Chapter THREE ~ It Takes One to Know One
I turned away fromthe door as I felt fresh tears sting my eyes and I took several deep breaths. Shaking my hands as I pace the floor in Mr. Lawson’s office and try to pull myself together. I couldn’t lose this job and I’m sure as hell not going to back down without a fight. I needed this to help support my mom and be there for her in her last stage of life.
“Pull yourself together, Gemma.” I whispered to myself with a shaky voice as I wiped at my eyes and willed myself not to cry. “Don’t let him get to you.”
My gaze landed upon the mess on his desk and then the picture of the smiling woman. Wondering who it was in that photograph and how she could know Drake. Appearing so innocent and happy. The complete opposite of everything Drake appeared to be. He’s dark, heartless and ruthless. Shaking my head as I break myself from my thoughts and clean up Mr. Lawson's mess. He made it, but it would be all my fault in his eyes. Remembering those hazel eyes burning into my soul. They were unreadable, but only darkened when he was angry. That’s the only emotion I could see Drake Lawson ever having is pure anger, and right now that was directly at me.
“Oh, fuck...” I mumbled as some coffee-stained papers fell to the floor and I knelt down to clean them up. Tossing the dripping documents into the trash can and knowing I need to wash the floor on top of everything else.
“I couldn’t help but hear the commotion in here.” Mindy admitted as she entered Mr. Lawson’s office and I stood up. “I warned you he could be a real jerk.”
“Yes, well jerk is just a nicer way of describing him.” I muttered and continued to clean.
“Well, he wasn’t always like this, you know? Mr. Lawson was the most dashing man out there at one point in time.” Mindy said as she half smiled and crossed her arms.
“You’ve got to be joking, right?” I snorted and raised my eyebrows as I looked at her with coffee dripping onto the floor. “There’s no way that asshole could ever be nice.”
Mindy walked into the room and sat against the enormous desk as she smiled. Placing the fresh paperwork upon his desk and getting lost in her memory. “Well, there once was a time, and it would quite surprise you. I’ve been working for Mr. Lawson for quite some time and know him better than most.”
“I highly doubt it...” I breathed as I threw the last bit of ruined paperwork into the trash, bent over to collect the garbage with my ass facing the office door.
“You highly doubt what?” A voice asked as I peered beside my leg at a petite red headed woman who stood with her arms crossed at the entrance of Mr. Lawson’s office. “Who the hell is this, Mandy?”
“My name is Mindy, ma’am and this is Mr. Lawson’s newest assistant, Gemma.” Mindy answered as she smiled brightly towards me and I saw the hint of sarcasm in her eyes. “Gemma, this is Stacey.”
“Oh, nice to meet you.” I said brightly as I smiled and stood up. Adjusting my clothing and extending my hand towards Stacey. “You must be Mr. Lawson’s lunch date.”
Stacey glanced down at my hand and smirked, but did not accept the gesture. “I can see you’re not off to a good start, Gemma.”
“Oh, it was just a minor slip up and will be a thing of the past.” I said brightly as I eyed up the woman who clearly thought highly of herself and very little of me.
“We will see about that. Drake doesn’t like screw ups; I will give you till the end of today.” Stacey shrilled as her voice pierced my ears and she waved her hand at me. “Anyway, Mindy, I’m here because I brought Drake a gift, and I wanted him to receive it first thing. But with this god-awful mess in the way...”
“Oh, don’t worry, I will tend to it right away and Mr. Lawson will go about his day just fine.” I said and half smiled toward the woman who appeared to be a bitch.
I could see why Drake took an interest in her.
Stacey flung her red hair over her shoulder and rolled her eyes towards me as she walked over to Mindy. Extending a small box wrapped with a bow on top, and I could imagine the expensive gift inside. “Don’t you just think Drake will love it?”
“Oh, I’m sure it will thrill him or he will at least show some sort of emotion towards it.” Mindy said sarcastically as I couldn’t help but smile and exited the room.
Heading straight towards my office to retrieve some cleaning supplies to finish cleaning up the mess before Mr. Lawson returns. Mindy could handle that excuse of a woman because I have better things to do. She rubbed me the wrong way with her rude attitude and uncaring remarks. If I wasn’t working here, I’d have a lot to say to her, but for now I need this job and couldn’t screw it up. Even though I’ve already had a rough start to my first day, it doesn’t mean it couldn’t get better, or at least, I hope.
