If Arthur Pendragon was a completely conceited man, he would consider himself hot, exceedingly hot and definitely man candy for more than a fair share of the female population. He had movie star looks, an athlete's physique and a bankroll worthy of residency in Monte Carlo. But he's not completely conceited, a touch arrogant yes, but it's more a byproduct of a healthy self-confidence than pure egotism – everyone who knew him said so and many of them meant because they were truly his friends…really and not because he was the boss.
He was approachable, remembered even the most irrelevant member of his staff's first or last name and all their birthdays. He was not a bad guy. Everyone liked him and he genuinely liked most of them, except her. He never used the word hate, yet with her it came with remarkable ease. But don't take our word for it. The story is much more fun from his point of view, so we'll let him tell you:
Guinevere Leodegrace was the snappy little firecracker that my father, Uther Pendragon, hired to head up our European division. She was a Rhodes Scholar, before that a double major who graduated in half the time. Multilingual; she is fluent in French, Spanish, German, Italian and never one to shy away from a challenge, currently studying Mandarin and Japanese simultaneously.
I don't have to tell you she's smart, if you're paying attention, you would have figured that out already. So she's smart and she's good and incredibly good looking. The kind of good looking that knows it's better than everyone else's good looking. But before you go thinking that I'm some woman-hating, anti-feminist jerk, I assure you that I'm not. My hatred for her is justified. She is truly, a selfish, heartless evil bitch and that's why I hate her. That and the fact that the only thing that can match my hatred of her is the equal disdain that she has no compunction showing me, her boss – her boss's boss's son.
I hate the way she struts about the office in her pencil skirt and red-soled high heels, turning the heads of men and women alike. I hate how she interrupts me in meetings, pointing out something glaring that I innocently overlooked because she distracted me when she crossed her legs and exposed the lacy garter attached to her stockings. I hate the way she strokes her pen between her thumb and index finger or the way she taps the tip of it against her soft full lips while every other man in this conference room is thinking the same devious thoughts that I am.
And speaking of the men in this room, she's had her way with all of them. Gwaine, the office pretty boy, she gave him her number before she was out of Human Resources with her access card and photo ID. She took him that night but refused to see him again, so now he mopes around the office pining for her forty to sixty hours a week (like I pay him good money to do that).
And then there's Merlin. Fucking Merlin! If the good people at Webster's dictionary petitioned for photo entries of the perfect cross between nerd and geek his mug would be right there, front and fucking center. She's slept with him at least twice. Even, Leon, who has a boyfriend for the record, has seen her boobs. They like to shop together in the afternoons.
What about me, you ask? Well, the little slut thinks she's too good for me. Ignoring all my charming, respectful advances, my well argued, though admittedly desperate, logic that we would make great fuck buddies and when those didn't work my threatening propositions…until last night. A solid year. Twelve shite months of me doing and saying just about anything to get her to take me home.
It was her one year anniversary with the company. From across the room she looked at me and I recognized the meaning in her eyes completely. I cannot tell you how many traffic laws I broke trying to get to her place. I was so hard and she was so wet and so fucking tight. Now I know why she turned Gwaine into a sniveling little bitch overnight.
She was amazing. Her tits were perfect and her ass fit perfectly in my hands. Now whenever she bends over Leon's desk, I have a perfect view of it and I can't help but get hard when all the images come roaring back in a flash. BTW…she's been bending over Leon's desk all fucking afternoon.
When she got back from lunch – where she doesn't eat, instead she swims laps in the pool at her exclusive gym – I almost bumped into her…again she distracted me. This time I think it was that intoxicating smell coming from the soft curls, she has tucked away now in a very reserved bun. The same curls I buried my face into as she nuzzled her tiny head on my chest, just before she kicked out of her bed and her apartment, telling me that I was great 'amazing, really' where her exact words, 'but I have an early morning meeting tomorrow'. It was my fucking staff meeting for Christ's sake! Which, the little trollop showed up to wearing that top that I expressly told her at the office Christmas party was my favorite on her.
Without a doubt I hate this woman, especially the obnoxious way she sends emails and text messages to other people while she's in the middle of a conversation with someone standing right in front of her…like she's doing now. How fucking rude. So you see I'm not a pig and she is an evil witch and most deserving of my ire. At least this horrible day is almost over.
So there you have it straight from the horse's mouth. Arthur hates Guinevere, or does he…
Arthur rolled his eyes at Guinevere as she punched the last key on her mobile. She disappeared to her office and he clicked the send button on his email before closing his laptop. He reached for his buzzing phone, punched out a reply and quickly gathered his belongings and rushed out of his door, breezing by his assistant Leon without a word and making a beeline for the elevator.
From his left the familiar graceful clicking of Guinevere's heals can be heard as he turns, holding the elevator door and allowing her to enter before him.
"Mr. Pendragon," she said.
"How was your day, Guinevere?"
"Very productive sir. Yours?"
"Stimulating," he replied.
"I'm glad. I am thrilled you got my text, although I didn't think you would come after the way I treated you last night."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world."
So maybe, the gentleman doth protests too much. But Arthur Pendragon, if you asked him, would swear on a stack of bibles that he hated Guinevere Leodegrace.
A/N: So I read this again and realized just how angry this poor Arthur was. Apologies to all the Arthur and Arwen fans out there. I don't know what overtook the night I wrote it. :) I still like him being this much on edge though. Maybe he'll cool off a bit in future chapters.