My Exception (My Escort #2) (4 page)

B
e True
magazine was extravagant even on the outside. The eight-story building in central Manhattan was well known and admired by all. It was different in every way from my last job. I didn’t bother reading much on
Candice and Clive
, but Cassidy often informed me of the latest events. Apparently Debra had hired a male personal assistant. Cassidy thought it was very probable that they were having an affair. It wouldn’t surprise me after I discovered her petty reasons for making my life hell: all because her husband fancied me. It was Damon who saw that clearly and because of him I had a foot in the door to the career I had always wanted.

I paid the taxi driver, embracing the healthy air of the early, crisp morning. I had two meetings today and then I had to begin my twelve-page spread of Singapore. I had to create small snippets for our website. There were also fourteen blogs who we had a very good working relationship with and often shared small segments with. Then I had to prepare for my next trip in three weeks to Fiji for seven days.

I loved my travelling, but there was nothing like coming back to the office after a long business trip. I tightened my scarf around my neck because of the chilly morning, watching white mist puff from my lips. A jogger ran past me, looking me up and down in my pencil skirt and pale green blouse. Since being with Damon, I no longer dismissed myself as unpretty. I embraced my curves. It was nice to have a more feminine side to myself. After being with Damon I could now appreciate that side of myself. If men looked at me before, I would have never known. Now, I could feel confident as not only a business-minded person but as a woman.

The glass door with gold trimming was a lovely entrance to the building. Inside, the marble floor of the lobby glistened magnificently. Already the receptionists had started busily typing away and answering phone calls. They started usually at the same time as the department managers in case meetings were cancelled or people from the street walked in. Even though
Be True
was stated clearly on the building, a lot of tourists mistook it for an information desk. But the ladies happily dealt with them and helped them to their destination. I greeted them, walking towards the elevator with my laptop bag in hand. I was very excited to start writing my piece on Singapore. If I weren’t so tired last night, I probably would have started it then.

Out of the eight floors on the building, I was on the sixth. The only other floors I attended were the seventh, where most meetings were held in the large conference room, and the eighth floor, which was the CEO’s office. Now and then I had to drop by the fifth floor where the photography sector was. They would take my images to be professionally highlighted and edited to assist my piece. We also had an advertising, media, and sales section, and of course the well-known level two, which catered promotional events in a very large and spacious dining area. It was also a nice place to just stand near the large windows and look at the city streets when you were trying to find a mindless activity for five minutes. The journalists were on my level.

My first meeting today was the monthly meeting we all had in the conference room. We were to be introduced to our new sports columnist, who apparently had a lot of pull in the industry and was actually a sports manager for another highly successful company. It was exciting news for the female staff members on our floor.

Michelle had kept very quiet about the new sports columnist’s identity. Before I had left for Singapore, I found it very amusing to watch the other journalists try to squeeze details out of Michelle. But she often kept that sort of information quiet until that person actually started, in case the contract was cancelled for any reason.

The elevator opened on my floor. I was the second to arrive, certain that Damon would be there early as well. Damon was the department manager. Due to his regular articles as the popular ‘Anonymous,’ he was given the position after the last manager left. Even the other writers within the building didn’t know Anonymous’ identity. They suspected Damon was there at first because he was the Brogardt son. But I was told it only took less than a month for everyone on this floor to respect him and understand Michelle’s choice in the matter. He was intelligent and had a natural way with words, however it wasn’t his only forte. He also managed a small IT team who helped him with the websites and internal issues. He was a whizz and definitely knew what he was doing. I was blown away when he first helped me with my task of creating a website page at
Candice and Clive
magazine. When that happened, I was embarrassed to find out the difference in our ability. To him it was a very simple task.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, I looked to my right where Damon’s office was. The door was closed. I knocked on it, opening it. I wasn’t surprised to see that it was empty. Most probably he was on the eighth floor with Michelle. He had been there for the last few weeks. The air in the room was stale.

I closed the door behind me. Surrounding this floor were ten offices. Mine was furthest on the left and the last office, which gave me a beautiful view of the front streets through the open glass windows.

In the centre was a small round receptionist desk in a gray-carpeted room with ferns, paintings, and a few waiting chairs. The office next to mine had been empty for three weeks now since the last sports columnist left. I tapped lightly on my laptop bag, wondering what kind of person would soon be residing in my neighbouring office.

I opened my office door revealing light beige walls with gold trimming along the bottom. I had a wooden desk with a chair. There was another chair in the corner beside a fern and a cabinet that held all my research material. It wasn’t the biggest office, but it was private, and a luxury not all columnist writers had. What I enjoyed the most was placing my laptop on my wooden desk and standing in front of the large windows and looking over the city from a higher view. My life had changed in so many ways. I couldn’t believe how ignorant I had once been to my own unhappiness.

I sat down in my black leather chair. As I sat ready to type my password into my laptop, my phone began to buzz. Answering it and crossing my leg over the other, I briefly swept my gaze over the two photos I had on my desk. The one of my sister and me, and then the one of Damon and me on the night I hired him as an escort.

Speaking of the devil, I answered my phone. “Yes Damon?”

“Oh, how I have missed your voice,” he said with a low moan.

“It’s only been ten hours, Damon,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Ten. My god. You know I was thinking… don’t say anything;
of course
it brought me minor discomfort using my brain. I am meant only for being handsome.” I rolled my eyes again and remained silent. “I think you have come back with a slight attitude problem,” he teased.

“Really?” I said, raising my eyebrows. I bit the bottom of my lip. “In comparison to how I usually talk to you?”

