The phone on her desk rang. Picking it up, it was Holly from the front desk. “Hey Tally, I have Miss Reynolds on the phone. She wants to talk to Ryan. I have told her he is busy, but she insisted on getting put through.”
Tally exhaled deeply. This aspect of her job was the least enjoyable, and truly, it wasn’t Ryan’s fault. He had made it clear to his dates should only contact him on his mobile, not the work lines. If he didn’t respond, it should indicate that he was occupied or didn’t want to talk to them.
However, it appeared that some women he dated either forgot this rule or disregarded it, especially as he became increasingly less responsive. This was often because he grew bored and distanced himself from them. “Thanks, Holly, I’ll handle the call.”
Holly was relieved with her answer, saying “thanks” before switching the woman through.
It was only a second before Miss Nicole Reynolds came on the line. “Connect me to Ryan immediately.” She hadn’t even given Tally time to say anything before making her demand.
“I’m sorry, Miss Reynolds, but Ryan is busy this afternoon. You have Ryan’s mobile number...”
“What is the point of having his mobile number if he doesn’t answer?”
Tally looked at the ceiling. Counted to ten, she really shouldn’t say anything on the subject it wasn’t her business.
“Miss Reynolds, I’m sorry that’s the case. But I can understand why you haven’t received a return phone call. We are currently engaged in something of great importance.” All the company dealings were very private and Ryan’s women have never been part of the inner circle.
An angry squeal sounded from the other end of the phone. “I don’t give a fuck what you think. You are just his secretary, after all. Your opinion doesn’t matter.” Tally rolled her eyes. She had been very careful not to give an opinion by just stating facts. Was she a complete moron to not know the difference?
Tally closed her eyes for patience. Women like Nicole saw many people below her notice, and Tally was one of them. “I’m sorry, Miss Reynolds, but it’s more than my job is worth to put you through. We have a busy day. You have Ryan’s mobile. Please leave a message or text...”
The answer did not please Miss Reynolds. “Listen, you little bitch...”
“Miss Reynolds, I’m just following orders,” Sighing Tally could feel the pounding in her head.
Nicole’s voice contained a sob as she said, “I received warnings about him, telling me not to get involved since Ryan doesn’t do commitment or change.”
Wide eyed Tally couldn’t believe the women that Ryan dated thought they could change him, snorting silently good luck with that. She totally understood the attraction, but smart women did not start dating a man expecting to change him or turn him from a man whore to a husband.
Frowning, Tally thought about her own situation. She had really thought Blake was different. Not like her father and Ryan. Again, Ryan wasn’t a wicked man, and he was honest with his women. No future, no fairytale existed with him. He enjoyed women, but only one at a time, and he didn’t go straight from one to another. Women chased him more often than not. Tally thought in some ways; it disillusioned Ryan as well. He couldn’t trust if they were after his money or him. Maybe he was just dating the wrong kind of woman.
But Ryan’s terrible reputation didn’t seem to turn women off.
She didn’t share any of her musings with Miss Reynolds though, only saying. “Miss Reynolds, I really wouldn’t know.”
“As if you would. Ryan doesn’t sleep around with his staff. Why would anyone want a bitch like you?” The last was screamed at her. Tally had had enough. She couldn’t tolerate any more abuse from Ryan’s women, especially this one who had gone too far. So Tally didn’t say anymore and just hung up the phone. There was no reasoning with the woman.
“Tally?” Ryan asked from his office doorway.
She didn’t look at him, just stared at her computer screen. “That was Miss Reynolds on the phone.” Still not looking at him, and placed her fingers back on the keys and started typing, adding. “She was upset because she can’t get hold of you.”
She heard Ryan let out a frustrated breath. “Tally, I need you to take her off the guest list for the annual Christmas party.” He paused for a moment before adding, “This is a drama I just don’t need right now.”
Tell me about it. I don’t need your drama or my own. Tally thought.
