I almost felt bad for pulling that trick on her. Almost.

Lucy Reynolds, the daughter of my “sworn rival” as the industry had it, walked into my office looking as sheepish as a puppy that had just peed on the carpet, looking twice as guilty.

Judging by the redness in her cheeks, the situation must have been impossibly awkward for her. I loved every second of it, even if I harbored no ill will against her. Still, I couldn’t seem to wipe that wide shit-eating grin off my face.

She sat down in front of my desk, taking one of the black leather chairs. I was already in the process of pouring myself a drink, the second of the day, and wondered  if she’d like to partake.

“What’s your poison, Lucy?” I asked, nodding my head towards the mini bar I had installed to my right. Perks of being the top dog, I guess.

She shook her head, but still didn’t dare look me in the eye. 

“Fair enough,” I conceded.

I sat back down, nursing a scotch that was probably older than the both of us combined. She did look fairly young, mid-twenties at most, but carried herself  maturely enough — whenever she wasn’t busy talking shit about her new boss. Granted, I was the one that started it and generally agreed with the sentiment, I just found it funny.

Back on the elevator I felt her eyes devour me even before I said anything. In truth, I didn’t think Reynolds senior would follow through with our little wager. 

When I blocked the doors and saw her standing there, my first instinct said “client”. Yet the elevator was about to ascend to the seventieth floor, in which my office resided. It took me a few seconds to process just who she was. Reynolds senior wasn’t what one would call a young man, and I expected his daughter to be older. 

Perhaps it was her small frame that swayed my perception. She seemed to take after her mother, I couldn’t even see a spec of her father in the way she looked. Thin, but with curves in all the right places, wearing an outfit that complimented her figure while also being conservative enough to look professional. I caught her staring at me when I turned around, though she looked away right after. Her eyes resembled pools of copper and bronze, gleaming with excitement even if her posture screamed otherwise. Lucy tried to make herself seem confident, but couldn’t stop playing with her hair and kept twirling her brown locks around her pointer finger.

How could I not mess with her?

“I assume you’re already familiar with the job and the level of performance we expect, correct?” I asked, setting the glass down on my desk.

Lucy finally mustered up the courage to look up at me, steeling herself as though she feared I would eat her. “I would say so, yes. Besides, I’m a fast learner.”

“That’s the spirit,” I shot back, and added “I’ll call someone from Human Resources to draft a contract right away.”

“Oh, but my father…” She trailed off, a puzzled look on her face. Perhaps old man Reynolds didn’t disclose what had happened at the fundraiser, so naturally I took the duty upon myself.

“Your father added your services to a poker jackpot,” I pointed out rather matter-of-factly. “And I won. Simple as that, really.”

A wave of anger washed over her. It didn’t last, though I could tell she was fairly conflicted — if not even hurt by her father’s actions. During that fateful poker game, old man Reynolds did not seem overly happy about his daughter being the topic of discussion. Perhaps their relationship wasn’t all that healthy.

Lucy let out a small chuckle, devoid of all humor or energy. She slumped onto the chair, holding her forehead up with her left hand as her  gaze met mine. There was a noticeable tinge of pain behind them, but the girl didn’t seem surprised in the slightest.

“So is this just a game to you, or what?” Her question caught me by surprise. It wasn’t the reaction — or the tone — I was expecting. People feared me, given how I could radically change their livelihood by uttering two simple words.

They weren’t all yes-men, at least not at first. They morphed into creatures that would bend the knee and blindly agree to most of what I said even if it hardly made sense. I tested it a couple times, just to see if anyone had the balls to confront me. No one stepped up, not a single one in a room of twenty.

Lucy was different. It may have been the pain caused by her father’s behavior talking, but her defiant attitude was a breath of fresh — and vanilla scented — air. I had no idea how desperately I needed something like that, especially after spending all that time at the helm of a company whose crew was comprised entirely of spineless worms.

“It’s business, Lucy. We would still welcome you with open arms. Make your choice.” I grabbed my drink and leaned back in my chair, watching her ponder in silence.