“Well, I’ve decided you will be punished for this. Today we will play a little game, Clover. You don’t know the game and only I know the rules. And by the end of tonight, you will be begging for me to take you. That is all, have a nice day, my exotic treat.”

Before I could reply he had already hung up. I looked to my photo of us in disbelief. The smile spread from ear to ear slowly. What was I to do with him, and what kind of game was he playing? We had played a lot of games, but when Damon was in charge I never knew what to fully expect.

T
hree hours had gone by and my fingers were still busily typing away about my trip to Singapore. My first meeting was thirty minutes away and I knew it was best to get another coffee before the meeting.
A woman can’t function without coffee
, I mused to myself.

My fellow colleagues would have started arriving a few hours ago. Not that any of us usually made a loud entrance. Luckily for our floor, it was often a very quiet one because everyone focused on getting their pieces and writing completed. It was a very respectable and professional group. But I couldn’t expect anything less from the group that was influenced and watched over by Damon himself.

I read over my twelve-page piece, confident in my article, but wanting to come back to it in a few hours with fresh eyes. After the meeting I would go to the photographers’ level to have them edit my photos to accompany my piece. Although I usually had a week to go over my work, I preferred to get it in as soon as possible so I could make arrangements for my following one. And on top of that, I was thinking about my mother’s birthday party soon to come in two weeks. I was so excited for Damon to be able to meet them. We were meant to go to Megan’s twenty-sixth birthday but unfortunately because of my writing I wasn’t in the country at the time. She was understanding about it, but I was a little disappointed in myself. Although they were only a four-and-a-half-hours’ drive away, it was difficult to make it. It had now been over six months since I had physically seen them. Although I spoke to them every week on the phone, it wasn’t the same as being able to have a few wines with my mother and sister.

I took my scarf off, noting the office had finally warmed up. I saved my article, leaving it on my desk and grabbing a few of the folders I would need for the meeting on the seventh floor. I closed the door behind me, turning and bumping into an unfamiliar male’s frame. As I gasped in surprise, I noticed Damon was also outside my door, preparing to knock.

“Your timing is as punctual as ever,” he remarked. I tried to keep my comments to myself. Even though he still teased me, he only said it when others couldn’t hear. I stepped away from the male, looking at his face. He was of a solid frame in a black suit with a white shirt. What grabbed my attention at first was his very white blonde hair and brown eyes. I lost my breath as I studied him for a moment longer. I recognised him.

“Clover,” the man gasped. His lips curled into that very tantalising smile he had always owned. His voice now seemed deeper as he had matured in age.

“Hayden?” I gasped in surprise. I couldn’t help my smile and I leapt for him. “I haven’t seen you since we graduated. Oh my goodness. Look at you,” I remarked, pulling away and looking over him again. He was certainly the same size that I remembered him from university.

“Now, that’s not how you greet me. C’mon,” he joked, holding his knuckles out. I tried to remember our greeting in university, but my memory failed me. I smiled, awkwardly bumping my fist into his, still trying to recall the move.

“Come now, as if that was ever it. Put more gusto in it,” he grabbed my hand, clenching my fist. Not liking my attempt of it, he took charge. He swept my fist over his hand, then spread my fingers so he could high five me and then cross it back over my fingers so we were slapping one another’s hand. He then reached his hand high, expecting me to jump for it. “C’mon… you always jumped for it.”

I laughed, now remembering. I pushed him away from me. “I am no longer that girl.”

“Please, you look as ravishing as you did all those years ago. Everything has stayed exactly where it should. If anything you could probably jump higher,” he challenged.

“So I assume you two know one another,” Damon interrupted coldly. I was awfully embarrassed by my rudeness. Getting caught in the moment, I forgot Damon might have felt left out.

“Sorry Damon, Hayden and I used to study at Ithaca College. He and I attended the same lectures for journalism and had the same group of friends for a while. It honestly has been forever,” I thought, lost in memories. My, I was nostalgic. We had all drifted apart so very long ago. I wondered where everyone else was. I didn’t have a large group of friends by any means, but those who I hung out with were a lively group. “How is Veronica?”

Hayden looked to the ceiling for a moment, trying to recall something before laughing. “Oh, Veronica. My, no. We broke up about a month after university.”

“Not to break this happy reunion, but I believe we all have a meeting to attend to,” Damon interrupted in a tense tone. “This is Hayden Zilch, the new sports columnist.”

“Of course. I was just about to grab coffee, would you both like one while I am down there?” I asked. Damon, although as beautiful as always, looked tired. Not that anyone else probably noticed it as he was as groomed as ever.

“I would very much appreciate one. Grab me whatever you’re having,” Hayden smiled.

“That would be much appreciated,” Damon nodded to me. Although we stayed professional, I could see the corner of his mouth twitch, reminding me of the phone call he had made earlier. “Thank you, Clover.” He leant in, his warm breath brushing past my ear. “You keep this bewitching smile up and your punishment might not be so severe.” Damon’s hand lightly brushed my shoulder — something he never did in front of others in the workplace — before escorting Hayden to his new office.

My tongue poked the side of my mouth, holding back the comments that came to mind. “Of course,” I nodded as he walked away, trying to hide my wicked smile. I could see him doing the same as he forced himself to look away. His face was very straight, but I could see the smile in his eyes.

“We shall see you at the meeting, Clover,” Damon called. I walked away, looking behind me and catching Damon’s keen eyes on me as he looked back. Confident, my hips swayed slightly more. I didn’t think an unprofessional relationship was a smart move, but right now the thought of him looking, even while in the office, slightly turned me on. I wondered what severe punishment he had in mind.