It was Saturday morning, I was waiting patiently in the waiting room of my employment agency when Patricia called my name and told me I was next. I was about to have my half-yearly appointment with her, where we would do a recap of what I had done during the past six months and discuss options for the future.

"Please, have a seat," she told me after shaking my hand.

I sat down and put my purse on the chair next to me. She sat in her own chair opposite me and began to type on her keyboard.

"How are you today, Abril?"

I said that I was fine then we made small talk while she typed on her computer. When she was done, she pivoted her screen to show it to me. It showed a spreadsheet with rows of three different colors. Most of them were green, but there were a couple of orange ones and one bright red one at the bottom.

"Those are the temp assignments you've done in the last six months, they are in chronological order," she explained although I knew very well what this spreadsheet was. "Green means the company is willing to hire you again, orange means the company may have reservations, and red means that they will never consider you again."

The red row that symbolized my assignment at the Four Seasons seemed to glow brighter than the others.

"I can explain," I told her.

"I hope so. I'm really curious to hear why you would shoot yourself in the foot and fight with an employee. This kind of behavior could have you blacklisted out of this agency, you know that?"

"I do. I'm really sorry to disappoint you, Patricia. I did a great job at the hotel, I really did. But then, when my shift was over, that girl came to me and implied that I had been slacking off all night, and then she called me a whore and she accused me of being after her man. I controlled myself as much as I could but I snapped eventually."

"Were you?"

"What?"

"Were you after her man?"

"No!"  Well, yes, but I hadn't made a move until after my shift was over, so I was blameless. "I've been nothing but professional with him." Until I wasn't. But that wasn't relevant to my employability.

"Abril, I know it's hard, especially with that hot Latin temper of yours, but it's crucial that you remain calm in difficult situations if you want to keep your job. This one time, you won't be blacklisted because you've got many successful assignments to your name, but there will be no second chance. Another mistake and you're out. Got it?"

"Yes," I agreed sheepishly.

She then talked about my possibilities for a steady job. She gave me several leaflets about professional training courses that could give me a certification and, if I were lucky, a job. She said it was time for me to think more about my long-term future. I brushed them all off.

"Or," she kept trying to convince me, "you could go back to Caltech and eventually finish your fourth year. A bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering will certainly get you a better job than any of those courses."

"Wrong. A bachelor's in my subject would get me nothing. I'd need at least a master's, if not a PhD."

"So what? You're only twenty-five, you're still very young. What's a few more years of college compared with a lifetime of financial security?"

"We're not having this discussion. I won't go back, Patricia."

She sighed but gave in.

"All right, since you don't want to consider your other options, I have an assignment for you."

"Great. What is it?"

"It is a personal assistant position at VD Ocean's."

"Never heard of it."

She looked at me like I was an uncultured swine.

"Seriously? It's a growing company that specializes in luxury boats. They make them, they sell them, they even rent them for the day. They've gotten quite a lot of traction in the past few years."

"I've spent my college years studying planes and rockets, I know nothing about boats."

"No, but you don't have to. The job description says you've got to have experience as a PA, which you do, and basic knowledge about computer science, which you do too – more than basic, actually. You're honestly way too qualified for that job, but it's well paid and I think it will be a little more stimulating than a waitressing assignment."

"I don't mind being a waitress," I asserted. "But I don't mind a good salary either. When do I start?"

"The assignment starts on Monday and lasts for a week. I'll email you all the information you need. Of course, I'll contact Eleanor to tell her about that and rearrange your schedule. There's just one other thing we need to discuss."

I had the unpleasant feeling that I wouldn't like what was coming next.

"Go ahead," I told her.

"It would be great if you considered—" she took a long pause. "If you considered dying your hair a normal color."

"No," I refused immediately. "I like my hair the way it is, I wouldn't dye it for a six-digit-salary."

"It doesn't have to be permanent. You could use one of those dyes that fade after a few shampoos."

