Sitting at my desk, I felt like hitting my head on it. I'd all but propositioned a complete stranger that I had quickly become obsessed with. I found my self willing her to reply, re-reading what little contact we have already had. I'm pathetic.
I've worked hard to build my billion dollar empire, I have several research facilities, labs and dispensaries, properties that range fom modest and affordable to luxurious and down right extravagant. I'm the director of several charities and own hotels and restaurants and yet here I am, losing my mind over a beautiful girl.
Apart from Warner Labs, everything I have bought and sold has been done so privately and anonymously. I value my privacy above all else. When you have an over abundance of wealth people expect or demand more of you. Keeping myself out of the spotlight, helps stave away the vultures and endless women wanting to become Mrs. Warner.
Not that I don't want a wife, I just wish it was easier to find one that wanted me rather than my bank account. I crave passion, someone who will argue with me as fiercely as they will make love to me. A woman who has the power to have my insides churning with desire or bring me to my knees. Annalita Taylor is the first woman who has ignited a small spark of that passion in me, making me hopeful that it will burst into magnificent flames.
When she wrote that even as she typed she was sating her appetite I about lost my damned mind. Was she with someone and if so who? A friend, lover, boyfriend? I nearly blew it all by rushing over to her apartment and ripping the door off it's hinges to get to her.
Calming myself enough to finish reading her email, her playfulness brought my tormented insides some peace, surely she would not be so with a boyfriend there with her. That gave me hope that perhaps there wasn't a man involved at all, the mere thought of someone kissing her, loving her sent waves of jealousy rippling through me.
I sent back a reply immediately, not giving myself the chance to second guess myself. It was harder to conceal my meanings as a tulmult of emotion has settled in the pit of my stomach. I should have kept it light and fun, now I'm risking her thinking I'm just a some asshole trying to get into her pants...I am but still....I don't want her to know it yet.
Expecting an email back with a 'I don't think so pal' response, I was pleasantly surprised that she still wanted the job. Surprised and relieved that I've completely ballsed it up. She mentioned about getting her address..oh shit. I'm gonna have to speak to the university quickly and probably make a sizeable donation so that they keep quiet.
Of course I already know where she lives. I bought that building and had it renovated just over four years ago. It was in an up and coming part of the city that is now thriving. The six apartments it housed all sold quickly. They were spacious and set at a reasonable price. I have my realtor handle everything so as not to be directly involved. I would assume the person who bought it has let it out and she is the one renting it.
I looked at the clock, it was after 8pm now. I was hoping to get out of the office hours ago but here I am still glued to my computer waiting to hear from her. I quickly gather my things and decide to go home before replying to her, even if she doesn't see it tonight.
The drive to the outskirts of the city took longer than normal or maybe it was just me. Was this road always so long and winding? I guess I never paid that much attention before, then again I'd never been in such a rush to get home before.
After what seemed like an eternity I pulled up to the gates and put my thumb to the scanner to let me in. It may not be up to Tony Stark's standard but it's not bad. Once opened, I drove my black Mercedes-benz S-class into the six car garage and hooked it up to the electrical charge point.
Rushing into my house through the garage entrance, I headed through to the kitchen. Setting my computer down on the granite topped island, I pulled open the fridge to find an ovenproof dish with shepherds pie in it and a bowl of mixed salad next to it, left by my motherly housekeeper Mrs. Hurst.
If it wasn't for that wonderful woman, I'd probably never eat a home cooked meal, not because I can't, I just don't see the point in cooking just for me. Putting it in the oven to warm through, I almost jogged up the stairs to my bedroom, unbuttoning my shirt as I went, anxious to get back to my screen affair.
Stripping off the rest of my clothes, I stepped into the shower and turned it on. The inital icy blast stung my face and chest as it hit my skin but the tingle of pain soon gave way to soothing warmth, easing my muscles.
I grabbed the bottle of shower gel and squirted a generous dollop on my hand, lathering it up over my body before rinsing off and washing my hair. Remembering that I have yet to reply to Annalita and that the food that Mrs. Hurst kindly made may be at risk of burning if I dont move my ass, I quickly shut off the water, dry myself and pull on a pair of black lounge pants.
I don't bother with a shirt as I head back towards the mouth-watering aroma that was now filtering it's way through the bottom floor of my empty house. Removing the dish from the oven, I dish myself up a plate, add some salad and ten decide to pour myself a glass of wine.
Perching on a stool at the island, I fired up my laptop, willing it to load faster. I re-read the email for the umpteenth time then clicked reply.
My Annalita,
I'm so very glad that you found the terms of time and place agreeable. I think you are going to be a perfect fit with your colleagues. It was inattentive of me to not ask you to submit your personal details to me, for the courier as he would indeed spend a long time searching for you.
