The elevator door whooshed open to reveal Jasper Kenney.
Marly froze. Should she get in with him? Nervous energy rushed through her as she stared at him. He gave off an air of power that was distracting… and seductive. Especially in his crisp white shirt, the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, revealing muscular forearms. She noticed his large, strong hands. Her stomach did a slow, burning roll.
He cocked his eyebrow and asked "Going down?" Then stuck his hand out to stop the door from shutting.
Marly realized she'd been just standing there like an office bimbo.
"Oh, yes, sorry!" She stepped into the elevator, wanting to just crawl into a hole and disappear.
When she leaned over to press the G button on the panel, Jasper did as well. Their fingers collided, and Marly jerked hers away as if she'd been stung. Her heart raced, and she felt dizzy, although she blamed it on the lack of food all day.
Pull it together, she told herself and took a deep breath. She was alone in the elevator with the big boss. Now was as good a time as any to talk to him about the reports.
"I'm almost finished with the reports for you, Mr. Kenney. I'm just grabbing a quick bite and then planned on bringing them up to you, if that's okay?" Marly asked as the elevator rapidly approached the ground floor.
"That'll be fine, Miss West. I'm very eager to see what you've done." The elevator doors opened up, and he stretched his arm out for her to exit first.
Marly stepped out of the elevator, wondering why the fact that he had remembered her name made her feel both giddy and terrified. If she'd only kept her big mouth shut, she could have just flown under the radar. Now he knew her name, she was doing special work for him, and if the things she'd heard about him were true, one minor screwup could get her fired.
She turned around to ask him if she should contact Veronica when she was ready to bring the reports to him, as she didn't have access to his floor, and as she did, she caught him eyeing her behind.
She quickly spun her head back around. Oh my God. Was he checking her out?
She hurried away in a haze of self-consciousness, wondering if he was still looking. And why would he?
Could he be interested in her? No, that was silly. He was a hot, rich CEO and her boss's boss's boss.
Then it dawned on her—she must have sat on something. How humiliating. She probably had a big stain on her butt and he was too disgusted to tell her. This was so embarrassing. She ran into the bathroom and twisted herself around to look in the mirror, expecting to see a big stain on her butt. There was nothing there.
She looked at herself in the mirror, taking in her dark-brown hair, which was too unruly to be cut into one of the latest fashionable styles all the other girls at Draconia seemed to be wearing, her plain, boring brown eyes, and her oversized body, which practically burst out of her outfit.
Jasper Kenney was one of the most eligible bachelors in the state. Why would he be checking someone like her out?
He wouldn't. The only guys that had shown an interest in her before had turned out to be unfaithful losers. Angry thoughts of her last boyfriend, Derek, speared her heart. She'd trusted him, and he'd thrown that all away. Better off to be alone. She splashed cold water on her face and headed to the cafeteria, convincing herself that the lack of food was affecting her common sense and causing her to imagine things that just weren't there.
Jasper tried to stop the thoughts racing through his head as he watched the elevator doors slide shut. He was used to being around beautiful women. In fact, he'd dated some of the most beautiful women on the planet, but Marly West intrigued him.
He wasn't sure why. She wasn't perfectly put together like the models he favored. Her hair was unruly, her outfit outdated, and she had a bit more padding. Maybe that was what he liked about her—those bony models who were always spending hours in front of the mirror could get tedious.
And then there were her insights into the clothing line that she'd shared in the meeting. She'd shown intelligence and initiative. He liked that. But most of all she'd shown that she had the balls to speak up to him and suggest that they might have made a mistake. None of the other ass-kissing sales people ever did that. It got boring after a while when everyone yessed you to death.
It would be nice to have a professional relationship with someone that he could trust to be honest when he bounced ideas off them. And that was all it could be—a professional relationship.
