I choke on my drink, "Wow."
She gives me a small conspiratorial smile and scans the room again. "Over there in the blue? That's Chelsea. A couple of years ago she ended up in the mail room with more than one of the interns." She gives me a look that leaves no doubt about her opinion on Chelsea.
I force a laugh, and pray I never get on Jennifer's bad side. I'm glad I'm finally feeling my Cosmo start to relax my body. "You seem to know everyone's dirt."
"Oh, I know everything." She smiles smoothly, "I'm Jennifer, by the way."
I shake her hand. "Nice to meet you. You already know my name."
"I do, but I don't know what desk you'll be at tomorrow."
"Executive Secretary for Charles Saxon." I take a sip of my drink.
"Wow."
It doesn't seem like a happy or friendly 'wow.' "Is there something wrong with him?" I haven't met him, but his name is on the door, so I figure he can't be that bad.
"No, no." She says a little too quickly. "Have you met him yet?"
"Not yet. He was out of the office for meetings today. Molly said that he signed off on my resume. So I guess tomorrow will either be really great or really terrible--no in between."
She presses her lips together. "Can I tell you something, just to make it easier for you?"
"Sure. I mean, you've already proved that you know everything." I wink, knowing she's already decided to tell me.
She doesn't laugh. "Listen...it's just that Charles has a certain...reputation with women."
"What do you mean?"
She reaches out and puts her hand on my shoulder, I can tell she wants to look concerned. "I mean that you're very pretty, and he's very charming. He's also incredibly hot. So just be careful."
I laugh, "Don't worry. I've known more than my share of men like that. It takes more than charm to get under my skirt. I'll set some boundaries as soon as I meet him."
She nods. "Good."
"There you are!" Molly appears from out of nowhere, slinging her arm around my shoulder, clearly having already had more drinks than I have. "I'm so happy that you came, did I tell you that? And I see that you met Jenn. She's my eyes and ears. Whatever you need, she'll help you."
"She will indeed." I say, smiling. I take another sip of my drink only to find it empty. "Be right back, I'm getting a refill."
Molly switches her chatter to Jennifer as I step away and make myself another drink. Definitely not bad. If everyone is this friendly and relaxed I think I'm going to like working here, even if I have to keep the boss at arms length. I'm sure he won't be the worst I've had to deal with, and he’s probably too old to do anything much anyway. I glance up to find to find a gift from the gods staring at me. Gorgeous, delicious, eye candy. And the alcohol must be really hitting me now if I say things like eye candy.
Dark hair, dressed in a button down that is designed to look casual but probably costs my first paycheck. Broad shoulders, tall. Total dreamboat. I let myself look, staring at his arms, the fabric of his shirt is clinging to them and his chest in a way that tells me I'm going to like what's underneath it. His face is an odd mixture of angles that come together in just the right way to make him fit for one of those way-too-sexy perfume ads. Damn.
Get it together, Alyssa. You're not going home with someone from the first office party. You're barley hired yet. But my imagination always gets a little wild when I'm tipsy, and speaking of tipsy, I can just imagine him tipping me back and kissing me. Moving from my lips down to my--holy shit he looked at me. I'm too far away to see what color his eyes are, but they're dark, and they are for sure looking right at me. That little mental fantasy takes on a new element as I imagine his approach across the room towards me. That's a pretty thought.
Of course it's interrupted by Jennifer.
"I told you he was incredibly hot."
I look over at her. "That's Charles Saxon?"
"The one and only."
"I thought he was old!" I genuinely thought I had a job working for a man in his mid-fifties. Charles Saxon is in his mid-thirties. If that.
"Nope...just sinfully delicious."
I laugh, "Well, sometimes it's the money that makes you attractive."
"Not this time--Who cares about money with that body?" Jennifer clinks her glass against mine.
"No, not this time. Well, shit." I say. Jennifer laughs. "I warned you."
Charles Saxon. Charles Sexon would be a better name. I mentally pour a bucket of water on myself. "You were right. Tight boundaries it is."
She raises her glass to me, "Well, you can start right now, because he's heading this way." Then she's gone so quickly I've completely lost her in the crowd.
I turn around to find Charles approaching me. "Hello," he says in a voice as rich as chocolate, "My name is--"
"Charles Saxon." I finish for him. "So I've been told."
He chuckles, "Well, I'm glad we had an opportunity to meet. I'm very much looking forward to working with you."
"I am too, Mr. Saxon. However, given the circumstances, I think it's best that we set some ground rules."
"I'm sorry?"
I take a final sip of my drink and place it on the table. "I'm familiar with men of your type--rich, powerful, and egotistical. I know that you may be used to women falling at your feet, especially women that work for you, but I want you to know that I expect our relationship to be entirely professional. Your reputation proceeds you in that department, so I thought it would be better to get any awkwardness out of the way now."
The look on his face is at once terrifying and gratifying. I think I may have gone too far, but there's no going back now. He clears his throat. "Well then." He says, and the richness of his voice vibrates through me. "Is there anything else I should know?" He raises an eyebrow, and I feel all the blood in my body rush to my face.
Oh god, what did I just do? "No. No I don't think so. If you'll excuse me, Mr. Saxon, I must be going. I'll see you in the morning."
I walk away before he can say anything else to me, and I leave as fast as I can without it looking like I'm running away. Because boundaries are one thing, but that...that was something else all together.