“I am beyond happy that you’re not a man, Angel. To answer your question, that is my room,” he points to the door next to mine.
“Of freaking course, it is,” I slap my forehead with my hand. “Your stalking knows no bounds.”
“Actually, I’ve been in that room since yesterday morning, so technically, you would be the one stalking me,” he tells me in his calm, rich voice that makes me want to throat punch him right now.
“Whatever, I don’t have time for this or for you. I’ve got work to do. You made your position very clear last night, so again, nice knowing you.” I try again to get past him.
“I made a mistake, Angel. Spend time with me this week. We can extend your one-night standards to one week. What do you say?” The look of hope on his face almost makes me falter.
“No can do, Romeo. One-night stands are one night for a reason. Whatever your reasons were last night, you didn’t think twice about them when I was standing there. I’m not one to put myself in the position to get shut down twice.” What are you doing? You want to bone this man so hard, just go with it. For once, my inner dialogue stays inner.
“No, not Romeo, just Charlie. Your Charlie. Okay, so one-nights stands aside, spend the week with me, whenever you’re not working, be with me.” It wasn’t a question, it was a command, and while it should piss me off, I find my panties getting wet.
What do I have to lose?
“Fine. Whatever. You have one more chance, but we play by my rules. No names, nothing too personal, and you have to pass my test tonight. If you can get dirty, I’ll consider spending more time with you the rest of the week,” I tell him, knowing he has no idea what I mean by getting dirty.
“Oh, I can get dirty just fine, Angel. Just tell me where and when,” he challenges.
Smirking, I take him all in. From the tailored suit that even I can tell costs a small fortune to his wingtip shoes that are so shiny, I can probably see my reflection. “Do you even own a pair of jeans, Romeo?”
Growling, he cages me in against the wall, making me drop my bag. “Not Romeo, Angel. Charlie. Your Charlie.”
Pressing against his very firm chest, he finally backs away, “Fine, I didn’t realize you were so touchy. But seriously, do you own a pair of jeans?”
The sly smile that crosses his face makes me shiver. I feel like he’s about to say check-mate, and I’ll once again be his pawn. When the smile takes over his entire face, he says, “You’d be surprised by what I own, Angel. What time should I pick you up?”
Picking up my bag, I start down the hallway. Charlie is so close I can feel his breath on me, but I keep walking. “I’m not sure yet, I’ll leave a message on your room phone. So, what do you have on your schedule for today?”
He takes my elbow, escorting me into the elevator before he speaks. “Nothing interesting. I told you, I didn’t want to be here either. There is only one presentation I am interested in seeing, but it is at the same time as one I’m forced to go to. I’m hoping to sneak out early and at least catch the end of her presentation though, I hear she is fucking phenomenal. One of the smartest minds in the business right now.”
Genuinely curious, I ask, “Who is it? Maybe she is on my schedule, I can give you notes.”
“Julia Murphy. Do you know her? I tried to Google her last night, but literally, nothing comes up. No high school pictures, college awards, nothing. Even her bio on their company website only gives the minimum. She is also the only one without a picture. It's so bizarre, she must be extremely homely or something,” he says.
I can’t help the choked giggle that comes out of me, and I’m back to pinching my lips together with my thumb and forefinger. The last thing I need is for Charlie to find out his homely, brilliant mind is me. Because of the nature of my job, I had taken to using my mother's maiden name at these things.
“Yup, I’ve heard she is great. She must be homely though, that’s the only explanation I can come up with,” I say, laughing.
“Well, Angel, not everyone can be as fucking hot as you are. You’re killing me in this suit. I have never once found a pantsuit on a woman sexy, but you have outdone yourself with this one,” he says, leaning into my personal space again. His mouth is so close to my ear, I can feel damp-heat every time he breathes. “I will be ready and waiting whenever you say to be tonight, Angel, but let me tell you this, it will not end as last night did. Tonight, I want to see, feel, taste, experience every single inch of you.”
*Ding*
“Ah! Saved by the bell, I guess,” I tell him as I slide down the wall and under his arms. I quickly make my escape, feeling his eyes on me the entire way to the concierge.
“Hello, Miss McDowell, how can I help you today?” the concierge asks, and I cringe, hoping Charlie is far enough away that he didn’t hear my name. Tony is here every time I come to one of these things. He has gotten used to my shenanigans, even if I’ve never bothered him directly.
Thinking quickly, I ask, “Actually, Tony, could you inform the staff not to address me by name? Since I’m giving so many presentations this week, I’d rather not draw attention to myself any more than necessary. I’m sorry, that is probably a strange request, but I just really like my privacy.”
“Of course, miss. I apologize. I will make sure to inform everyone. Was there something else I can do for you?” he asks.
“Yes, actually. Is there any way I could get a Red Sox t-shirt and two baseball caps delivered to my room before 4 pm today?” I ask. It’s the first time I’ve used my position to request something like this, and it makes me ridiculously uncomfortable.
“Absolutely, miss. That’s no problem at all. What sizes?” If he is thrown by my request, he doesn’t show it.
“You probably get all kinds of odd requests, don’t you?” I ask before I’m able to censor myself.
He laughs jovially, “You have no idea, miss. This is nothing, trust me.”
“Okay, thanks. Um, let me think. I already have my shirt, but I’ll need a baseball cap, probably a youth-sized one if you can. I’ll also need a men’s shirt, maybe an extra-large? Hmmm, I’m not really sure.” Standing on my tip-toes, I reach as high as I can and ask, “What size do you think someone this tall, maybe a little taller, would wear? He is about, maybe this wide across his shoulders,” I make size estimations using my hands.
Trying desperately to suppress his laughter, he says, “I think an extra-large would be just fine, miss. And a hat to match?”
“Phew, that was easier than I thought it would be. Yes, a hat too. Thank you,” I tell him sincerely.
“Anytime, miss. Have a wonderful day. Do you need help setting up for your first group today?” he asks.
“No, thanks, I have it. They set most of it up last night, now I just have to hope I can explain it so a room full of people can understand me,” I tell him.
“Good luck, miss.”
Chapter 9
-Done, Chris Janson
Trevor
My day has been hell. I’ve be able to focus on nothing except a certain little pixie with a fire engine red suit on today. I found myself watching doors, scanning crowds, checking rooms all day for a glimpse of her, but she was nowhere to be found. To top it off, I never made it to the presentation I wanted to see. I heard a few people talking about it after lunch, and I’m even more pissed that I missed it. I’ve spent the last two hours stalking this woman online and have come up empty. Even hacking the DMV website didn’t turn up anything. How does this woman have no online presence at all?