As for my dedication to ensuring the well-being my workforce, I acknowledge your concerns but want you to acknowledge that nothing would please me more that to see that you are well taken care of.
I have taken your suggestion into consideration and will take your advice of seeing to my own well-being and when I do, I shall think of you...as you are the one who inspired me to do so.
I am also looking forward to meeting you and once my thirst is well and truely quenched I shall indeed rest well.
Yours W.
Sitting back admiring my handiwork and sipping my wine, I smile. A deep, self satisfying smile as I think about how my beautiful kitten will respond.
"Uurgh....", my whole body felt heavy, as though someone had tied me down with weights. My eyes flickered but I couldn't open them. Attempting to roll-over, I must have tried to compensate for all the imaginary weights, because the next thing I knew was i was on the cold floor, landing with a dull thud. A sharp pain shot through my head as it bounced off the edge of the table as I went down. Lying there, curled up on floor, I waited until the pain was replaced with a dull ache before attempting to open my eyes again, managing a small crack but it was to blurry to see. Slowly, I bring a shaking hand up to the edge of my hairline, gingerly touching the spot where my head and table connected. I could feel hot and sticky moisture on my fingertips. Well isn't that just freakin' great! I'm bleeding, the smell of copper and iron now invades my nostrils, making my stomach churn. I attempted to push myself off the ground but my blood slick hand slipped, se
As I padded over to the sofa, the aftermath of my drinking hit me. Glancing around I felt like a slovenly pig. There were to empty wine bottles, one on it's side, the other miraculously still upright. A third bottle was lying, partially concealed by a cushion, looking as though I had tried to open it and gave up.The discarded pizza box was open, soggy with grease, crusts and crumbs were scattered all over the table, a single slice with a bite out of it hanging over the edge. The glass I had been using was under the table, chipped and cracked, the straw nowhere to be seen.The worst part though, except from not remembering the second bottle of wine, was the blood on the floor. There were smears and fingerprints on the leg of the table and spanning outwards from a small puddle that still looked wet and sticky in the middle.Thinking that it would be better if my new employer didn't see the havoc I had created for myself, I turned back to him to try and stop him c
I had been expecting a reply from Anna before now. It was almost lunchtime and I'd spent most of the morning checking my emails more times than I had in the last week, unable to concentrate on anything other than her response. Lunchtime came and went, I was too anxious to eat so settled for a strong black coffee. What if I had scared her off with my last message? By the time mid-afternoon had arrived, I had gone from bubbles of anticipation to my stomach churning with apprehension. Even if Anna was having second thoughts about my proposed job offer, I believed she would've let me know in no uncertain terms, so why hadn't she replied? Looking through the details I had for her, I found her number and decided to call her after some hesitation. I honestly felt like I was losing my mind over her. No answer. I pushed redial and again let it ring until I heard her melodious voice asking for a message to be left. "Hello Miss Taylor, this is Mr Warner. I
I was sick of their excuses and ineptitude. A whole team of the brightest minds and nothing to show for it. Many would argue that my latest research project should take as long as it needs, for the benefit of the population but it was also a cut throat business with several compettitors trying to cross the finish line first. I had to get out of there before I was tempted to fire them all. Grabbing my phone and suit jacket, I swept out of the conference room in a fury. Noone dared speak to me as they passed me. My face was darkened by my temper, my eyes hard and cold. Pushing open the glass doors at the entrance of the building, I strode out with no particular destination in mind. The wind cooled the heat that had risen within me. I let my feet carry me as my mind went over the findings from the latest round of trials. There had to be something I was missing. Stopping mid step, I looked up to see where I was. My subconscious had been directing me to my
Back within the confines of my office, I had asked my personal assistant, Julia, to hold all calls. I did not wish to be disturbed for any reason. Sitting behind my large, polished oak desk, I powered up my personal laptop. I started simple, searching several social media sites for one Annnalita Taylor. Her personal profile didn't give me as many answers as I had hoped. She appeared to be a private person which for me, was a good thing. I valued my privacy also. I saw that she was a member of the Winston University group page. I saw pictures of her sitting on the campus green, nose in a book. A group of girls together, her in the centre, at a sorority mixer. Annalita in a lab coat and goggles, surrounded by beakers and test tubes with unknown substances in them. I kept flicking through the pictures, skipping by the ones that didn't include her. If the propectus for the university was made up of all the pictures of Annalita, I would enrol in a heartbeat.
