourself spending almost all of your time by his side. Any questions?”
Hell yes, I had questions but I wasn’t going to ask the bitchy robot standing in front of me! I gave her a saccharine-filled smile.
“No, thank you.”
“Okay, great. Check your schedule, you have a meeting at 10:00 in conference room D.”
With that, she spun on her heel and walked out of my office.
What crawled up her butt? I had to push her out of my mind because I was confused about my position. When I interviewed with Ms. Stevens she never mentioned that I was going to be the assistant to the boss. I thought I was going to assist a senior designer and have a chance to really learn something. I didn’t know I’d be a glorified secretary and I don’t think I would have taken the position if I had known that’s what it really was. I walked down to her office to get some clarity.
“Ms. Stevens? Do you have a minute?”
“Of course Eva, come on in. How can I help you?”
“Kelly just told me that I am going to be Mr. Locke’s assistant. I was under the impression that this position was for a design assistant. I thought I was told I would be assisting a senior designer. I didn’t know that I was going to be the executive assistant to the boss.”
She was clearly surprised by my question and she asked me to close her door and have a seat.
“Eva, the position with Mr. Locke is the most coveted position in this firm when you are just starting out. No one can teach you more about interior design than the creator of the firm, Diane Locke. You won’t be learning from Mr. Locke, you will be learning from his mother, Diane. While you won’t be working directly with her, you will be learning everything from her through other senior designers here. I don’t know if you know this, but Mrs. Locke semi-retired from the business a few years ago and gave the responsibility of keeping the company going to her son, Christian. Mr. Locke runs several businesses around the world under the Locke Industries umbrella, and interior design is not one of his interests. However, he always makes sure Locke Designs is thriving because it is his mother’s greatest love, aside from her family, of course. Diane still runs things behind the scenes. Although she rarely comes into the office, Mrs. Locke does attend all major company meetings through video conferencing. So while Kelly may have painted this as a secretarial position, it is far from that. You have been given an extraordinary opportunity, Eva. I have faith that you will do very well here.”
After hearing that I was overcome with excitement. I was going to be working with Diane Loc
ke! She had won several design awards and had been featured in several design magazines. Diane Locke was easily my interior design idol. I had read that she had retired and I had no idea she was still involved with the company. I never expected that I would actually meet her, let alone work with her! My first day had already been full of surprises and it wasn’t even 9:30.
“I don’t know what to say. I am so honored that I will be working with Diane Locke. Can I ask one thing?”
“Of course.”
“Why wasn’t I told this during my interview? The job description paints this as an assistant to a designer.”
“Yes. You will be the assistant to the designer.”
“I know but…”
She cut me off. “I know what you mean. The Lockes are very discreet and no one knows that Mrs. Locke is still running things because she values her privacy. Her life was very public for many years and she tired of the constant grappling for her attention. When the paparazzi became popular a few years ago she wanted out of the spotlight. She didn’t want to give up what she loved, so she does it behind the scenes. Mr. Locke is involved peripherally and you will spend a lot of time with him in person, or on the phone or through video chat when he is traveling. Does all of this still sound good?”
Did it sound good? Um, yes! “It sounds amazing, Ms. Stevens, and I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity.”
“Wonderful.” She glanced at her watch. “You should go to your office and grab your tablet. The meeting is starting in a few minutes.”
When I walked into the conference room there were at least 10 other people there and for a minute I thought I was late, but another 10 people shuffled in after me a few minutes later. I glanced around at everyone, feeling nervous and a little out of place in my off brand suit, and I noticed that they all had two things in common. Everyone was extremely attractive and they were impeccably dressed. A super friendly guy who was perfectly dressed in what looked like a designer suit and expensive shoes, grabbed the empty chair next to me. He gave me a quick once over and big smile.
“You’re new.”
That made me giggle.
“Yes, I am. I’m Eva.” I held out my hand and he shook it, his eyes taking all of me in.
“Yes you are, sweetie. I’m Evan, designer extraordinaire.” He waved his hand in the air for effect.
He was fabulous. “It’s nice to meet you, Evan. Hey, how long do these meeting usually last?”
“It depends. Mr. Locke can do anywhere from 5 minutes to over an hour. One thing is for sure, the meetings are always full of great information.”
“Oh, I didn’t know Mr. Locke would be here.”
He looked at me like I was crazy. “He’s at all of these meetings. You haven’t met him yet, have you?”
“No, do you have some inside info I need to know?”
“Just do what he asks and you’ll be fine. What is your position here anyway?”
“I am Mr. Locke’s assistant.”
His eyes grew as big as saucers and he looked like he had just gotten the best piece of gossip in the entire world. He leaned over and whispered in my ear.
