Gabe Hunter, CEO of one of the biggest Advertisement agents in the US, a family run business. He is , rich and arrogant. The kind of man most women swoon over, but Aubrey Winters isn't most women. She disliked him the moment they met, and she doesn't care that he is the CEO of where she works. He isn't her biggest fan either because she isn't like other women. She is fiesty, confident and independent. Gabe is used to people doing as they tell him, something it isn't so easy when it comes to Aubrey. But what does it matter, right? They don't see each other often, and that is how she likes it, so when Gabe decided to take the lead on a new project, a project that Aubrey has been chosen to work on, she soon finds herself spending more time with him than she would like. Aubrey soon finds herself clashing with the CEO. Will their time together make them dislike each other more, or will the time they have to spend together change things? Is their hatred for each other honest or masking something else, something stronger...
View MoreAubrey
I was making my way to the conference room for a meeting. The advertisement company that I worked for was getting a new client. Who, we do not know? This is what the meeting is. Everyone was rushing to the room, seeming more anxious than usual. Have I missed something?
“Jenna, what is going on? Why is everyone freaking out?” I asked my colleague.
“You haven’t heard? This isn’t just any meeting. Mr Hunter is joining,” she said.
Mr Gabe Hunter, the CEO of our company. His family owned many businesses throughout the world, most based here in the US. I work in one of the New York offices. Here, we dealt with online advertisements mainly, but we still had other means of promotion, billboards, magazines etc. I was one of the web designers, which is my main job, but I do more than that. It isn’t my dream place to be working, but it will do for now. It isn’t so bad.
Anyway, back to our CEO. He was a douche! I have met him twice in person the year I have worked here, and that was enough. The only other times I have seen him is through conference video calls. He was rude and arrogant, and the way he spoke to people was disgusting. I met him for the first time after I had only been working here a couple of weeks. I had no clue who he was, and it didn’t go well.
We had a run-in because he ran right into me, making me drop files and a laptop on the floor, and then walked away. He didn’t apologise or even offer to help. I didn’t allow that to happen. I gathered my things and went after him. I stopped him and went off on one at him. He was trying to be intimidating with his fancy suit, stern face and tall stance. It didn’t work. I stood telling him how rude he was, how he didn’t have any manners, and that he would be paying for a new one if he broke the laptop. I stood for a good few minutes, and I only stopped when my boss, Kay, approached and stopped me. I soon found out who he was. I am surprised that I didn’t get fired.
Kay made me apologise to him, and Gabe found every second of it amusing. And that was the first time I met the big boss. He decided that day he didn’t think much of me, and I decided the same about him. The second time we met, there were a few glares shared and forced hellos. It was awkward.
But him joining our meeting explains why everyone is freaking out. Not only because he is the top man, but because half, if not most of the staff want him. Yes, he was handsome. No sane person can deny that. He stood close to six feet tall. He had dark, thick hair and deep chocolate brown eyes to match. He was muscular in all the right places and a smile that could make your panties drop without touching them.
No matter how handsome, intelligent and rich the bastard is, I wouldn’t go there. He may have the good looks, but the rest of him is horrible. He was nowhere near my type, anyway. I prefer the sweet, geeky kind of guys.
I headed into the conference room, taking a seat at the back, furthest away from the screen.
“I need you all on your best behaviour,” Kay said, “Everyone keeps your mouths shut unless spoken to,” She added.
Kay was not a bad boss, but she turned into a crazy woman when it came to meetings like this. I know she only wants to do what is best for the company, but I also think she has a crush on Gabe. She gets all flushed anytime she talks to him. I don’t understand why everyone gets that way around him. He was only a man. He wasn’t God. It is pathetic, really, but who am I to judge?
“I don’t know what this meeting is about, but the memo said it is important,” Kay said, “If anyone of you shows me up, I will give a warning,” She added firmly.
Everyone nodded, and she relaxed. She got herself seated at the front. Only moments later, the conference call’s alert came through, and Mr Hunter soon appeared on the screen. I watch the women and gay guys go to mush when he does. I roll my eyes and bite my lip to stop myself from laughing.
“Good morning Mr Hunter,” Kay said brightly, flashing her best smile at him.
“Good morning Kay. Good morning everyone else,” He said, with no emotion in his voice.
Everyone replied, saying, good morning, Sir. I didn’t. I didn’t say a single word. I wasn’t wasting my breath on him.
“Right, I don’t have much time, so I will get straight to it,” He said. “We have been asked to take over the advertisement for the Modern Vintage brand,” He added.
Modern Vintage was a reasonably new brand, but they are doing incredible. Within the last year, they have become a multi-million-dollar company and one of the states’ most prominent brands. It was a fashion brand. It was not only clothing, though. The brand also includes lingerie, make-up, shoes and perfume. They are taking over the fashion world and quickly. A lot of the big stars are already wearing them. They sell not only modern style but also vintage, hence the name. The products were beautiful but expensive.
“Oh, wow? This is huge,” Kay said excitedly.
