Charlie
The bed is cold when I wake up, running my hand over the spot where his body should be. My phone tells me it’s 6 a.m. Monday morning, yuck.
The fantasy is over. Now I need to travel all the way across London to get ready for work.
The bedroom is eerily quiet. Where is he?
I peel off the bed covers and shuffle out of bed. Hmmm, the underfloor heating is on. No wonder he can wake up early.
There’s no sign of him on the top floor.
Padding down the stairs in my underwear, his dry husky voice gets louder as I reach the bottom step. I follow the sound towards the kitchen.
“Write up the proposal and send it to me this morning, Michael.” He has his back to me and his headphones in. “The deal needs to close tomorrow.”
6 a.m. on a Monday morning, and he’s already in work mode. I can barely muster the strength to brush my teeth yet.
He’s wearing a black suit sculpted around his muscles, and as he turns around, I see that he’s cleanly shaven, highlighting his razor-sharp jaw. One glance at him in that suit, and I’m turned inside out.
There’s a distinct slant to one of his eyebrows as he clocks my state of undress, making me self-consciously cross my arms over my chest.
He gives a brief nod of recognition and mouths ‘five minutes.’
It must be the States if he’s on this early. I can tell there’s a number of them on the call from the names he’s firing out, his commanding tone dishing out orders.
CEO Danny is sexy as fuck.
I sidestep him in the kitchen and grab a glass from the cupboard as quietly as I can.
When I’m at the tap, I jump slightly as his hand encircles my waist from behind, pushing me against the cloth of his tailored suit. “I need to go. I’ll call you in the office.”
“Good morning, beautiful,” his commanding tone drops into a softer one.
He moves my hair and sends a trail of kisses down my neck, making me shiver.
“Morning,” I say huskily, turning around to face him.
“This is a spectacular view to see first thing in the morning,” he murmurs darkly, his eyes running up and down my body. “I hope I didn’t wake you. There’s coffee in the pot.”
“No.” I shift consciously from foot to foot. “I need to go back to mine to get ready.”
“I’ll call my driver.”
I shake my head quickly. I don’t need his driver knowing I stayed all weekend. “Public transport is quicker.”
My eyes widen. “That love bite is still showing through your shirt.”
He grimaces slightly, trying to pull up his collar. “I’ll have to contend with the rumour mill on that one today.” He gives me a half-grin as I flinch. “It was worth the rumours. Don’t worry, they won’t be able to identify it’s your marking.”
“I really am sorry.” I giggle. “I got carried away in the moment.”
His phone buzzes again.
“So, this is the life of a CEO, huh? Glad I’m just I.T. Support.”
He shoots me an apologetic look.
“It’s OK.” I wave my hand. “I need to put some clothes on.”
Fifteen minutes later, I’m back in my outfit from Saturday night. I’ve never had such a delayed walk of shame. Danny is resting on a bar stool, talking loudly into his phone with a frown on his face. Should I just sneak out?
I gave a slight wave from the kitchen door.
Wait, he mouths.
“I need five minutes,” he barks down the phone then puts it on mute.
“I guess I’ll see you in the office,” I try to say breezily.
“The Nexus office.” He walks towards me, smiling. “You guys are moving into our offices today, remember?”
Shit. I had forgotten about that. I better get there early.
“Charlie.” He frowns, staring at me. “Our secret, OK?”
I flash him my brightest smile. “Of course.”
***
I walk through the ground floor lobby of Nexus, my trainers slipping on the tiled floor. This place is in a league of its own.
The receptionist looks like a hired model. I hand her my details, and she flicks through something on her computer screen, then smiles up at me, handing me a security pass. “Your team is based on the sixth floor.”
Dunley Tech had two floors in our previous building. Nexus has all fifteen floors, with the top-level being the directors’ floor.
As the Nexus employees line up beside me for the elevator, my stomach starts churning. Why didn’t I put more effort into what I’m wearing today? I study myself in the mirrored elevator doors. I’m in my old jeans and sneakers that I always wear on a Monday. We became so complacent at Dunley, wearing jeans and T-shirts without anyone batting an eyelid.
Here, I stick out like a sore thumb in my rags. These coders, many aren’t suited, but they are dressed sharply.
I get out on the sixth floor and stare straight out at one of the tallest buildings in Europe, the Shard. What a backdrop for answering I.T. support calls.
Everything is shiny and sexy.
