Recovering from a rough relationship and a week of ice cream, Leslie King has new priorities in place for herself. Being a publicist for the billionaire entrepreneur Garret Harrison, she figures she has more important things to worry about than a man clouding her thoughts. That is until Sebastian comes along. Arrogant, selfish and unbelievably gorgeous, Sebastian has his mind set on partying until the day is gone and sleeping with as many women he pleases. After all, being the son of Garret Harrison and the heir to the Harrison empire, who could blame him? But what if it is time for a new era to begin for Sebastian? An era of responsibility and morality, the two things he despises the most? To both of their misfortune, their opposite lives soon intertwine as Leslie is given the task to turn the tabloid plastered playboy into a man fit enough to take over an internationally successful company, and Garret figures three months at Sebastian's mother's manor in Tennessee will assist in the process. Leslie has everything planned out and is ready to tackle the task. However, there are more to the Harrison's than she sees in Forbes and hears from her boss, and staying with the Harrison's for such a long period of time will bring everything to light.
View More"Leslie, hurry up!" screamed my best friend Beth. She doesn't understand how crucial it is for me to actually look presentable at work, while a messy bun will suffice for an employee in the finance department at Harrison Inc. like herself.
I slicked my brown hair into a professional bun, and took one look in the mirror before exiting the bathroom. My grey dress looked bland, boring and predictable, but that was my attire every day. I looked professional at the least and that's all that mattered.
Beth was standing impatiently in the front doorway, adding a dramatic effect by tapping her foot. She had her trademark messy bun, but she still looked gorgeous.
As always.
"I swear if it takes you this long to get ready here, I can't imagine how long it took you at your old place."
I chuckled half heartedly. She was right; I did take forever to get ready, but only because I'm in front of cameras and press almost every day, talking about someone else's life.
I've been living with Beth for a couple of weeks now. After I was kicked out of the apartment I was living in comfortably with my former boyfriend...by him himself. He had to make room for his new girlfriend, a woman that I used to trust.
I should have believed everyone at Harrison Inc. when they said he was a slimy bastard. He's a lawyer, Garret's former lawyer when they were going through that investment scandal, a decade older than me and loaded with cash. I should have known it was too good to be true.
But I've moved on. I'm focused on my job and have blocked out any desires for a love life. Men are all the same anyway.
I grabbed my phone and purse off of the coffee table and walked to the door. My phone was buzzing with calls and missed emails from various magazines that wanted an interview with Garret, or wanted some questions answered that were not going to be answered either way.
As we walked down the hallway towards the elevator, Beth deemed it appropriate to talk about Gustavo, the janitor that she is having a "scandalous affair" with. Beth's definition of a scandal is completely different from mine. I kept trying to explain to her that Gustavo sneaking snacks from the vending machine to you for free is not a scandalous love affair, but she is completely insular to the words that come out of my mouth.
Blondes.
"So Gustavo unlocked the vending machine again for me yesterday." She said excitedly as we walked into the elevator. I glanced at her once, with a judgemental look in my eyes.
"Let me guess, was it Cheetos or Poptarts? Because Poptarts would mean that your affair has gone to a higher level." She nudged me playfully and I laughed. The first time I truly laughed in a while.
"Seriously, Les! This is scandalous. I can hear the gossip now: Beth and Gustavo's secret affair. A janitor and a woman in financing. I would be shunned, ashamed. The very sound of it is so exciting." She pressed the elevator button for the garage, smiling at the thought of her and Gustavo. I rolled my eyes and left her with her amusing thoughts.
I could feel Beth's stare as I was waiting for the elevator door to open. I looked up to find a slight grin on her face.
"What is it now?" I asked.
"You know, Caleb seems to really like you from what I've heard. I mean he's pretty cute, Les."
I sighed loudly before the elevator doors opened, and walked ahead of Beth so I wouldn't have to hear about Caleb anymore.
Caleb works in Human Resources, and was technically the one who got me the job here. Even though Garret interviewed me himself, Caleb looked at my resume and called me in. I suppose he thinks I owe him a favor for what he did, but he's wrong, because the favor he has in mind is nothing near giving him a couple of dollars for lunch.
