A/N: Okay so somehow Fame and Fortune disappeared from my profile and I have no idea what happened to it. To make matters worse, I got a new laptop and all my documents for the story is on the old one which won't let me transfer them over, so just think of this story as one to replace that one.
I did post a poll about a future story and while I was getting my thoughts together for that, this idea was presented to me by someone who is exceptionally awesome though they need to know when to take it easy and not do so much all the time. *cough* soccer *cough* ;) anyway, I loved this idea so much that I enjoyed playing around with it, thus creating this monster of a first chapter. I hope it lives up to all of your standards and I think you guys are gonna like it! Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Any unoriginal character in this story doesn't belong to me.
The shrill ringing of a cell phone breaks the heated atmosphere or the excessively lavish penthouse in the more upper, expensive parts of New York. For the longest of times, the ringing continues before the phone goes silent, simply because it's owner is currently occupied with seemingly more important matters. It's only a matter of time before the harsh, and rather annoying, ringing starts up once again, earning it an annoyed grunt of frustration, though it is still ignored.
"Y-You're phone's, ringing." The flustered brunette pants as the blonde hovering above her continues the passionate assault on the skin of her neck.
"Ignore it." Is the muffled reply from the blonde in question as she pins the woman's wondering hands firmly against the mattress. "Probably nothing important."
Unfortunately after about a few more minutes of silence, the ringing starts up once more, once again succeeding in ruining the heavily passionate mood that is filling the bedroom. It's almost as if with each passing second, the ringing is intentionally getting louder as if it is a small child begging for attention.
"Damnit…" the taller woman grumbles darkly before she reaches over towards her nightstand, retrieving her cell phone. Without looking at the caller ID, she immediately puts the device to her ear, letting whoever is calling know that they are being more than inconvenient at the time. "What!?"
"Wow, you sound rather pleasant this morning." A rather amused voice says from the other end of the call followed with a humored chuckle. "Was I interrupting something?"
Alexandra Cabot scowls at the phone at her hand as if it is the one at fault for her current caller interrupting her morning activities. She sighs drastically and drags a finger through her hair, turning her attention back to the phone call as her current guest begins placing delicate kisses to the side of her neck.
"Possibly. Why are you calling me, and what do you want?"
"Well you sound like you're in a peachy mood this morning. I thought I would take the liberty of calling you and informing you that you're in fact late."
Alex scowls at the word late before she rolls her eyes. "Abbie, we've been through this. I'm in charge. Which means that I can come in whenever I want to."
"Well yes, that may be true your highness, but I wasn't referring to you being late for work. I was referring to the board meeting that you're grandmother had set for this morning that started approximately ten minutes ago."
Alex's eyes widen to where they're practically about to pop out of her head before she catches a glance at the clock where the time reads nine thirty. "Shit!" she hisses, springing from the bed and her guests arms, cradling the phone against her ear as she begins tossing the woman's clothes to her from where they were spread across the expanse of her bedroom. "Look, tell them that there was an accident on the highway and I got stuck in traffic. I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Sure thing, Boss." And then the line goes dead.
"Is everything alright?" the brunette woman asks with a curious tilt of her head.
"Yeah, fine." Alex mutters as her brain begins racking itself for this woman's name. When she can't seem to come up with one, she settles on shaking her head before running another hand through her hair. "Uh, listen. I had to be somewhere ten minutes ago, so I'm really gonna need you to…leave."
"Leave?"
"Yeah, you know that thing you do when you put your clothes on and get out of my house? Leave."
"But…but I thought we shared something special last night."
'Great, she's one of those…' Alex thinks before she sighs heavily and rolls her eyes. "Listen, you're nice, really. But I wasn't looking for anything long term right now. Really you're a great girl, just not for me."
The woman's hurt expression turns anger before she purses her lips into a tight thin line. "Do you even know my name?" she asks tightly, scoffing when she receives silence as her response. "I figured. I should've known that leaving that bar with you was a bad idea. I should've listened to my friends."
Alex shrugs not even bothering to disagree with this woman's accusations. "Well, you should've just left when I said so. Next time just let it go." She explains nonchalantly before she disappears into her bathroom, making sure to lock the door behind her. Shaking her head, she quickly climbs into the shower, ready to take a nice relaxing shower before she remembers her meeting that she's late for.