She really needed to get it together today. They had the end-of-year Christmas party this week. She had numerous responsibilities to ensure its smooth running. In order to achieve that, she had to remain focused and not let her own problems distract her during work hours.
“Does that mean you would like me to arrange a farewell gift like normal, Ryan?” That was one of her jobs to pick a pricy gift when Ryan ended things with one of his women. He did not know what to buy.
At first, she was horrified when he asked her to do it. However, it appeared that for the women he selected; it was considered the accepted norm. To make matters worse, he would then reinforce it by getting Tally to send them flowers the next day. In her eyes, it seemed like a form of payment for their services. This situation didn’t reflect well on her boss or the women he was involved with.
Tally still remembered one particular lady he had been with some months ago who thought nothing wrong with sharing titbits about her sexual relationship with Ryan. When she had called the office one day to be told Ryan wasn’t available, the woman had then tried to gossip with Tally. If half of what she said is true, Ryan must be exceptional in bed. It had been really disconcerting to hear the things about her boss.
“No Tally, I’ll handle it.” Ryan said after a moment.
Wow, that was new! She finally looked at him, lifting an eyebrow at him in amazement.
“Trust me, it’s no big deal.” He stated, before turning back into his office.
Tally focused on her work for a while before her thoughts eventually drifted back to her personal life. As she had been pondering Ryan’s sex life, it made her reflect on her own. Tally had always believed that her experiences were typical, dismissing the stories she read in magazines or heard from Ryan’s previous partners, as exaggerated or unconventional. However, now she couldn’t help but cringe inwardly at the notion of her sex life with Blake being called “normal.” In reality, she could now see it was more accurately described as boring.Tally had found her sex life with Blake to be lacking excitement at times. She noticed that he often didn’t realize when she hadn’t reached climax. As a result, she had always assumed that she simply had a low sex drive and wasn’t particularly interested in it. Since Blake was her only sexual partner, she had no one else to compare him to. Additionally, he held very traditional views when it came to the bedroom. Snorting. Maybe the problem in the b
Ryan took a moment to observe her before giving an answer. “Blake asked to speak to you, but when I informed him you had left to pick up a file from home and hadn’t returned yet, he sounded highly irritated.” Ryan’s gaze continued to stay fixed on her face.Tally, unable to contain her amusement, let out a mocking laugh and covered her mouth with her hands. With a sarcastic tone, she whispered, “Irritated.”Ryan went on showing her he had missed nothing. “Then you arrived back looking white and visibly upset.”Taking her hands away from her mouth, Tally responded. “Look Ryan, while I appreciate you are worried about my work performance today, and I’m sorry for that. I’m having an off day. I’ll be fine tomorrow.”Ryan’s brows furrowed, and his tightened jawline revealed the depth of his irritation. Meanwhile, his eyes held a hint of disappointment. “You don’t know shit, Tally,” he said, letting out a frustrated breath. “I don’t give a fuck about that. I’m asking how you are and if I can
Tally had mixed feelings, unsure yet somewhat certain. “It didn’t start off as a deliberate choice. After leaving home, I completed a few courses and then registered with some temp agencies. I enjoyed the flexibility of working different jobs here and there. Surprisingly, I even ended up temping in your building a few times. I never really considered the parallels between your business and that of my father’s.” Tally had a few reasons why she was in a corporate job. One she was good at it, also she enjoyed the challenges and another she voiced out aloud. “I just wanted to prove the men in my family wrong.”Ryan put his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand before asking her. “Wrong in what way?”Tally realized that Ryan and she had never really talked before on any level unless related to business. A lot of that was to do with her walls as well as his.Knowing her father likes to chase his secretaries around the office desk, as it were. She hadn’t wanted that for herself.