I power walked towards Beth's Honda Civic and waited for her to open the door. She jogged impressively in her stiletto heels and reached me, almost out of breath.
"Seriously...Les?" She asked between breaths.
"You were the one who was complaining about me being late."
"But we both know that's not the reason you ran from me." She said, digging through her gigantic purse for her car keys.
"And may I remind you that we are taking my car. You can easily hop in yours."
"Yes, but carpooling is easier," I argued "and plus, I'm paying for gas remember?"
Once she opened the doors we climbed in and sat in silence. She had been pestering me to get back on the dating train ever since my former boyfriend kicked me out. I kept trying to tell her that I don't need a man right now, and that I'm perfectly fine with being independent. She never listens.
"Les, I really think that getting back into a relationship will make you forget about Hudson. You used to be so happy and now you're a depressed, over worked mess."
I sighed. Even though she was insulting me she was right, but I wasn't ready for a relationship. Maybe in a few months but not now.
By my silence Beth knew that I didn't want to talk about it anymore, and she put the keys into the ignition. Once the car was on she pulled out of the garage and drove down the busy L.A. street.
"I need my daily dose of Seacrest." She said, turning on the radio to KIIS FM. Right when it landed on the station, the gossip they were speaking about caught my attention for the first time since our daily car rides to work.
"So we have some surprising news for you guys, today. You know Garret Harrison's son, Sebastian Harrison, right?" A woman speaker said. Everyone in the studio agreed, adding in funny comments about my boss' reckless son.
"So apparently he was spotted leaving a hotel two nights ago, with the Italian super model Maria Lombardi. She was obviously intoxicated and was barely able to walk." The people in the studio gave off "oohs" and "what?" at the news.
"Was it the Harrison hotel?" A man asked jokingly. Everyone in the studio laughed in response.
"Wow, I can't believe he's related to that old raisin tight-wad, Garret." Beth said as she turned the corner.
"Garret isn't a tight-wad, and he doesn't look like a raisin."
Beth laughed at my defense. "He's old, Leslie. I can't understand how Sebastian is related to Garret. I mean you've seen Sebastian? He's gorgeous!"
I scoffed. I have seen Sebastian before, but it was only for a second, and he ended up saying a rude remark to Garret which immediately changed my outlook on him. Lucky for me, the second time he visited Harrison Inc. I was out sick. He ended up bringing a swarm of paparazzi with him, and the security guards were outnumbered. It was a hectic mess.
"Beth I have seen him before. He's my boss' son. And I don't want to see him anymore, considering he's rude and inconsiderate. But he's supposed to visit next week again, some important business dealing with Garret, I'm not sure. I'll just have to suck it up."
Pulling up to Harrison Inc., a big group of cars and people were in the streets. Mostly big black SUV's.
Beth honked her horn at the car in front of us, having trouble manoeuvring around all of the people.
"What the hell?" I said. I rolled down the window and looked outside at the huge group of people standing around holding cameras.
"Paparazzi?" Beth asked.
"Yeah, but I don't know why I wasn't informed of this." I checked my phone and went through my emails, but nothing. I started to panic. I'm the fucking publicist and I'm not aware of any of this.
Once we entered the parking garage I jumped out the car and ran to the elevator, dialling my assistant, Darcy in the process.
"Leslie, I'm so sorry I forgot to tell you." Darcy said.
I slowed my pace to a steady jog once I entered the room that contained the elevators to the lobby.
"Tell me what, Darcy? What the hell are all of these paparazzi doing on the street?" I said as I walked into the elevator. Before Darcy could answer, my phone hung up due to the lack of signal.
"Dammit!" I yelled.
"What happened?" Beth asked.
"My phone hung up; I don't have signal in here."
I was now extremely apprehensive. I checked my e***l over and over but nothing was about what was going on. Either that or it wasn't refreshing itself due to the signal.
The elevator doors opened and a few people entered while Beth left to go meet with Gustavo.
Typical.
I pressed the button for the top floor countless times, even though it wouldn't make the elevator go faster. Around the 9th floor everyone was out, and I still had a few floors to go. Before the doors could close a hand stopped them from doing so. When they re opened, a man walked in with a woman next to him, glued to her phone.