After taking what can be seen as the fastest shower in history, Alex flies from the bathroom, just finishing buttoning her dark blue button down. Thankful that the woman (whose name she still doesn't know) is no longer in her bed and any trace of her being there has disappeared completely except for the tousled pillows and ruffled sheets.
Deciding to forego dragging the blow dryer through her hair, Alex pulls her long blonde hair into a tight ponytail before throwing on a minimal layer of acceptable make up. She grabs her phone off of the nightstand and her blazer from her closet before she all but runs out of her bedroom. As she practically flies down the stairs, she nearly collides with her live in maid who is waiting for.
"Jesus, Martha, I'm sorry." The rambles quickly as she moves around the older woman who is chuckling quietly. "Have you seen my attaché? And my purse? I'm sure that I left them down here somewhere last right but I wouldn't put it past that whore I threw out earlier to steal it."
Instead of responding, Martha shakes her head and holds up the two items in question. "You should look more carefully next time dear. Do you have time for me to make you a quick something to eat?" she asks sweetly, taking in the fragile state of her blonde employer.
"No thanks, I'm actually running late for a meeting that started almost twenty minutes ago. I've really gotta run." Alex huffs in reply all the while continue to dig through her purse. "Ugh, damnit. Car keys?"
"Inside left pocket, Miss Cabot."
"Thanks Martha, you're the best."
"Oh and Miss Cabot?"
"Yeah?"
"Your contacts…"
"Right..." Alex replies before she takes the contact case from the maid before she rushes out the door. As she makes her way into the elevator, she bangs her head against the cool metal wall as the lift begins its painfully slow decent. She glances at her watch and taps her fingers repeatedly at the metal bar against her back. "C'mon….c'mon…."
As she reaches her garage, she pulls out her car keys and swiftly makes her way over to her sleek black Mercedes E350, not having had time to contemplate what car she would be driving for the day. "Damn, and I was feeling like driving the Audi today too." She murmurs in reference to one of her three remaining cars as she pulls out of the garage drive and out onto the street, en route for her meeting.
Approximately another dreadful ten minutes late, Alex finds herself pulling into her reserved parking spot at Cabot Industries' Cooperate office. Taking care to lock her car, the late blonde sprints into the skyscraper of an office building immediately finding herself greeted by the front desk secretary in the lobby.
"You're late." The secretary, Linda states with a smirk, loving just how much she is able to push the young blonde's buttons. Seeing Alex's mouth fall open with a quick (and probably harsh) response at the ready, she chuckles again before she points her pen towards the elevator. "Board room six, twentieth floor."
"Thanks Linda." Alex replies as she sprints into the elevator and immediately begins pressing the button for the twentieth floor repeatedly.
"Oh and Alex?" The secretary calls from over at her desk.
"Yeah?"
"Your grandmother is most definitely not happy."
"I figured…" Alex replies with a heavy sigh just as the doors to the elevator slide closed.
Alex finds herself rapidly pacing the elevator as the floor numbers begin to tick by one by one. Sighing heavily, she glances up at the number panel once again, her heart slamming to a halt when she realizes that she's hit floor nineteen. She hadn't anticipated just the nerves that suddenly came with her tardiness to the meeting, and she hadn't had time to plan out in her head how she's going to go about entering this meeting; until now when it is much too late.
The elevator lets out a ding as it reaches its desired floor, and the blonde in question takes a much needed deep breath as she steps out onto the floor. She is greeted by yet another secretary who is also aware of her tardiness.
"I'd be terrified if I were you." The younger blonde woman, Nancy says with a small shake of her head as she leaves her perch at her desk to escort the mogul to her meeting. "Miss Cabot is very unhappy that you're late."
"Which one?" Alex questions reluctantly, her shoulders slumping as she begins following Nancy down one of the many hallways.
"Your grandmother."
"Of course."
Nancy chuckles again at one of her many superiors as the two slow to a stop just outside of one of the many board rooms in the building. "Here you are." She states before whispering. "If I were you, I would also act very quickly."
"Thanks Nance…" Alex murmurs quietly, waiting until the secretary has disappeared before she sighs heavily once again.
Cabot Industries is successfully compiled of a board staff of all the women following in the Cabot line, herself included. The board includes her mother, as well as her four remaining aunts, herself, all the while being headed by her grandmother who has gained recognition for being one of the only women in America who has built a successful entrepreneur business from her own two hands. Business is not particularly a sector that women are known for excelling in and Alex is proud to say that she stands with a group of powerful women of a powerhouse cooperation. Though there are times where her antics are frowned upon, but she is sure that is simply because she is the youngest and many of her aunts (and occasionally her mother) feel that she is too young to handle such things.
