CHAPTER THREE
1921 Words
Elena walked into Sterling Global Holdings at 7:58 AM on Monday, heels too loud, coffee too hot, heart too scared.
Security guy barely looked up, “ID ma’am”
Elena slid it across, “Elena Hart, new secretary, Mr Sterling”.
He nodded.
“Floor 40, don’t be late again”.
Elena wanted to say it was her first day, but she just smiled, tight, fake, survival smile.
Floor 40 smelled like money and cologne, glass walls, no windows that opened, air too cold.
“What a luxury life” she mumbled
Gray was already at his desk when she knocked, he was putting one a navy suit with the sleeves rolled, his gaze was fixed on thw screen before she walked in.
“Come”, he said without looking up.
Elena stepped in, dropped the schedule folder,
“Morning Mr Sterling, your 8 AM got moved to 10, board meeting at 2” she said.
Gray looked up slow, eyes sharp.
“Like are you here every day before me now, trying to prove something”.
Elena didn’t blink, “No sir, trying to keep my job”.
Gray leaned back, chair creaked, “You don’t have to call me sir, everyone else does”,
Elena paused, fingers on the folder,
“And everyone else lasts two weeks, I need six months”- she said
Gray frowned, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Elena walked out, “Means I’m not here to impress you, I’m here to work”.
That annoyed him, Gray was used to women laughing at his jokes, touching his tie, saying his name softly and he spanking them.
Elena didn’t do any of that, she just typed, hard, fast, quiet, impossible to read and not interested in whatever he wàs doing .
Lunch time he walked past her desk,
“Elena?”
She looked up, “Yes Mr Sterling”
Gray stopped, “You eat lunch, right, or you one of those robots”
Elena shrugged, “I eat, when I have money for food”.
Gray stared, “Your paycheck hits Friday”
Elena nodded, “Friday is too far”
Gray walked away mad, then sent his assistant,
“Order her lunch, charge my card”
Assistant texted back, “She sent it back sir, said she don’t take charity”
Gray muttered, “Damn ice queen”
Week two, things got worse, Gray started testing her
He dropped a contract on her desk at 6 PM, “Review this, I need notes by morning”.
Elena flipped it open, “Clause 8 is robbery, they’ll take 15 percent if you sign”
Gray blinked, “You read that fast”
Elena didn’t look up, “I read faster when my rent is due”
“Are you always this blunt?”-Gray sat on the edge of her desk,
Elena finally met his eyes,
“Do you want me to lie, Mr Sterling”Gray stood up
“Stop calling me that, it sounds like you hate me”
Elena whispered, “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t, depends on the day”
Gray let out a light smile, he just walked to his office and slammed the door, but not hard enough to scare her.
By week three Gray started noticing things, her gray dress on Tuesday, same dress but different scarf on Thursday, her hands always cold, her coffee always black, no sugar, no mercy.
He walked to her desk again, “Elena, are you cold”,
She pulled her sleeves down, “ the AC is freezing”
Gray took off his suit jacket, dropped it on her chair, “Wear this”
Elena pushed it back, “I don’t take things from men”
Gray said low, “I’m not men, I’m your boss”
Elena laughed, one short sound, bitter, “Same thing”
Late nights started, deadline week, city lights outside like stars but dirtier, Chicago wind hitting the glass,
Gray poured whiskey, slid a glass to her side of the desk, “Drink”
Elena pushed it back, “I don’t drink with my boss”
Gray smiled, no teeth, “I’m not your boss right now, I’m just Gray”
Elena stood up, grabbed her bag, “Then Gray should go home”
Gray grabbed her wrist, gentle, fast, “Stay, help me finish this”
Elena pulled back,
“Don’t touch me”
Gray let go, looked hurt for half a second
“Why do you always shut me down”
Elena whispered, “Because if I don’t, I’ll forget you’re dangerous”
Gray said nothing, just watched her leave, rain starting outside.
Week four, Gray became obsessed with small things.
Intern Mark walked to Elena’s desk,
“Elena, lunch, my treat”
Gray appeared from nowhere,
“She’s busy”
Mark stammered, “Oh, okay sir, sorry sir”,
After Mark left Gray said,
“Why is she not picking you, I saw you staring at your phone”
Elena kept typing, “Because I don’t want to”,
Gray leaned on her desk,
“You don’t want anyone, do you”
Elena stopped typing, voice soft, “Not anymore, people leave”,
Gray didn’t know what to say to that, he just stood there till she started typing again,
He started cancelling things, dates, club nights, golf with Mike.
