Chasing Cassie

Chapter1 - Cassandra Clarke

“Hiya, Cassie. Good morning to you, sweetheart,” Mr. Cole smirked as he greeted me. My stomach turned as his lecherous gaze trained on my chest. He sipped his morning brew, staring at my figure. I felt ants crawling up and down my torso the longer he undressed me with his eyes.

I nodded my head at my middle-aged boss. I hunched over in an attempt to hide my body.

This is my morning ritual. Coffee with a side of s****l harassment.

Every day, exactly at 8 a.m., I walk through the doors of Smith Marketing, Inc. and experience the delight of my plump and perverted boss standing outside his office door, waiting to greet his employees.

I hurriedly crossed my arms over my chest and scurried over to my desk with my cup of coffee sloshing around my hand and my bulky bag holding onto dear life on the other.

It’s been five years, nothing has changed. He’s still creepy as all hell and I can’t do anything about it but take it.

“Sweetheart, can you come here?” his greasy voice carried throughout the open-planned room. No one moved. Sweetheart - that’s his favorite pet name for me. I loathe it. Everybody knows ‘sweetheart’ means me.

My coworkers sniggered. I deposited my things on my desk and hesitantly entered his office.

I left the door wide open, hoping that someone could report him whenever he was being inappropriate. I’m sadly aware that it’s wishful thinking.

“Darling, I want you to work closely with me on this upcoming project.” Mr. Cole spoke to my legs. I crossed them, cursing the company uniform he makes the females wear.

I nodded as always, not wanting to incite any more conversation.

“Good, good. You’re such a good girl, Cassie.” He smiled that slimy smile that’s a constant feature of my nightmares.

“I’m planning to give them a great pitch they can’t say no to, and I’ll need your help,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. He’s planning something and I don’t like it.

“As our copywriter, you’ll need to be hands-on in this one. More so than ever, alright? I want your very best on this,” he said as he leaned over his desk, squishing his oversize belly.

“Be prepared to work on this, day and night!” said Mr. Cole, “we’ll be spending lots of time with each other, so cancel all plans in the foreseeable future.”

I gulped.

“Off you go, Cassie.”

I rushed out of the room and just when I was at the door, he said, “And can you be a dear and get me a cup of coffee?”

I pursed my lips. I can still see a steaming cup beside him, he just sipped from it!

I begrudgingly made him another one and dropped it off without a single word.

“Wait a sec,” Mr. Cole said, making me stop.

“This is good,” he hummed. Taking that as my cue to leave, I made for the door, but I was too late.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” the slap on my butt was unnecessary and downright awful.

I teared up as I went back to my desk. Indignation mixed with shame. I felt the eyes of my coworkers, some were snickering at each other. Some had pitiful looks.

All the same, no one dared to call him out.

- - - -

“Sweetie, there’s a meeting about the new client later in the afternoon. Thought you should know.” The irritatingly nasally voice said beside my head.

I leaned my head to the opposite side and Crystal Wilson, the bane of my existence, giggled at my discomfort. She just loves to provoke me. Like a bully in a playground, she likes to get a rise out of me any way she can.

Sweetie. She likes to call me that. In addition to Mr. Cole, she has made it a point to call me by those pet names that he uses. Somehow, she’s successful in making them sound more annoying and sometimes even threatening.

“Good news, we’re gonna be working on it. Don’t you just love our tandem?” her high-pitched tone grated on my ears.

No, I don’t love it. I hate it with every fiber of my being.

It’s like high school all over again. The nerd is terrified of the bully who makes her do all the work. We both know I’m going to do everything and she’ll try to find a way to take all the credit.

Fantastic. Free labor while she sits pretty. It makes me want to scratch her eyes out.

“Okay, but can you…” She doesn’t let me finish. Assuming that what I was going to say isn’t important anyway.

She flits around the room, chatting up coworkers while I scour the internet in the hopes that I have more information about the new client.

Of course, I have to do all the research to prepare. It’s not like Mr. Cole will provide us with the necessary background we need.

No, he just sits there on his chair and tells us the name of the client. As a copywriter, it’s up to me to woo them with the content of this pitch, Mr. Cole has to present.

“Great,” I said under my breath. Another project with my two favorite people. What could even go wrong this time?

If I didn’t need the pay, I would leave this office right this instant.

“Ah… yes, my two best girls!” Mr. Cole claps his meaty hands together as Crystal and I enter his musty office. Somehow, he manages to make the whole room smell like mold growing on every surface of the room.

He sucks on his tobacco and exhales the smoke right on my face. Crystal giggles at Mr. Cole's antics. I fan the smoke away from my face, bow my head down, and grip the folder on my lap tightly.

“The client is Stephen West and his associates,” Mr. Cole begins, “which means this is a big deal, girls. I want you on top of your game. I need a dossier by the end of the day.”