"Alight, here goes nothing." She murmurs as she places her hand on the handle and pushes the door open, halting the conversation of the meeting . Deciding it's best not to make eye contact with anyone at the moment, she quickly inches her way around the table and takes a seat in the only empty leather chair next to her mother.
"This meeting started forty five minutes ago." Her mother, Veronica, whispers harshly into her ear, low enough that it is concealed from the other women at the table.
"Traffic." Alex murmurs in response, though she knows it's a lie her mother can probably see right through.
"Alexandra, you're tardiness is by far unacceptable," Celine Cabot states firmly, as her hard blue eyes practically burn holes into her granddaughter. "This meeting started at nine twenty, and it is just now getting two be five minutes past ten o'clock. Would you care to explain to the rest of us, your reasoning for your lack of judgment in regards to the time? Pray tell, what was keeping you from showing up on time just like everyone else here?"
"Well, you see, I, uh, there was this…accident…on the highway. And I had to…find another way to get here." Alex stammers, slightly shrinking in her chair under her grandmother's scrutinizing glare. "I'm sorry…I won't be late again."
"I shall see to it that you won't." Celine replies firmly before she turns her attention fully back to the table. "As I was saying earlier, now that everyone is here, I expect a full status report in regards to the upcoming status of these businesses. I have a business to run and for my business to be successful as a whole, I need for all of you to do your jobs, is that clear?" she concludes, her eyes purposefully landing on the youngest blonde in the room.
Alex feels everyone's gazes fall on her which causes her to shrink in her chair even more as she pulls out her notepad and begins to take the necessary notes on the meeting, suddenly resenting the start to her day.
At the very end of the meeting, Celine dismisses all of her daughters, but she asks her granddaughter to stay behind, holding out a hand towards one of the chairs seated directly next to her. "Come, have a seat."
Swallowing thickly, the young blonde stands from her chair before moving closer to her grandmother who is now wearing a softer expression than before, but not by much. She takes a seat in one of the chairs and after a long moment of internal battle, finds herself able to look her grandmother in the eye.
Celine sighs heavily as she shakes her head and continues to tap her nails against the furnished wood of the table. "Alex, you know that you can't just show up whenever you feel like it to these meetings. I know you may feel it, and they may seem boring to you, but they are very important and there are a lot of things that I need you to pay attention to. You especially since I know how much your mind likes to wander." She trails off, noticing how Alex's gaze has drifted off to somewhere else in the room. She sighs again before she decides to continue on. "You have made it clear to me that you wish to head the industries one day, do you not? That's why you have spent countless amount of hours working to improve the magazine? To prove to me that you can do it?"
"Yes, and I know I can do it." Alex replies firmly as she sits back in her chair. "I know that I am more than capable of running the industry. You just have to give me a shot."
"And why should I?" Celine snaps as she stands up from her chair and begins to pace. "Why should I hand my business to you? The instability in your life would be the very thing that would make Cabot Industries fall."
"My life is not instable!"
"Which is why you are out bedding half the women of New York!"
At this Alex falls silent as she handles her head to her hands where she is twiddling her thumbs out of nervous habit. No matter how much she wants to argue, she knows that she is unable to lie to her grandmother despite her reluctance to admit it.
Celine sighs once more before she pauses and folds her arms tightly. "You try to prove to me in your work that you are capable of running this business, but your character proves to me otherwise. You still behave like a delinquent Alexandra, and I will not have an indecisive teenager running my cooperation. I do not appreciate having word coming back to me that my favorite granddaughter is treating the women of New York like they're harlots. It shows that you lack the character you would need for this job and it shows me that you still have much growing to do. But I will make you a deal Alexandra, because I do see a strong potential in you. I will give you your chance at running this business, if you do one thing for me. You find a good woman for you and you settle down. You take responsibility for someone else in your life and you stop this running about, sleeping with anything that has breasts and a pulse. You find this woman, you prove to me that you can take care of her as well as still maintain your work and I will give you the keys."
Alex is silent for the longest of times before she blinks up at her grandmother in surprises. "That's it?" she asks after a long moment of silence. "That's all you ask? Find someone and stay there?"
"Yes, that's all I ask." Celine replies with a firm head nod. "But I have to approve of her and your parents do as well."
"Great. I won't disappoint you." Alex says quickly as she places a kiss to the older woman's cheek. "Thanks Grandma."