"Patricia, you know how much I make, right?" She nodded. 'Not a lot' was the answer. "Dying my hair is my only indulgence. It's costing me a lot of money, probably more than it should. I am not ruining years of investment and dedication just to look more 'professional' for a week. It's the twenty-first century, my hair color should not hinder my employability. If it's an official requirement of the company, I am not taking the assignment."

Patricia sighed heavily.

"It is not. I like your way of thinking, Abril, unfortunately we're far from the ideal society you would like us to be in, and funny hair still tends to scare people off."

"I will not change my mind, Patricia. If it's that important, you can give the assignment to someone else."

"All right," she conceded. "At least wear a suit, okay? And a plain one, don't show up dressed in orange or any other bright color."

"Okay," I agreed. "I'll ask a friend for some clothes."

"Great. Then I think we're done. Have a good day, Abril," she said while extending her hand.

"You too, Patricia."

* * *

Monday, seven forty-five a.m. I was standing before the tall glass building that bore the logo of VD Ocean's, which happened to be a blue wave shape with the letters VDO written in white over it; how original. I was wearing Sigrid's mother's plain black skirt suit and a beige blouse of mine. My ass was too large to fit in anything that belonged to Sigrid, and even her mom's clothes were a bit tight on my hips, but it would have to do. I had also gelled my hair and pulled it up into a sleek ponytail, hoping to look professional enough.

Due to a delay in the metro, I was only fifteen minutes early, although Patricia's email had advised me to show up at least half an hour before the start of my work day. The lobby was like the outside of the building: large, glassy, and sleek. It looked like the showroom of a high-end furniture store. I spotted the reception, behind which a young woman who couldn't be older than me was taking phone calls. I went straight to her and waited for her to get off the phone before introducing myself and explaining that I was there to replace someone.

"Let me check that," she typed a few things on her keyboard after asking me to spell out my name. "I've found you on our system. You're replacing the finance director's PA. His office is on the fifty-fifth floor, but you'll have to meet with the human resources first. That'll be on the thirty-second floor. Here is your name badge, it will give you access to the elevators, the gym, and the cafeteria on the top floor. Just tap your card to pay, you have a daily allowance of $15."

She slid a plastic card in a clip-on case towards me.

"The food is free?"

She laughed at my amazement.

"Well, we are limited in quantity, and you'll need to pay if you want more than your allowance. But yes, essentially, the food is free."

"Great. Just great."

"I'm glad it pleases you. The elevators are just over there," she pointed at the nook in the lobby where there were several metallic doors. "If I were you, I'd hurry up because the finance director is a stickler for punctuality."

"All right, I'll get going, then. Thank you."

I ran as fast as I could to the elevators. Two security men stared at me awkwardly but let me get in once I shoved my badge in their faces.

When the doors opened on the thirty-second floor, I called out to the first person I ran into so they could tell me where the HR department was. When I finally localized it, I knocked on the door that said 'Human Resources Director' and a PA told me to come in. He made me sit in front of him and explaining to me the rough lines of what my job would be.

He showed me briefly how to use the main useful functions of the computer, how to answer the phone and redirect the calls and he even gave me a list of all the different sectors of the company and the floor they were on. Then he made me sign a non-disclosure agreement and I was told that we were done.

It was eight fifteen when I arrived on the fifty-fifth floor. I was late, and I still had no idea where my office was.

"May I help you?" An elegant blond woman in her early thirties asked me as she was passing by.

"Er... Yes, actually. I'm replacing the finance director's PA for the week, and I have no idea where to find him."

"Have you stopped by HR first?"

"Yes."

"Has your employment agency sent you your schedule?"

"Yes, my advisor emailed it to me."

"Very well. Follow me, I'll lead you to your manager. You don't mind if I stop by my office to take a few documents? It's on our way."

"No, I don't mind."