“Oh honey, you’re in for a wild ride!”
Just as I was going to ask what he meant by that the room fell silent as someone entered the room.
“Sorry to keep you all waiting.”
Wait a second. I literally froze in place as that deep, sexy voice washed over the room. I know that voice, but there is no way…it can’t be…
I looked up and standing at the head of the table was gorgeous, mysterious Mark Rogers. What the…? I was completely confused.
Ms. Stevens spoke up first.
“Mr. Locke, the new ad campaign is finalized and waiting for your approval.”
I swiftly turned my head and stared at Mark and then back at Ms. Stevens. Did she just call him Mr. Locke?
I looked at Mark as his eyes scanned the room seemingly looking for someone and then his eyes landed on me. I saw that familiar twinkle and my cheeks burned with fire as he uttered his next words.
“That sounds great. Ms. Stevens, it looks like we have a new employee so before we go any further, introductions are in order.”
She looked over at me and smiled. “Of course, my apologies. Everyone, I would like for you to meet Eva Steele, she is Mr. Locke’s new assistant. Eva is a recent college graduate and comes to us from The Braeburn Boutique. She was responsible for designing all of the display windows and has a beautiful eye for design. We are very excited to have her come on board and join us.”
Mark looked at me and I was pretty sure I looked like a deer caught in headlights as he smiled at me.
“Welcome Ms. Steele.”
The meeting continued and I don’t think I heard one thing anyone said after that. Mark had lied to me. But why? I didn’t get it. Before I knew it Evan was nudging me asking me if I was okay.
“Yes, just a bit overwhelmed.”
“I’m sure you are sweetie. Most women have your reaction when they see my cousin for the first time. Everyone in this city is trying to land him.” He gathered his things as the meeting ended and glanced over at me. “Let’s grab lunch later, say around 1:00? I’ll give you the inside scoop on everyone here.”
Wait, did he say his cousin? I gave him a half-hearted smile trying to get my bearings. I would have to ask about the cousin thing later. Lunch sounded great.
“Okay, sounds good.”
“Great, I will swing by your office later.”
“But you don’t know where my office is.”
“Doll, everyone knows where Mr. Locke’s assistant’s office is.”
With that he gave me a smile and a wave and he was gone. I gathered my things and as I stood up I knocked my tablet on the floor. Just as I started to bend down to get it, he was there.
“Let me help you with that.” That voice…
I glanced up into Mark’s beautiful blue eyes and could barely breathe. I quickly glanced around afraid that everyone could see that I had feelings for him and was relieved to see that we were alone. I stood up and my lust for him quickly turned to anger. My hand instinctively went to my hip as I gave him a cool stare.
“Mark…Rogers…I am waiting for you to explain.”
He turned with his backside leaning against the wall, his arms crossed across his taut chest and I saw a small flash of fire fly across his eyes.
“Do not speak to me like that!”
His firm tone caught me by surprise and I was left speechless. He must have seen the look on my face because he softened his approach.
“Eva, if I had told you who I really am I would never have known if you liked me for me. My name is Christian Locke, which you already know by now. I was planning to tell you everything when I got back in town, but I just landed a little over an hour ago. When I found out you were starting today I figured I would just see you here and explain everything in person. I didn’t mean to lie to you, but I have been burned before so I am very cautious about who I let in.”
I looked up at him, my eyes searching his. “But I have seen you three different times and you had plenty of time to come clean. You lied to me over and over. Christian, I am really not interested in playing games. This job is a dream come true for me and I want to do really well here so let’s just keep things professional. I think that is the best for us going forward.” I was pissed and sad at the same time. I had been played.
I stood there facing him, my tablet in my hand and I started to leave when he blocked my path. I could barely breathe as he closed the gap of space between us. The close proximity of his body to mine made my mouth go dry and the thought of his touch was almost too much to bear. I sucked in air as his face nearly touched mine, and his hands rested on my hips as his sparkling blue eyes held mine. I could barely think and in that moment all I wanted was to feel his hands all over my body. No, no, no! I was not going to be sucked in by a liar!
“Just professional going forward? No, that is not going to
happen.” He slid his fingers along my collarbone and then gently stroked my cheek. “I want you, Eva. I have wanted you since the first night I met you and I told you then that you were going to be mine. I haven’t changed my mind on that. I told you why I couldn’t say who I was at first and I apologize for that.” He gently held my face in his hands, his eyes searching mine. “I will never lie to you again.”
I didn’t know what to say to that so I didn’t say anything. How was I supposed to be able to concentrate at work knowing that I would be working so closely with the one man I couldn’t get out of my head? The one man I didn’t want to stop thinking about. I looked up at him hoping to find answers in his eyes but I could see that he had already switched to work mode.
