by Sky Corgan
“Sounds good to me. So, are you offering me the job?” I asked, hopeful.
Jack leaned back in his seat, a sly grin playing across that perfect face of his, as if he knew he had me right where he wanted me. “It's yours if you want it, Miss Strayer.”
“When can I start, Mister Kemble?”
“How about on Monday at eight o'clock?”
“Sounds good.”
“Well then, if you don't have any questions for me, I believe this concludes our business.”
“I can't think of anything right now.”
Jack stood, rounding his desk to walk me to the door. My body tensed as he placed a hand on the small of my back. His touch sent an electric current through me, though I couldn't tell if it was from discomfort or excitement.
I bit my tongue all the way to the elevator, a nervous habit I had picked up as a child. The blonde women followed me with their eyes, probably assuming I hadn't gotten the job. Little did they know that I was now the black sheep of the group. Or the brown sheep, depending on how you looked at it.
When I got home, I waited anxiously to tell Mandy about my exciting day. She looked drained when she walked through the door after another long day of school and work.
“Guess what,” I said, bouncing lightly on our sofa as I watched Mandy cross the room to put her tote bag down.
“You got a job,” she replied, taking the fun out of it.
“Yup.”
“Dog groomers?” she asked with a disappointing lack of enthusiasm. I wrote it off to her being tired.
“Nope.”
Mandy paused. “Syngex?”
“Yup.”
“Really?” Now there was excitement in her voice. She turned to me, leaning against the table.
“I was interviewed by Mister Jack Kemble himself.” I beamed.
“You're kidding.”
“Nope. And guess what else.”
“What?”
“That guy Jim I told you about who came to my rescue when I had a flat was actually Jack Kemble in disguise.”
“Ha! I told you he was attractive.”
“I know, right. I feel like an idiot now. If I looked up his picture like you told me to, I would have known.”
“You still might not have recognized him. What are the odds of running into Jack Kemble on the street?”
“Well, I didn't actually run into him, per se.”
“True. Who'd have thought he'd come all the way downstairs just to help you change a tire? I know the man does a lot of charity work, but still.”
That was something I hadn't known about him. Maybe I should do my homework. Perhaps Jack Kembe wasn't as bad as Mandy had initially made him out to be.
“Were there a lot of blondes on his floor?” she asked.
“Yeah. It was weird. They were all blonde, and all gorgeous.”
“He'll probably want you to dye your hair blonde.”
“Ew. Why?”
“Because he likes blondes.”
“Pfft. He hired me like this; he can deal with me being a brunette.”
“He's your boss now. You can't have that attitude,” she chastised me.
“Isn't there some law against making employees change their physical appearance?”
“Not that I know of. If it's legal to enforce a dress code, then I imagine it would be legal to ask an employee to change their hair color.”
“That's just stupid,” I muttered.
“Stupid or not, you're going to have to do what he wants.”
“What if he wants to have sex?” I smirked.
Mandy shrugged. “There is a law against that. But come on, it's Jack Kemble. Who wouldn't want to sleep with him?”
I wouldn't. Not because I didn't find him attractive, but because I didn't want to be a notch on his bedpost. For all that I knew, the girls in his office were named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and so on. Being a sex vending machine for my boss didn't sound appealing at all. I would have to find some way to avoid it, if it ever came to that.
“I'll worry about that when it happens,” I said.
“I want details when it does.”
My eyes rolled involuntarily. It wasn't something I felt like discussing any further. “There are more important things to talk about.”
“Like what?”
“Like if you're going to let me stay now. The job pays nine dollars per hour, and I'll get a raise to eleven dollars in three months. That's more than enough to cover my share of rent.”
Her face sulked back into a serious expression. “When's your first paycheck?”
“I don't know. I forgot to ask.”
She thought for a moment. “Well, I could pay your half this time around, but you'd have to promise to pay me back. I'd be pulling out of my savings to do it.” Mandy seemed apprehensive, and I could tell she didn't believe she'd ever see the money again.
“I'd really appreciate it. I promise I won't screw this up.”
“Please, don't make me regret this.”
The weekend went by rather quickly. With each passing day, my excitement for starting the new job waned, turning to dread. On Sunday night, my mind swam with everything that could possibly go wrong. What if I hated the job? What if Jack Kemble tried to force himself on me? What if I refused? What if I didn't get along with the blonde girls? What if they were all bitches? So many what ifs filling me with a negative perspective of the day to come. I just knew I would screw this up as I had every other job before—just knew it.
The next morning, I showed up at Syngex promptly at eight o'clock ready to start my day. It was strange working in an office instead of a restaurant. Everyone looked so stuffy and professional that I felt out of place. One thing was certain. With my first paycheck, I'd definitely need to expand my wardrobe. Currently, I only had two business outfits. The rest were all casual attire. Hopefully, Jack wouldn't notice if I wore the same thing every other day for a while. It was an embarrassing thing to have to do, but it couldn't be helped.
