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2024-10-29 19:42:56I was due to start at Stone Marketing on Wednesday. It was currently Monday and I’d put the whole business of clothes shopping off until now.
In the afternoon, after my lectures, I headed to a place I very rarely entered. A department store. Vanessa had insisted on meeting me, although seeing as we both dressed terribly, I had no idea what help she was going to be.
I hadn’t told her where I’d got the money from either. Instead making up some story about my mum lending me the funds. I knew if I told her the truth, she’d speculate about the meaning behind it. I’d decided, there was none. When you were worth £4.8 billion a year, £1000 was practically change.
I spotted her leaning against the wall outside, lazily sucking on the straw of her smoothie. Glancing at me, she grinned. Grinning was an unusual act for Vanessa, and I suddenly clicked why she’d been so desperate to come. She thought it would be funny.
“Ready for your makeover?” The excitement was practically bubbling out of her.
I pressed my mouth into a thin line to communicate my displeasure at her mocking.
“Come on, it’s going to be fun!” And with that, she linked arms with me and dragged me into the store.
Bright lights illuminated the hundreds of racks within the store. I could hear soft undescriptive music playing from hidden speakers, along with the tap of women’s heels along the marble floor. As I was not a girl who was used to shopping, rows and rows of clothes intimidated me. I had no idea where to start.
I thought about what all the women had been wearing the two times I’d been. Skirt suits or dresses were popular, but there was no way I was showing off my legs. I had seen a few people wearing smart wide-legged trousers. I could probably cope with that. I managed to find some in black and navy blue. Bonus. I picked up both. Vanessa was flicking through the rack as well, still slurping her drink.
“What about this?” She held a ghastly lime green dress aloft.
I gave her a dead-pan look. “I honestly can’t tell if you’re being serious or making fun of me.”
Vanessa smirked and put the dress back on the rail. “At little of both. Maybe not that colour, but I think you would suit a dress.”
She continued to move the hangers along the rail.
“Under no circumstances am I wearing a dress.” I mumbled.
The thought of going out in public showing my chubby legs was mortifying. I didn’t even go swimming anymore because I couldn’t face having that much on display in front of others. It was another reason why I’d never been intimate with someone. I didn’t want anyone to see me.
I had the trousers, but what was I going to wear on top? Sensing my thoughts, Vanessa shoved a blouse towards me. “Here. Tuck this into your trousers and buy a blazer or a cardigan to cover it.”
I took it, grateful she was finally being helpful.
Now it was time for the worst part of shopping. Trying everything on. I hated changing rooms. I avoided mirrors as much as possible, but that was difficult when you stepped into a room made up entirely of them. I hurriedly pulled on the items to check they fitted. Everything seemed to be fine, although the blouse felt a little tight. I jumped out of my skin as a knocking on the dressing room door startled me.
Vanessa’s insistent voice called out. “Can I have a look then?”
I bit my lip. “Why?
I could practically see Vanessa roll her eyes through the door.
“Just come out and show me!”
I sighed. I never won an argument against Vanessa. It was better just to go along with it. I gingerly began to open the door, halting once I was revealing a gap of a couple of inches.
“I can’t see properly,” she said, pushing open the door. She took in my appearance with a critical gaze.
Not able to wait any longer, I asked for her thoughts. “Well? Is it terrible?”
She sucked her lips. “No, I think it’s great. Get them.”
“But what about the blouse? Don’t you think it’s too tight?” I asked anxiously.
She scoffed. “No Rosie. It is not too tight. That’s how they’re meant to be. Makes your boobs look great too.” She nodded to my chest and I felt my cheeks flush.
“Okay, I’ll get changed.” I shut the door on her and took off the clothes. They would have to do. I couldn’t face trying any more things on.
On the way to the checkout, I grabbed a pair of flat black shoes. I guessed I wouldn’t get away with my Docs, but there was no way I was wearing heels. Images of me tripping over and crashing to the white marble floor of the office rose into my mind. Definitely not heels.
