by Lola Gabriel
Grayson was in front of the crowd on a microphone giving the details of how much money they had raised. The pause in the music was a welcome break. Sarah linked arms with Tanya as they walked to the bar to get some water. Tanya realized how much her feet hurt. She wasn’t used to dancing all night or wearing stilettos, and the combination made her wish she had chosen more comfortable shoes.
The music started back up, and Tanya told Sarah she was going to sit out for a few songs to reenergize and give her feet a rest. Although Sarah was disappointed, she didn’t wait around for Tanya to change her mind.
A few barstools were empty, so Tanya sat down with a sigh of relief. She planned on soaking her feet in ice as soon as she arrived home. She ordered a vodka soda and downed it within seconds. Just as she started to relax, a man sat down next to her.
“I saw you dancing out there and couldn’t wait to get a moment alone with you.”
Tanya looked over to see who was speaking to her. He was young, not much older than thirty, with blonde hair, tan skin and eyes as blue as the Bahamian water. The man was nice to look at, but Tanya was exhausted and the scent of hard liquor on his breath was a huge turnoff.
The man continued talking when Tanya didn’t respond, “What’s your name?”
Not wanting to be rude, she answered, “Tanya.”
The man moved closer to her, and instinctively Tanya moved her body away from him.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked.
Tanya could tell he was drunk by his slow, graceless movements and slurred speech.
“Thank you, but no. I think I’m done dancing for the night.”
The man wouldn’t take no for an answer. He placed his hand on her knee, and Tanya immediately slapped it off. She tried to stand up, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the chair. He wouldn’t release his grip.
“Let me go!” demanded Tanya.
“Just have a drink with me,” said the man. “There’s no harm in just one drink.”
Tanya tried to maneuver her arm out of his grip, but his fingers tightened, making Tanya wince in pain.
Suddenly, the man released his grip as Tanya looked over to see Andrew pulling the man off of the barstool.
“I think it’s time you leave,” shouted Andrew. “And keep your hands off her.”
The man looked terrified. “Andrew, I didn’t know she was yours. I am so sorry.”
“She’s not mine. She’s…my employee—” said Andrew, stumbling over his words.
Even though his statement was true, Andrew’s words made Tanya uncomfortable. He was protecting her because she was one of his assets, not because he cared.
The blond man scurried off.
“Are you all right?” asked Andrew, with concern in his voice.
“Yes. I’m fine. Thank you, Mr. Greene.”
Andrew’s posture stiffened. “I think you should go home.”
The vodka soda was staring to kick in, giving Tanya liquid courage. “You think I should go home? Are you my father?”
“Your father? No. But you’re new to this city, and it’s obvious you’re not suited for these types of events.” All concern in Andrew’s voice had dissipated.
“Not suited for these types of events? What do you mean by that? Do you think I’m not good enough to be here? I am not good enough to mingle in the same circles with you?” With that, Tanya stormed off in search of her sister. The night was over.
4
Monday morning came quickly and Tanya dreaded the thought of facing Andrew. What would she say to him? Could they just pretend nothing had happened?
She was one of the first to arrive in the office, and she skipped going to the breakroom for coffee to avoid the possibility of running into Andrew. While immersed in reading an email, her door flung open. She expected to see Andrew, but instead, her boss, Rebecca, stormed into the office.
“Well, well. It looks like you have found your place in New York’s society,” said Rebecca, without even greeting Tanya.
Rebecca slammed a copy of Top Gossip down on Tanya’s desk. Tanya’s eyes quickly scanned the cover of the magazine to see what had upset her boss so much. The headline read, Andrew Greene Chases After His New Love Interest. The picture showed Tanya leaving the fundraiser with her sister, Sarah. Andrew looked as if he was chasing her, trying to get her attention.
I can’t believe he came after me, thought Tanya.