When I arrived on the seventy-ninth floor, I was greeted by the blonde who had directed me into Jack's office for my interview. She gave me a fake smile as she looked me up and down, assessing me while she spoke. “Good morning. My name is Ulga, and I'll be showing you your more basic job duties. You can start by getting Mister Kemble his coffee. His tastes change from time to time, but lately he's been stuck on the large caramel macchiato from Third Rail Coffee down the street. I'm sure you're familiar with the location.”
The way she suggested I was familiar with the location of the coffee shop put a bad taste in my mouth. There was something condescending about the way she spoke to me, and I could tell we would not be best friends. Hopefully, the other blondes were more pleasant.
Ulga gave me a ten-dollar bill and sent me on my way. Of course, Jack Kemble couldn't be simple enough to take a coffee from the coffee maker upstairs. He had me hiking down the street in high heels, ensuring I would come back perspiring and unkempt. If this was what I had to look forward to, then I wouldn't last a week.
When I returned with the coffee, I bypassed Ulga and went straight into Mister Kemble's office. It wasn't even eight-thirty in the morning, and I was already sweaty and tired. He gave me a warm smile, smoothing down the front of his vest before reaching out to take the coffee.
“Good morning, Miss Strayer,” Jack greeted me.
“Good morning, Mister Kemble.” I gave him my best phoney smile.
After handing Jack his cup of coffee, I turned to take my leave. I had barely reached the door when he tried to get my attention. “Miss Strayer.”
“Hm.” I looked at him, awaiting my next menial assignment.
“You forgot the espresso.”
My jaw clenched. That bitch Ulga hadn't mentioned anything about a shot of espresso. Then again, I suppose I should have remembered from the time we went for coffee together.
“Would you like me to go back downstairs and get you one?” I asked, knowing that I'd realistically be goin
g to get in my car and leave. If Jack was willing to send me out again just for a shot of espresso, then he was every bit of a jerk as I had suspected.
“No. Just try to remember tomorrow,” he replied before returning his attention to some papers on his desk, a good indication I had been dismissed.
As soon as I left Jack's office, I walked over to Ulga's desk and waited for her to get off the phone before saying, “You forgot to tell me he took a shot of espresso in his coffee.”
“Did I? I'm sorry,” her voice sounded sincere, but I couldn't tell if it really was or not. After a few minutes of standing there while she finished up her work, Ulga showed me to my desk. I would stick out like a sore thumb amidst the sea of blondes. Maybe I should dye my hair after all.
The rest of the day was a lot less stressful than the first fifteen minutes. Ulga had me stuff envelopes until lunch. At lunch, I sat at my desk while everyone else went out. It felt strange to be so isolated, but I dealt with it well enough. These girls definitely weren't very welcoming. After lunch, I shadowed Ulga while she answered phones and scheduled meetings for Jack. Apparently, this would be more in line with what I'd actually be doing. We made reservations at several fancy restaurants for Jack and his colleagues, as well as booked a hotel suite for an upcoming business trip he had planned. Ulga told me I'd be going with Mister Kemble if I stuck around long enough. I noticed that only one suite was booked, not two, but I didn't question it.
That night when I got home, Mandy seemed enthusiastic toward asking me how my day had gone. I did my best to stay positive. After all, giving any hint of my discontent would put fear in her that I would go back on my word. To be honest, I still wasn't sure how I felt about the job.
“The blonde squad didn't seem too welcoming,” I admitted.
“They'll warm up to you. Just give them time,” Mandy assured me.
“I hope you're right. They didn't even invite me out to lunch with them, which I thought was strange.”
She shrugged. “Maybe they're jealous.”
“Of what?” I laughed.
“That you're going to be spending more time with Jack Kemble than they are.”
I hadn't really thought of that before. “There's nothing to be jealous of. Nothing is going to happen between us.”
“How do you know?” She smirked.
“Because I don't plan on being a slutty butt with him.”
“If you say so.”
“I do say so,” I insisted. “What, you don't think I can resist Mister Jack Kemble's charm?”
Mandy gave me a sardonic look. “It's Jack Kemble. He's a panty melter. No, I don't think you'll be able to resist him, if that's what he's after.”
Now it was a personal challenge. “We shall see.”
*** The next part of this series is scheduled to be released on 06/24/2013, but may be released sooner. To find out then moment the next part of this story is released, please sign up for the newsletter. ***
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Want to learn more about Jack Kemble while you're waiting for the next part of the story to be released? Then check out his debut novel: Fifty Shades of BDSM Trilogy
Bonus Excerpt from
Fifty Shades of BDSM Trilogy
It was one of the saddest yet happiest days of my life. In a few short hours, I would be flying to meet the man I had been promised to, young and wealthy multibillionaire Jack Kemble. He was practically a movie star—a man of every woman's dreams, with a chiseled physique and a smile that could stop you dead in your tracks.
