Chapter 4
When Emma woke up, she felt groggy and sore. She looked at her phone and regretted it instantly as the bright screen nearly blinded her. She squinted, while she waited for her eyes to adjust before she read the time: 7:01 A.M. Had she slept through the entire night on the sofa? As she moved her body, the acute ache in her back and joints jabbed at her, and she knew it was true.
Emma groaned as she got up and walked into the bathroom where she tried the shower. To her relief, the water was hot. Quickly, she stripped off her work clothes and sighed as she got under the stream, the water washed over her body. She tried to make sense of her dream, and why it was about the coffee fiend when she had more important things to worry about. Did she take the job that was offered to her or did she risk applying for a position she was better qualified for?
Her fingers ran through her long hair, she closed her eyes and tried to think, but her mind was in shambles, so she settled for the lather of shampoo in her hair instead. The rhythmic motion soothed her until she let out a loud, contented sigh, her thoughts finally in order. It was only logical for her to take the job, or at least talk to Mr. Matthews about it. If he seemed like a nice guy, she would accept it, and if not, she could worry about that bridge when the time came.
With her decision made, she focused on her body, her hands ran over her 5’6 frame. Her large breasts were soapy and wet as she ran the sponge over them. As her fingers got closer to her pussy, she was tempted to have some fun. She hadn’t masturbated in a long time, but in the end, she couldn’t be bothered to go through all the effort. She didn’t have anything to fantasize about, to excite her to climax. Eventually, she stepped out of the shower once the water started to turn cold. She wrapped a towel around herself and then walked back into the living room.
She didn’t bother to get dressed as she sat down on the sofa. Her wet hair dripped onto the cushions, the droplets left wet spots behind. Emma ignored this, and grabbed her laptop. She set it on her lap, opening her email. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, and she wondered how she should phrase her acceptance.
Mr. Limerick,
I would like to inform you that I will accept the job.
Emma stared at the words, she felt like her message was too sparse. She deleted it and tried again.
Mr. Limerick,
I am glad to inform you that I will accept the job as Mr. Matthews’ personal assistant. I look forward to starting on Monday!
This time, Emma shook her head. It seemed too impersonal and fake. No one was ever that enthusiastic about being someone’s assistant. She bit her lip, and struggled to find the right words as she let out a breath she had held in for the last minute.
Mr. Limerick,
I’m emailing you regarding the job position you offered me yesterday. After some consideration, I have decided to accept the job.
Emma finally signed her name at the end of the email and sent it off; she knew that she was now Mr. Matthews’ personal assistant.
◆◆◆
On Monday morning, Emma arrived at the coffee shop. As always, she stood in line, her eyes peeled for the coffee snatcher, but even as she approached the front of the line, he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe today would finally be the day she could enjoy a fresh cup of coffee before her shift. She smiled at the thought.
She turned her back and took her time to pick out her cream and sugar. She tended to put three packets of sugar into her coffee, but she played around with four packets today. She wanted to make things a little sweeter after finally beating the man with the beige suit. As she turned around, however, her coffee was gone and the man already made his way out of the door. How the hell did he keep appearing out of thin air? Emma was getting sick and tired of these stupid little games. One of these days, she was going to catch him and make him regret ever stealing from her!
Angry, Emma threw the sugar packets into the trash and rushed after the man, but like every other day, he was nowhere to be found. She grinded her teeth in frustration. She should really just invest in a thermos or something…
Emma sighed, she knew she had no time to go back to get more coffee. She never did whenever he pilfered her drink. She would just have to go through her first day as the CEO’s personal assistant with fake eagerness. As her shoes clapped against the road, she walked toward the large skyscraper just as a red Mustang raced down the street, it sped right toward her.
Emma noticed it as it approached, but she was paralyzed. She stopped in the middle of the road; her legs malfunctioned when she needed them the most. Her mind screamed at her to move, but it was impossible. Suddenly, someone yanked her out of the path of the car. She felt herself collide into a powerful body, her head rested on someone’s chest. She was about to look up when he let go of her and walked into Mayflower’s headquarters.
Still disoriented, she looked up to see a blur of beige as it made its way through the revolving doors. She ran after him, but the man was already headed down the hallway as she entered the lobby. A group of businessmen walked in a herd, and obscured her view, she cursed under her breath. How was this man so good at avoiding her?
A little rattled, she ran her fingers through her hair. Unlike other days, Emma had opted to let her hair down. The tight buns she usually wore had started to give her a headache. Hopefully, Mr. Matthews wouldn’t mind.
