The Things We Crave

Chapter Eighteen

Catherine was shocked. She sat frozen in the chair; she couldn’t look at him. She felt stupid, but then again why would she question her sister? Tammy knew Vincent longer than her. What surprised her the most was that he just admitted to her he had feelings for her and wanted more then s*x from her. Breakfast the next morning sounded great and that definitely would not have ended awkward. How differently the past two years would have been if she did get with Vincent then? Did she have feelings for him? She did get butterflies when ever she was around him. So, what was stopping her? Fear. She was afraid Vincent would do the same thing Danny did.

“Why?” Vincent asks turning to her.

This pulled her from thoughts. She manages to stand and went to the window. She lets out a heavy sigh. Without looking at him she says,” Two reasons. One, fear, and two, I didn’t think I was good enough. Even now, I still feel this way.” She turns to face him, placing a hand on his shoulder. “My heart still harbors fear from the last guy I gave it too. I wouldn’t say he just broke it. He threw it on the ground and did a Mexican hat dance on it and punted it like a football into broken glass. I would have married him in a second id he had asked. A year of love and devotion I poured on to that man and it meant nothing to bring someone else in our bed. So, naturally when I was told you were a player my first instincts were to shelter my heart. Plus, I took some bad advice from my best friend. She said a one-night stand would be help distract me from the stress with my mother.”

Vincent was caught off guard. He didn’t think this would work as good as he thought. She let down her walls completely, she let him in. Hearing what that jerk did to her made him angry. He had to resist the urge to pull her into his arms. No, he can’t give in now. And to think she wasn’t good enough for him. Pah! He knew what she’s been up to the last two year. If she knew how bad of a player he was, she wouldn’t be thinking that. He was a strait up d**k, used the girls then treated them like dirt under his shoe. Then pass them around his buddies.

“Listen, you can do so much better than me, trust me. It felt really good having your attention that day. I just didn’t want to get my hopes up on something, to me, was not going to amount to anything. Please understand, if I thought for a second that you were truly interested in me, I wouldn’t have left the way I did. I wouldn’t want this to make our work environment uncomfortable. I promise you can count on me to do my job. I’ll do it however you want me to.” She stopped and blushed again.

Vincent laughs, “That I already know, Kitten. As for the job, I expect the same.” Then he winks and sits back down at his desk. He gestures for her to sit back down. When she does, he continues, a suave crooked smile on his handsome face. “Now, Lets go over my expectations, salary, and work schedule.”

Catherine felt good about this. She was glad the air was cleared between them. They hashed out the details for the next hour. He told Kate to dismiss the rest of the other applicants, he hired Catherine. It still felt odd to her that Vincent was attracted to her. He’s around all these beautiful women and he picks her. Even though she feels prettier now, he wanted her then. He has forgiven her, but what does she do now? She is obviously attracted to him.

She misjudged him, and now he’s leery of her. It’s funny in a way, the ex-player getting played and falls for the player. It hurt her head trying to figure it out. Maybe if she started all over, he could trust her again, but then what? Am I ready for a relationship so soon after her mother death? She was tired of being alone, tired of being afraid all the time. Even if he was too good for her, if he wanted her, she was going to take it. She was just going to be herself, just like when they met before, only she has grown in the past few years. She has picked up a few things along the way.

She has become stronger, physically and confidently. She no longer shy’s away from confrontations, she faces them full on and doesn’t back down. There were many times when she was street racing, she had to knock a few chips off some shoulders of the soar losers. They tried to intimidate her, once she had been pushed far enough, she put them in their place. Although the women here were better looking, she knew she had something Vincent liked.

She has no reputation to back up how badass she is, so she would have to build one. A new start is great but starting from the ground up was going to take time. She has to fight through all these other bitches to get to him. Women are drama with a capital D, especially when a man is involved. That’s why she proffered to hang out with guys. Women are two-faced snakes in the grass who would stab you in the back then point fingers to throw someone else under the bus. She didn’t need to see the women to know they all want him. She couldn’t wait to see their faces when they see his new assistant. She will use this time to get to know him and draw out the man inside that desires her.

Her first day was the next morning. He gave her a new iPhone and his bank card. These were only to be used for company purposes. She was expected to run errands for him; pick up lunch, dry cleaning, ect. The phone was so he could call her when ever he needed her. In the office, she was expected to enter all the receipts and any other paperwork into the computer and e-mail them to Brad. Vincent wanted to unload things for her to do slowly.

Her first day, she came in late but entered in the paperwork in quickly and accurately. The news of Vincent’s assistant spread like wildfire and when first break came, the breakroom was full of all the women employed there. Catherine expected it. She opens the door and strides in confidently. She makes her way to the coffee pot and pours two cups. She makes Vincent’s coffee first; two creams and one sugar. Then she makes her own.

Kate approaches her. “Hey, you must be Vincent’s new assistant. I’m Kate, his secretary.”

Kate was a pretty blond, she reminded Catherine of a barbie. Catherine glances around quickly to see all the girls in her look like barbie with different colored hair. She smiles at the thought, Kate is secretary barbie, that girl is mailroom barbie, that one is stripper barbie.

“Hi, I’m Catherine.” She introduces as politely as possible.

“So, umm, do you want to sit with us during break? A few of us are really interested in Vincent first assistant. You know, get to know a new coworker.” Kate asks with her best barbie smile.

“I can’t, I need to bring Vincent his coffee. There’s not much to know, Kate. I have a degree and my sister is married to his partner; you do the math. Not a big deal.” Catherine replies passively. She smiles and heads for the door.”

However, Kate blocks the door. “Wait, you’re Tammy’s sister? I didn’t know she had a sister. Didn’t your mother just die?”

Oh, the cat claws come out early. It took all she had to not throw scalding hot coffee in her face. Catherine grit her teeth. Then let out a heavy sigh. Don’t let it get you, girl. They just want to rattle your cage. Don’t get mad, get even.

“Yeah, and Tammy is pregnant with their second child. Poor thing won’t get the chance to know a great woman. Please excuse me.” Catherine says as she attempts to open the door with the hand that has her coffee in it.

In her failure to open it she “accidently” spills in on Kate’s cream-colored caprices. Kate squeals from the hot coffee. Catherine quickly sets down Vincent’s coffee.

As she gets some paper towels she says, “Oh, dear! I’m so sorry. Let me get that.” She swiftly bends Kate over the table and wipes the back of her leg. “There you go sweetheart; I took care of it.” Catherine then steps back to see how she did. “Oh, dear, I think I made it worse. Welp, I tried.” Kate stands up strait appalled. “Sorry, but I’ll be sure to tell Tammy your condolence for our mother death from cancer. She misses you all and is looking forward to coming back to work.”

With a wink and a smile, she grabs his cup of coffee and leaves. She chuckles to herself as she walks down the hallway to Vincent’s office. In his office, Vincent is on the phone. She sets his coffee in front of him and turns to leave.

He pauses and asks, “Hey, where’s your coffee?”

“Oh, I spilled it in the breakroom. No big deal, I didn’t really need it any way.” She replies.

He nods and returns his attention to his caller. She sits at the small desk Vincent put in for her in the corner. She had the best seat in the house.