The following morning, as Tally arrived at the office, she was met with a tense situation unfolding near her desk. Ryan and Blake were engaged in a confrontation, their attention shifting towards her as she entered. Blake approached her, attempting to touch her, but she swiftly evaded his advance by stepping back. Ryan seemed pleased with her reaction to Blake’s attempt, while Blake appeared angry. Tally had no intention of allowing him to touch her, uncertain of where his hand had been that morning. Most likely touching his skinny blonde.Tally turned away from them to put her handbag on her desk. It gave her the few seconds she needed to gather herself. With renewed composure, Tally turned around to face them. She straightened her shoulders, then, placing her hands on her hips, she glared at them.After no one speaking, it was Tally’s voice that cut through the silence. “Can someone kindly enlighten me on what the hell is going on here?”Ryan crossed his arms across his chest and sta
Tally had everything triple check before lunch. She cleared her inbox and Ryan had an appointment with Marty, his personal trainer, in 10 mins.Getting up, she walked to his open door. Leaning against the doorjamb, she stood there studying him, as he sat behind his desk facing the computer screen to the right of him. It put his face in profile to where she was standing.“What is it, Tally?” Ryan said, without looking away from his screen.Ryan had always been incredibly observant, as if he had eyes in the back of his head. He had realized she had been standing by the door.Tally smoothed her hands down her navy pencil skirt as she entered the office. Though she still thought of Ryan as an asshole, her perception of him had slightly shifted in the past day. “I was wondering if it would be alright with you if I went home for lunch. I might be a bit late returning,” she said.Ryan looked up from his screen then to watch her. When he said nothing, Tally felt the need to fill the silence. “
Holly gently placed her hands on Tally’s shoulders and spoke with a hint of concern, “I hate to say it, honey, but losing him isn’t a big loss. You deserve someone better.”Holly’s words surprised Tally, and she asked, “Really? You didn’t like him?” Most people seemed to like Blake, except for Ryan. No one had ever mentioned anything to her before about not liking him.Holly let out a snort and replied, “The few times I encountered him, and mind you, it wasn’t often. He always seemed to act superior, and he only paid any real attention to the attractive-looking ladies.”Holly picked up Tally’s hands, giving them a squeeze, making her feel even more sickened by the situation. She couldn’t help but wonder if she had made better choices in friends sooner. Instead of being content with Blake’s friends, she might have discovered his infidelity earlier.Now, more than ever, Tally was convinced that this wasn’t his first time cheating. Yes, it hurt to realize she had wasted so much time on hi
Tally leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms into the air over her head, letting out a moan at the pull on her muscles. Before lowering her hands to rub her tired eyes. She had just finished the last letter Ryan had left for her to type up. He hadn’t needed it until tomorrow, and he had told her to go home at five. But she had still stayed back to make up for her very long lunch. Standing, she looked at Ryan, who was still working at his desk. It was late, looking at the clock on her computer. It was after 6:30pm. Tally shut down her system and collected her things. Getting up, she went to Ryan’s open door.“I’m going home now. See you in the morning.” She said to him.Ryan turned his head to regard her before he looked out his windows where it was still light. When he checked his watch. Seeing the time, he frowned. “I thought I told you to go home already.”Tally shrugged. “It’s not dark and at least my in-tray is clear for tomorrow.”Ryan sighed, throwing his pen down on the
Tally let out a tired yawn as she stepped off the lift on their floor, her mind still clouded with the events of last night. The first person she saw was Holly. She had promised Holly that they would go shopping today, but it had completely slipped her mind amidst the sleepless night she had endured.Every little noise had jolted her awake, fearing that Blake might return. Though she knew he didn’t have keys to her townhouse, the possibility of him finding another way in, like through a broken window he could break, haunted her thoughts. Tally couldn’t determine if Blake would be that foolish, and uncertainty plagued her mind.She had two options: either move to a new place or invest in a security system. Both choices would come with a financial burden, not to mention the need to consult with her landlord before making any modifications to her current residence. Tally sighed, feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the decisions she needed to make.“Mornin’ Tally,” Holly greeted her cheer