“Excuse me,” she scolded smacking his hand away from the documents, “Those are not for prying eyes. I think I know what you’re looking for.”
John rubbed the back of his hand while she stood face to face with him. They were so close he could smell her perfume. She picked up a file without looking at it slapping it on his chest.
“You’re just that good huh?” he smirked.
“No, I’m great at everything I do. Have a good day, Mr. Pike,” Steph dismissed the billionaire from her office with a wink.
“John,” he corrected her, “Please, call me John.”
He licked his lips with a smoldering glare and left the office. Steph sighed loudly as soon as she thought he was far enough not to hear. She had never been so flirtatious but she knew nothing good could come of this. Well, something good … She could wind up dating a billionaire and would just have to deal with the rumors and gossip. Charlize had her priorities all jacked up thinking she should pursue this. She shook the thoughts from her head and got back to work.
The looming presence that stood by her door was distracting. Steph was sure it was Anna being nosy but when she glanced up, John was standing there. She was frazzled as her eyes traveled up his muscular body until their eyes met.
“Is there something else you needed, John?” she cleared her throat refusing to break their eye contact. Her hazel eyes were making him fidget. It had been such a long time since anyone held his attention long enough to make him uncomfortable.
“I just wanted to know what you like?” he adjusted his jacket.
“What I like in regards to what exactly?” she sought clarification.
“Food. What do you have a taste for?” he asked leaning forward pressing his hands on her desk. Steph backed up to regain eye contact. She refused to let him avoid it in order to dominate the conversation.
“Since this is on the company, I’ll take a nice steak,” Steph joked with him. “In all seriousness, I’ll eat whatever you pick out for me. I trust you.”
Those words resonated with John as he pondered the woman before him. She was someone special and he yearned to learn more about her. But, for now, playful distractions in her office sufficed. John sucked his teeth and licked his lips, “You don’t want the itis kicking in do you? You don’t want to fall asleep on the job now.”
“Whatever you want to eat is fine. I’ll probably just eat when I get home anyway. I don’t typically eat while I work. I don’t like the distraction,” Steph admitted. John backed up from the desk and she stopped him just before he walked out, “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“All of these employees, emails, memos, fax machines, telephones and yet you choose to come all of the way to my office. Why?” her curiosity piqued.
“Because I like starting rumors,” he winked as he slipped out of her office. Steph laughed at his goofiness as she saw his demeanor loosen up in front of her. They were definitely developing a friendship; perhaps something even deeper than that.
Fantasizing about whatever was happening between her and John did nothing to help her workload. She wanted to get her head back into the tasks at hand. The unpublished manuscript they were working on still sat in the top drawer of Steph’s desk. She had given John the report of which sources they needed to verify in the book along with who they should contact, but she couldn’t help but wonder if she had left something out.
Amanda’s story was fascinating to her. It told a tawdry tale of her breaking into the movie and music industry. She had been used and used others to get where she is and wasn’t afraid to let people know all of her secrets. Her insecurities, faults, among many of her other damning personality traits, were in the book for the world to see. She was exposing herself before anyone could hold it over her head. It had its rough moments and Steph was intrigued by Amanda’s ability to overcome everything. She wanted to be able to do the same, but without exposing her life to the masses. Steph buried herself in the manuscript and before she knew it everyone had gone home. She was still reading and making notes.
The only people left in the building were the janitor and the security guard who sat at the front desk. Every other floor, every other office, was quiet. The only light to be seen in the building was the light that burned brilliantly in John’s office against the darkness of the night. Steph had gotten comfortable in his armchair with her documents spread all around, when the janitor poked his head in and tapped lightly on the door, “Uh, Mr. Pike, are you two going to be long? I’m supposed to shampoo these carpets tonight and don’t want you two to have to wait for them to dry before you can leave.”
“Don’t worry about it tonight, Thomas,” John told the man, “I’ll let Mr. Flannigan know that I rescheduled the cleaning so you don’t have to worry about it. Sound good?”
“Perfect, Mr. Pike,” the janitor nodded with the tip of his ball cap and left.
“This must look completely unprofessional,” Steph’s eyes darted around the room at the messiness she created.
She hadn’t intended for John to hear but he did, “I don’t think so. We look like we’re working really hard in here. I know I am.”
Steph stared at the man in front of her, drinking him in. His jacket and tie were on a hanger in the corner. The two top buttons of his shirt were undone and his shoes were placed neatly by his desk. He had rolled up his sleeves which only accentuated the bulge in his biceps. He was sexier than any man Steph had ever seen, including Bobby.