Chapter 39 (Mandy)

“Yes.” I smiled from ear to ear, happy to know that I was officially this man’s girlfriend. My heart was beating so quickly that I thought it would explode at any moment.

He returned the smile before leaning toward me and kissing my lips ever so gently. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” I nuzzled against his chest, feeling like my life was finally coming together into a coherent picture.

“Well, we are here. Are you ready to take the grand tour around my company?”

“Of course.” I was about to open the door and get out when I noticed that it was locked. When I looked over at Jasper, he was gone. A second later, he was opening the door for me with a grand gesture.

“After you, my lady.”

I blushed. “You don’t have to make such a big deal about me.”

“I want to. You’re my girlfriend now. Which means, I get to pamper you and make you feel like the only girl in the world.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to.” He kissed the top of my head. “I want you to feel special.”

“I do feel special.”

“Good, then I’m doing my job.”  He took my hand in his, lacing our fingers together. He walked toward the employee entrance so I wouldn’t have to struggle to keep up. “Just let me know if it becomes too much for you at any point.”

“I will.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Once again, he kissed the top of my head and ran his fingers through my hair this time. He lingered there a moment like he was scared to let me go but eventually he pulled his wallet out of his pocket and grabbed his ID card, sliding it through the reader.

“I’m surprised you don’t have some high-tech fingerprint scanner or something.”

“A key-card system is much easier to implement, especially with a high volume of employees. Due to the nature of the job, some people do not stay with us for very long. If we were to log everyone’s fingerprint, it would just be one giant hassle. Besides, there aren’t a lot of people trying to hack into electrical companies. I’ve made my methods known to the public, there would be very little worth stealing.”

“You know, it’s very impressive that you built this empire by yourself,” I said, stepping into the elevator with him.

As soon as the door closed, my heart started to beat a little bit faster. I imagined him pressing me up against the wall. He’d kiss me hard, hands roaming all over my body, getting me all warmed up and ready to go. Then, he’d bring us to his office, bend me over the desk, and just have his way with me.

I knew it was just a fantasy, especially given what I had gone through. Maybe one day it would become a reality but that day wasn’t today. I sighed inwardly, listening to Jasper explain various parts of his business.

It was all very fascinating but for the most part, it was all stuff I had heard before. Sometimes, I think he forgot that I now worked for him. Still, he was on such a roll, that I didn’t want to disturb his train of thought.

Ding.

Eventually, we arrived at the top floor. “Most of this building is pretty boring but I think you might like this.”

Together, we walked down a long hallway that seemed to disappear into infinity. I followed him, eager to find out what he wanted to show me.

At the end of the hall, we stood in front of a large, wooden door with golden letters spelling out ‘Kilroy.’

“Is this your office?” I asked.

“It used to be. I used to spend all day cooped up in this room, barely talking to anyone and feeling miserable the entire time. I was suffocating.”

“Well, now you work from home, in your pajamas, with me.”

“Exactly.” He grinned. “And, I much prefer it that way.”

“Me too.” I agreed. “I’m actually glad I started working for you.”

“Don’t you miss being a detective?”

“I do and I don’t.”

“What do you mean?” He asked while searching through his keys for the right one. “Sorry, I have a million of these things. I should really throw some of them out. This one here was to my first ever apartment.”

“Why do you still have it?”

“Can’t bear to throw it away.”

“I know what you mean. Some things are just hard to let go of.”

“Anyway, tell me what you mean.”

“Oh, right. Well, I miss the detective work. Finding all the clues and piecing everything together like one giant puzzle, that was always my favorite part.  chasing the bad guys and pulling my life in danger, I can do without.”

He nodded. “I’m glad. I would have worried about you. Not to say I wouldn’t support you in whatever you did, I just have more peace of mind knowing you’re safe and sound with me.”

“I know. And, maybe one day I’ll want to go back but for now, I’m content with the way things are.”

“Good.”

Finally, he found the right key. He pushed it into the lock and turned it. As soon as he opened the door, I couldn’t help myself from gasping.

His office was stunning. It was everything I expected in a billion-dollar office. Dominating the room was a large, wooden desk, freshly polished with a new coat of polish. A golden nameplate stood center stage on that desk.

In the middle of the wood were a couple of luxurious leather sofas and a glass coffee table. Overhead hung a crystal chandelier that sparkled in the dying light.

“Wow…”

“Oh, trust me, this isn’t what I wanted to show you.” He tugged me forward, straight for the windows.

From there, we could see everything. The skyline, outlined by the setting sun. All the tiny people moving from place to place on the sidewalks below. The birds flying from skyscraper to skyscraper.

“It’s beautiful…” I whispered, trying to take a mental picture of the view. “If I had an office like this… I feel like I would never leave.”

“When you have an office like this, you forget to admire the view.”