The total came to £111.50. More than I’d planned to spend. I decided I would insist on giving Mr Stone £900 back.
As we both needed to go to the library, we dropped off my unwanted clothes at my halls before heading back out to study. Both of us had assignments coming up.
Making camp in our favourite spot, we went off to opposite ends to get the books related to our subject. I decided to select a couple on campaign management. After all, now my critic had gained me the internship, I should at least try and be as knowledgeable as possible.
As I walked towards the relevant shelves, I noticed someone new behind the help desk. The help desk was where someone would be available to support students in finding the books they needed. It was usually Phyliss. An older lady who smelled like cabbage. But this person was not Phyliss. Far from it.
He didn’t look too much older than me. His shaggy hair lay messy but in a cute way around his features. He was tall and willowy, his t shirt hanging off his shoulders in a strangely pleasing manner. I could see that his jeans were sitting on his hips, a brown belt holding them in place. He kind of reminded me of the surfer guys back in Devon. It made me remember home. Suddenly, he looked up. Not wanting him to catch me staring, I dived quickly behind the nearest book shelf. Heart hammering, I left it a few moments before peering round.
He was gone.“What are you doing?”
The sound of Vanessa’s voice suddenly behind my ear caused me to let out a small shriek.
“Vanessa!” I hissed. “What is it with you always giving me a fright?”
She shrugged unapologetically. “I can’t help it if you have a nervous disposition. Anyway, what were you doing?”
“Looking for books obviously.” There was no way I was telling her the truth.
She raised an eye-brow and tapped against one of the books. “Are you swapping your degree from marketing to political science?”
I looked at the shelves of books. Damn.
Feeling victorious, she crossed her arms in front of her. “I think you were perving over the new guy.”
“I was not!” The high pitch of my voice was not convincing.
Ignoring my poor attempt at denial, Vanessa peered round to the desk. “He’s back now. Why don’t you go and say hello?”
I scoffed. “Oh yeah, and why don’t I do a strip-tease for the whole university while I’m at it.”
“Fine. I’ll go.”
Before I could process what she was doing, Vanessa was striding towards the desk where the mystery guy stood. I wanted to shout at her, but there was no way he wouldn’t hear me.
I watched helplessly as she approached the desk and exchanged a few words. How did she make it look so easy? Please don’t let her mention me. I’d never be able to come back here again.
I watched as she said goodbye, and returned to my new hiding place.
“What did you say?!” I demanded.
“I just asked what had happened to Phyliss and what his name is.”
My eyes widened as I waited for her to tell me more. But she didn’t. Clearly enjoying my frustration?
“Well?” I snapped.
Vanessa began to chuckle. “He said that Phyliss has gone part time, and that’s why he’s here. Oh, and his name is Matt.”
I sighed dreamily. Matt. Wow. What a shame I would never have the confidence to speak to him.
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Wednesday arrived. The whirlwind of emotions that swept through me left me feeling a little dizzy. I still wasn’t sure if this was really the right decision, but I reasoned with myself that I could just quit if it was terrible. I could even offer to pay back Mr Stone for the clothes. According to the email I got, I was to report to the social media department at 9 am. I would spend a few weeks there before moving around the different departments. I was actually quite pleased about this. It would provide me with a good varied experience and may give me an insight into what area of marketing I would eventually like to work in. After I got over my initial nerves, I actually really enjoyed my morning. My mentor Louise was very friendly, and not at all like Mellissa or Greta. She was still well-dressed, but she was much more down to earth. She taught me about the different algorithms of each social media platform and explained that in a week or so I could help her create
Mr Stone, My CEO 6
Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get very far. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually run, and my body couldn’t either. It wasn’t long before my lungs were burning and my legs were aching. It didn’t help that I was also having to weave in and out of the crowd of people still shopping. People looked at me as if I was mad. They were probably right, but I didn’t care. I had to get myself out of this situation and fast. My escape came to an abrupt halt as soon as I felt a strong hand take hold of my shoulder. I began to topple, but he caught me, pulling me towards him. “Stop Rosie.” His breath was hot against my ear. A shiver ran down my spine when he used my first name. He hadn’t done that before. It had always been ‘Miss Woods’. Panting, I had no choice but to relax against him. His arms still had me locked into his front, and I found it strangely comforting. It was as if he was holding me in place to stop me from falling apart. The way he held me in place
Mr Stone, My CEO 7
During lectures the next few days, Neil had attempted to engage me in conversation about how my first day at Stone Marketing had gone. Having no wish to relive the mortifying experience, I attempted to keep my answers as short as possible.On Friday afternoon, he gave it one last attempt. “So, Rosie, are you going to fill us in one what it was like. It would be beneficial for you to share your experience with the other students.”I shifted awkwardly in my chair. “Er, well it was only my first day. Most of it was just induction stuff.”Emma caught onto my discomfort, and decided to pray upon it. “Did you meet Mr Stone again Rosie? Now that you know who he is of course?”Some of the other students smirked.Anger ran through me. “Yes, I did.” I snapped without thinking. I soon realised my mistake.