I don’t doubt it was a hard decision, though it didn’t take long for her to come up with an answer. Her brow furrowed and she closed her eyes for a few seconds before spitting the words out. “I’m in.”

The contract was drafted and ready to be signed the following day.

Her elegant, albeit rushed signature sealed the deal a few minutes after she arrived, and thus ended my quest for a new secretary. Most people in my position would never hire somebody with close ties to a direct competitor, but after seeing how she reacted after I told her what truly happened at the fundraiser, I was sure Lucy wouldn’t interfere. Besides, Reynold’s company would need more than insider knowledge to get back to what it once was.

I was tempted to send a message to the old man, but knowing me, it would have probably given him a heart attack. I ultimately decided against it, at least for the time being.

Having Lucy take care of my schedule and other tedious tasks was truly a blessing.  The girl was quiet as a mouse but always busy with something, tapping into an invisible energy source that apparently had no bottom. Additionally, she’d worked in a coffee shop before, which automatically made her more than qualified for the position she held.

Her presence made things easier for me, and kept them interesting. My normal work life resumed as intended, though we both had to get used to it at first. 

That soul sucking job took up most of my time. Micromanaging and overseeing incompetent assholes I can’t even remember why I hired in the first place was a process that eroded my sanity and humanity bit by bit. I was surprised I still qualified as a human being. Yet there I stood. Some days were better than others, sure. The only constant was the happiness that pervaded me once I set foot back into my house. I lived alone, in complete freedom. Away from all the corporate bullshit I was forced to deal with in a daily basis, and most importantly away from the useless drones I surrounded myself with.

It surely had its downsides, though. Despite what some would say, I still had a soul and was more than a rich asshole — though sometimes I had trouble believing it.

Being alone in a giant house can lead to a host of wildly different emotions to spawn in one’s chest. Setting most of them aside, miraculously enough without the aid of the ever present scotch, all that remained was misery. The kind that longed for company but knew it would never come.

Things were meant to be that way, and in time I got used to it. Perhaps more than I should have, even. 

Love was ephemeral at best, lasting one night at most or two in some extreme cases. I still remember making the “Hottest 10 under 50” list on a popular women’s magazine and being violently thrust under the spotlight. 

It happened right after I seized control of the company, too. Perfect fucking timing. All of a sudden I had money and power, but no one to share them with. Suitresses — and even suitors, which I didn’t care for — were abundant but only temporary.

I won’t lie and say I used to be a paragon of morality, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. All of those women that came to me pretending to be my one and only were just acting and hoping to be convincing enough to make me fall for it. It never worked, though I have to give them credit where credit was due: the orgasms were real.

That was just about their only saving grace.

Life went on, one way or another. Even pursuing meaningless sex lost its sheen after a while, something I never thought would happen. 

It’s crazy how life works out, sometimes, thrusting people into positions they never even wanted to begin with.

Strangely enough, Reynolds senior hadn’t called me yet. I was torn, both hoping he would just to laugh in his face while simultaneously wishing he’d forget my number altogether.

His poor daughter, trapped in the belly of the beast. He must have blown a gasket or two after hearing she went through with it.

I felt the weak buzzing of my cellphone against my thigh. A sardonic smile shone on my face as I saw the caller’s name. Reynolds. I took a deep breath and answered, ready to gloat, though he apparently had different plans.

“You watch yourself there, boy,” He declared, his voice shaky but still somewhat imposing. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with,” He continued.

“Mister Reynolds I assure you, Lucy is in good hands! You have nothing to fear,” I replied, stifling a laugh. 

“Alexander, you better not touch a hair on her head or so help me God I will—” I cut him off right then and there. The gaskets had officially been blown, I almost heard the explosions from my office.

“Francis, you have nothing to fear. Your grandkids will be beautiful, I’m sure of it.” With that, I hung up on him. I poured myself a scotch  to celebrate,  as I chuckled quietly to myself.

I understood his deep seated need to protect his daughter. Anyone would. Still, Lucy was old enough to make her own decision, and she chose to work with me.

Her father’s opinion on the matter hardly mattered, from what I could gather. I liked her already, even though I knew I would need to be extremely careful around her — at least for the time being.