Jasper had given up on any other kind of relationship. They never lasted long. Even Dianne, who had at least half a brain, had ended up being only interested in him for what he could spend on her. She'd used him and lied to him like all the others. After he'd sent her packing, he realized his appetite for women had soured. He'd taken off on a long trip after that, one that Edward had disapproved of, saying he was being irresponsible and "running away" from his troubles just as he always did. Just as he had after his mother had died.
After that, he'd stopped partying and dating and buckled down to focus on business a year ago, a decision that had gained approval from his domineering father.
It had been easy to ignore the women who'd thrown themselves at him since. He simply wasn't interested. Or when he did want female companionship, he made sure to put himself first, dating just for what he could get out of it and then discarding them when they got too clingy.
Marly's unique scent—a mixture of vanilla and lemon—remained in the elevator, and Jasper took a deep breath then collapsed into a fit of sneezing. Citrus always did that to him. Citrus or the inkling of a good idea. His mother had always said that his nose was like a barometer for ideas. Whenever he had a sneezing fit at the suggestion of an idea or a new clothing design, it was a sure sign he should not let the idea slip away.
Many years of following that advice had proven his mother right. A pang of loneliness clutched his heart at thoughts of his mom. He missed working closely with her. She'd been the one woman in his life that liked him for him and not his money or status.
Maybe the sneezing had more to do with Marly's ideas than the lemon scent that clung to her. That was a good sign that his instincts to have her work up a plan were spot on. He glanced up toward the heavens, seeking some sort of sign from his mom. Nothing came. Maybe the sneezing was sign enough in itself.
But unless he wanted to carry a box of tissues around, he'd have to remember not to get too close to Marly. He'd have to ignore the pull of those amber eyes and the way her thick mink-brown hair practically begged for him to wrap a finger around one of the silky corkscrew tendrils. No problem there—he wasn't interested, and besides, Marly was his employee. Strictly off-limits.
Not only would it be against company policy, but his father would be pissed. And when his father was pissed at him, he made Jasper's life miserable.
Thoughts of his father made his blood boil. The old man was so rigid in his ways, so controlling. Jasper always felt as if he were still five years old in his father's presence, and he hated that. His mother had always tempered that feeling when she'd been alive, but after her death, things had seemed to only get worse between Jasper and his father.
The elevator doors opened, startling him out of his daydream. He marched out, feeling as if everyone was staring at him. Which, of course, they were, but not because they knew what he was thinking. It was just par for the course when you were the CEO.
He proceeded down the hallway, nodding hello to several employees who passed him but not stopping to talk to them. He'd learned from his father that it usually wasn't a good idea to get too friendly with the employees. As he entered the gym for his daily five p.m. workout, he noticed it was nearly empty. Good. He liked it that way. Better to focus on his workout than have to make small talk.
3
It was seven thirty when Marly finished up her reports for Jasper. She hadn't intended on working that late, but the time flew by. She loved working with sales figures and analyzing the data. Too bad she wouldn't be here long enough to make a career out of it. St
ill, her personal code of ethics would not allow her to do anything but the best job she could do.
Once she had everything printed out, she realized she had no clue how to get the information to him. She didn't have access to the twentieth floor. She sighed heavily. She would have to call Veronica. She fumbled around for the company directory, locating Veronica's extension. Jasper's wasn't in the directory, which she was kind of thankful for—she didn't know if she would have had the guts to call him directly. She dialed the extension, but it went straight to voicemail. Great. Now what? She was about to start panicking, when her office phone rang.
"Hello? Umm … Marly West speaking." She fumbled her way through.
"Marly, it's Jasper Kenney. Veronica left already for the day, and I figured you might not be able to get in touch with me."
Relief flooded through her. "Oh, yes, I actually just called her. I have everything ready for you."
"I'll send my junior assistant, Sarah, down to get you," Jasper said and hung up.
Marly had no idea who Sarah was, but she hadn't worked at Draconia for long, and as long as she didn't have to deal with Veronica, she was happy. She just hoped Sarah had a better demeanor than Ms. St. James.