“There you are...” I breathed as I found some cleaning materials and headed back towards Mr. Lawson’s office with them held firmly against my chest.
Mindy and Stacey were no longer in his office. I opened the door and breathed a sigh of relief. At least I could clean this up in silence and not with that woman’s piercing, rude tone filling my ears. Mindy has been nothing but nice towards me, and I hope I could get to know her better. If I could clean up this mess in time and keep the job. If not, I feared I’d be out of here before the day ended, and I didn’t want that. I sprayed the cleaner and wiped up the wet mess with a paper towel, tossing it into the trash. Placing the stack of neatly organized papers that Mindy brought, right where they should be beside Stacey’s expensive gift. I bent down on all fours, scrubbing at the mess on the floor, when I heard voices coming from outside the room and froze. My ass pointed straight towards the door just as it opened, and I tossed the last bit of mess into the trash.
“Oh, Gemma, what on earth are you doing down there?” Stacey asked, and I could just imagine how much she’s enjoying this.
“Oh, I just dropped something and missed the trash.” I replied brightly and didn’t want to give her any satisfaction in feeling like she’d won.
Gazing back at them as I caught Drake’s hazel gaze upon my ass and finally meeting my eyes. My eyes grew wide with embarrassment as I knelt on the floor and stood up. Turning around slowly and hoping he didn’t realize how flustered I was. My body felt flushed as I cleared my throat and smiled my best smile towards him, but his eyes remained unreadable once again.
What is it with this guy?
“I see you’ve tended to your mess, Gemma.” Drake said smoothly as he stepped towards his desk and admired the cleanliness.
“Yes, I did, sir. I mean, Drake.” I muttered as I snickered towards him and felt irritated on the inside. Knowing very well who made the mess, but it appears too hard for him to own up to it. Better to blame someone else, but at this point I didn’t care. If I had to kiss his ass, then I would and keep this damn job.
“Did you get me a gift as well, Gemma?” Drake asked curiously as he eyed the gift on his desk and moved towards it.
“Oh, um, no that wasn’t me...” I said and looked over towards Stacey, who smiled brightly.
“That would be from me, handsome.” Stacey purred as she strutted over towards his desk and sat upon it, playing with her red locks. “It reminded me so much of you, Drake. So sleek, powerful and always on time.”
Drake didn’t look up at her as he took the gift and placed it inside his drawer. He adjusted his collar while Stacey stared at him with a puzzled look. “Thank you for cleaning up, Gemma.”
“Aren’t you going to open your gift, Drake?” Stacey asked as she walked over towards him and flirtatiously touched his arm.
“I will later, Stacey, but at the moment I’m not in the mood for gifts.” He said abruptly and let her hand fall as he walked towards the door. “I’m ready for lunch and rather famished are you coming?”
He didn’t even look at her, but his eyes locked with mine. The hazel in them had a hint of lust, and it made my breath catch. My heart beats wildly under his intense stare, and that’s all I could hear in my ears. Feeling lost in the moment as our gazes never waver from one another and the world falls away. In that moment, I felt like I could finally read him and see something I never had before. Never thought he’d be capable of feeling, but it was all there in his stare.
“Yes, I’m coming, handsome.” Stacey purred as her voice broke into the intense moment, and I blinked several times.
“Gemma, I will see you soon.” Drake said as Stacey took his arm and he led her out of the room.
The door clicked behind them, and I let out the breath I’d been holding. Feeling confused by the situation that just took place and not understanding what the hell happened. Drake got on my last nerve and he’s a complete asshole, but my body reacted to him in a way no other man had before. His eyes were affecting me when they should be on his lunch date. She was clearly going to be a quick fuck in his limousine on the way to a fancy restaurant. Stacey appeared more than willing as she hung off of his every word, and Drake was more than willing to accept. Even though it was clear, he wants nothing to do with her and sends her packing after their sexual activity. Stacey appeared to be a sexual release for him, and it made my skin crawl at the very thought of it. Drake Lawson was turning out to be a real dick, but his lust filled stare made me want to know why.
Feeling frustrated by the entire situation, I grab the cleaning supplies and head out of his office. Drake had me confused in so many ways, but at least I still had my job. If I didn’t need it, I’d be telling Mr. Drake Lawson where to shove it.