Chapter 46
Once again, the scene from the bar instantly flashed before my mind. Her friend leaning down, sucking on her boobs. It had been a turn-on, but now I was no longer impressed. That was the thing I had noticed about us over the past week. Suddenly, and after my decision to pull down a little bit more walls between us, to walk with her instead of away from her, I had become quite possessive.
It started with George and how he always lingered at her desk. She was always smiling at him, happy to see him, and I truly couldn”t tell if it was all genuine or if she was being polite. However, she was never quite that way with me. I understood that. I was her boss, but we were intimate now, yet there was still a very visible line that she refused to allow herself to cross, even when we were alone together.
Her friend instantly got up, and not wanting to make this into a whole situation, I simply sent her a nod and returned to my office. There, I took my seat and continued with making the rest of the needed preparations before we had to leave. Afterward, and seeing that it was ten minutes to the time, I placed a call.
“We’re ready, sir,” she stopped and I grabbed my jacket and rose to my feet. I thought about using the helicopter rover to the airport, but once again, I didn’t want to attract undue attention. Dealing with the city traffic at this time, however, was especially aggravating.
She waited at her desk, and once again, as I watched her as was the case now, my heart shifted in my chest.
“Ready?” I asked, and she nodded. We walked out together, with a duffel bag in her hand, but I was a bit uncomfortable about that.
“You shouldn’t be holding that,” I told her as soon as we reached the elevator. She shut her eyes and lowered her head, and I understood that she had to make the last-minute arrangements since she hadn”t exactly been scheduled to fly with me.
I understood then that I was being too unfair, and as I had been teaching myself to be, I softened slightly.
“It’s alright,” I told her. “Next time, don’t bother bringing anything. I’m sure you can get whatever we need in the city. Or just ensure it’s on the plane or with Raul before we head down.”
“Okay, sir,” she muttered, and I nodded. I meant to hold her, but it was impossible to do so, especially as on our way down, multiple people embarked and disembarked, and at least at any time, two of them knew who I was.
Eventually, we were out of the building and in the back of my town car, and soon we were on our way to the airport. She remained silent as she stared out the window, and all the more, I couldn”t wait for us to be together in the privacy of the plane. She was unhappy. I knew she didn’t exactly want me to comfort her, but I wanted to.
She was learning and she was getting immensely better, and I needed to commend her more often for that. Eventually, we arrived at the tarmac, and Raul tried to take her bag, but she refused.
“It’s incredibly light,” she told him, and together we boarded the plane. I loved being here. It was the first big purchase I had made after my first half a billion from investments. The firm needed it for speed, especially as our partners and reach began to grow, and most importantly, it ensured that I could have private moments like this to myself in the sky.
Chicago wasn”t too far, but in these hours between, I was excited to spend a bit more time with her. Soon the doors were closed, and we took off, and I gave the instructions for the cabin crew not to bother us after serving appetizers.
She ate slowly and carefully as she stared out of the window, and I couldn’t help but watch her. She was so graceful when she was outside, but I knew exactly how wild and filthy she could get, and of course, how messy she could get as well.
We were alone now, and there was no reason to be apart, so I put aside my appetizer and called out to her.
“Hannah?” I called. She instantly turned around and looked at me. She smiled slightly, but it was nowhere near as bright as the ones she gave George.
Yes, I was jealous, which made very little sense, but I couldn”t help it. I wondered when we would be comfortable enough with each other for her to laugh as loudly as she wanted with me. My being so stern and being her boss was definitely not helping matters, I was at least sure of this.
“Come over here,” I said. At first, she seemed not to be certain of what I was asking her, and then she understood. Setting her plate down, she rose to her feet, but I reminded her to bring it along. She did but was so nervous she hit her head overhead.
I hoped she was okay, but I couldn”t help my amusement and that she wasn’t happy about it when she noticed, although she tried to hide it. She soon arrived and sat by my side, and I stared at her. She bore it until eventually I took the food from her.