“Yes, and that is why it needs to be perfect,” He said, “We need ideas and quickly because they want a show of what we can do in one month,” He added.
One month? Seriously? What do they think we are, miracle workers? Their brand was huge, which means what we do for them needs to be the same, and it needs to be unique.
“One month?” Kay said, shocked.
“Yes, they do not need everything, but they want something, something great because if we don’t do what they need, then they have other companies lining up to swoop in,” Mr Hunter said, “Everyone needs to be on their A-game. I don’t care what it takes. It will get done. And anyone who doesn’t think they can do it, you know where the door is,” He added firmly.
I rolled my eyes at his rudeness. Yes, good move, put more pressure on everyone.
“We will not let you down, Sir, promise,” Kay said.
“I know you won’t because I will be taking the lead on this project,” He said.
“You are?” Kay asked, surprised.
“Yes, I will be coming in first thing Monday morning,” He said. “I want ideas from everyone. I also need the best you have, Kay, to work alongside me. Anyone who messes this up will get fired, “he added.
“I will make sure it is handled, Mr Hunter,” Kay said.
I could tell she was freaking out, even though she was staying composed for Gabe’s sake,
“Good, get to work,” Gabe said before hanging up.
The screen went blank, and you could see panic taking over the room. I wasn’t freaking. I work well under pressure, and getting worked up will not help anyone. Yes, this will be hard, but we will be fine if we work as a team.
“You heard him, get to work,” Kay said.
She started giving her orders on what needed to be done—ideas, power points, designs, research etc. Everything and anything she could think of. Everyone scattered off, and I was about to do the same, but Kay stopped me.
“Everything OK?” She asked.
“You are the one that will be working closely with Mr Hunter on this, you and Darren,” She said.
No! Why? I don’t want to work closely with him. I will end up punching him, or worse, killing him.
“Why me? You have staff that have been here longer than me that have more experience than me,” I said.
“That doesn’t matter. You are still the best I have,” She said, “You not only know your way around a computer better than anyone else, but your head is full of incredible ideas. Plus, you are confident in the work you do, “she added.
Yes, everything she was saying was a compliment. I know I was good at my job, but I think this will better suit my colleagues.
“And you are the only one that doesn’t seem to drool over him,” She said, “I need someone I can trust around him because I know a few that if I chose them would use the opportunity to get closer to him and that is the last thing I need,” She added.
She had a point. I know a few that would do that too. Kay doesn’t need to worry about that with me. I don’t want to do this, but it is a great opportunity, and I will not let working with him ruin that.
“OK, thank you,” I smiled.
“You are welcome. You can go now, “she said with a smile.
I said goodbye to her and headed to my office. I think the next month is going to be hell. I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop. I checked my emails, but nothing noteworthy.
I guess I should get to work. I need something to show Mr Hunter on Monday morning or have an idea I can bring up. I don’t know how he will react when he finds out Kay has chosen me. He will need to deal with it. He wants this to go well, and I will be the one to help with that, so he will need to be an adult about it. And if he can’t, he is on his own or can find someone else to help.
This next month was going to be stressful. I can feel it in my gut. It will only be the start, though. It will get even crazier when everything goes into full swing if Modern Vintage wants us after we share our ideas with them. I hope that they will. It will be huge for the company, and I think our company can help take them to the next level.
It will be a challenge, but I like a good challenge. If everyone else is still working here by the end of it, that is a different story.
The first thing I think is best to do is research. Yes, I know the company, but not enough. I need as much information as possible for this to work out. I need to research the company itself, their website, social media, online stores and whatever else I need to do. The more information I have, the better for everyone. You can’t walk into something like this without any knowledge. It would all go to hell if you did.
I loved researching, though, so I don’t mind. I could research for hours. I was a research geek, for sure. It was going to be a lot of work, there is no doubt about that, but I was ready for it.
I need to play nice around, Mr Hunter, no matter how much I dislike him. I had a job to do, and I planned on doing it. I could be professional no bother, and I hope he can be the same, or this will not work. I think having Darren there will help. It would be worse if it were only Gabe and me.
Everyone will be helping out one way or another, but Mr Hunter, Darren, and I will get the primary workload. There were going to be long days, late nights and probably weekends too. I can deal with that, though. As long as the guys don’t clash, I am sure the three of us will do what is best for the company.