“Well, what do you have to say for yourself? When I hired you, I didn’t expect you to try to sleep your way to the top. Is that why Andrew put you in charge of the Isabelle project? I want to remind you that I am still your boss,” demanded Rebecca.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Rebecca. I went to a fundraiser last night with my sister. Andrew happened to be there. Nothing happened,” said Tanya.
“Sarah Palmer is your sister?” asked Veronica.
“Why is everyone so shocked that Sarah’s my sister? We have the same last name. Yes, Sarah is my sister. She gets invited to events I could never get into, and last night I happened to tag along.”
Rebecca’s demeanor changed and she took a seat across from Tanya. “Well, you do know what this means, right? You can keep an eye on Andrew at events like these to keep his name out of the headlines.”
“You mean you want me to spy on the CEO of the company that that employs me? Thank you, but no. Besides, those types of events aren’t really my thing. They’re fun once in a while, but I definitely don’t want to be part of that lifestyle.”
Rebecca answered, “You work in the public relations field and you have access to the most exclusive events in New York. You will go, and you will like it. Andrew never networks at the events because he’s too busy chasing women. As your boss, I’m telling you this is part of your job. I expect a report each week.”
Rebecca left without giving Tanya a chance to respond. She’s demanding me to use my sister’s social connections and then she wants to keep tabs on my social life. Is that even legal? Why did I let Sarah persuade me to go out? What a mess!
The door opened again, and Tanya had already thought of a really good rebuttal for Rebecca, but it wasn’t her boss. It was Andrew.
“Good morning, Tanya.”
“Good morning, Mr. Greene.”
“Did you see the headlines from Top Gossip this morning?”
“Yes. Rebecca was just in here.”
Andrew rolled his eyes. “Great. Now I have to deal with her, too. What did you say to her?”
“I just said we happened to be at the same fundraiser,” answered Tanya.
“All right. I think the best way to handle this one is to say nothing. Because nothing happened, right?”
“Yes. Nothing happened.” So, I am just going to pretend like you didn’t rescue me and then tell me I wasn’t good enough to be there?
“I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
“Yes, Mr. Greene.”
Andrew left her office. Tanya went to the breakroom to grab the much-needed cup of coffee. Throughout the day, she saw her fellow employees pointing and whispering. Obviously, they had seen the headlines, too.
Thad burst in her office to get the details. He was the only one who actually confronted her and asked what had happened, but he wasn’t satisfied when Tanya had nothing to tell him.
“You do know you’ve made an enemy out of Veronica now, right?”
“It’s not my fault that her fling with Andrew didn’t work out. And, it certainly isn’t my fault that I just happened to be at the same event with Mr. Greene. Nothing happened between us. In fact, we hardly spoke to each other!”
Thad said, “And since Veronica oversees damage control for this company, she’s the one who has to deal with this.”
“Ugh! Why is this happening to me?” Tanya took a deep breath and then asked, “Do you think I should go talk to her?”
“Not if you want to keep the peace around here. She’s not going to listen to what you have to say,” Thad sa
id, putting on a façade that he cared, but Tanya could tell he was secretly relishing in the drama.
“Fine. But if you talk to her, tell her nothing happened.” Tanya grabbed her computer and rushed out of her office door. “I have to get to the Isabelle Manning meeting.”
The meetings regarding the Isabelle Manning case went ahead as planned, but few decisions were made. Nobody mentioned Andrew’s new scandal that involved Tanya. Andrew cut Tanya off on several occasions, and she felt like he would always hate her. Going to that fundraiser had just made her relationship with him worse. As soon as everyone left for the night, Andrew called Tanya into his office. He didn’t seem impressed with the results of the day’s meeting, and as a result, she was pulled into another late night.
Looking at her phone, she rubbed her eyes and arched her back.
“Mr. Greene, it’s after seven, and I skipped lunch. Would you like for me to—”
“Come on, we can finish this meeting up at my favorite Italian place. I’m hungry, too,” Andrew replied, standing up from the conference table in his office.
