Authors: Elaine May
“M…Mr. Harding good afternoon, sir, can I take you to your table?”
“Yes, please.” He responds and I watch as the lady eyeing Samuel up smiles nicely at him. It seems I’m not the only one to be affected by this man’s allure. The woman, who seems to me to be far too thin, shows us to a table which is situated at the far end of the dining room away from everyone else. Yikes, I’m actually going to be alone with him again, I’m bound to do something to make him wish he never took me to somewhere like this. Always the gentleman, Samuel pulls out my chair and once I am seated he goes to sit opposite me. Am I supposed to be able to sit here watching him and not melt? This man must be crazy. The waitress hands us each a menu and then begins to pour Samuel a small amount of wine to taste. I watch completely fascinated as he tests the wine. I must look an idiot. I watch as his nose sniffs the smell and the way his lips look as he takes a sip, the same lips that were by my ear and I can’t help, but reach and touch the area still able to feel his moisture.
“Very good.” I love that accent; I could listen to his voice all day.
“Very well, sir.” And the waitress pours us each a glass of wine. As she leaves I can’t help, but reach for my glass and take a sip. The wine is cool and sweet on my tongue and through my lashes I can see that Samuel is watching me intently.
“W…what did you want to talk about, Samuel?”
“Do you like the wine?”
“Y…yes. Yes, thank you.” And I can see that charming smile of his again. He takes a sip of his own drink before speaking.
“I’m sure you could tell that something was not right at that meeting?” Thank God he’s getting back to the topic at hand, I can talk about this, and I am a professional after all.
“It seems like it, but I really don’t know why you would need my help.” I say with a nervous tone that I can’t seem to shake.
“I’m here alone, I’m just one man and to get to the bottom of this I need support. If what I think is going on is going on, then I will need your support even more.” All I manage to do is nod my head. I really cannot think of what he wants from me, I’m just the apprentice for Christ’s sake. I begin to take another sip of my wine as the nerves intensify just as he opens that beautiful mouth to speak.
“I’d like to offer you a new job.” I nod while trying to swallow the liquid that’s pooled within my mouth.
“Grace, I would like you to be my personal assistant.” Before I can stop myself my full mouth is opening trying to shout out “What?” Instead of the words my lips just seem to spit out half the wine and I’m horrified when it reaches Samuel’s cheek. I keep my eyes down as I reach for a napkin to wipe away my embarrassment. I can’t believe I did that, please just kill me know. Before I can hate myself any more than I already do I hear a strange sound? Is that laughter? Of course its laughter, everyone in this restaurant is laughing at me and Samuel is probably hating me right know. I feel gentle warm fingers at my chin as they attempt to push my face up, as I do I can see Samuel look at me with a gentle smile. Oh he doesn’t look annoyed, he looks happy. I still feel embarrassed and as I feel his eyes continue to watch me I look down at my right wrist as I play with the elastic.
“Look at me, Grace.” He sounds so concerned as those words escape from his lips and I still can’t control my embarrassment so I just remain looking at the table. His fingers lightly tighten around my chin and I so want to look at him but I don’t, and I can feel my cheeks begin to glow.
“Grace.”
“Grace, please look at me.” I take in a breath as I take the courage to raise my face and look at him. As I do Samuel is leaning forward towards me with his fingers still on my chin. As our eyes meet, he lets go of my chin and puts his arms one on top of the other.
“I know what you’re thinking” He knows what I’m thinking? What is he, a mind reader?
“And I meant what I said, Grace.” He takes in a deep breath while his eyes remain on mine.
“I need you. I want you to be my P.A.” Oh God, I can’t get my head round this, he could ask anyone, but he’s asking me. Why? What’s he got planned? If he wants to turn me into a laughing stock then I can do that on my own. I’ve already done it.
“Why?” I ask nervously and he moves back against the back of his chair as he puts his hands on his lap.
“There’s something about you, Grace Ford, and I think we could work well together.” I reach for my glass to take another sip of wine; I think I’m going to need it.
“What would I need to do?” I ask, just as the waitress comes back to our table to take our order. I don’t listen to what Samuel orders, but I ask for the same as I keep thinking of what I would have to do as Samuel’s P.A. I’m going to have to spend all my time with him, how on earth am I going to be able to do that without losing my marbles? I won’t be able to do it. It just can’t be done; the man is too handsome even for someone like me who has never been interested in the opposite sex before. I can feel the bile rising up my throat, threatening to embarrass me further. I just need to go, go back to my wonderful job as an intern.
“Don’t think about it, Grace.” And he places his hand upon mine, watching me intently.
“I know you want to run off, Grace, but I can’t see why”
“I…I.Um.” I can’t get the words out and I just look at him looking as stupid as ever.
“Why can’t you see what I see? We would work great together and I really need you to help me understand what’s going on at the office.” I don’t say anything; I just seem to sit there mute like an idiot.
“You could ask anyone, Samuel. Why me?”
“I think I have already answered that. To be honest with you by the end of next week we will be losing a large amount of staff and I need someone who I can trust help me get this part of the company back on track and I think that’s you.” He looks at me intently as I think over what he has told me. This thing that’s going on within the company is obviously big and if he wants my help this could really help with my career and help me get my dream of a house quicker. I can see him reach into his suit jacket pocket and pull something out as he hands it to me.