Mr Stone, My CEO 8
I couldn’t quite believe I was back in his car again. Although this time, it was a different car. The only reason I knew it was a Porche was because I took notice of the logo. Mr Stone had hardly said a thing since I’d got into the car. I wondered if he enjoyed making people feel uncomfortable or if it was unintentional.I hadn’t even bothered to try and make too much extra effort in terms of my outfit. After all, he disapproved of my appearance whether I tried or not. I looked down at my jeans and hoodie and hoped that we weren’t going anywhere nice. I looked at him from the corner of my eye. I was relived to find he wasn’t wearing a suit, although he was still smarter than I could ever hope to be. His dark grey chinos clung to his muscular legs and a crisp white shirt was tucked into his waist band. He’d rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, and I enjoyed watching the muscles in his forearm tense and rel
Mr Stone, My CEO 9
After Mr Stone’s shocking proposal, I had left his apartment without saying a word. He had not bothered to chase me, which meant that I was left to my own devices trying to find my way out of the ridiculous building. When I had finally found my way to the exit, I had earned a scrutinising glance from the concierge. I felt like shouting at him, “yes I know I look like I don’t belong here! Just like everywhere else that arrogant arse has taken me!” As I sat on the tube home, I tried to regain my composure. I couldn’t believe Mr Stone had propositioned me like that. I hated to admit it, but Emma had been right. He was a womaniser. He clearly took every opportunity he could to corrupt and bed women, and he obviously wasn’t that picky. The worst part about it was that he had got into my head. Against my will, I began to imagine what it would be like for him to touch me. I felt myself getting hot at the thought, and instantly scolded myself for being so ridiculous. I c
Mr Stone, My CEO 10
I was back in the waiting area for Mr Stone’s office. Except this time, I was 100 times more nervous than I was before. If that was even possible.When I’d called Mr Stone on Monday evening, he hadn’t even seemed surprised that I had got back in touch with him. That annoyed me. It was as if he knew I was going to change my mind and accept. However, I had resolved to something. I was not, under any circumstances, going to let him use me. This was all about me. I would be using him. I wanted to become more confident, and then walk out of his life without looking back. There wasn’t going to be anything personal about this.I was glad he’d asked me back to his office. It made it feel more like a business deal. I was essentially acquiring a service. Of course, I continued to tell myself these things over and over again, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t any less terrified. My heel tapped nervously a
Mr Stone, My CEO 11
We were back in the same situation as before. Except this time Mr Stone had hired out the whole store for me. I guess billionaires really could do what they liked. He’d insisted that we weren’t going to start anything properly until I’d ‘sorted out my image’ as he’d so eloquently put it.“Nothing too elaborate for now. Miss Woods only needs the essentials for her working environment.” He spoke to the shop assistant as if I wasn’t even there.“No problem Mr Stone, I’ll begin taking the young lady’s measurements.” From the way ‘Felicity’ batted her very obviously fake eyelashes at him, she would have preferred me not to be there.She got me to stand on a plinth in the dressing room area. It was completely surrounded by mirrors, and to make matters worse, the lightening was impeccable. I could see myself from every possible angle. It was horrific. I did my best not to lo
Mr Stone, My CEO 12
I tried my best to stop trembling. I didn’t want him to know that he’d got to me. I knew something like this would be coming, I just didn’t expect it to be so soon. I breathed slowly, telling myself I just needed to pretend he wasn’t here. I started with my faithful grey hoodie, pulling it over my head and resting it sorrowfully over the back of the chair. Then my boots, and socks. Those were easier. Now it was going to start to get harder from here. Tying to delay the inevitable, I posed a question. “What even is the point of this Mr Stone?”He sighed, almost as if I bored him. “Miss Woods. If you can overcome being naked in front of someone, wearing the kinds of clothes you were in earlier is going to be a breeze.”I hated to admit it, but that kind of made sense. I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him I agreed though. He would get far too much satisfaction from it.“Hurry up Miss Woods.