She thought about him, while she waited for the elevator as the minutes ticked away. Finally, the doors opened and she stepped inside. She nearly pressed the button for the thirteenth floor, but then she realized she needed to ride up to the top of the building. As she pressed the button that said seventeen, a few people gave her accusatory glances. The only people who went up there were Matthews himself and some of his closest associates. What was she, a young-faced woman with a wrinkled pencil skirt doing up there?
Emma ignored their derogatory looks, and watched them depart on their respective floors as she made it all the way to the top. Once on the seventeenth floor, she stepped out and stopped in her tracks. This floor was different than all the rest. Here, the floors were made of white marble. The walls were free of any scuffs or marks. The furniture was high-end; it looked like it was fresh from the factory. The glass windows sparkled radiantly.
Abruptly, a large grandfather clock chimed, and brought her out of her trance. She looked at it, and noted the time: 9:00. Quickly, she rushed down the hall. There was no one on this floor. Even the front desk was empty. She tried to look around, but eventually, she decided to knock on the door stamped with the golden letters, Liam Matthews. Emma waited impatiently for someone to answer as she shuffled on her feet; the blisters that had finally healed threatened to reemerge.
Finally, the door opened and a tall, handsome individual in a beige suit stood before her. Emma had to do everything in her power to keep herself from gawking. It was the coffee thief! This was the man that had stolen her much-needed caffeine for more than two weeks.
“Ah. Ms. Brooks, correct?” His voice was deep and succulent as he stepped aside. He held out his arm in a gesture of invitation, a playful smile danced on his lips.
Slowly, Emma walked into the large office. It was spacious, but tastefully decorated in a nautical theme. The glass window panels provided a spectacular view of the city. A large, circular desk took up most of the space in the room. On the far wall was an impressive painting of the Mayflower, one of the three original boats that had carried the pilgrims to America. Emma eyed all of this carefully before her gaze rested on her coffee cup, it sat on his desk. Her jaw tightened as the urge to demand answers began to overwhelm her, but she clenched her fists by her side and managed to control herself.
“Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.” Mr. Matthews’ honeysuckle voice echoed through the room. Emma obeyed his command, even though she was still irked by the discovery of his coffee-stealing habits. “I’m glad you accepted the job to be my personal assistant. My old assistant, Bethany, retired a month ago and I’ve been at a loss without her.” He reclined in his chair, a grin on his lips.
“But why did you offer me the job? I have a degree in marketing.” Emma couldn’t stop herself as she blurted out the fact . Her cheeks turned red as she realized her boldness. Quickly, she realigned her spine and sat even straighter in her seat to make up for her blunt comment. Her plump lips were pressed into a thin line as she avoided his dark eyes.
“Because you have a good taste in coffee. Although, I would’ve added a bit more sugar this morning.” He teased her in a whisper.
“Why do you do it?” Emma had finally lost her temper.
His grin only deepened as he turned in his chair, to look out at the city where skyscrapers loomed over the pedestrians who walked the streets, like tiny ants as they looked for their burrows. “I have a few tasks I would like you to do for me today.” He locked his fingers together and draped them over his knee as he watched an airplane fly through the sky, it left behind a plume of white smoke like a brush stroke decorating the sky. “There are various documents that I need scanned, copied, and printed for an oncoming meeting. There are also some phone calls that I need you to make. One of my clients has been trying to get in touch with me for a while, but I haven’t had the time to return his call. Oh… and around midday, I’ll need you to go on a coffee run for me.”
Emma had to bite her tongue to keep her temper intact. Her cheeks were red at this point, but she still held her head high. It was obvious that this man wasn’t about to tell her why he had stolen her coffee, and if she wanted to keep her job, she would just have to learn to accept that. “Okay.” She said, as she stood up before him. “Anything else?” She tried to keep her voice level as she addressed him.
“That’ll be all.” With his last word, their eyes locked. Emma was surprised to find her heart skip a beat. His dark eyes were bottomless and she felt her heart rocket in her chest. Her nerves came alive with excited energy. She reached out, to place a hand on the smooth surface of his desk to steady herself. Her mind went numb for a moment before she managed to regain her composure.
“Please feel free to ask any questions if you experience any difficulties throughout the day.”
Emma nodded in acknowledgement of what he said. Without another word, she left his office, confused.
Why had she felt that way? Even as she stood in the copy room to scan countless duplicates of important documents, she couldn’t shake the feeling in her heart. It was like a part of her had turned on for the first time. Like he had flipped a switch that made her feel hot all over. What was going on?