I did mind. I was already late, I didn't have time for that. But I couldn't tell her that. I followed her through the maze that was this floor until she finally stopped in front of a door and entered without knocking. I followed her in and found myself in a superb office where one wall was entirely made of glass and offered a great view over LA. We were high enough that we towered over most buildings in downtown LA, and we could see the Pacific Ocean in the horizon. However, the greatest view was definitely inside the office. A gorgeous man with dark brown hair and a strong jawline was standing in the room, reading some paper. He must have been around fifty. Everything in his look, from his immaculate shirt to his Italian leather shoes, made it clear that he was a man of power, virile and seductive.

When he saw me, a hot crooked smile appeared briefly on his lips and he extended his hand. His eyes were the blue of the ocean.

"Good morning, I'm Victor Dullac."

As I shook his hand, I couldn't help but notice the dimple on his chin. I melted a little.

"And you are?" He asked coldly.

"Oh, sorry," I recovered my senses. "I'm Abril Llagostera."

"She's replacing Arthur's PA for the week," added the woman that had led me there.

"What happened to the current one?" Mr. Dullac inquired.

"She's sick."

"Let's hope she gets better soon. There will be a lot going on next week, we won't have time to waste on beginners."

Jerk!

He started scanning my body.

"That's... an interesting choice of color," he pointed at my hair. "Did you get lost on your way to Candyland?"

Of course, there had to be something wrong with him. That hot male couldn't possibly be a nice cool guy, it would have been unrealistic. No, he had to be an utter asshole.

"I was going to Rainbow City, actually," I retorted.

I heard the blond woman muffle a laugh. Dullac glared at her.

"You may leave, now," he told me as I was standing immobile in the middle of the room.

My guide finally finished whatever she came in for and we left her office.

"Have I done something wrong?" I asked.

I knew I hadn't. But I needed to bring up what had just happened, and I couldn't possibly say 'What an ass!' after less than an hour in the company. I didn't even know who he was.

"No, you haven't. That's... just the way he is, I guess. I'm Joy, by the way. I'm Mr. Dullac's PA."

"What sector is he in?"

"You really don't know?" She asked, worried.

"No."

"He's the CEO."

I gasped. I had been there for less than an hour and I had already back talked to the big boss. I was off to a good start. I really wasn't cut off the right cloth to follow orders.

"Well, I hope the finance director is more... approachable," I said, unable to find another adjective.

"I wouldn't bet on it."

And she was so right.

When we reached what would be my office, which was pretty much the same as Joy's, she went to knock on the door that was on the left wall, behind the desk.

"Mr. Dullac," she called out, "your new assistant is here."

I gave her a questioning look. Hadn't we just left Mr. Dullac?

"He's his son," she mouthed to my attention.

Great, another one that got his job because Daddy pulled the strings. I'm going to love him.

"She's late!" My new boss groaned from the other side of the door.

"It's my fault," Joy lied for me. "I needed assistance and she agreed to help me."

"I don't want the details, get her to work."

She gave me a look that clearly meant 'told you!' and gestured for me to sit behind the desk. Then she pointed at a high pile of papers.

"These are the copies of the files he is currently dealing with. I advise you to read them whenever you aren't answering the phone or doing whatever he's asked you to do. It will give you an insight of what he is doing so you won't be completely lost if he wants you to do something with them. Do you know how to transfer calls?"

I nodded.

"Great. So you know that all his phone calls transit through your line?" No, I didn't. "No one can call him directly, you're his filter. You need to differentiate the professional calls from the useless ones, so you don't make him waste his time. On your computer, you'll find the list of the extension numbers of the entire company. I suggest you print it and keep it close because you'll have to use it many times. You can try to learn it if you're motivated enough; you would be more efficient."

"Noted."

Like I was going to learn a whole list of names and numbers just for a one-week job...

"Don't forget to add a zero before the number if you need to call outside the company." She paused, thinking. "Well, I think I've told you everything you need to know. If you need help, come to my office or call me, my extension number is 001. Yours is 003. Good luck!"

"Thanks!"

She left my office and closed the door behind her.

I did as she had told me and printed the list of numbers. I put some music on my phone at very low volume and sat cross-legged on the leather chair that I pivoted to face the view of the city. With such a beautiful landscape for company, I started reading the files.