“I’m not done with that,” she said, and I nodded.
“Yeah, you are. We’re alone now. You don’t have to be so stiff.”
At this, she instantly smiled, the kind that maybe was close to what she gave George. It was so beautiful I was fucking struck. I watched her, and she did the same to me.
And then she spoke.
“Why did you ask me to come with you? Would George really not have been better?”
I smiled at this but couldn”t help but look away.
“I need George,” I said, and the smile instantly wiped away from her face. I leaned back into the seat and put my arm on the seat behind her.
“I need George, but I want us to have the time away. Hopefully, this issue with Haansbro will be rectified quickly and successfully, and then we’ll have the time away together.”
“The time away together,” she said, as though testing how it sounded in her mouth. And then she nodded. “Alright.”
“Does that sound good to you?” I asked, and she nodded.
“It does.”
“I know we’ve been intimate, but being in that same work environment can make things remain too formal between us.”
At this, she laughed out loud, however, her hand quickly slapped across her mouth. I was startled but still amused at the same time.
“What was that?”
She turned to me then, a bit shocked at her reaction. And then slowly, when she was convinced she had herself back under control, she removed her hand from her mouth.
“I, uh… I’m sorry. I don’t know what that was.”
“No?” I shook my head, refusing the cookie-cutter explanation. “You knew exactly what that was. Explain.”
She sighed then, but eventually, she spoke.
“It’s not just the environment.”
“It’s not?” I asked, and she shook her head.
“What else then?”
She watched me as though seeing me for the first time, and then she sighed.
“It’s you. I mean, no matter what, I still have that image of you in mind from the first time we met. I mean the day you scolded me in your office and tried to get me fired, and I don’t think it has really changed since then. I mean, I like it. You deserve that reverence at work, but afterward, like now, I don’t quite know how to switch it off. I didn’t even know if I should switch it off. The only time it doesn’t really matter is… you know?”
“When you”re coming into my mouth?” I asked, and just like that, she flushed a tomato red.
It was my turn to be amused because I absolutely love it when she gets this shy.
“Yeah,” she replied. “At those times… I can’t think of anything else, much less how to be afraid of you.”
“You’re afraid of me?” I asked, and she turned to look at me.
“Not exactly,” she sighed. “I just… I respect you a lot, so I guess that affects how I relate to you.”
I nodded in understanding.
“Alright,” I said.
She, however, and to my delight, leaned into me, and I understood then that she was very aware of what I was saying. I nodded in approval and tried to look elsewhere.
“Someone said today in the office that I haven’t gotten fired yet despite my monumental mistakes because you’re attracted to me.”
I didn’t respond to her words or try to deny them because while they sounded very ridiculous to me, I couldn’t help but admit that it did hold some truth.
“It’s not entirely a lie, is it?” she asked.
I picked up her plate of appetizers and handed it over to her since it finally registered to me that right now and at this moment, we were conversing, which was what I wanted.
“No, it’s not,” I replied.
She went silent then as she continued to eat.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“I agree,” she said. “It’s not untrue, and I know I should feel bad about it. I mean, I’ve always only wanted to be accepted and treated based on merit.”
“You are accepted and treated based on merit,” I told her.
“But you just said you were also being lenient because of our relationship.”
“Yes,” I replied. “But it’s not just based on that alone. It’s also based on the fact that I see you try. You’re not waiting for me to tell you what to do, you’re proactive, you’re diligent. In fact, our relationship should be more than enough reasons for you to become lazy and sloppy at your job, but you’re not. In short, I think you’re even working harder as though you’re trying to prove something. I deeply appreciate that, and whether or not we were sleeping together, I would never fire someone who was putting in that much effort and rapidly improving like you are.”
At these words, she looked away as she continued to eat, and then she nodded.
“Alright,” she said. “I think I’m alright with it now. I deserve it.”
