Katherine Cooper had been anxious to see the owner of that office space ever since she set eyes on it so when the next day came quickly, she was very relieved. Just as she walked in, a black car pulled into the parking lot. Katherine's jaw dropped. From its design, to it's windows, even down to the headlamps, everything about the model of this car screamed latest brand. The only place she'd seen a car this expensive was in magazines or on TV. She watched, lost in trance until the car slowed down to a halt at a reserved parking space.
The windows were tinted so she could not see who was inside. Katie felt her heartbeat accelerate at the mere thought. The driver inside, whoever he was, first turned off the ignition and Katherine waited, her breath ceased, for a time that seemed so long to her that she began to wonder if the person inside would come out at all. Then, as if taunting her, the door at the driver's side slowly opened. Nothing more happened for a moment, then a foot clad in a sparkling black leather shoe surfaced and when the owner of the car finally stepped out, Katherine couldn't help but agree that it was definitely worth the wait.
Saying that he was handsome was an understatement. He was at least five or six inches taller than her and his hair was the blackest she'd ever seen. Katherine understood that black was one of the most common hair colours on earth, but what made this man's so peculiar was that when the morning sun caught it just right as it did then, it looked as if it had bits of blue in it. He was approaching where she stood now, and Katie felt her legs begin to wobble in addition to her already pounding heart.
What should she do? Look away, look up, or perhaps just turn around and hurry into the building. He was still a few paces away from her so there was still time to make a decision. But instead Katherine stood rooted to a spot staring at him. He didn't even seem to notice her looking. It seemed he was just more concentrated on getting inside the building. Just as he began to look towards her direction, his phone rang. The man stopped, reached into his pockets, pulled out his phone, then he turned and started towards his car again.
Katherine took advantage of that, and her trembling legs took her inside as quickly as they could. She leaned her arm against the wall for support before she fell. A part of her felt angry at herself for being so silly. Acting like a little high school teenager over some man. Some man? That man out there, whoever he was, was aesthetical. He obviously wasn't a male model, but he should have been. Handsome in a transcendent way, his basalt jaw and spartan shoulders spoke of strength. He seemed molded from a different cast as he had an androgynous look uncommon to most people.
She sighed as she felt her breathing return to normal again. That was enough excitement for one day. If she saw him again,she didn't know if her heart could take it. Katherine pressed the button to the elevator and stepped in. The doors were almost shutting when a hand pushed at them gently, causing them to reverse back, and then he stepped in.
Katie's eyes widened so much that the whites could be seen. She panicked. Did that mean that she was going to be in the small elevator space with him till she got to the sixth floor? Katherine's legs itched to run away again, and she could all but help it. He was standing beside her now, and the doors were closing again so she made a hasty decision.
Just as he reached out to press a button to select the floor he was going, so did she, but to open the elevator again so she could run out. Their hands collided, startling her eyes into looking at his face. God, he even looked more breathtaking up close. Dark eyes as bright and spellbinding as lode stars, they were a-flicker with curiosity as he watched her watching him.
Katherine stirred inwardly. This stupidity had to end. She was twenty two years old for God's sake! The doors had been shut now, so there was no turning back. She had to say something instead of drooling all over him lost in la-la land.
Katie managed a genial smile.
"Good morning." She said.
"Mmm." Came his reply. Her brows flew up. Just because she was flustered didn't mean she was unperceptive. She thought she saw him hiss and turn away sharply when he glanced at her clothes. Katherine was a mature adult, she didn't want to jump to conclusions so she gave him the benefit of doubt and decided on giving him a second chance. She stretched out her hand for a handshake.
"I'm Katherine Cooper." Katherine thought she saw him do the same thing when he looked at her hand, before he tapped it. Yes, tapped because to her what he did could not be called a handshake.
"Nicholas Smith." He said coldly, before he continued staring at the elevator doors in front of them, pretending she wasn't there. Kate was shocked at his attitude. Why did everyone who worked in this company have to behave like an ass? But his attitude wasn't even the main problem she had with him.
What was his deal with her clothes? she was wearing a simple, decent sleeved gown. Her cleavage wasn't exposed at all, the closest the neckline of the dress came to showing was the skin below her collarbone. And the way he'd looked at her hand. Her hand wasn't dirty like he treated it to be. Just the day before, she'd gotten a manicure. And yesterday she'd painted her nails the same colour her dress was. Red.
In fact, if there was anyone who ought to look at the other the way he did, it ought to be her. There was nothing wrong with what she was wearing, but he was dressed in black from head to toe. Well, at least now she knew that not only did he dress like someone who worked at a burial home, he acted like one too.
