Office Relationships

"Miss Raymonds, you have a call on line two." Annabelle, Jade's secretary and executive assistant informed her over the intercom, shuffling of papers sounding in the background.

"From?" Jade asked, tapping her platinum black pen on the desk and searching for files with the other hand, the telephone was cradled between her ear and shoulders. 

"Mr. Freeman." He was a potential investor who always found a way of making his demands and terms sly. She didn't intend to deal with him first thing in the morning.

"Hold the call, and put him through line three in ten minutes. I'm trying to contact Chloe here." She dialled again, wondering why she couldn't get through to her younger sister. Had Chloe Raymonds blocked her number? No way. She hit the dial button again, waiting.

  "Okay ma'am" Annabelle replied, and disconnected the intercom to do as she asked.

  Jade dropped the pen on the table in frustration, wondering where she had dropped the document she had been looking for since morning.

She was sure she had seen it before leaving the office the previous day, or had she not?

Seeing that Chloe's line  wasn't connecting, she dropped the telephone and stood, running her hands on her plaid skirt to get rid of the creases before she walked out of her expansive office with the plan of asking her assistant if she had seen it.

Pushing the door open, she came face to face with Annabelle who sat with her legs crossed, taking a call and giggling while fiddling with her hair.

Annabelle froze the moment she saw her boss, her eyes drawing perfect circles.

 "Oh shit! I'll call you back." She muttered, slamming the phone and standing guiltily.

 Saying nothing, Jade made herself comfortable on the seat assigned to clients while waiting for their appointments, her lips turned upwards in a smirk with her eyes fixated on her assistant.

 "It's not what you think, seriously." Annabelle defended herself, shaking her head in denial. When Jade didn't make any move to reply but kept staring at her with a sly grin plastered on her face, she heaved a sigh. "Okay, I'm with Jason now. You can get that smug off your face."

   Jade laughed, throwing back her head." Annabelle, you are just such a terrible liar. Couldn't even keep up with your lie for a minute. Anyway, I didn't come to look into your love life, although I would do well to scold you for abandoning your duties to flirt with my business partner..."

  "Oh Shit! You make it sound as though..."

  "Whatever, Annabelle. Did you see the big brown envelope I received from Mr. Freeman yesterday?" It was a document that contained the man's many demands, terms and conditions, and Jade always ensured to go through every detail herself before entering into a contract.

 Annabelle narrowed her eyes to slits, tapping her temple with a finger as though it would help her remember faster. "You mean before you and Mr. Mears locked yourselves in your office and..."

"You complete that statement young woman, and be ready to kiss your job good bye." Jade interrupted, feigning seriousness. But she found it humorous, just as she had enjoyed irritating Ricky. For some reason, it had been interesting making him annoyed. 

She blamed it on the knowledge she had acquired earlier before meeting him. She had heard tales of how he fought dirty and burnt companies to ashes, big and small alike. She hadn't paid attention to him till he had targeted a company that hers had an affiliation with.

That was the moment she had also come to learn that he was making moves on her corporation next, and decided to throw the first punch instead.

So it was definitely because of the tales she had heard that she had found it amusing putting him in his place.

But of all the stories told of him, she couldn't deny that one was particularly true. The man was on another level of attractiveness with that chiselled jaw, dark blue eyes and strong arrogant nose which was only seen in illustrations. He was like an artwork; perfectly painted and carefully created to avoid any flaw. 

She had felt that aura of sex appeal he exuded the moment she set her eyes on him while in the conference room, and damn, the rumours had got nothing on him. His lips were firm and sensual, blood red pair of sin which should only belong to fantastical creatures like vampires. 

The man was sexy, she had admitted to herself, but it wasn't going to change the fact that he was an asshole...

"Wasn't going to say anything boss!" Annabelle made a mock salute, and continued, pulling the drawers open. Jade blinked twice, realising then that she had been thinking of Ricky fucking Mears. She admonished herself inwardly.

"I think you left it with me along with the Jewelry deal contract documents. Erhmm, good, I've got it." Annabelle pulled out the brown envelope from the lower cabinet, handing over to Jade who quickly enclosed her well-manicured fingers around it.

 "Great! Thought I would go crazy having to tell that man to send it again. You're the best, Anna." Jade exclaimed, raising her hands in exaggerated gratitude.

"Does that mean I don't get to kiss my job goodbye any time soon?" 

  Rolling her eyes, Jade replied, "As long as you don't talk about how hot Mr. Mears is,  or try to matchmake me with anyone." It was all that Annabelle had been doing since the previous day; talking about Ricky and describing his physique.

It was one of the perks that came with having one's best friend as her executive assistant. Annabelle always got nosy about her male clients, especially the young ones.

"Okay boss! Will do those."

 "Will do or won't do?" 

 "Will, won't? Now I'm confused, what was I going to say before?" 

 Rolling her eyes again, Jade broke the seal of the document and muttered, "crazy woman" before going to her office.

  "I heard that you know!" Annabelle screamed behind her. Giving her the middle finger, Jade replied in the same loud voice, "Very much aware of that." 

Annabelle laughed, opening a file to look over it."Says the queen of professionalism. Saying fuck you isn't professional!" 

  "I learnt from the best. And by the way, I didn't say fuck you, I only demonstrated with my finger. Focus on your work, and connect me to Mr. Freeman now. Chloe's gone incommunicado." But before Annabelle could reply, the door to the CEO's office slammed shut, and she was left alone.