I was focusing very hard on a particularly complex contract when the door on my left burst open. I jumped and turned my chair to face the intruder.

"YOU?" My new boss and I yelled with one voice.

I couldn't believe it. Of all the men that could have worked there, it had to be this one that I was working for. Fuck my life.

"What are you doing here?" Ginger Dude asked. "Are you stalking me?"

"What?" I gasped, shocked that he could think such a thing. "No, God no! I'm working here for the week."

"You're in the wrong office."

"Aren't you the finance director?"

"Yes, I am, but my PA's substitute is April Llagostera, not you."

"It's Abril, and my last name is pronounced Shagostera. Argentinian Spanish has a different pronunciation than regular Spanish. And I am this person."

"No," he contradicted me. "You're Marian."

"I'm not. That's what the badge said, but it wasn't mine."

"Ah. Was it too much of an effort for you to tell me so?"

"I just didn't see the point of correcting you. I didn't expect to meet you again."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Fine. From now on, I'm going to speak to you as your employer and you will speak to me as my employee. Understood?"

"Yes, master," I said sarcastically.

I was not going to be the nice, obedient, and slightly submissive employee. Not with him.

"Don't start playing with me," he demanded. "If I had known that the agency was sending you, I would have asked for another person. We'll have to set boundaries and it starts now. As your manager, I must tell you that I don't tolerate tardiness of any sort. It's only your first day and you're already half an hour late. Next time, I'll have to take it out of your paycheck."

"I'm late because of delays in the metro and because I had to stop by HR. Otherwise, I would have been here much earlier."

"I still don't want the details," he asserted coldly. "Don't be late ever again or I'll subtract it from your pay. And sit properly and turn off that music, you're not a teenager."

Without further ado, he got back to his office and closed the door behind him. I was tempted to throw the paperweight at the door out of rage but Patricia's voice in my head convinced me otherwise at the last second. Refrain! I had to make it my motto for the week.

I didn't see Ginger Dude for the rest of the morning – although I transferred many calls to him – and that was fine by me. At twelve thirty, I put my computer on sleep mode and took my lunch break. I met Joy on my way to the elevator and we sat together, with several of her colleagues, in the cafeteria. She introduced me to them and started to make conversation with me.

"How's your first day going so far?"

"Okay, I guess. I'm doing well but Dullac is a bit difficult, to say the least," I said louder than I meant to.

Joy laughed and a few of our table companions did too.

"You must be the millionth person to say that," she said. "Dullac Senior and Junior are a real pain in the ass."

"Their only redeeming quality is that they pay us well enough to tolerate them," a middle-aged man on my left joked and I couldn't suppress a laugh. I couldn't disagree.

I got back to my office five minutes before the end of my break. I sat down on my chair and kept on reading some of the many files, music still playing at very low volume from my phone, just for me to hear. GD came back fifteen minutes after me; he made another remark about my sitting position and the music, and started bossing me around.

"I need you to bring these documents to the publicity department," he demanded as he dropped a file on my desk. "Make sure to give it to Mr. Bishop personally, no one else can lay a hand on it, it's confidential." Only then did I notice the big bright red stamp on the envelope. "Bring me a coffee on your way back. I take it black. Then you'll call my dentist, I need an appointment by Friday. Ideally in the morning."

He was going to leave me without any further information, but I stopped him.

"Wow, wow, wow, not so fast. One, who is Mr. Bishop? Two, where am I supposed to get you coffee? Do you want me to go all the way to Starbucks and leave the office unmanned? And third, doing personal chores for you is above my paygrade, book your dentist appointment yourself."

He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it. And he did it again a few more times before finally settling on what to say. He was angry.