Tanya felt her hands go clammy at the thought of eating dinner with her boss. She had planned to order from the Chinese restaurant on the corner. She knew from experience they’d deliver.
Her hesitation caused him to question his decision. “What? You don’t like Italian food?”
“Uh, yeah, sure.”
“If you want to grab a bite somewhere else, that’s all right, too.”
“No, the Italian place is perfect. Let me grab my coat and purse, and I’ll meet you at the elevators.”
She straightened her pencil skirt with slits on both sides and wiggled her way to her office. When she arrived back at the elevators, Andrew was waiting and holding the elevator door for her.
“Are we walking?” asked Tanya. She hoped not—she still had blisters on her feet from hours of dancing over the weekend.
“No. My driver is waiting.”
During the drive to the restaurant, Tanya attempted to make small talk with Andrew, but he consistently ignored her in favor of his phone. When he wasn’t checking emails or texting, he was answering phone calls.
Tanya rolled her eyes, wondering what it would take to get his attention. She wasn’t certain she knew at what point she had wanted his attention on her, but for some reason she longed for his approval. The only thing she knew was the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to know about him. Being cooped up in the back seat of the black Range Rover with him wasn’t helping that feeling.
The cinnamon, woodsy scent of his cologne teased her nose, causing her to want to sit closer to him. She thought about how Sarah would act if she were in this situation. Tanya crossed her legs, allowing the side slit to fall open exposing her upper thigh. Loosening her ponytail holder, she ran her fingers through her hair, before shaking it loose. Finally, she ran her hand over the front of her neck, causing her blouse to open a little, exposing more cleavage.
Still talking on the phone, she saw his eyes glance down her blouse, before he scooted a little further from her and closer to the window.
Oh my god, what am I doing? Refusing to embarrass herself further, she sat back and gave up on trying to get his attention. Tanya stared out the window.
At first, dinner was business focused, but after a glass of wine, Andrew’s stoic attitude softened. He began asking her questions and sharing stories about himself. It was the first time Tanya saw another side of her boss. He was witty and intelligent and carried thought-provoking conversations about life in general. Tanya was thoroughly enjoying dinner, until an unexpected visitor came by the table.
“Andrew! I’ve been waiting for your call. Now I see why I haven’t heard from you,” a buxom blonde frowned, placing her hand on his shoulder, tossing a dismissive glance Tanya’s way.
Another blonde stood a few feet away, looking into a compact mirror.
“Lexie, it’s Andrew!” she giggled.
Lexie waved her fingers at Andrew before blowing a kiss.
Tanya’s chest tightened, and she looked for an opportunity to leave, but she didn’t think it would be wise to just leave her boss in the middle of their meal.
Andrew addressed the woman, “Tiffany, I’ve been in and out of town. You know I haven’t forgotten the two of you.”
The blonde leaned forward and whispered something in his ear, causing a devious smile to appear on Andrew’s face.
“Is that a promise?” he asked, biting his lower lip and gazing at the woman with lust-filled eyes.
Tanya felt a spark of jealousy rise up, and she wished he would just once look at her the way he looked at Tiffany. Instead, she cleared her throat and took a sip of her water.
“Would I lie to you?” the woman asked, licking her lips. She had drawn so close to Andrew, she was almost sitting on his lap.
His eyes never met her face, as he continued to stare at her cleavage. “No, I can’t say you would. You definitely keep your promises.”
“You want to swing by? You don’t have to call. I’ll be waiting up for you,” said Tiffany in a seductive voice. She glanced back at Tanya and gave her a wicked smile, as if to let Tanya know that she won.
“I tell you what, I’ll call you when I’m free.”
“Aww,” she pouted like a child. “Well, I promise you won’t regret it,” she giggled.
“I’ll hold you to it,” Andrew replied.
“Aren’t you going to walk me out? I’ve got something I want to show you,” Tiffany invited, licking her lips.