“You think so?” I asked, and she nodded, a smile curving across her lips because she knew exactly what I was doing.
“I know so,” she replied.
I wanted to tell her then not to smile the way she was currently smiling at me at George as well, but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. Instead, I decided to just change the topic.
“Who said that to you, by the way?” I asked and couldn’t help but reach out to wipe the stain of sauce on the corner of her lips.
“Who said what to me?” she asked.
“The comment about me being lenient because I’m attracted to you.”
“Oh,” she lifted her gaze.
“How did she know I’m attracted to you? Am I that obvious about it?”
“Absolutely not,” she replied. “What she said actually was that the other secretaries have all gotten fired because they weren’t as pretty as I was. That insinuates your attraction to me, right?”
“Right,” I replied. “Who was it, then? Who said that? George?”
“No, Sandra,” she replied, and instantly my insides soured.
“Sandra? John’s secretary?”
“The managing partner’s secretary, yes.”
Instantly, at her words, my frown deepened.
“What is it?” she asked softly.
“Was she the one Gloria assigned to help you?” I asked.
“Yes, she is,” she replied. “Why?”
“Has she been helpful?”
“Yeah, yeah,” she began, but then she paused and met my gaze. “Honestly?” she asked.
“Honestly,” I replied.
She turned then fully to me and even lifted her leg a bit to sit more casually with me.
“I’m speaking to you not as my boss now, but as, you know… someone I’m intimate with.”
“Alright. I like that. Go on.”
“She-” she paused once again and narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re her boss.”
“So?” I asked.
“This might work against her. No, I’m not saying a word.”
She straightened then and once again rested formally against the seat beside me, crossing her legs. I was amused.
“I won’t use it against her. I just want to hear from you whether she has been helpful or not.”
“You might not want to use it against her, but you’re a human being, and you can’t help but become less favorable to her as a result.”
“She’s John’s secretary,” I said as I picked up my own plate and resumed eating. “I don’t have to be favorable toward her. Plus, I ask you this because I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard that she was leading you astray for one reason or the other.”
At my words, she paused with food in her mouth, and her eyes widened like saucers.
“What?” I asked.
“Why- why wouldn’t you be surprised?” she stuttered. “Did something happen?”
Internally, I considered whether to reveal this or not. However, as I looked at her and reminded myself that I wanted the walls between us to be knocked down, I decided to say it regardless.
“She used to be my secretary,” I replied, and her mouth fell open.
Amused, I tapped down her chin to shut it close, and she quickly corrected herself.
“What?”
“Before the last male secretary, I had even. She had just joined the firm. However…”
“However, what?” Hannah asked. “Why did she get transferred?”
“She came onto me,” I replied. “Sexually.”
She went still and stopped chewing altogether.
“One night, we were working late, and suddenly her buttons started coming loose. I finally noticed it and commented on it, and then she propositioned me. The next morning, I told Gloria to get her fired. She apologized profusely, and because of her legal experience, Gloria decided to send her to one of the other lawyers in real estate. I don’t even remember how she worked her way back up to being John’s secretary, but one day I noticed that she was, and I was strangely surprised. I didn’t even know she was still in the firm. Anyway, since there were no complaints from John’s side and Gloria seems to have no problem with her whatsoever, I just ignored her. There are very few interactions between us, and she hasn’t crossed the line again, so I just let it be.”
“Ah,” she replied, nodding her head as though the wheels in her brain were spinning and she was putting two and two together.
“Any viable conclusions?” I asked, and she turned to me.
“Call me crazy, but maybe she’s still attracted to you? Maybe she’s trying to find a way to become your secretary once again?”
This genuinely made me laugh out loud.
“Impossible,” I dismissed this ludicrous theory and returned to polishing off my plate.
“Do you want champagne?” I asked, and she nodded.
“Yes, please.”
I reached for the bottle then as well as two flutes and began to pour us both a decent amount.