"Listen, Abril," his tone was cold as ice, like when he had threatened me at the store. "This is my world, here. You will not have it your way like you always do, I won't have patience for this. Please, kindly go to the publicity department on the twenty-fifth floor and give that file to the publicity director, Anthony Bishop. There are coffee machines on every floor, in little nooks near the elevators. And no, booking my appointment is not above your paygrade. Your job is to make my life easier so I can run this department successfully. Booking my dentist appointments for me is typically what makes my life easier."

Three words: 'go to Hell'. That's what I would have liked to answer, and it almost slipped out. But I remembered that my whole professional future was at risk, so I shut up. I'd win that argument later in the shower.

"Of course, sir," I answered with the fakest of smiles that fooled no one. A gloating smirk grew on his lips and it took everything I had in me not to slap him.

When the door closed behind him, I punched the air and kicked the floor to dissolve my anger before taking the file and heading to Bishop's office. His PA invited me in and the problems began.

"Mr. Bishop is unavailable at the moment," she kept telling me, "but I'll be happy to pass along this file later, if you leave it with me."

"You don't understand, I can't give it to you. Mr. Dullac told me specifically to give it to Mr. Bishop only."

"And Mr. Bishop asked me not to let anyone enter his office. I assure you, you can trust me with that file, I won't open it and will give it to Mr. Bishop as soon as I see him. Or you can come back when he gets out of work and give it to him yourself."

I weighed the two options and immediately opted for the first one. I really didn't want to stay overtime and what bad could it be if I gave the file to Bishop's PA? That was literally her job to take it and pass it along, wasn't it?

"Okay," I conceded. "I'll leave it with you, then. Just make sure Mr. Bishop has it as soon as possible."

"Of course," she answered with a smile before dismissing me.

I hurried back to my floor, my encounter with Bishop's PA having taken me longer than I expected. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the coffee was free. I picked a double espresso and ran back to my office. I was two turns away from my destination when I smashed violently into a solid chest. I felt the hot liquid on my fingers then I noticed the owner of the white shirt I had just ruined.

"Fuck!" Dullac Senior muttered under his breath.

"Oh God!" I squeaked as his face tightened in rage. "I— I'm so sorry! I was in a rush and I didn't see you and—"

"Spare me the details of your incompetence!"

"Do you want me to get you some towels?" I offered despite his rudeness.

"God, no! You've done enough!"

He unbuttoned his stained shirt and removed it. My eyes zeroed on his bare chest. His muscles were surprisingly sculpted for a man his age; he obviously took care of himself. His stomach was flat, not a single ounce of beer belly, and his pectorals were prominent, his shoulders broad and his biceps round. In short, he was terribly hot.

"What are you looking at?" He barked.

I jumped and met his ice-blue gaze. He was furious. I couldn't help fantasizing about him punishing me on his desk.

Oops...

"Sorry, I—" I began.

"Get out of my way. Now!"

I didn't stay a second longer and fled the scene. I grabbed another coffee for Dullac Junior and eventually made it back to his office.

"It's about time," He grumbled when I put the cup on his desk.

"Give me a break, will you? You've got your damn coffee and your file is safe in Mr. Bishop's office. I'm sorry if I took more time than your regular PA, but it's only my first day."

He sighed. "You did give the file to Bishop personally, right?"

"Mmh," I hesitated. "Actually, he wasn't available so I had to give the documents to his PA, but she promised she would give them to him as soon as possible."

"You didn't do that," he said, incredulous and a tad whiny, as he ran both his hands through his hair. "You did not do that! What part of 'give it to him personally' did you not understand? I think I've been clear enough!"

"What else could I do? That woman wouldn't let me see him."

"You should have come back here right away, I would have called him."

"Well, you should have called him before sending me down there. I don't understand why it's so important that only he has the file. I mean, she signed an NDA like the rest of us, she can't divulge anything related to the company if she doesn't want to be in trouble."

"That's the point, it's not about the company. Those documents are private and I will not hear the end of it if somebody else than Bishop sees them. That's all you need to know."

"Next time, don't involve me in your private affairs if confidentiality is so important. Now, unless you want to fire me for that, I'll go back to my office. I still have your damn appointment to book."