“That’s a contract I pulled up. When we finish off here, why don’t you take the rest of the day off and go home and have a look through it. Don’t rush in tomorrow, just get there in time for lunch and we can make a start in the afternoon.” He takes a breather and then starts up again.
“Just so you are aware there is a clause that you are available whenever I need you. You will have to give up your job at the club.” Without thinking I just respond with
“I never liked it there anyway.” Why did I say that? He didn’t have to know that.
“You didn’t belong there. You’re too sweet, Grace.” Our eyes meet together again and I don’t know how long we just sit there looking into each other’s eyes until the waitress comes by with our food. I eat it, but I couldn’t tell you what it is, I just keep thinking of what Samuel said to me. I wonder if he means it or if he’s just being nice to me just so I will work for him. There are so many other people he could ask, but he asked me and I can’t seem to get my head over it. No-one has ever been nice to me before, the only thing that has ever been aimed at me is hate and anger and I don’t know what to make of it. How am I going to cope with being close with him everyday? I must be pulling the elastic at my wrist too tight because all of a sudden I can feel the pain and all the thoughts that have been racing through my mind make me feel ill and I can feel the sweat begin to pool at my brow. I look up and Samuel has finished his meal and is looking at me as if he has asked me a question.
“What do you think?” He’s looking at me with a questioning stare.
“What?” He just smiles at me like the way I am acting around him is what he expects and he is happy about it.
“Will you accept my offer?” Oh God, how I want to accept his offer, I just don’t know how I will survive it without destroying myself in the process. The more I think about it, though, it could really help me prove everyone wrong and that’s what my main goal is.
“I need to think.” I say as I nod my head. He gives me that boyish look again and another part of the wall around my heart seems to melt away. He stands up and holds out his hand for me while he says.
“Let’s get you home, sweet cheeks.” It’s not till we are out in the cold air that I think about what he said. Did he just call me Sweet Cheeks?
Does he have a nickname for me already?
I’m in trouble.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SAMUEL
I can’t help, but keep looking at her out of the corner of my eye. She’s so beautiful and the crazy thing is she has no idea how beautiful she is and what she’s doing to me. I don’t think I really know either, but to be fair that’s half the fun.
When we leave the restaurant I manage to call my driver so he can drive us back to her home. I already know her address and from the research I know it’s not a nice area, but I ask her for it anyway and she says, with reluctance it seems. I carry on watching her and her whole body is tense and on guard as if she expects something bad to happen. Don’t worry, sweet cheeks, you’re safe with me. I still want to see her in my bed, but there is a much greater need to know her overruling my bed. I would have loved to have asked Grace to come back to my hotel room, but after our encounters I know that is the wrong path to take. I still want her, I desperately want her, but for some strange reason unbeknown to myself I want to see her happy and content. As I watch her sitting uncomfortably in the limo with me I can tell there are many layers to this girl and if I want to have my way with her then I am going to have to work hard at it. I can see it won’t be a problem, she is actually fun to be with when she isn’t so scared of the world and I know she is affected by me. When we first entered the restaurant I thought she was going to run out on me again, but I had managed to calm her down, I got real close to her and I could feel her whole body shiver at the closeness. Her scent was like flowers and it did crazy things to my cock. I can still feel the big guy struggling being so near her. It will all be worth it come the end when I could feel her walls contracting around me.
I look away from the window and I can see she is doing that crazy shit with her wrist again, why does she do it? Has she been hurt in the past and that’s the only way she can cope? At that thought I feel instantly mad and I want to protect her from further hurt or pain. Shit where did that come from? I gently place my hand over the top of hers so she can’t keep pulling that band and I feel her stiffen at my touch, even though there’s a slight flush to her cheeks. I love her cheeks; I love how they look when she smiles. I look out the window again and I can see that we are driving through a rough part of the city. I know her area isn’t nice but please tell me she doesn’t live here, but my worst fears are confirmed when the driver is pulling up to some outdated four storey houses. I don’t even know if you could call them houses. I wouldn’t ask my worst enemy to live in one of these, but the driver is opening the door on her side so she can get out and I follow behind her. Hell, that ass is amazing. We stand just by the limo door and I watch her beautiful eyes dance around their sockets in unease; she doesn’t like the fact that I can see where she lives, no shit Sherlock. As I eye the area that she calls home all I can think of is how to help her get away from this shit. I know my new offer would help, but will she accept it. I wonder if she’ll come live with me. Fuck, there goes another crazy thought and one I have been having too many times as soon as I did some digging and found out more about her. Even though I knew she lived in a rough part of the city nothing could have prepared me for what I am now looking at. The place is the pits and even if she tells me to take a hike I would get her out of this place because someone as special as Grace deserves better. What’s wrong with me? Stop thinking stupid things, especially about a woman. I got to get out of here and before I know what I’m doing I give her a quick kiss on the lips and it’s like my whole body is alight with an intense heat, a good heat that sets my skin alight in tingles.
Shit, I’m so screwed.
GRACE
He kissed me again
He actually kissed me for the second time and I can feel my lips’ sensitivity as I brush them with my fingers, as I watch his limo drive away. I turn around and look at the building I call home and I feel such hatred for it, I just dread to think what he thinks of me now, having seen where I live. I take in a deep breath and head to the house which houses my little room.