The COO’s revenge.

Chapter 2

Aiden.

Looking back, I wouldn't change a single thing about that day. I nailed every decision, every move and every word perfectly, except, of course arriving at the office, ten minutes later than I had planned however, putting Catty in her place was the cherry on top.

She took caution and tossed it out of the window, pulling the stunt, she did.

Her perfume filled the air and I knew she was at my doorway. Her heels clashing loudly against my neatly polished floor enraged me.

Her flirtatious gestures were pretty glaring but I ignored it, as I have been doing since I took this job, a year ago.

Her attempts to charm me were constantly met with indifference yet she somehow saw it as a green light and continued.

From the random chocolates on my table to the excessive laughter when I so much as coughed to the playful twirling of her brown or was it black hair?

Either way, I had simply thought she was being thoughtful but women somehow could decipher these things from a mile away, at first I had argued that Tiffany was just being paranoid.

I certainly owed Tiffany an apology; I had been utterly blindsided.

“Good morning Boss”, she sang, her high-pitched voice filling the space and disrupting my concentration.

Time was running out and aside from the interviews that I had scheduled for this morning, I had a lunch meeting with Mr Hallmark Gabriel that I was not fully prepared for.

“Catty”, I regarded, my eyes fixated on the file on my computer, Mr Gabriel was particularly attentive to details, I couldn't tell which he detested more, a half-baked job or his coffee black.

“That brown tie is practically screaming to be taken off your neck and used for more creative purposes”, she said, reaching out and touching my tie, her hands lingering towards my belt hole.

I jolted from my chair as if a spark ignited my entire being. This was bizarre on every level, my moral sensors were on high alert.

Not only did the establishment frown upon dating among co-workers, but it was Catty, -my secretary, -who had arranged all those dates with Tiffany.

She knew my dilemma and yet this?

This was way across the line and needed to be fixed immediately, yet I stood there and watched her, finding it somewhat amusing.

Her attempt at seduction was laughable, she did look like she picked up some tips from a magazine.

She circled the table, coming around to where I stood. Unfortunately she had mistook my reaction as some form of endorsement and that was why she was continuing this circus show.

“Mr. Stewart, I see the way you look at me, you want it as much as I do”, she moaned, her hands on my thigh, my eyes widening as I noticed a few buttons on her shirt were undone.

She was serious!

“Catty, what the hell are you doing?”, I groaned, watching her take a step backward. My chest rose and fell with rapid breaths, my frown deep as she stared at my face.

“Something that should have been done a long time ago”, she whispered, her lips so close to my face that I could smell the mint on her tongue.

I do appreciate the effort but this was just beyond wrong.

“Catty”, I called yet again, trying my hardest to maintain my cool and not cause a scene. Catty might be a nitwit but she was a damn good secretary.

“Yes Daddy, will you like me to strip for you?”, she hummed. It was a few minutes after nine and I almost lost it with three women today.

First, it was my cleaning lady who used bleach on my blue tie and completely ruined it, then that crazy fellow on the streets with forest green eyes, a supermodel’s body and a grit so fine yet stubborn as a mule and now Catty, who was next? My mum.

“Katherine Marcus, you have three seconds to leave my office or face the consequences, I'm pretty sure HR will be more than happy to address this matter”.

As my gaze returned to Catty, I felt a pang of sympathy and I'm almost tempted to offer solace but I don't. This was my fault in the first place, I had given her a reason to think that I was a tad bit interested in her and I wasn't going to repeat that.

“I’m very sorry sir”, she said as she hurried toward the door, without as much as a glance to the back.

I let out a breath, which I hadn't realized that I was holding as I straightened my suit and returned to my seat, I was going to throw the today away because of some minor setbacks.

Only if your secretary trying to seduce you could really be considered a minor setback.

My left hand reached for the landline while I trailed to continue working on the document for my meeting later as I dialed the phone, gathering myself, the awkwardness still very evident in the room.

“I will have the interviews now”, I breathed, trying to sound as neutral as possible.

A small knock got my attention almost immediately and a small smile flashed on my face. Fear does remove complacency, yesterday's Catty will have answered after ten minutes.

“Come on in”, I said, eyeing the office door that didn’t match the rest of my office’s grey and mahogany aesthetics; the door was green.

“Hello good morning”, a voice said, catching my attention as I looked up and my mouth instantly sours.

“Is this some sort of sick joke?”, I half-whisper, a small laughter escaping my lips, the universe does have a sense of humor. A sick one at that.

“My name is Maeve”, “Maeve Casey Ryan”, she said, her voice shaky, her face staring everywhere except my face.

And never have I been so conscious of the state of my office like I was in the moment. I followed her gaze, never once moving my eyes from her.

If my eyes weren’t fixed on hers, I will have missed it. She did look shaken, nothing like the fierce woman that I had met earlier, and as much as I thought that I might enjoy it, I hated it.

“Have your seat Maeve”, I said picking up the file that Catty had dropped off during our whole interaction or was it before?

The sun had me messing her eye color, they were actually Emerald green with an intensity that sent shivers down my spine.

“Two years experience in marketing”, I hummed, genuinely impressed that her CV was this packed for someone so young but my face remained straight, I hadn't spoken to her and she had sat there for twenty minutes, I knew because I was counting.

This was as intentional as my haircut every 15th and 21st of the month.

“Let's cut the crap Mr “, she trailed off for a second, looking for some sort of identification tag but not finding any, “You won’t give me the job, then why waste my time?”, she fumed, her eyes bloodshot as she stared into my eyes.

Feisty woman! Uhhh the appeal.

Maeve’s gaze didn’t flinch, her eyes locked into mine as she watched me like a hulk with such an unwavering confidence. I was trapped, I couldn’t look away.

“Casey, are you always this angry?”, I asked, after many minutes, my face wearing no expression.

“It's Maeve”, she shot back, her hands folded across her chest, “Are you always this annoying?”

This woman was going to be the death of me, I had never been the one for unnecessary conversations, but I could chatter on all day right now.

“Ouch that hurts.You are actually the first person to think I’m annoying”, I winked, watching her face turn red, her eyes welling too.

Her face was a map, her expression spoke volume and calculations, a hint of destruction evident- my destruction, yet I wanted it.

“You know what, all of this is pointless anyways , shove it down your ass”, she spat, the scrape of wood on my floor filled the office as I watched her storm off.

I felt a pang of disappointment, caught off guard by our conversation’s sudden halt, I had expected a fight but she was just giving up? Hell, I was enjoying our banter.

“Maeve Ryan”, I called, her hand on the handle as she made to turn the knob, “Welcome to Hallmark, congratulations”.

My gaze lingered, and I knew that later, as I lay on my bed replaying the day’s events, her face will haunt me. The soft curves of her body would remain etched in my mind.