I left the room without giving him time to come back at me.

I turned off my computer at five thirty and gathered my things before leaving. My hand was on the door handle when GD came out of his office.

"Abril, wait!" He called out.

I turned to face him, exasperated already.

"Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you about something."

"Do I really have a choice?"

He sighed, then said "no" coldly.

"Spit it out, then."

"I have a meeting tomorrow with our banker. You need to be there and take detailed minutes. We'll take your car."

"I don't own a car," I admitted.

"Really? You live in LA and you don't own a car? Did you fail your driving exam?"

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't. I have my license, but I don't drive."

"Why?"

"I just don't drive, that's all you need to know," I parroted his own words.

He slightly smiled.

"All right, we'll take mine. See you tomorrow, don't be late."

* * *

The following morning, I was so determined not to be late that I sat down at my desk twenty minutes early. GD arrived at eight sharp and went straight to his office after greeting me and telling me to make sure he wouldn't be bothered until the lunch break. He didn't order me to do anything else, so, after reading a few of the million files Joy had shown me, I checked my Facebook page then decided to call Sigrid.

I was telling her all the details of my new job when the door opened on Dullac Senior.

"I need to see my son," he ordered coldly.

"I'll call you later," I said to Sigrid before addressing Daddy Dullac. "Good morning, sir. I'm afraid Mr. Dullac is busy and doesn't want to be disturbed. But if you want to leave a message for him, I'll be happy to pass it along later."

At that moment, I was really proud of how I had nailed my corporate voice.

"I don't care what he said, this is important. Just get him."

"I must insist. You can't see him now, I have orders."

"I'm the one giving orders, you dumb girl!"

"Insult me once more and you'll regret it," I threatened him.

So much for the cool, firm, and composed corporate voice.

"You're in no position to threaten me, Miss... Er... Whatever. You've been here for two days and you've already crossed me more times than most of my employees that have been here for years."

Then he stormed into his son's office.

He got out fifteen minutes later, not any less irritated. He didn't leave right away but marched towards me. He placed his two hands on the desk and looked me in the eye.

"Listen," he asserted. "This was the first, and it'd better be the last time you defy my direct orders."

"But I—"

"I'm not done talking," he cut me off by placing his forefinger on my lips. I backed away instinctively. Just because he was the CEO, and hot, didn't mean he could touch me without my consent.

"Don't ever lay your hand on me again," I warned him.

He looked shameful for a second.

"Sorry about that," he apologized genuinely. "I won't do it again."

"I hope so," I said in a smug voice.

"Don't get too comfortable. As I was saying, I'm not done talking. Keep in mind that I'm the one who signs off your paychecks, you owe me respect and obedience. If I want to see someone, I see them. I don't give a damn whether or not they're busy. Is that clear?"

"Any man who must say 'I am the King' is no true king," I quoted Tywin Lannister.

"What?"

Of course he couldn't know one of the greatest series of our era. He was way above that, right?

"It's just a quote. But I'm sure you can guess what it means."

"Don't try to outsmart me, Miss..."

"Llagostera."

"Right. Don't try to outsmart me, Llagostera. You might not be able to control what you start."

Boy, I wished that had an entirely different meaning than the intended one.

He left my office and I found myself imagining all kinds of scenarios that I could start and lose control over with Daddy Dullac.

Hardly five minutes later, the phone rang.

"Arthur Dullac's office, Abril speaking. What can I do for you?"

"What happened?" Someone yelled on the other end of the line.

"Who is it?"

"It's Joy. Dullac just came back from his son's office, and he is furious. What happened? Did they fight?"

If only she knew!

"Erm... Actually, I kind of had an argument with him."

She burst into laughter. "What did you do?"

"Dullac Junior asked me not to let anybody disturb him, so when his father came to see him, I did as I had been told and told him that he couldn't come in. He didn't like that."

"Oh God! Abril, he is the most important person here. Never, ever, discuss his orders. Even if they contradict those of his son."