It wasn't all happy times though. As I sat in my room, my gaze darted to all the memories on my bedroom walls, avoiding the eyes of the man in front of me. Liam and I had been best friends since kindergarten, and as the years turned us from innocent children into young adults, it had been clear that he wanted something more. Still, my arranged marriage had kept any feelings that I had for him at bay, and he had suffered through it, just content to be by my side.
Now I would have to say goodbye to him forever, and I could almost feel his heart breaking as he stared at me longingly, memorizing all of my features so that he could keep me with him like one of the photographs on the wall.
“Please reconsider, Melita. You know you don't want this,” his voice was strained, and I could hear the crisp pain in his words.
“You know that I have to do this for my family.” I let my eyes fall to my hands, and then they instinctively crossed my lap to his. His thick fingers twitched, and I couldn't help but remember all the times those same unsteady hands had held me in my moments of darkness. How would I ever survive without those strong hands to comfort me?
The tears began to flow, despite my resolve not to cry. Crying would only weaken both of us, and I didn't want to hurt him anymore than I already had.
“What if you don't love this man?” he asked.
“People don't always marry for love,” I reminded him, trying to recall the lessons my mother had taught me.
Coming from a wealthy family wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. Often times, marriages were arranged so that two families could join assets, making them both even wealthier. My parents were deeply enriched in the oil business, while Jack's family was into everything else. If our marriage went through as planned, my family would give Jack a large sum of money to expand his business to overseas markets, and my father would become CFO of Jack's corporation. It was a win/win situation for all involved.
If not for Liam, it would have been a win for me as well. What girl didn't want to marry a handsome billionaire? But the ties that bound me to Liam were strong, and there were definite secret feelings there. Leaving him would break my heart as well.
“It's time to go,” my mother said through the bedroom door.
“I'll miss you,” I told Liam, taking his hand into mine.
“If he doesn't treat you well, you come back to me. Do you understand?” his voice commanded my attention, and I allowed myself to gaze into his silvery eyes a final time. So beautiful and soothing. I would miss them too, the way they seemed to look at me with all the gentleness and affection of the world.
We embraced, and I worried he might never let me go. To be honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted him to let me go. But then my mother was at the door, opening it up and giving us both her best impatient glare.
Liam walked me out to the limo, and I watched him through the back window as we drove out of sight, and I left the life that I loved behind.
The flight to New York was grueling, despite first class accommodations. I spent the most part of it nauseous, though I couldn't tell if it was from altitude sickness or nerves. I tried to distract myself by imagining what Jack would be like, but I think that only made things worse.
He would be waiting to greet me at the airport, and hopefully he'd be considerate enough to leave the paparazzi at home. They tended to follow him around like stray dogs, looking for any juicy tidbit that they could present to their papers or news stations. From what I could tell, Jack didn't have a personal life. Every woman he went out with, every good or bad thing he did, was quickly aired across the nation like dirty laundry. It was sickening to know that my life would soon be like that simply because of my association with him.
When I stepped into the NYC airport terminal, I didn't have to scan the crowd long to realize that Jack wasn't waiting for me there. In his place, stood a large intimidating looking African American man in a suit holding up a cardboard sign with my name printed on it. Maybe it was for the best that he wasn't there in person, I thought with a sigh, a bit relieved that the butterflies in my stomach could have a rest. At least this way, I didn't have to worry about the paparazzi.
The man greeted me and escorted me through the airport. He seemed n
ice enough. Obviously, one of Jack's bodyguards.
After picking up my luggage, he led me outside to a waiting limo. Courteously, he opened the door, and I stepped inside, nearly tripping on myself as my eyes landed on Jack Kemble, sitting coolly with his legs crossed.
He leaned forward and extended a hand to guide me into my seat. “Miss Nguyen.”
“Mister Kemble. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.” I put on my best smile, trying not to blush.
It felt like sitting across from a movie star. Jack Kemble was wearing distressed jeans and a stylish t-shirt with a black dress coat. His dark disheveled hair was accented perfectly by a large pair of sunglasses, which were completely unnecessary for the dimly lit limo. After a moment of being intrigued by him, I began to realize that the whole get-up was a bit silly, as if he had gone out of his way to try to impress me. Perhaps he was just as nervous as I was.
“The pleasure is all mine.” He bent forward to kiss my hand before releasing it back to me. “I apologize for not meeting you at the terminal. I figured you would probably be exhausted coming off of your flight and wouldn't want to be bothered with the media.”
“How considerate of you.” I nodded in thanks.
“We're going to my parents' house for dinner right now. They're greatly looking forward to meeting you as well.”
“It sounds lovely.”
“Would you like some champagne?” Jack leaned towards the built in wine glass holder to take out a glass before I had even responded.
“No, thank you. My stomach is still a bit unsettled from the flight.”
He straightened himself, looking ever collected. My nerves were on fire, and I only hoped I seemed half as calm as him.