Nicholas Smith…? Mr Smith…? He was Mr Smith? Well, so much for wanting to meet the owner of that office space. The elevator opened and she walked out. Mr Smith didn't but she could care less. If this was how the people she worked with in Cole Corp. Ltd. Wanted to behave, then she had no problem with that. Mr Smith…. Or Nicholas Smith, was not the only one who could act rude and unfriendly. She could act that way too.
Reaching her seat and desk, she sneered at the twinkling black leather chair she had once admired. With this chair, and that car, she could tell that he was obviously a highly valued employee. But was that enough reason to act like everyone else was not human? She hadn't even noticed when Mr ill mannered and discourteous came and sat behind his desk.
Walking over to the manager's office at the other room, Katherine grabbed the documents that had been printed out, and walked to his table. Typing away at his computer, he hadn't even noticed that she'd been standing there for the past minute. Or he pretended not to.
"Mr Smith?" Katie called.
Nothing. He didn't stir, didn't even bother to look up from his computer.
"I was asked to give these papers to you for further editing."
Only then did he stretch his hand towards her to collect them. How rude! When he hadn't felt the papers in his hand, he finally looked away from whatever god damned nonsense he was doing on his system and at her face. Katherine practically flung the papers onto the table, away from his outstretched hand. His brows flew up as he looked from the paper to her face in surprise. With a condescending glare, she turned the corner and returned to her seat.
He wasn't the only one allowed to show his disapproval after all. She could still feel his stare locked onto her through the cubicle wall but she shook the uncomfortable feeling off and continued at her work.
Later that day, they had a long meeting with the CEO and the heads and managers of the rest of the departments. The purpose of the meeting was to talk about a new marketing plan for their products. The new approach had been nearly finalized when a mellifluously sonorous voice rang out just behind her.
Everyone turned to see who it was, and so did she. She rolled her eyes on realising that it was Nicholas Smith.
"I don't know about everyone else Mr Wright…" he addressed the CEO standing up among the rest of them.
"... But I feel that though the method of adopting a departmental workflow would bring much profit at first, on the long run it would result in long-term liabilities being borne by our stockholders leading to an overall decline in marginal profit." The CEO listened humbly as he introduced a different approach which he felt would be much better, giving his reasons, and when he was done, he took his seat once more.
"I think I agree with Mr Smith.'' the CEO said almost immediately, and just like that, a strategy they had planned for the past hour was cancelled. None of the other executives present had as much as coughed when the CEO made the decision. Katherine turned and stole a glance at Nicholas Smith. Who exactly did this man think he was? The owner of the company?
Glancing down, past the window behind her, Katherine watched as a black car pulled into the parking lot. She wasn't surprised when Nicholas Smith stepped out. Another expensive car…another exquisite black suit. She glanced at the home screen on her system. Eleven o clock. He was late. This was the fourth time this week this was happening, and yet nothing had been done to put him in check. The manner in which lateness was frowned on by the company had been strongly emphasized in all the meetings she had attended so far, yet Nicholas Smith came to work whenever he pleased. Sometimes, he even restrained from attending meetings on purpose. And with all that he was being let off the hook without a rain drop's worth of sweat. What irked her the most about it was that no one else seemed to be bothered by the level of special treatment he was getting. As she watched him walk into the building, she wondered why she had never seen him wearing something in another colour. Despite his shity att
Katherine cursed as she stumbled for the umpteenth time. She knew it had been a bad idea to wear heels this high, but her eyes had won against her head when she had been getting ready for work earlier in the morning. Now, she was bearing the brunt for her irrational decisions. She had many other comfortable shoes to wear on her formal outfits, but those shiny fuschia stilettoes were very appealing to her eyes. It had played tricks with her mind,and she'd decided to wear them despite fully knowing that she could not walk about comfortably with shoes that high. Then came what she had most dreaded, but she knew was inevitable. She had to go down some stairs. Her heart pounded in her chest as the fear that she would trip and fall down the stairs to the floor below, in front of all those people swelled. But what could she do? She had to go down the stairs. There were only ten of them,so perhaps there was still a chance that she could make it down the lot of them without falling. Placing