His assistant asked, “should I clear your Thursday sir”
Gray said, “Yeah, keep my nights free”
“For what sir” his Assistant asked
“Do what you are told to do , don't ask questions
He directed his gaze to Elena and watched her, she then moved closer and fixed his tie before a meeting, hands shaking a little
He whispered, “You don’t have to do that”,
Elena whispered back, “I know”
One night she fell asleep on the office couch, files on her chest, glasses crooked,
Gray came in at 1 AM, saw her, stood there too long.
He whispered, “Elena”
She stirred, “What”
Gray pulled the throw blanket over her, tucked it around her shoulders, “Go home, you’re safer there”
Elena half asleep mumbled, “You say that every night”
Gray froze, “Because it’s true”
Elena turned on her side, “Then why do I still feel scared”,
Gray didn’t answer, he just sat on the floor next to the couch till she slept deeper.
Morning came fast, Elena woke up to Gray making coffee, two mugs, black, no sugar,
He slid one to her, “Morning”
Elena sat up, hair mess, “You didn’t have to stay”,
Gray shrugged, “I know”,
Elena sipped, burned her tongue, “s**t”,
Gray laughed, real laugh, not boardroom laugh,
“You curse when you’re tired”,
Elena glared, “Don’t get used to it”
Gray smiled, “Too late”
Weeks passed, dialogue got easier, sharper, more back and forth, more cuts, more air,
Gray,
“Elena what do you think of this merger”
“Clause 3 is theft, they’ll own you in two years” Elena said
“You just saved me ten million” Gray said
“Just doing my job” Elena said
“You’re dangerous, you know that” Gray said
“Only to men who think women are stupid”Elena said
Gray- “Come to my office”,
Elena- “Why”,
Gray-“Because I need someone to tell me I’m wrong”,
Elena-“You’re wrong about me”,
Gray-“How”,
Elena-“You think I’ll break, I won’t”
Gray started waiting for her keys in the elevator, Elena started noticing his smile and his soft side hmmm something was going on
He noticed her new shoes, cheap but clean,
She noticed his tie loose on Fridays, like he was tired of pretending.
Chicago winter came, snow on the windows, heater blowing but her hands still cold,
Gray-“You still cold”,
Elena-“Always”,
Gray- “Then come closer to the heater”
Elena-“Then you’ll think I want something”
Gray-“What if I want you to want something,
Elena-“Don’t say things like that”
With all fairness she still tried to keep each conversation short
One Friday,Gray drove her home when her Uber cancelled, snow too heavy, roads bad,
He dropped her at her building, small, old, paint peeling.
Gray looked at it, “You live here”,
Elena grabbed her bag, “Don’t”,
Gray, “Don’t what”,
Elena, “Don’t pity me, I’m not a charity case”,
Gray, “I’m not pitying you, I’m just saying it’s cold”,
Elena, “Cold is better than fake warmth”,
She got out, slammed door, ran inside.
Gray sat in the car five minutes too long, watching her window, light flickered on, then off,
He whispered to himself, “Why is she this distant”,
Back at office Monday, tension higher, words sharper,
Gray, “Elena”,
Elena, “Mr Sterling”,
Gray, “If you call me that one more time I’ll fire you”,
Elena said with disgust, “Then fire me”
Gray, “I can’t”,
Elena, “Why”
Gray, “Because you’re the only person who tells me the truth”.
She almost smiled, almost, then caught herself.
Elena, “Don’t make me trust you Gray”,
Gray, “I’m not trying to, it’s just happening”,
End of week six, Elena got a call during work, number blocked,
She stepped out to take it, came back pale, hands shaking,
Gray noticed, “What happened”,
Elena shook her head, “Nothing, wrong number”,
Gray frowned, “Your hands are shaking”,
Elena hid them under the desk, “I’m fine”,
Gray wanted to ask more, wanted to touch her hand, didn’t,
That night Chicago storm hit hard, power flickered in the office, lights buzzed,
Gray, “Elena, you okay”,
Elena, “Yeah, just hate storms”,
Gray, “Why”,
Elena, “No reason”,
Gray, “Liar”,
Elena, “You’re not my therapist”,
Gray, “No, I’m worse, I’m your boss who can’t stop watching you”,
She didn’t answer, just pulled her sleeves over her hands,
Gray watched her, jaw tight, heart beating too fast for a man who controlled everything,
Elena packed her bag, “I’m leaving”,
Gray, “Wait, storm is bad”
Elena, “I’ll be fine”
Gray, “Elena”
She stopped at the door, didn’t turn,
Gray whispered, “Come back tomorrow”
Elena, “I always do”
She walked out into snow, Gray stood at the glass, watching her disappear,
Phone buzzed on his desk, unknown number, text message lit up the dark office,
Message read, “She’s not who you think she is, Mr Sterling, ask her about the fire”
Gray stared at the text, blood cold,
“Come back here”, he said to the empty room,
No answer, just Chicago wind howling against the glass.
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