“Sir, excuse me… uhm, Mr. Cole,” I stuttered. Crystal’s derisive look didn’t go unnoticed by me, but I had to say, ”I didn’t find much information about him on the …”

“I know!” said Mr. Cole. It seems he has no clue what the problem is. “I’m sure you gals will figure it out.”

I closed my eyes in frustration.

“Sure, boss! Will do, you can count on us,” piped up Crystal. Her beauty pageant smile is firmly in place. Her blonde locks cascaded on her back like a waterfall and I wanted to strangle her with it.

“How do I even…?” I started once again, but Mr. Cole quickly dismissed us.

“Couldn’t you be more positive? Stop complaining and try to find a way first.” Crystal whispered as we left Mr. Cole’s office. Judging by the fake smile on her mouth, I’m guessing she’s annoyed by the fact that I had the guts to ‘complain’.

“I just asked…”

“Just do your job, Cassandra. Jeez,” she said as she walked off.

----

I spent the whole day contacting sources for that dossier until finally, I came up with something good enough. Completely exhausted and beyond done with the day, I wanted to drop the file at Mr. Cole’s desk and just go home.

Unfortunately, he had other plans.

“Hi dear, what d’you got there for me?” Mr. Cole asked. “I’ve been waiting for you all day.”

I slid the folder onto his desk without a word. Why does he have to ask what I have in my hands? He gave me the job with a strict deadline this morning.

He browsed through it and finally said, “Good job, you two.”

I forced myself to say that it was only I who worked on it, that Crystal didn’t even lift a finger. But as always, my body refused confrontation.

Just the thought of exchanging unpleasant words with this man is causing me to panic.

“You okay, sweetheart?” Mr. Cole’s scrunched unibrows were comical. It kind of put me at ease. But only just a little.

I nodded and moved to the door.

In a flash, I felt his presence. “Now, wait here. Are you feeling okay?”

He quickly stood by the door, blocking my way out.

My surprise stemmed from the fact that I couldn’t believe my eyes. How he could move so fast when he could barely take a few steps without panting?

The panic started kicking in when I couldn’t see the exit properly since his hulking figure blocked the only way out of his office.

I instinctively took a few steps back. He caught me by the arm and I flinched.

“Hey, hey… you’re shaking.” His death grip didn’t relent. To my horror, he closed the door with his other hand.

“Here, take a break. Would ya? Just lean here.” He was slowly pushing me toward the wall beside his door.

I shook my head, taking my arm back.

His beefy hands are on me like a vice grip.

“Please let me go,” I said.

“Not until I know you’re okay,” he insisted.

He didn’t back away like I desperately wished he would. Instead, he started pressing himself against me. I could feel his round protruding belly.

Bile rose from my throat and I stepped back, my back hitting the wall. I slid to the side and gripped the door in an attempt to hold onto something. It clicked open, (the bastard locked it when I wasn’t looking) and I opened it when he yanked me back.

“I’m just checking on you, honey,” he insisted. He pressed his disgusting belly forward to pin me on the wall.

I froze.

“You know, I’ve always wondered…” he twirled my hair and sniffed it…?

“Hmm… yes, they are so soft. I really love your red hair.”

“Please! Let me go, Mr. Cole,” By this time I was a hyperventilating crying mess.

I’m not sure if he had taken pity on me or continued his disgusting perversion because his horrible weight was quickly taken off me.

I didn’t know what was happening because I was on the ground on my knees.

“What the hell?!” I heard a deep voice sounding alarmed. I continued coughing on the floor.

“What were you doing with her?” the voice asked again.

“Nothing! Nothing, I was just making sure she was okay. I was helping her,” explained Mr. Cole.

“Helping?!” the voice scoffed.

I looked up.

The angry voice belonged to a person I’d never met. Broad shoulders - he stood by the door as he questioned Mr. Cole, his solid build was that of an athlete. I had to crane my neck to see his face.

Kindness. How can a face full of anger reflect so much kindness?

I scrunched my eyebrows as the kind face offered his hand to help me up. I grasped onto his firm grip and he pulled me up.

I tuned back into their conversation as Mr. Cole said, “Don’t be silly and just go on your way. It’s your first day after all, Mr. Carter. No need for trouble. You can go now, chop chop,” he tried to dismiss the guy.

I didn’t care for their conversation, I just wanted to leave. I was itching to escape.

The athlete in business attire leveled my boss with an inscrutable gaze and then stared at me. After a few seconds, he handed Mr. Cole a folder.

“C’mon,” he told me softly and guided me out of the room.

I mumbled a sincere thank you to the guy. I was still shaken up. I folded my arms over my torso and hurried to my desk across the open room. Some employees were looking at the new guy as he made his way to me.

This is how I met my best friend and the best person I know, James Carter.