“I’ll be right back,” Andrew stated, turning his attention back to Tanya.
Tiffany tossed one more mischievous glance at Tanya, before jiggling out of the restaurant to catch up to Lexie. Andrew followed them out, not having a second thought about leaving Tanya alone.
On second thought, maybe, I don’t want his attention if that’s how he’d treat me, Tanya thought. I should have just left when that woman came to the table.
She watched out the window, as he hailed a cab for the two women. As they waited for the cab to make its way towards them, she saw Tiffany, pushing herself against Andrew in a provocative manner.
He bent down to kiss her on the side of her neck, before whispering something that made her whip her head back and laugh hysterically. As the cab slowed down, she kissed him on the lips, before turning to climb inside.
Tanya released a breath of disgust at his next action.
While Tiffany’s back was turned, Andrew grabbed a handful of Lexie’s behind, squeezing, before kissing her quickly. By the time Tiffany was settled into her seat, it was all over, and Lexie was climbing in. She winked conspiratorially at Andrew, as Tiffany leaned forward to give directions to the cabbie, Tanya presumed.
Andrew walked back inside.
“Girlfriend?”
“Excuse me?” Andrew asked, returning to his seat.
“Was that your girlfriend?” Tanya repeated boldly, pointing out the restaurant’s front window.
A scowl came over his face, before he shook his head and resumed eating. “Mind your business, and do your job,” Andrew growled, setting his fork down.
“Is it something I’ve done?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” He continued to stare at the food on his plate, leaving her feeling uneasy. She suddenly wished she were anywhere but there.
A part of her felt as if there was more to Andrew than the eye could see. It was as if he wanted this bad boy reputation to keep everyone away. Tanya had caught a glimpse of a very different person, but she perceived he didn’t want others to see the man behind the mask. Unfortunately, he had allowed her to sneak a peek of that persona, and now he wanted to push her away.
“You’re nice to everyone except me. For some reason, you always find a reason to be rude or dismissive towards me. I don’t know if it was the incident in the elevator on my first day, or the coffee spill, or when you rescued me, but you seem determined not to like me,” she huffed. “Then, you
basically told me that I am not suited for the types of events you attend, as if you’re better than me.”
Andrew sat his fork on the table beside his plate, and continued chewing carefully and slowly, never removing his eyes from her face.
“Is that what you think?” he asked, when he had finished.
“That’s how you make me feel.”
Andrew pulled out his credit card and placed it in the folder the waiter had surreptitiously placed at the table.
“Look, someone like you doesn’t belong in my world. Don’t try to push into it.”
He really does feel like I am beneath him! Tanya felt more self-conscious than ever.
He spoke in a softer tone. “Look, it’s not that I don’t think you’re good enough. You have potential to do great things, and I would hate to see that potential go to waste. People aren’t always kind in my world.”
“Excuse me?” she wished she had never opened her mouth and blurted the truth.
Andrew casually tossed his arm over the back of his chair and eyed her closely. “Where do you see yourself five years from now, Tanya?”
Realizing he was waiting on her answer, she finally spoke up. “Okay, I would like to be a training and development manager. I think it’s important to invest in a company’s greatest resource, which is our human capital. I’d like to oversee initiatives that develop the company’s talent to—”
Andrew held his hand up to stop her mid-explanation, just as the waiter picked up the bill folder and walked away.
“Who do you want to be? As a person, I mean.”
She blinked rapidly a few times and thought deeply. “I…I…I’m not really sure. I just want people to respect me. I want to be surrounded by friends and family. I really want to make a difference in the lives of the people I know and those I don’t know. This might sound silly, but I’ve always been a giver, and I just want to hold onto that part of me. I want to make the world a better place.”
“Do you really believe you can accomplish that by constantly worrying about what someone else thinks of you? Do you think you can accomplish that by trying to be a part of the elite social circles? You can’t, so don’t worry about whether or not I like you. And, don’t worry about what other people think.”
