R Y A N
08 | want
One foot resting on my other knee, I look at my watch, waiting for Lizzie to burst out of her cabin and give me an earful.
She had no idea what I had in store for her today. The moment she entered, wearing a tight pencil skirt that accentuated her delightful ass and with her hair open in straight waves, I gave her the first shock of working for me.
'Present the slides,' I said, handing her the file for today's presentation.
She had widened her eyes at me, completely aware that she didn't prepare for anything as such. She took the file from me with trembling hands.
'What's this?' she asked, scanning through the documents.
'Your presentation for today.'
'Presentation? You didn't tell me about it.'
'You're my assistant, Miss Gold. You're supposed to be ready for every task I put forth for you. Are you telling me you can't do it?'
Her pretty mouth pressed into a thin line.
'Fine,' she exhaled. 'But I need some time to prepare.'
I looked at my watch, focusing on each tick before I looked back at her.
'One hour, pet. That's all you've got. Run.'
She looked like the earth had been rocked from under her feet as she turned around and rushed towards her cabin. I took a glance at her shapely hips as she disappeared, fighting the urge to slap her ass in a very inappropriate manner.
It has been more than an hour now. I am late for the meeting but since the company is mine, I don't let that bother me.
After all, I want Lizzie to beg me for forgiveness but I sure don't want her to make a fool of us in the conference room in front of her twenty other colleagues.
The door to her cabin opens and Lizzie steps out, holding the file in her hands and still reading.
"Are you done preparing for your test, Miss Gold?" I ask, smirking as I get up and correct the invisible creases on my blazer.
She shuts the file, frowning at me like I have asked her if she is willing to drown her pet for me.
"Yes," she says, sighing deeply. "I'm ready."
"Good. Let's go then."
She follows me as we step out of my office, letting the door shut itself behind us.
Lizzie looks nervous as we start for the conference room, passing by Martha who gives her a look of sympathy. Nowadays, everyone in the office sort of sympathizes with her.
It has been three days since Miss Gold has been working for me and so far, no matter whatever obstacles I put in her path, she managed to outwit them all. I am half-pissed, half-impressed at my new assistant for her resourcefulness.
Although I told her that she had to leave the job after apologizing if she made a mistake, I am very close to letting her stay forever. It would be good to have a pretty assistant who is just as smart and knows her way with words.
No doubt I would be having a tough time concentrating on her words when she opens that sexy mouth of hers every day.
I push open the door of the conference hall, keeping it open with one hand and letting her enter first. Lizzie steps in, her eyes scanning through the people sitting in the room; most of them are unfortunately males.
However, there are Tracy and some Linda who look just as excited to see her. I guess she made a few friends after all even with all the work I am keeping her busy with.
Everyone stands up when I step in behind Lizzie. I don't pay any heed to them as I gently guide her with a hand on the small of her back towards the very end of the room where the projector sheds light on the screen.
"This is your chance, Miss Gold," I whisper to her the nearer we get to our seats. "You can back out now. There's even a room full of twenty people. If you apologize now, you won't have to do it in front of the whole office."
"Are you that excited to see me give up, Mr. Pierce?" she whispers back, throwing me a judgy look from the corner of her eye.
"I'm just improvising our deal for your good."
"I don't need your improvisation. I'm perfect enough."
"That's the problem," I mutter quietly to myself but she throws me a glare that lets me know that she heard every word.
Once we reach the end of the conference table, I place myself in my chair while she waits for my orders.
One of the employees turns on the projector and Lizzie gives me a panicky look.
I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms over my chest as I point toward the screen.
"Miss Gold, you may begin."
I hear hushed whispers as my order to Lizzie is followed by murmurs. The people around the table talk in low voices and I smirk at her, knowing that she is about to hit her last straw of patience with me.
'Bastard' — she mouths the word to herself but I have become so familiar with the sight of her lips that I figure it out anyways.
'Only for you, babe' — I mouth back and she narrows her eyes.
The projector turns on with the title of the presentation appearing on the screen.
Lizzie's hands shake as she picks up the file while Mr. Peters hands her an iPad on which the budget of the project has been stored and calculated.
All she has to do is explain the area we would need, the materials to be bought, and the estimation for everything by breaking down the project part by part. It should be easy enough but since she is a novice, I doubt she has had any experience.
She clears her throat, looking at the many faces concentrated on her.
"Hi...I don't think we've all been introduced..." she begins. "I'm Elizabeth Gold, Mr. Pierce's new assistant."
As the employees stare at her with their mouths agape, Lizzie stares at them back, her fingers on the iPad starting to tremble.
I know what the people around us are thinking. It has always been me who has spoken in such crucial meetings and never my assistants. On top of that, her nervous looks are also making them think as to why she has not been fired yet.
I would be very wrong if I fired her due to her nervousness though. That's part of human nature and contrary to tabloids and gossip columns, I am not a monster.
"You're welcome, Miss Gold. Now, please start the presentation," I say, my voice loud and clear across the room.
Lizzie steals a glance at me before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opens them, she appears ready.
"The Milton Park project has been in the talks since 2018..." she starts, carrying the iPad in the crook of one arm as she walks towards the screen. "As you all would do well to know, there have been doubts about whether the area bought would be sufficient enough for our changing plans. The drawings for the amusement park have been changed a total of three hundred times over the years, each time new facilities are being added while some have been eliminated. Now, here's the crucial thing we have to keep in mind while selecting our final design — does it go with our budget, and does it have all the necessary equipment? If it's above the budget, it will have to be eliminated since we would also have to draft the payments for the employees who would be working in the park under the guidance of the Project Manager, Mr. Cha."
All the employees look at Mr. Cha who is sitting with his head held high. The thirty-two-year-old Korean man I hired two years back is extremely talented in everything he does and he has come very close to being my right-hand draftsperson. If only Reece wasn't in the picture.
That is the thing about family — you can't get rid of blood ties even if their presence does nothing but burdens you.
"And we also have Mr. Reece Pierce, who would be the lead in the drafting of the project..."
As I turn my attention back to Lizzie, I am suddenly left awestruck. She not only appears confident as she starts explaining the particulars of the semi-final designs, but her tone and body language are something that is keeping the entire room occupied.
The light from the projector adds a gloomy glow to her beautiful face. My eyes are fixed on her, unable to move away. It is like she is a fairy who has trapped us all in her enchantment. Her magic spreads with each word and I glimpse across the room to find a few men staring at her as if they are getting a boner just by watching her.
I glare at them, waiting for them to see me and when they do, their cheeks flush and they look away.
Good
Lizzie Gold is only mine to look at like that.
Damn my luck though because she doesn't know that.
I sigh, letting Lizzie carry me away to her storyland and the more minutes pass, the louder I hear my heart beating in my chest.
I lean forward, fixing my glasses up my nose as I watch her in all her glory take over the conference room. She looks so confident, so dream-like.
Fuck...I want that woman.
I want her in my arms, in my bed, in every corner I can take her.
That is it. I have to do something to convince her that she can do better than being my assistant.
I have to convince her that she could be the object of my desires instead.
She could be my fuck buddy and do me instead.
All she has to do is say yes.