People are arranging personal items on their desks in an upbeat tempo. In the kitchen area, there is a crowd cooing at the coffee machine while Dan and Alex excitedly try out the bean bag chairs in the chill-out area.
“You’re over there, Charlie.” Jackie nods to a group of desks.
I don’t know why everyone is getting so comfortable.” Stevie comes up behind me. “Half of us won’t have jobs soon.”
“What’s that thing Jackie is setting up?”
“She’s setting up fucking lighting.” He snorts. “So the light catches her at the right angle, she says.”
“She’s got competition,” Stevie adds as we watch her fumbling with the lamp. “Some of the girls in this office are hot as fuck. I don’t know how the blokes get any work done.”
She’s got competition? So do I, I think, feeling totally inadequate.
“I have to tell you something about the weekend,” I say in a hushed voice. “Not here. Lunch.”
“You had that dinner party on Saturday night. This better be a filthy story and not something your mother has done.”
I flash him a grin. “The filthiest.”
“This calls for an early lunch.”
***
“Don’t see this for more than it is.”
We are eating burritos far enough away from the office so that no one will eavesdrop.
“I’m not.” I tut.
Stevie looks at me wearily.
“Did he say he wanted to see you again?”
“No,” I admit, biting my lip. “He asked if we could keep it our little secret.”
Saying it out loud makes it sound seedy.
“Umm,” he muses. “Just be careful, you have more to lose here than him.”
I flinch. “I know, I know, he’s the Casanova, and I’m the slut screwing her way to the top.”
“You’ve got that look in your eye. Like you’re ignoring all the signs.”
“No, I don’t,” I lie. “I’m fine with a casual fling.”
“Look, just let him contact you, OK?” he says firmly. “Don’t run after him.”
“I won’t,” I promise. “Besides, I’ve been holding in my farts all weekend; I need a break before my stomach explodes.”
“Can you die by holding in your own farts too long?”
Shit. I better investigate that.
After lunch, I settle into the usual barrage of annoyed customers reporting failings in our software. I apologise profusely for our wrongdoings with each call.
“Look how fast this thing can go.”
I look over, and Stevie is spinning around in his chair.
“Stop that,” I mutter, waving him away. “I’m trying to work here.”
“Have you tried all these levers?” He rams his chair into mine.
“Argh! If I do it, will you piss off?” I move out from my desk and push my legs around. It does spin pretty fast. Trying out the new levers is more fun than dealing with angry customers.
“See?” Stevie laughs. “Best chair ever.”
We spin around laughing until I feel really dizzy. A few people look up and roll their eyes.
“OK, it is fun,” I admit. “I feel sick.”
“Glad to see the new employees are enjoying their work,” comes an icy female voice from the aisle.
I stop spinning, disoriented, and look up to see Cheryl, Nexus Head of HR, Danny, and some other upper management suits standing in the aisle.
Stevie flinches abruptly beside me, whacking into my chair.
In a cold, detached look of recognition, Danny’s eyes meet mine, then a frown of disapproval forms over his face. How long has he been watching our stupid chair escapades?
He’s different now. The relaxed Danny Walker rubbing my feet last night is gone. His eyes are dark as they flit between Stevie and me.
“Perhaps you can reshare the company code of conduct, Cheryl,” his voice cuts through me, igniting a fire in my cheeks.
I shuffle back to my desk on my chair and hide under my screen as they stride down the office.
Mature, Charlie. Really mature.
I swallow the lump in my throat and shift focus back to my screen. An email flashes up, and just as I’m about to hit delete, I re-read the title from Nexus HR.
Role opening: Designer.
You will all have heard that we have recently taken over Dunley Tech. Now we are looking for a cutting-edge team to shape the future of these products. Do you have an innovative mind that can drive the future design? If so, read on. …
I scroll down, intrigued. After listening to a barrage of complaints for five years, I am brimming with ideas to shape these products.
Excitement swirls in my stomach.
Submit a business case with three of your top ideas to apply.
Dare I? It would be humiliating if Danny found out I had applied, but I wouldn’t have to tell him. The applicants would never be shared with the CEO. It’s way more senior than my current role so I have little chance.
My eyes light up as I scan down further. Two months working from the New York office.
I can apply, and they reject me; no harm done?
Maybe I can show Danny Walker I’m more than a chair swinging buffoon, the little voice in charge of hope says in my head.