The epic speech writing was a big swing and a miss, giving up, I decided to head back to my apartment. If I was right and other path from the bench led to the other side of the park, I could use it as a shortcut.Following that route was the only good thing to come out of visiting the park. It was beautiful, stunningly so. Either side of the dirt track was lined with majestic looking beech trees with the edges of the pathway marked out with stones. My surroundings reminded me of a fairy tale.I sauntered along, taking my time, knowing that I'd soon be back in amongst the crowds of people that populated the busy city streets. The city was fantastic, I loved the diverse culture, the nightlife, Saltharbor City Library was probably one of the biggest in the country. Mostly I loved to people watch.The gate for the west entrance to the park could be spotted in the distance, I had been right about where this pathway led to and made a mental note of where it dive
I had to confirm that this wasn't a hoax. I found a contact number at the very bottom of the email. Blowing out a breath, I tried to steady my shaking hands as I punched the numbers into my phone. My finger hovered over the call button, 'Put on your big panties and push it', I berated myself. I closed my eyes as I closed the gap between me and my phone. It rang for several moments before a curt, young sounding woman answered. "Warner Labs, Aiden Warner's office, how may I be of assistance today?", there was a nasal quality to her voice as she spoke. "My that's quite a mouthful", I respond with a nervous chuckle. "Anyway, I'm Annalita...Taylor and I was wondering if Mr. Warner was available to discuss the details of an email I received from him?", 'way t'go Anna you blithering idiot', my inner voice was feeling particularly snarky today. "Hmmm quite.", so much for hoping she'd bypass my moronic opening line. "May I ask what the email is in regards to? In order
I stared at the screen, I thought about the options laid before me. The most boring would be to come clean straight away, confess why I wanted her at Warner Labs and make myself look like a creepy douche. I scrapped that idea straight away.Maybe I could feign ignorance, see if I could get her to elaborate on what she thinks being on my private payroll would entail? That could be fun, seeing what path her mind would take her down. Definitely a possibility.Glancing once again at the words on the screen, I can tell that it was written with emotion. Her rage fuelling her words. Perhaps I shouldn't overthink it and see where the mood takes me.Rolling up the sleeves of my navy shirt, I set to work:Miss Taylor,I'm very grateful for your timely response to the offer I made to you earlier today. I feel that is a matter of great importance that requires my immediate attention.Firstly, I would like to commend you on your keen thirst for knowledge
I had been expecting a reply from Anna before now. It was almost lunchtime and I'd spent most of the morning checking my emails more times than I had in the last week, unable to concentrate on anything other than her response. Lunchtime came and went, I was too anxious to eat so settled for a strong black coffee. What if I had scared her off with my last message? By the time mid-afternoon had arrived, I had gone from bubbles of anticipation to my stomach churning with apprehension. Even if Anna was having second thoughts about my proposed job offer, I believed she would've let me know in no uncertain terms, so why hadn't she replied? Looking through the details I had for her, I found her number and decided to call her after some hesitation. I honestly felt like I was losing my mind over her. No answer. I pushed redial and again let it ring until I heard her melodious voice asking for a message to be left. "Hello Miss Taylor, this is Mr Warner. I
As I padded over to the sofa, the aftermath of my drinking hit me. Glancing around I felt like a slovenly pig. There were to empty wine bottles, one on it's side, the other miraculously still upright. A third bottle was lying, partially concealed by a cushion, looking as though I had tried to open it and gave up.The discarded pizza box was open, soggy with grease, crusts and crumbs were scattered all over the table, a single slice with a bite out of it hanging over the edge. The glass I had been using was under the table, chipped and cracked, the straw nowhere to be seen.The worst part though, except from not remembering the second bottle of wine, was the blood on the floor. There were smears and fingerprints on the leg of the table and spanning outwards from a small puddle that still looked wet and sticky in the middle.Thinking that it would be better if my new employer didn't see the havoc I had created for myself, I turned back to him to try and stop him c
"Uurgh....", my whole body felt heavy, as though someone had tied me down with weights. My eyes flickered but I couldn't open them. Attempting to roll-over, I must have tried to compensate for all the imaginary weights, because the next thing I knew was i was on the cold floor, landing with a dull thud. A sharp pain shot through my head as it bounced off the edge of the table as I went down. Lying there, curled up on floor, I waited until the pain was replaced with a dull ache before attempting to open my eyes again, managing a small crack but it was to blurry to see. Slowly, I bring a shaking hand up to the edge of my hairline, gingerly touching the spot where my head and table connected. I could feel hot and sticky moisture on my fingertips. Well isn't that just freakin' great! I'm bleeding, the smell of copper and iron now invades my nostrils, making my stomach churn. I attempted to push myself off the ground but my blood slick hand slipped, se
