Tempted By Their Promises

4 - Oscar The Grouch

Walking out of the elevator on the top floor, Amanda walked to the desk where a small petite lady with black salt-and-pepper hair was sitting. “I’m Sarah, Mr Sommerville’s PA. He is expecting you, Miss Frost,” the lady said, looking up from her computer, before pushing a button on her phone to speak through an intercom. “Miss Frost is here for you, sir.”

Toby’s office door swung open immediately as though he was waiting for Amanda, and Toby’s smile caused Amanda’s stomach to do somersaults all over again at the sight of the dimple on his right cheek. “Miss Frost; please come in and take a seat,” Toby said as Amanda followed him into his office. “Shut the door.”

“You want to see me, Mr Sommerville?” Amanda hesitantly asked while shutting the door before taking a seat on the sofa as Toby sat in the recliner in front of her.

“I was about to order lunch. Did you want anything?” Toby asked as Amanda gasped at the question, uncertain what was happening.

“Um, no thank you, sir,” Amanda responded as Toby frowned because she wasn’t using his name.

“It’s Toby. The chicken salad is always a crowd pleaser. I will order that for you,” Toby said, ignoring the fact Amanda said no and heading to his desk and pushing the intercom; “Sarah, can you pick up a chicken salad and a steak sandwich from Café Latte for Miss Frost and myself?” Toby ordered before stepping back without an answer. “Water?”

Amanda nodded her head, twisting her fingers in her lap nervously as Toby moved to the bar fridge behind his desk and retrieved two bottles of water, when Henry walked into the office.

“Amanda, how are you settling in?” Henry asked, looking at the awkwardness in her face, before rolling his eyes with a grin towards Toby as he sat down next to Amanda.

“Um… Fine, Mr Pierce,” Amanda responded, in a soft whisper. Her agitation was growing the more she stayed in the office. It was clear there was something behind the demand to go to Toby’s office, but Amanda was yet to determine what it was.

“Didn’t you tell her, I don’t answer to Mr Pierce?” Henry scoffed at Toby with a frown on his face. “Amanda, it’s Henry. It was nice to see you again,” he continued, getting off the sofa, before heading to the door again. “We should do this again sometime,” he concluded over his shoulder, confusing Amanda even more than she already was.

Figuring enough was enough with the games; Amanda jumped up from her seat. “What was that about?” Amanda spat, folding her arms in front of her.

“What was what about?” Toby asked as Amanda glared at him as though he should know what she was talking about. “Henry likes to introduce himself to all new employees and he is a sticky beak. When I told him I was inviting you up here to have lunch with me, he couldn’t wait to join us,” Toby answered as Amanda continued to stare at him as though he grew a second head when Sarah knocked on the door to bring in their lunch. “You should eat something,” he concluded the moment Sarah left the office.

“I would hardly call; ‘my office now’ an invitation. I’ve lost my appetite,” Amanda sneered, taking a step towards the door as Toby held her around the waist and started kissing her neck.

“I haven’t said, you are dismissed,” Toby whispered, turning Amanda around to face him; her body betraying her as she melted to the smell of his aftershave. “You need to eat something.”

“Mr Sommerville, you are my boss. I don’t think we should…” her sentence was lost, as Toby planted his mouth on hers.

“Wrong answer,” Toby said, smiling as they parted.

“Toby,” Amanda sighed, taking a few steps back from him. “We must be breaking all sorts of HR rules,” she muttered, shaking her head, and sitting down on the sofa again, admitting defeat at having lunch in his office.

“Rules I could have changed,” Toby shrugged, taking a bite of his steak sandwich, as though her argument was null and void. “You are mine, Sweet Pea; before you worked for me. I am sure Fredrick will allow it.”

That did it; “What is it with rich people, thinking they own everyone? We are not possessions. I don’t care how gorgeous you are…” Amanda huffed, stopping herself from continuing and grabbing the salad, before heading out the door. She knows things were said in the heat of passion and isn’t going back on it. At the same time, she was relieved she didn’t finish her statement of how he had made her wet between her legs by just being in the same room, as she jumped in the elevator to the fourth floor.

“What did you say to her?” Henry questioned, walking back into Toby’s office after seeing Amanda storm into the elevator.

“I told her she was mine before she started working here and didn’t care what HR would say. Then she ranted about not being a possession and left,” Toby answered, trying to figure out what he did wrong. He wasn’t going to tell him; she thought he was gorgeous, which caused him to smile from ear to ear.

“If she is to be your future Mrs Sommerville, you need to listen to what she says,” Henry concluded, heading out the door again before Toby could argue with him.

