Page 13 of Under the Mistletoe
“I am.”
The way he’s looking at me makes my breath catch. It isn’t sleazy or uncomfortable. He isn’t ogling me, but more like admiring. Like he’s looking at the most exquisite piece of art in the Louvre or the most precious silk fabric from Monaco. No one has ever looked at me like this. I’m not sure exactly what’s happening, but it’s impossible to deny something is as we stare at each other.
His office phone ringing startles us both, and he strides to his desk to grab it as I rifle through my bag, trying to find a hair clip. As he talks, I pin my hair back, the damp mess feeling better off my neck.
“We need to go. The board is here.”
I stand immediately. “Board?” Gathering my laptop, I try to keep up with his large strides as we head out of his office.
“We have a board meeting today. You will sit in. Observe. Tell me everything you glean and what you think we could improve. But no phones. No social media.” He’s firm in his word, and I nod.
“I don’t have social media, but… you want me to spy on your board meetings?” I almost hiss a whisper as he moves straight past Ashley and into the elevator.
“Yes, Jessica.”
No one calls me Jessica. Not even my family.
I don’t move as his hand comes to my face, and he gently pushes my glasses back up for me, my hands full of things and unable to do it myself.
“I want your eyes and ears on everyone and everything. Including me.”
I swallow audibly as my blood runs hot. That task is not as hard as it once might have been. Concentrating on anything else might be my downfall, though.
6
Donovan
The city below is dark, the lights of New York twinkling as I reflect on the day.
The board meeting went well, serving the usual pompous conversations from the men who’ve been around for too long. The ones who knew my father. The moves happening with Jasper, the forecasting that we have for the next quarter, and the financial adjustments all took up robust conversations, yet my eyes rarely moved from the woman who sat at my side.
To say the other members were surprised to have an addition to the meeting was an understatement, and after a brief introduction, I didn’t miss their glances at her. Then she spoke. She told us what she knew of the current landscape and what we can expect, along with suggestions on how to handle it, or if we need to handle it at all. I swear I saw every person in the room look at her with stars in their eyes. She spoke with quiet confidence; she’s a little reserved, probably well out of her comfort zone, yet she showed resilience and determination that I haven’t seen from anyone in a long time.
Clearly, she has a presence about her that captivates not just me, yet she seems entirely oblivious to it. That only adds to her allure.
I’m usually focused, unflappable, yet with her at my side, not only was I distracted, but I was consciously aware of the way she listened, the notes she took, the number of times she pushed her glasses up her nose. I counted at least three times per minute on average, and each time I wanted to pull them from her face. She doesn't realize it, but she hides behind them. After the board meeting, I sent her to the executive level to get settled in her new office just so I could get my head right.
I arranged the biggest one for her. A corner office overlooking Central Park, the view similar to my own. As promised, she has her own assistant, who’s already filled her diary with the important meetings, the upcoming travel requirements, and a regular one-on-one with me.
I’m now watching the share market like a hawk. Reviewing the day’s trading patterns. She’s right. Jasper made some moves weeks ago. Buying up smaller Ma and Pa competitors in Asia, increasing their market share quietly yet strategically. I have no idea where they’re getting their capital to make such investments, but their acquisition strategy seems a little sneaky.
As the numbers start to blur into each other, I scrub my eyes. I need to go home. I need to go for a run, take a hot shower, and watch the late-night news. Asia will be waking up soon, and I want to know what’s happening. As I begin to grab my things, I look at my cell. Social media is going crazy about the woman I took to the theater over the weekend. A casual date, not someone I know particularly well, who I will now not see again, as I spot her social media profile filled with images she obviously took sneakily on our evening out, some of which have been used in bigger media articles.
“Fuck.” I rub a hand down my face, hating that my private life is used as fodder for someone else to garner likes. But before I put my cell away, I pause. Jessica mentioned she didn’t have social media, so I search for her. Nothing comes up immediately, so I hunt a little more, and I find a profile and click on it. It’s her; she has a handle, but her last photo was over six months ago, and it’s of a bowl of pasta, captioned ‘Heaven’ with a heart emoji. I grin. That’s one less thing to worry about with her.
Making my way out, I hit the elevator, Ashley long gone. She’s been my assistant for a few months now and seems to be doing okay. Her business mind is sharp, although nothing like Jessica’s. And just like that, I’m back to thinking about the woman who’s quickly claiming my every thought. So to punish myself even more, I stop off at the executive level. I don’t expect anyone to be here; most of the guys on my team are family men, so they like to get home in time to tuck their kids into bed at night before logging back on remotely when needed. It isn’t something I can relate to. It wasn’t something my father ever did while I was growing up. He was hardly ever home. I was lucky to see him once a week. But I know it’s important for workplace culture.
I walk out onto the floor, and as expected, it’s dark and quiet, offices empty, yet I find myself walking straight down the hall to her new office. Stalling when I see her light still on, I peer around her door, her eyes fixed to the screen and brow furrowed. I watch her for a beat, deep in concentration, tapping out notes before she yawns. One that takes over her entire body as she stretches her arms out.
I’m grinning as I ask, “Still at it?”
She jumps and gasps, making me chuckle.
“I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“It’s fine. I was just finishing up. I lost track of time.” She stands, stretching a little more before shutting her laptop and gathering her coat. I notice she has a big red scarf, one that looks well loved, so much so, it’s almost see-through. I frown at how that even keeps her warm.
“I’ll walk you out.” I wait as she turns off her lights and follows me to the elevator.