Sitting at my desk, I felt like hitting my head on it. I'd all but propositioned a complete stranger that I had quickly become obsessed with. I found my self willing her to reply, re-reading what little contact we have already had. I'm pathetic. I've worked hard to build my billion dollar empire, I have several research facilities, labs and dispensaries, properties that range fom modest and affordable to luxurious and down right extravagant. I'm the director of several charities and own hotels and restaurants and yet here I am, losing my mind over a beautiful girl. Apart from Warner Labs, everything I have bought and sold has been done so privately and anonymously. I value my privacy above all else. When you have an over abundance of wealth people expect or demand more of you. Keeping myself out of the spotlight, helps stave away the vultures and endless women wanting to become Mrs. Warner. Not that I don't want a wife, I just wish it was easier to find
Mr Warner,Thank you for your speedy reply. I am amazed that I am so high on your to-do list, given how in demand a high profile man such as you are surely is.You are absolutely correct in regards to my need for knowledge and I feel that the role of researcher will suit me well. I do not think that a change in career anytime in the near or distant future is in my plans going forward.I believe you wish for me to be more specific with what I want from our correspondence. Here are my wants as you desire:1. I want, most kindly, to be informed about which of your many facilities I shall be stationed in, specifically, to aid my knowledge quest.2. I want, most fervently, to know when I shall be needed to start my quest within your company. It would be most advantageous, as sat twiddling one's thumbs is not listed as part of my long term career goals.3. This is more of a wish than a want, but would you be willing to divulge any information on a
I stared at the screen, I thought about the options laid before me. The most boring would be to come clean straight away, confess why I wanted her at Warner Labs and make myself look like a creepy douche. I scrapped that idea straight away.Maybe I could feign ignorance, see if I could get her to elaborate on what she thinks being on my private payroll would entail? That could be fun, seeing what path her mind would take her down. Definitely a possibility.Glancing once again at the words on the screen, I can tell that it was written with emotion. Her rage fuelling her words. Perhaps I shouldn't overthink it and see where the mood takes me.Rolling up the sleeves of my navy shirt, I set to work:Miss Taylor,I'm very grateful for your timely response to the offer I made to you earlier today. I feel that is a matter of great importance that requires my immediate attention.Firstly, I would like to commend you on your keen thirst for knowledge
I had to confirm that this wasn't a hoax. I found a contact number at the very bottom of the email. Blowing out a breath, I tried to steady my shaking hands as I punched the numbers into my phone. My finger hovered over the call button, 'Put on your big panties and push it', I berated myself. I closed my eyes as I closed the gap between me and my phone. It rang for several moments before a curt, young sounding woman answered. "Warner Labs, Aiden Warner's office, how may I be of assistance today?", there was a nasal quality to her voice as she spoke. "My that's quite a mouthful", I respond with a nervous chuckle. "Anyway, I'm Annalita...Taylor and I was wondering if Mr. Warner was available to discuss the details of an email I received from him?", 'way t'go Anna you blithering idiot', my inner voice was feeling particularly snarky today. "Hmmm quite.", so much for hoping she'd bypass my moronic opening line. "May I ask what the email is in regards to? In order
The epic speech writing was a big swing and a miss, giving up, I decided to head back to my apartment. If I was right and other path from the bench led to the other side of the park, I could use it as a shortcut.Following that route was the only good thing to come out of visiting the park. It was beautiful, stunningly so. Either side of the dirt track was lined with majestic looking beech trees with the edges of the pathway marked out with stones. My surroundings reminded me of a fairy tale.I sauntered along, taking my time, knowing that I'd soon be back in amongst the crowds of people that populated the busy city streets. The city was fantastic, I loved the diverse culture, the nightlife, Saltharbor City Library was probably one of the biggest in the country. Mostly I loved to people watch.The gate for the west entrance to the park could be spotted in the distance, I had been right about where this pathway led to and made a mental note of where it dive
Back within the confines of my office, I had asked my personal assistant, Julia, to hold all calls. I did not wish to be disturbed for any reason. Sitting behind my large, polished oak desk, I powered up my personal laptop. I started simple, searching several social media sites for one Annnalita Taylor. Her personal profile didn't give me as many answers as I had hoped. She appeared to be a private person which for me, was a good thing. I valued my privacy also. I saw that she was a member of the Winston University group page. I saw pictures of her sitting on the campus green, nose in a book. A group of girls together, her in the centre, at a sorority mixer. Annalita in a lab coat and goggles, surrounded by beakers and test tubes with unknown substances in them. I kept flicking through the pictures, skipping by the ones that didn't include her. If the propectus for the university was made up of all the pictures of Annalita, I would enrol in a heartbeat.