He was wearing a clearly very expensive suit, tailored to perfection. His eyes are what stood out the most; the greenest I had ever seen, with blue visible in some spots. His hair was a dark brown, combed neatly to the side. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. I felt like a complete dumbass for staring but I just could not stop. He was so attractive, it was ridiculous.
"I feel fucking stupid in this damn suit." He said while tugging on his jacket.
"It's only for today, and then you can go back to Levi's and t-shirts." The woman said, still glued to her phone. He smiled at the thought of being able to wear casual attire.
He looked very familiar, once I studied his face. So familiar, it puzzled me.
"Anyway, we went over your schedule already. Remember: smiles, and respect. This is crucial. If you mess this up, it's over." She said. He nodded, obviously uninterested in what she was saying.
"Anyway, Lucas will be waiting for you when you get o-" Before she could finish, the man turned around and looked at me, with and irritated look on his face.
"What the hell? You can't be in this elevator. You're going to have to get off on the next floor." He said.
I widened my eyes in shock and disbelief. Shock that he actually said that to me, and disbelief that...he actually said that to me! I looked around the elevator, under my feet and on the walls before answering him.
"I'm sorry, I don't see your name anywhere in here." I said.
He laughed at my comment. "You obviously aren't taking me seriously."
"What are you going to do? Put me in the corner? Look, you have no authority over me. I-I can't believe you would have the audacity to tell me I can't ride in this elevator. But hey, your ego is filling it up anyway, and making it hard for me to breathe, so I'll get off here." Just like clockwork, the elevator doors opened, and I strutted out of there as fast as I could. I was pressed, and I was angry. I was still in disbelief that he actually told me I couldn't ride in that elevator.
A voice suddenly interrupted my thoughts, and it was none other than the elevator-hogging ass hole.
"Excuse me," He said as soon as he caught up to me, "you don't have the right to talk to me like that. Do you know who the hell I am?" His eyes pierced through me like daggers, and his towering height made me feel a bit intimidated.
"Actually, I do. You're a human being. Like me. Now I left 'your' elevator and that should be the end of it. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to work." Before he could retaliate, I darted for the next elevator at the end of the hall. As I walked angrily over there, I received a picture message from Darcy. As I opened it, I could feel the blood escape my face leave me white as snow. The photo was of the ass hole in the elevator.
"I forgot to tell you, that Sebastian Harrison is here a week early!" It read.
I flung my head around behind me, only to find that Sebastian had already left.
"I'm so fired." I mumbled.
**
** I fucked up. I had never felt so much regret in my entire life. One part of me wanted to hit Sebastian for making everything more complicated, then the other wanted to just kill myself for ruining everything. Here was this man, this man I was in denial about having feelings for, confess his love to me and all I say is "No." No. Why wasn't I running after him though? If I really cared, why was I still standing here, dumb founded. I slumped back in my seat and rested my head in my hands. I was an idiot, and frankly mending this was going to be harder than I thought. My complicated persona just ruined more lives than one, it had seemed. What if he fired me, now? Fired someone else out of anger? What if we could never have the same relationship again? I tried my best to choke down a sob. The sound of the door opening halted my thoughts. My spirits were raised as I thought the person entering the room was Sebastian, yet it wasn't who I expected.