'Is this the same Henry who warned me not to mess with Amanda in the first place?' Toby sighed to himself, walking out of his office. Before he could stop himself, Toby headed to the elevator and hit the button for the fourth floor. He was fuming, Amanda had left him again. However, he was more upset at himself for not emailing that he was inviting her to lunch.

On the 4th floor, Amanda’s cell phone started to ping, uncontrollably. She had just been given the invite to the office forum by Fredrick before she went for lunch. “I didn’t realize how many people post during work hours here,” she noted to herself, picking up her phone and glancing at the notification. ‘Oscar the Grouch is heading to the fourth floor. Watch out admin.’

She looked around the side of the cubicle to see who they were referring to and noticed Toby walking off the elevator in a bad mood. Placing her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh, he narrowed his eyes at her. “You; in here now,” Toby bellowed, pointing a finger at Amanda before marching his way into the boardroom and shutting the door.

Amanda shrugged at her co-workers who were curiously whispering what she must have done wrong and headed into the boardroom behind Toby. “Is there a problem, Mr Grouch?” she laughed, closing the door behind her.

“I see you have been invited to the company's gossip page,” Toby answered, leaning back on the edge of the boardroom table, frowning. However, his eyes were giving away; he was trying not to laugh with her. “I’m sorry I didn’t invite you to my office for lunch. I’m so used to everyone doing as I tell them, I forgot my manners. I also want to tell you, I want to be your boyfriend if you will let me,” Toby continued, holding Amanda’s gaze.

“Is this meant to be an apology?” Amanda huffed playfully, folding her arms in front of her. She didn’t add, of course, I want you to be my boyfriend because she didn’t want the ramifications of it. “As for being my boyfriend. I don’t know if I can be the subject of the gossip around the building. I came from a town with 6000 people who were gossiping and whispering behind my back after Peter left me and made up lies to have the finger pointed at me, rather than him. I don’t think I could handle being the company's gossip subject,” she continued as the tears started to stream from her eyes.

“Then we keep the relationship to ourselves. I don’t want to be just your boss. I want more,” Toby said, moving from his spot to put his arms around her.

“What about Henry? He was there when we left Dean’s Bar together. And if you want to have lunch with me, people are going to talk,” Amanda murmured as Toby pulled her tighter to his chest.

“Sarah’s been asking to have some time off. How about you come work as my personal assistant for a few weeks? They won’t gossip if you need to be near me and I would love to have you close by. We’ll tell them I am offering you the job as stand in PA,” Toby whispered, brushing his lips on Amanda’s hair, glad to find an excuse to why he called Amanda into the boardroom. “And Henry won’t say anything. He hasn’t yet.”

“I’m not qualified. I think I would prefer to stay here and learn the ropes of the business,” Amanda answered as Toby shook his dark brown hair at her.

“I will get Sarah to train you over the next few weeks. Did you not say, you like to challenge yourself?” Toby smirked, throwing Amanda’s words back in her face. “I’m not going to take no for an answer.”

“OK,” Amanda sobbed and Toby kissed her gently on the lips.

“OK, I can be your boyfriend? Or OK, you will be my personal assistant for a few weeks?” Toby asked as Amanda put her arms around his neck, linking her fingers together. She thought in Bay’s Beach she was a goner with Toby close to her, and she was thinking the same thing now.

“Both,” Amanda smiled as Toby leaned in for another kiss as a knock came on the door and they both jumped away from one another, as Amanda cursed in her mind on why she couldn’t say no to this man.

“Oh good, you’ve kissed and made up,” Henry chuckled, coming in through the doorway, causing Amanda to groan at his playfulness.

“Henry, we have come to the decision to keep what happened on the down low,” Toby mentioned, giving Henry a wink, even though Henry knew the ramifications of speaking about their personal life could entail.

“No s**t; the way she screamed at her ex; I was surprised she even wanted your ass…” “I’ll have this ass every day of the week and twice on Sundays,” Amanda cut in smirking, while giving Toby’s rear a pinch as she moved past him.

“Tell me again, why do you love her so much?” Henry mocked as Amanda turned the same colour as her hair again.

“I’m going to give Sarah the few weeks off she was asking for. And since Mandy said in her interview, she likes to challenge herself; she will take over in her place,” Toby mentioned in a matter-of-fact tone, ignoring Henry and Amanda’s banter, even though he liked seeing his best friend and his girl getting along. “I will let Miranda know she starts her training tomorrow and Miss Spence will be doing the admin assistant's work solely.”

“You can screw him every day now,” Henry teased and Amanda walked out of the room, rolling her eyes and trying not to blush again.