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Mr Stone, My CEO 69
I wanted to look at Vanessa, to what her reaction was. But my eyes were stuck on the screen, barely believing what I was seeing was real. His dark eyes seemed to be boring into my own.“My name is Ezra Stone, and I am a foolish man.”I felt my hands begin to shake, and I dug my fingers into the armrests to try and control myself.“I have lived a life without love, and so when it finally arrived, I didn’t know what to do. And so, I did the only thing I knew how. I pushed it away. But I no longer want to do that.”Tears began to slip down my face.“So, this my public pledge to win back the woman. The woman who’s smile melted my heart. The woman who showed me there was more to life than money. The woman who introduced me to milky tea and full English breakfasts. The woman who I want with every fibre of my being. The woman who changed my life, forever.”The screen cut out and the lights went up. I
Mr Stone, My CEO 68
Eight long days went by. By the third day the story about Ezra and I was old news. He hadn’t contacted me at all since Vanessa had sent him that text message, and maybe that was for the best. A few days after the story came out, Emma stopped turning up to lectures. I wondered if Vanessa had talked to her dad, but she promised me that she hadn’t. At first, I wondered what had happened to her, but then I realised that I didn’t care. I shouldn’t be wasting my time thinking about people like that.I wish I could have applied the same principle to Ezra, but he was far more difficult to forget. Everything seemed to remind me of him. One of our lectures would cover a marketing trick that he used and I see him at his desk. I’d see a fancy deli and I’d remember his favourite food. Sometimes when I was walking down the street, I would catch a glimpse of a tall man in a dark suit, and I would snap my head towards them. But of course, it was never him.
Mr Stone, My CEO 67
I was relieved that Vanessa decided to not adopt her usual ‘tough love’ approach. I’d managed to hold it together all day, but I didn’t have a lot left to rebuff any further judgement.“I can’t believe that bitch did this to you. This is why I work with animals. People suck.”We were sitting on my bed while I used a wet-wipe to clean the smeared make-up off my face from crying.“Yeah well…it’s not even her I’m the angriest with…” I trailed off, looking at the once pristine wipe that was now a grubby rag.Vanessa sighed. “Hah. I haven’t even got on to that bastard.”We went silent for a moment, neither of us knowing what to say.Just then, my phone rang. I fished it out of my pocket, almost dropping it when I saw who it was.“It’s him.”Vanessa’s face went instantly sour. “Don’t answer it!”