It was the weirdest thing. I had never been so pissed off in my entire life. Over what? Something so petty? How could I let the ginger bitch get under my skin like that? Enough for me to go confront Sebastian myself?Sarah followed me to the ballroom, and knew exactly what I was going to do once she saw the direction I was heading in."I'm...gonna go get another drink with Lucas. Let me know if a bitch needs slappin'."I nodded, watching her walk back to the bar.I exhaled deeply before tapping Sebastian on his shoulder, halting his conversation with someone I didn't recognize."Sebastian, I need to talk to you. Now."His smile fade
"Honestly, this dress makes me look like a fucking idiot." Sarah complained, tugging on the edges as we descended in the elevator. I laughed as the doors opened "You know what that reminds me of?" I said. "What?" "When you and Sebastian first came to Harrison inc and he was complaining about his suit." Sarah thought for a moment before laughing "Oh yeah I remember!" She cleared her throat to be able to imitate Sebastian's masculine voice "I feel stupid in this fucking suit" She mocked. Sarah and I both giggled at the memory. As the elevator doors opened, we walked farther into the lobby to meet up with the two security guards,
My first thought was to push him away, but after a few moments I found myself enjoying the moment even more than he was. His lips were...soft, and warm. Like his hands but of course they didn't feel the same in that way. It was so unexpected that when he did kiss me I froze. It took me a while before...I actually kissed him back. Honestly, there are no words that can actually describe how it felt. It just felt good. The way he held my face in his hands, the way he smelled; like Irish Spring. Hell it felt even more than good it felt amazing. I had never felt a kiss that could compare. Is this what I've been missing out on this entire time?I thought to myself. Then it felt cold again. I opened my eyes to find
"I want to go to New York...tomorrow."I brought my attention from my laptop onto Sebastian, who was leaning on the desk I was seated at.It had been a week since he had left the hospital, and a week since the Harrison's had sorted everything out. It was a breath of fresh air to see everyone getting along. Past grudges were left in the past, and it had felt like the family was new. Garret had gone back to L.A., which reminded us that we only had mere weeks until Sebastian was the CEO.I sat back in my chair and chuckled "Um, tomorrow? That's a little soon; we have it planned a week in advance-"He suddenly pulled a paper from behind his back and slammed it on the desk. He pointed to the title "Skate for a Cause" printed in wh
"Leslie, you're like a...a lifesaver!" Beth said. I laughed, knowing of her over the top nature. I was in the hospital hallway, talking to Beth via cell. She called me asking about Sebastian since Fiona told Aunt Penelope about Sebastian and in turn, told Leonardo. I told her everything, from the fight at the manor to Rachael crying on his shoulder. Beth was more than interested at the story, and even almost cried a few times. "Well, I'm just glad you guys are alright. Such a relief. But in my opinion, I think that they should settle their problems. I mean, their family is over the rocks, now." I sighed. She had a point. They did need to sit down and talk, but I knew Sebastian wouldn't have it. I glanced down the hallway and watched Sebastian pushing Rachael in the wheel chair. The
Lucas and William dragged Sebastian down the stairs to gain access to the back door that led to the alley. Everyone we passed stopped dancing or socializing to look at Sebastian. There was no doubt that this would be news in the next couple of hours. Sam, our driver, was waiting in the alley once we got outside. Sebastian was sweating bullets even though it was at least fifty degrees outside, and his eyes remained closed. "Leslie, sit in the middle row with me so you can support his head." William told me. I didn't question as I got in the car. William sat in the middle, dragging Sebastian in and laying him across us. "Take us to the hospital, Sam!" William yelled. Sam quickly put the car in reverse and backed out of the alley int
Around 8 o'clock, Lucas and Sarah began to look tired; I could see it in their eyes. Eventually, Lucas yawned and stretched his lean arms "Well, I'm out." He said. I waved goodbye to him, only to watch him flop down on my bed and pull my covers over him. "Um, if you have forgotten, that's my bed." I said. "Yeah, but this one is more comfortable." He replied, not even making eye contact with me. I sighed in defeat. Lucas was about a foot taller than me, so there was no way I could get him out of my bed. Even though he was skinny and not as muscular, it would still be a task; I guess I would just sleep on the couch in my room. Sarah, rubbing her eyes, looked tempted to join him. Tiredness took over her, and she got up and slammed al
I walked as fast as my heels would allow me to the living room. The information this seven year old just fed me was too much to handle, and I needed to talk to Sarah about it. Since we both worked for the Harrison's she would know how to handle this."Why are you walking so fast, Leslie?" Rachael asked as she tightened her grip around my hand."Um, nothing I just don't want to miss everyone leaving." I looked at my watch; 5:35 already. Where did the time go? No matter, all that mattered was getting Rachael out of my company before I lost my patience. Unfortunately I didn't have my stress ball in handy to calm my nerves, so I had to get Rachael to Ulysses to settle this.I didn't know why I was so angry. Allegedly a man was in love with me and this is how I reacted? Maybe my past experi
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