Katie tugged at the band she'd used to tie her hair up, and let it fall over her shoulders in loose waves. Another exhausting but well fulfilled day at work was finally over. All she would've really wanted was to rent a taxi, rest her aching legs inside, and go home. But that was merely a wish. She had to save up for the rent. She would not make that mistake. Her eyes sparkled as she looked from shop to shop along the sidewalk. This was a sort of balm to soothe her aches. Sightseeing. The air seemed cooler and fresher. The streets of California seemed to come alive at night. Lots of colorful lights hung here and there to attract customers to shops. Beautiful decorations with chromatic beams hung loosely from the poles of street lights. But that wasn't the best part. Window shopping! This was what she enjoyed the most about her long walk home at night. Just as Kate turned a corner, she caught sight of a beautiful corporate outfit on a mannequin from the window of a boutique. She stood
"Please excuse me Mr Smith." Kate said. She had turned as white as a sheet. Nicholas gave a small nodd. They both went over to a corner just behind one of the shops, while Nick sat on a chair outside it. "It's a good thing I bumped into you."He said. "I was going to come see you at the house very soon anyways." "I...Is anything the matter?" She managed to mutter. The landlord smiled, but she could read him like a book. Mr Mallard was at unease. The landlord never, ever came bringing good news. Not once. Katherine began to run a fever just by thinking of what it would be. "I'm selling the house Kate." He said finally breaking the silence. Her heart shattered into a million pieces. Katherine Cooper moved her quivering lips to speak, but no words came out. They just hung open like that, slightly pursed. "I found someone who's willing to buy it for five hundred thousand dollars." He adjusted his square glasses on his round, fat nose for the umpteenth time. Mr Mallard couldn't wipe off
As her alarm clock chimed endlessly on her reading table, Katherine Cooper groaned in frustration. Reaching out her hand to shut up the annoying pest that wouldn't let her sleep, she slammed hard, but met with the table instead. Kate fumbled around, again and again until she eventually knocked it off the table. That wasn't exactly how she was supposed to turn off the alarm but, at least it shut the ticking time-bomb up she thought with a groan. Suddenly, she sat up straight in bed with a gasp. Katherine leaned over the bed to look at the shattered mess that had once been her alarm clock lying helplessly on the floor. Thankfully, it's face was still intact. Seven fifty eight! In about five minutes, she would be late for work! Kate practically tore the sheets off herself and scrambled out of bed. Tripping on her blankets, she tumbled all the way to the bathroom door. But she had set her alarm for five a.m. before she slept last night! That meant her alarm clock had been ringing for th
Nick glanced at Kate from the other side of the cubicle wall. He wondered why this woman insisted on wearing her clothes in so many other gaudy colors instead of this. He'd been a hundred percent correct about the dress. She looked stunning in black, and the dress he picked had been her exact size, not to mention the design suited her prominent shoulders and petite waistline. As he stared at her more intently, he noticed a shiny black barrette twinkling in her chestnut long hair, and for a second he was almost mesmerized. Almost. He could tell how embarrassed she still was for coming so late from her rigid shoulders and discomposed sitting posture. Also, she'd been awfully quiet today. She hadn't moved from office space to office space making her rounds, engaging in brief conversations with the handful of friends she was trying to make. Also unlike her. Well, that is if you could call every single worker on the entire freaking floor just a handful of friends she was trying to make.J
As the wind ruffled through her ponytail, Katherine Cooper smiled at the warm feeling spreading throughout her body from the inside. She looked at her watch again. Seven Ten. Her careful planning had not gone to waste. She was almost at her destination. The latest time she could see herself arriving was at seven twenty five. She'd be thirty five minutes early! She just couldn't wait to see the look on the asshole's face when she... Kate had barely taken a step into the parking lot when she froze. That car... swallowing her dread, Katherine began to move forward to get a closer look. The black Alfa Romeo had its plate number GV1234A. Her heart sank to the deepest part of her stomach. It belonged to the asshole. She'd gawked at the expensive beautiful thing so many times that she'd memorized its plate number. The car had been parked military style, with its front facing the entrance. When her eyes sighted those familiar black leather shoes, her mouth went dry.There, seated atop the ho
Kate started to run in the silly hope that she could catch up with the car before it got to the parking lot. This…could…not…be…happening..! The distance between them grew even wider as the car zoomed even further and Katie increased her speed but pin-heeled stilettos weren't exactly designed for running, and she found her lips kissing the floor before she knew it. The contents of her bag scattered in different directions. The car was far out of her reach now. Tears stung her eyes again, and this time she let them flow as she gathered her things, fuming. A hot blonde guy in a tracksuit had not been very far away away when she had her great fall. He'd given her 'the eyebrow' when she'd hurried past him earlier on, but she was too distracted with getting to work to give him any face. It wasn't a surprise that he came to her aid. "That was some fall." He began. "Are you okay Miss? Here, let me help you with your-" "Go away!" Katherine yelled just as he reached out to pick up one of he