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So, this was what the threat had all been about. I hadn’t stopped seeing him, so as a consequence, nude pictures of me had been leaked, and false information printed. I wondered how Greta had got to the point of hating me this much. We barely even knew each other. Had she been in love with Ezra?By the time I got back to my halls, I realised I could still make my mid-morning lectures. The fact this thought occurred to me surprised me. After all, I could so easily sink back into despair and not leave my room. But I was tired of that. All my life I had been fearful about what others thought. That fear had kept me trapped, restricted from living my life. I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of. I had done nothing wrong. Hiding away in this room was going to solve nothing. It would only prove to the world that I had been beaten once again. Last time, Mr Stone had saved me, but this time, I was saving myself.Taking a deep breath, I found some of the fanciest clothes I
Mr Stone, My CEO 65
The phone woke us both up with a start. It was early, that much I knew. Ezra clocked the name on the screen and answered it immediately.“Morning.”I heard a male voice on the end of the phone.“What do you mean?” Ezra’s tone changed from light to dark in seconds.“No, I haven’t seen them, I’ve just woken up.”Still on the phone, he got out of bed. He held the phone next to his ear with his shoulder as he pulled on his clothes without even casting a glance my way. Was it Mr Franks?“Yeah. Send me some copies over by email.”He strode into the kitchen, where I heard him switching on his laptop. I sprang out of bed, finding any kind of clothing to put on before going off to find him.He was sat down, elbows on the table with his fingers pressed into his lips. The deep frown line in his forehead told me this was anything but good.“What is it?” I
Mr Stone, My CEO 64
I didn’t even want to blink. It was so incredible. I of course had never been on the London Eye, as it was too expensive. However, now I was up here, I could see it was worth every penny. I couldn’t deny how strange it was being in a glass bubble at this height, but the views were too breath taking to ignore. Some people might question how I could find a cityscape so beautiful considering I grew up with the turquoise waters of the south coast, but I did. It was a different kind of beautiful. To see all the wide spectrum of architecture both old and new was wonderful. You could see the majority of the London landmarks, from Big Ben to Canary Wharf. When I thought about all of the people living their lives in this iconic city, my head swam.Erza stood next to me in silence. He had booked out an entire carriage for our own use, so the only sound was the low hum of the structure rotating. At first I had chastised him for wasting money when we could have just got regul
Mr Stone, My CEO 63
When we finally sat down to breakfast, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander back to the note. I ate the omelette he had made us in thoughtful silence.Noticing, he asked what I was thinking about.“The message…do you think we should contact the police?”Ezra shook his head. “No. Let me handle it for now. If we tell the police they won’t allow me to investigate myself.”I frowned at him. “But how are you going to do that?”“Rosie, don’t you remember I’m a billionaire?” He raised his eyebrow at me, before placing his knife and fork down on the empty plate. “I can hire people to look into it.”“…legally?”He began to laugh. “Yes Rosie. I’ll hire a PI that I know. I’m a CEO, not a gang lord.”I narrowed my eyes at him. “I just wanted to check.”He leaned back in his chair, his ex
Mr Stone, My CEO 62
I was shaking so much that I dropped the paper. It fluttered to the floor, the harmless inanimate sheet flying through the air as if it didn’t have the disturbing message written upon it. Not wanting anyone to see, I bent down to retrieve it before shutting my front door and locking it.For fear of fainting, I sat down on my bed, doing my best to regulate my breathing. I wasn’t sure how long I sat there, but the next thing I knew my phone was ringing. I answered it, finding his soothing voice travelling down the other end.“I’m outside. Are you ready?”“S-someone, someone has left a note for me.” I stuttered.“I’m coming up.”I knew by the tone in my voice he could tell I was upset. Five minutes later he was knocking on my door.“It’s me Rosie, open up.”I went to the door to find him standing on the other side with a concerned look on his face.&ldqu
Mr Stone, My CEO 61
The vibrator was lying on the bed next to us. He picked it up, his thumb flicking the switch on to the first setting. It hummed in his hands, and I stilled, as if I expected it to give me an electric shock when it touched my skin. He brought it closer and closer to my breast, hesitating just before it came into contact with my nipple. When it finally buzzed against me, I gasped. The sensation of the cool coating vibrating made my pussy get even wetter. It also reminded me how good the last time had been. He traced it from my breast, down my stomach, all the way to the slit between my legs. I let my head rest against his chest, closing my eyes to enjoy the moment.“You take over now.”I took a deep breath and allowed him to place the item between my shaking fingers. I almost dropped it, the adrenaline was pumping through my veins so hard. He returned his hands to my breasts, the action making me realise how much I actually wanted to touch myself. Witho