A few minutes later, an average-looking girl stepped into her cubicle. She couldn't have been more than twenty-five years old. She grinned sheepishly at her and stuck out her hand.
"Marly? I'm Sarah Thomas. Mr. Kenney sent me to bring you up to his office." She shook her hand firmly. "Oh, I love this jacket!" Sarah said, referring to the jacket that Veronica had made fun of earlier. Was she joking or being sincere? She seemed sincere.
"Thanks. Do you always work so late?" Did Kenney work his assistants like dogs? Would he expect the same hours from her? Marly sensed that Sarah was friendlier than the number-one assistant, and the truth was she could use some friendly conversation.
"Yes. Usually, I am here until ten or eleven, whatever time Mr. Kenney leaves. It doesn't bother me, though. I don't start until three p.m., and it's quiet after six, usually, so I don't have to deal with too much drama. I'm still in school, so I use the time to study." Sarah held the elevator door for Marly and then inserted her card key and pressed the E button for the executive level.
Marly was surprised that Jasper would pay someone to sit around and study. She was also surprised at the difference between Sarah and Veronica St. James. Veronica was always dressed in designer clothes, wore a lot of makeup, and hardly ever cracked a smile. Sarah was noticeably different, wearing slacks, a blouse, and flat shoes. She wore minimal makeup, and her ash-blond hair—natural, not bleached like Veronica's—was long and pulled back loosely with a clip. She was pretty and approachable. Marly instantly liked her.
"Technically, my job is just to make sure Mr. Kenney gets his dinner and that his personal needs are taken care of. Veronica is really his main go-to person for business, but she would never belittle herself to doing things like running to the store to buy his energy drinks." Sarah rolled her eyes and let out a chuckle then grimaced. "Sorry. I shouldn't talk like that."
Marly laughed. "Don't worry. Between you and me, she isn't my favorite person around here."
"Anyway, I guess I'm kind of like a Girl Friday for Mr. Kenney and do all sorts of things. I don't mind. He's been good to my family." Sarah pressed her lips together as if she'd said too much, and Marly didn't dare ask what she'd meant. Then the elevator doors opened, and Sarah put her hand out to hold the doors and let Marly out first.
"Well, here we are," Sarah said.
Marly gasped. The view was breathtaking. The building was situated in downtown New York, and the executive floor was at the top of the building. There were floor-to-ceiling windows, and the lights of the city below sparkled like diamonds.
"Pretty cool, huh? My desk is way over there. Mr. Kenney's office is over here." Sarah started walking in the opposite direction from her desk toward Jasper's office.
Marly followed Sarah down a hallway toward the left. She opened up a set of double doors into the largest office Marly had ever seen. The office exuded power, from the humungous limestone fireplace to the large outdoor patio, complete with a dark-brown rattan-wicker patio set and a matching table and chairs with vibrant red cushions. Inside the office, the furniture was all red mahogany and black leather. There was a desk that had at least six computer screens on it. Jasper stood up from behind the desk.
"Thanks, Sarah. Welcome, Marly. Please take a seat." Jasper gestured toward the large leather chair across from his desk. Marly sat down, taking it all in.
Jasper wasn't wearing his suit. He had on jeans and a regular T-shirt. Marly couldn't help but notice his chest and biceps were extremely solid as the T-shirt was a bit tight on him in those areas. He looked like one of the models that she often toggled in the men's clothing magazines she studied for work. He was tanned and tall, and he had a strong jawline. He also had dimples that showed when he smiled. But even though Jasper looked like a regular guy, Marly reminded herself not to get too comfortable. He was a hardened businessman.
"Do you want anything to drink, or to eat?" Jasper asked as he sat down and pressed a button that made the monitors disappear into his desk.
"No, thank you," Marly replied, wishing she could have a shot of vodka. Why was she so nervous around him?
Jasper nodded to Sarah, and Sarah left the room.
"Okay. Well, show me what you've come up with. I've been looking forward to it all day," Jasper said.