*** Three Years Later *** Aubrey “Ahh, I can’t believe it. We are officially in business.” I squeal excitedly as I look around. The workers had done a fantastic job! All the desks were in one large open area so everyone could work in the same space. Gabe and I had our office. We had a food bar set up with everything from cereal to candy, plenty of drinks, and there will be fresh food every single day. We wanted to make a space where everyone would be comfortable. Our staff will consist of forty people in total. I couldn’t wait to get started. The place is decorated with blue and white. It was modern in style. It is everything we pictured it to be. Ga
Gabe “Will you please tell me where we are going? You can’t ask a girl to dress up, take her in the car somewhere and not tell her.” Aubrey huffs from next to me. “No, you will find out soon enough. It doesn’t matter how many times you ask. I am not going to tell you.” I reply firmly. “Fine!” she groans. I laugh and shake my head. The woman had no patience. I know once she realises my plan, she will forgive me. I had a special night planned for us. I enjoy spoiling my stunning fiancée. I am still trying to get used to calling Aubrey that, but we have only been engaged a week. I was eager to make my wife, but we didn’t want to hurry things. “We are here.” I smile, finding a parking spot. Aubrey looks around, a confused look on her face. “Why are we at a hotel?” she asked, c
Aubrey “Marry me, Aubrey….”Wait, did I hear him right? Did he just ask me to marry him? I stilled and lifted my head to look at him.“What? Did I hear you right?” I asked, surprised.“Yes. Marry me?” he repeated.Oh My God, I did hear him right. I stood there, just staring at him. I needed a moment to process his words. Where did that come from? I was not expecting it.“Are you being serious?” I stammered out.“Yes. I love you, and I know in my heart you are the one for me. I don’t ever want to be with anyone else, only you, my love….” He trailed off, the nervousness evident in his voice.I love him too, with everything I have in me. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with him, bu
Gabe Aubrey and I had just arrived at the launch party in the limo.“Are you ready for this, my love?” I asked, looking at her.“As ready as I can be.” She smiled.I nodded and kissed her softly. She looked stunning tonight, and a part of me couldn’t wait to show her off to everyone. The limo door opened, and I stepped out first. The place was swimming with the pressed guests walking in, stopping for photos. The place was crazy. I knew it would be a big deal tonight. I just didn’t realise how much of a big deal.I turned around, offered Aubrey my hand. She smiled widely at me, took it, and I helped her out of the car. The moment she saw what awaited outside, she was like a deer in the headlights. She wasn’t used to all of this, not to this extent.“I am right
Aubrey I had dragged Gabe out shopping with me. I was supposed to go with a friend, but she was sick, so I decided that Gabe would take her place, much to his dismay. I was looking for a dress for the launch party next week. Gabe had his outfit, and it took him like ten minutes to find it online. By doing that, he believed he would get out of shopping altogether, but that didn’t go as planned for him.“Please don’t take all day, my love,” he pouted.“I won’t, promise, then maybe we can stop by the lingerie shop,” I smirked.“Mmm, yes, please…” he groaned.I would say that was a good compromise. I knew he would like that idea.“But there is a catch to it,” I smirked, “You can’t complain again about going shopping with me, or
Gabe Aubrey and I have been living together for a couple of weeks now, and it is going great! I love having her there, and I have been happy non-stop since she did.I was at Aubrey’s work today for us all to finish off the project for MV. They were pleased with everything and had won the bid to advertise for them. We only had a couple of minor things left before it went live. It was going to be incredible. I am proud of the team; with us all working together, it had turned out perfectly. Everyone was happy, which was the main thing.I was currently heading into the break room to get a coffee. I noticed a few women who work with the company, but they didn’t notice me coming in.“I still think that is how Aubrey got to work on the project because she is screwing the CEO,” one said.I can’t remember h
Aubrey I was eagerly waiting for Gabe to get back. He should be here soon. I had missed him these last few days. As I thought about him, I heard the front door open.“Hey, sweetness, where you at?” he called out.I grinned to myself, got up from the sofa and went to greet him. He smiled brightly when he saw me approach him. The second I was within arm’s reach, he grabbed me and pulled me to him, kissing me passionately. I moaned, slipped my arms around and kissed him back. He held me tight to his body.We parted after a minute.“I missed you, my love,”“I missed you too,” I replied and kissed him again.He didn’t seem to mind. I missed not only him but his kisses and bedtime cuddles. When we stopped kissing, he pulled me to his chest and h
Gabe I woke with a pounding headache and the hangover from hell! We got back to the hotel at six a.m., and most of last night was a blur. I checked my phone and saw I had called Aubrey in the early hours. It took me a moment, but then I remembered why I called her and that I told her I would call her first thing.I hit the call button on her name. I wasn’t sure if she would answer because I knew she had plans with her friends today, but I wasn’t sure of the time she was leaving. It rang only a couple of times, and then she answered.“Good morning, love. Are you rough?” she giggled.“Morning, sweetheart. Yes, very,” I groaned.“Aww, my poor baby,” she teased.“Come and look after me,”“Nope! No one to blame but yourself, s
Aubrey Gabe was away for the weekend with a few of his friends for one of their bachelor parties. The wedding was in a couple of weeks, and he asked me to go as his date, to which I agreed. I had plans with my girls tomorrow. We were going for a spa day which I was looking forward to because it has been a busy week.As for Gabe and me, we were keeping it on the down-low for now, well, to the people at work anyway. It is none of their business. The most important people know, and I am sure the time will come everyone at work will find out. But I don’t care. The fact doesn’t even bother me now. What is the worst that can happen? They judge. What is new in this day and age? I have another job to go to if I need to. My personal life has nothing to do with anyone.I was currently in bed, reading. Yes, it sounds boring for a Friday night, but I enjoyed it. I had
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