"Well, I'll keep that in mind but how was I supposed to know? He is so angry, yesterday I spilled his coffee and now that. I'll be lucky if I finish the week in one piece."

Not that I would mind corporal punishment to set me straight, but she didn't need to know that.

"Wait, what? It was you? He was insufferable all afternoon. I swore to chop off the head of the person behind it."

"Guilty. But I regret nothing, he's a prick."

She laughed again.

"You know, he's a bit... much, but I actually think he's a nice man, deep down."

"What makes you say that?"

"His wife. She's awful, she cheats on him regularly, but he stays with her anyway. I don't get it."

Weird. The contrary wouldn't have surprised me. He looked like a man who would enjoy messing around with his employees. I couldn't imagine him as a man so in love that he could forgive his wife's infidelity.

"How do you know that?" I asked Joy.

"I'm his PA, I take all his calls."

"You're telling me his wife told you herself that she cheats on him?"

"Of course not. But she acts suspiciously, she often asks me to cancel her plans with him under lame excuses, she never visits him at work. I mean, they've never had sex in his office, can you believe it? If I had a husband that hot who owned a company, I would beg him to take me on his desk at least once a week."

I couldn't say I didn't agree with her. Office sex is such a classic fantasy, the probability of Mrs. Dullac not being interested in doing it even once was small. Something might be fishy there.

"Mmmh, maybe," I accepted her arguments. "But surely he cheats on her, too."

"Nope. I am with him all week long, I would know if he did. He's a saint in that matter."

"That must be the only aspect of his life where he is decent, then." I giggled.

She joined me in my laughter before hanging up to get back to work.

When it was time for me to take my lunch break, GD came out of his office.

"Are you ready?" He asked me.

"For what?"

"The appointment with the banker. Did you forget?"

"No, you just didn't tell me when it was."

"Well, we have to be there in half an hour."

"We'll be late, the traffic is terrible at that time of the day."

"Don't worry, I've been there many times before, it doesn't take long. And should we be late, they'll wait. The amount of money we have in this bank gives us some privileges."

It should be prohibited to talk like that. The entire world wasn't at his service just because he had a lot of money. It wasn't even his own money.

He gave me a laptop to take my notes on and we took the elevator to the second basement. A myriad of cars, some more luxurious than others, were parked there. We reached the spot where a label read 'A. Dullac' and I looked up to see a black convertible Porsche 911. Of course he owned an overly expensive sports car, how could it have been otherwise?

We rode in complete silence and arrived at the bank just in time for the appointment. We were received immediately by a young and sexy banker who looked a bit nervous. I could understand him, it must not have been easy to talk business with a Dullac.

The meeting lasted forever and was extremely boring, except for the quick flirtatious glances the banker occasionally shot at me when my boss wasn't looking. If I hadn't been so focused on not messing up the minutes of that meeting, I probably would have found a way to slip him my number.

The two men were going on and on about the budget for the new project of VDO's. I didn't show any of my boredom and scrupulously typed everything they said that was relevant until they finally put an end to the meeting. Both men got up to shake hands and the banker shook mine, not without discretely winking at me.

"Since it's too late to eat at the company, I'm inviting you for lunch," GD said as we were getting back in his car. "Where do you want to go?"

"Don't we have work to do?"

"It can wait an hour. You didn't have the chance to take your lunch break because of this appointment, let's say you are taking it now."

That was thoughtful of him. Except that the prospect of sitting at a restaurant table with him brought me no joy.

"No, I don't feel like sitting down and waiting to be served. Can't we just grab something to go and eat it in the office?"

"All right. I know a French takeout not far from here. They make a delicious bœuf bourguignon, you'll love it."

"I was thinking of something simpler, like hot dogs."

"I don't like that type of food."

As I didn't want to argue once again, I conceded and we went to the French takeaway. GD bought two servings of bœuf bourguignon and chocolate mousse. Apparently, I didn't have my say in what I wanted to eat.