Marly's excitement about her work overshadowed her nerves as she showed him the spreadsheets and explained how she came to the revised sales forecasts and changes in pricing structure she thought they should do. Then, she showed him some ideas she had for the next line, which would be for fall. She had tied everything into the fall line, which she had no access to but needed badly. This was her way in. She needed access to all the designs for that fall lineup.
But aside from that, designing was her true passion. She'd loved coming up with the designs, and the time slipped away as she went over each piece along with the pricing and rollout strategy. And she was good at it. She'd never been good at much in her life. A lifetime of being teased in school for her weight had squelched any self-confidence early on. She was just starting to gain that confidence in her career—too bad it was going to all be for nothing.
Jasper sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers as he studied the information Marly had laid out on his desk.
"Marly, this is pretty impressive. You're going to piss off most of the department heads with this, though. You realize that, right?" Jasper asked.
Marly held eye contact with him. She knew he was challenging her. And it almost seemed a little bit as though he was flirting with her. Then again, he probably flirted with everyone. Probably got his way, too. But that wouldn't happen with her. Marly wasn't going to be a notch on anyone's bedpost, and anyway, she had bigger fish to fry.
Don't look away, she told herself. You can do this.
"Well, Mr. Kenney, I'm not doing this to piss anyone off. I'm doing it to help this company increase sales." She couldn't believe she had said the word piss to him.
Jasper's eyes drifted from her face downward. She remembered the stain on her lapel. Ugh. She made a mental note to keep some stain remover in her desk. She self-consciously grabbed at her jacket, pulling it closer together, which only made her breasts bunch out over the top of her bra. Her cheeks warmed, and she wished she was at home on her own couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry's.
Jasper glanced back to the designs. His brow was slightly creased and his mouth pensive, as if he was trying to decide something. Then he sneezed, and his eyes cleared, the ghost of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he glanced at a mahogany-framed photograph of an attractive middle-aged woman on the credenza.
"I like the direction you are going with this. Effective immediately, I want you on this project full time. You will also give an update alongside everyone else at the weekly department meeting." Jasper's
voice was confident. The voice of a CEO who never had his instructions questioned. He stood up, reaching for a black jacket that was on a very expensive-looking gold coat rack.
"Umm…thanks," Marly sputtered, not sure what to say. This was a huge responsibility. A dream job, really. But her initial reaction was to scream NO. She hadn't wanted any recognition, but she knew she could do this, and it would also help her get what she needed for Tanner.
Obviously, she was being dismissed, so she stood up, happy to leave.
"You're welcome. It's late, so why don't I walk you to your car?" Jasper's words shocked her, and she almost tripped.
Hell no.
"Oh, no, that's okay. I walk home late all the time." Marly tried to keep the high-pitched panic tone out of her voice. The last thing she wanted was to spend any more time than possible with him.
Jasper leveled her with a look. "I will give you a ride. This is New York, after all."
And then he smiled, a disarming, crooked smile that revealed perfect white teeth. Jasper kept his distance from her as they walked toward the elevator. Marly desperately looked around for Sarah, hoping she would emerge, but she didn't.
"No, really, I don't want you to have to go to any trouble, Mr. Kenney." The thought of getting into his car with him was giving her heart palpitations. She had heard he was a heartless jerk. Why would he care if she walked home alone? Oh wait… Was he trying to put the moves on her?
"Marly, call me Jasper, please. And I insist on giving you a ride. It isn't up for debate," Jasper said firmly.
"Okay, if you insist. I just need to grab my purse first." The guy was insistent, and he was used to getting his way. Better to just let him give her a ride than to argue with him. Arguing might seem suspicious, and that was the last thing she wanted.
The elevator doors opened up at Marly's floor, and Jasper held them for her to exit. He jumped back as she brushed past him. "I'll get my car and meet you out front."
In Over Her Head (Corporate Chaos Series Book 1) Page 2