I was starving when we eventually got back to the company. I sat down on my chair and expected GD to lock himself in his office but, surprisingly, he chose to take a seat in the chair opposite me. Only my desk was separating us. We ate in silence, none of us daring to speak. That was... weird.

"Well, Abril," Dullac finally said after finishing his last spoonful of mousse – which, I have to admit, was delicious. "I would like to congratulate you. You did well at the bank. I saw you type everything, you've been very efficient."

"Er.... Thanks, I guess?"

"You're welcome."

And silence once again filled the room. After a few seconds of awkward side glimpses in my attention, GD took the empty containers of our meal and threw them away. He didn't go back into his office. Instead, he stood awkwardly in mine, hands in his pockets, his eyes unable to focus on one point. He had to tell me something and he was anxious about it. Which made me anxious about it.

"Spit it out," I commanded. "I can see you have something to say, so just say it."

"I have something to ask you," he said. "And I would rather you said yes."

"I can't promise anything. Ask away and you'll know my answer."

"It's... a bit complicated."

Gosh! Just say it already!

"Tell me," I requested again.

"I was wondering if you'd agree to go to a dinner party with me on Thursday night."

I couldn't possibly have heard that well.

"Sorry, what?" I asked him to repeat.

"Some friends of mine are having a dinner party on Thursday to which I am invited. It's expected that I bring a plus-one. Will you go with me?"

So I had heard correctly.

"There are plenty of women here that you surely know and like way more than me, why don't you ask one of them?"

He clasped his hands and twisted his fingers. "I need someone to pretend to be my partner. They know everyone here, there's no way I can fool them with a woman who works here. But you have been there for barely two days, they don't know you yet."

"You are weird," I told him. "What kind of person wants to introduce a fake girlfriend to his friends?"

He sighed.

"A man who is tired of being laughed at for still being single."

Oh. I felt for him. A bit.

"If your 'friends'," I mimed quotation marks with my fingers, "are such assholes, why do you go?"

"Because it is rude to decline an invitation without a valid reason. Besides, they are nice, we just don't share the same humor. They don't realize I don't find their comments about my singlehood funny."

"Then tell them."

"Listen, I appreciate your advice, but I don't need you to tell me how to act with these people. I just need you to come with me. Please."

I weighed his proposition for a minute. Pros: free meal, free alcohol, the opportunity to have GD owe me one. Cons: pretending to be involved in a romantic relationship with a man I did not like, socializing with people I was sure I would despise, exposing myself to criticism from both GD and his alleged friends.

"I'm sorry but I won't," I finally decided.

"I'll pay you," he offered.

My blood boiled. Had he really just said that?

"You have got to be kidding me," I barked. "I'm not an escort that you can pay to follow you and act like your girlfriend."

I was mad, and at least he had the decency to look embarrassed.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry you took it that way. I didn't mean to offend you and I wouldn't dare implying that you are a... a sex worker. My apologies if it came across this way. I was just offering to count this service as overtime."

"Offense taken, and I've never liked working overtime anyway."

"At least think about it. Claire is an excellent cook, you'll love her food."

"I've already made up my mind, I'm not coming."

"You leave me other choice than playing my final card. You owe me a favor."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. You owe me one since you didn't pay for the damages you did to my jacket, remember?"

Was he really taking me up on that? It was just a simple button, for heaven's sake!

I tried one last time to get out of this stupid dinner.

"You're sure you want to waste your card on a simple dinner? I could repay you in so many other ways..." I said with a flirty look.

GD caught my very obvious innuendo and was momentarily destabilized. His cheeks reddened to match his hair and I found it surprisingly cute.

"Yes, I do. I'll pick you up at seven. Please don't be late, I'm known to be punctual."

You don't say!

"What should I wear?" I gave up.

"It's a casual event."

"Okay."

"Great. Thank you for agreeing to come with me. I'll let you go back to work."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

A/N: I'm once again on the bus back from a rugby game while posting that. We lost but we put in a great defense.

As always, please vote and comment, it means a lot.

Love,
Charlie.