Celine smiles warmly and gives Alex's shoulder a squeeze before she watches her youngest board member exit the conference room. She sits back down in her chair and sighs heavily before shaking her head. "That child is way in over her head…I can feel it."
Later
"I can't believe she actually wants me to settle down with someone. Can you believe that?" Alex exclaims loudly as she continues to pace back and forth.
"You? Settle down? I've never heard of such things." Abbie Carmichael responds absentmindedly as her attention is more focused on the photo shoot that is happening in front of them. She tilts her head to the side in interest before biting down on her bottom lip. "Damn I love this job."
"I mean that's not even fair! It's my life I should be able to live it the way that I want to. I don't have to 'settle down' if I don't want to. I'm sick of all of them thinking that they can run my life. It's because I'm the youngest you know, that's why they all decide to pick on me. 'Oh Alex is too young she can't do this. Oh Alex is too young she can't do that. Oh Alex has no idea of what she's doing, give it to someone who knows what they're doing.' Yeah! Well damn them. If Alex didn't know what she was doing then Alex wouldn't have the most successful fashion magazine in the world. But nooooo Alex is too incapable. Alex is too immature. Alex is too-Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?"
"Yeah, I'm listening."
"What did I just say…"
Abbie blinks several times before she locks gazes with her best friend. "Okay, so maybe I wasn't listening completely. But can you blame me? Do you see the greatness that's presented before us? I'm surprised you haven't had any of this yet."
"I try not to sleep with any of my models." Alex replies before she folds her arms and frowns as if remembering something. "Though, there was that one time...but nevertheless, it's not a habit that I want to pick up."
Abbie chuckles before slapping the blonde on the shoulder. "Ah, that's right. You're more of the love em' and leave em' type. You don't wanna have to come to work the next day and see your playmate from the night before waiting for you at your desk."
"Exactly."
"I like your logic. It makes sense. Hey, you never told me. How pissed was your family that you were late?"
"Beyond." Alex groans as she drags her fingers through her hair. "I can't believe that I forgot about that stupid meeting."
Abbie shrugs as she takes her attention away from the photo shoot to fix Alex with an 'I told you so' expression. "Well, had you had a personal assistant like I've been suggestion for the past three and a half months, that wouldn't have been an issue. You would have had more of a reminder and not had to rely on me. You're lucky that I even remembered. There are people out there whose jobs that is and I say that you need one. Your life would probably be a lot more organized."
"A personal assistant would be just one more person that I would have to pay. Not to mention that they would be in my private life practically all the time." Alex replies as she wrinkles her nose in disgust. "No thanks."
"Suit yourself. Pretty soon your disorganization will get the better of you." Abbie replies before she catches the arm of a passing photographer. "Hey Liv, where ya headed?"
Olivia Benson blinks in confusion for a moment before she holds up her camera. "Oh. Serena Southerlyn is doing a shoot in about fifteen minutes and I'm going to set up."
"Is that the lingerie one where she's doing poses on the bedspread?"
"That's the one."
"I am so there." Abbie states as she claps her hands and follows the photographer, leaving her best friend and boss to shake her head in her wake.
The Next Day
Casey Novak swallows thickly as she gazes up at the building in front of her. She looks at her watch and sees that she is a little early for her appointment before she quickly shuffles towards the building, pulls open one of the glass doors, and slips inside.
The young redhead glances around the lobby of the building, taking note of the many large, poster sized frames lining the walls that house blown up print out of previous magazine covers. She is immediately transfixed by the beautiful modern décor and set up, complete with the indoor fountain in the center of lobby.
She slinks her way up towards the front desk, where a raven haired woman appears to be flirting with the woman behind the desk, judging by the secretary's amount of blushing and giggling. Feeling a little more than awkward in the situation, Casey quietly clears her throat before lightly tapping the desk with her finger.
"Um, excuse me." She begins quietly as she draws the attention of both of the women. "I, um, well, I'm here to see Alex Cabot."
"Do you have an appointment?" The secretary asks, quirking an eyebrow as she turns her attention away from her admirer for a brief moment.
Casey blinks several times before she quickly nods her head, reaching in her satchel to pull out the printed email complete with the appointment time and directions to the office. "Oh, yes, I do. I was responding to the opening for an assistant. I spoke to an Abbie Carmichael about the position but as you can see, I'm not sure how to find either of them."
"Well you've found one." The lanky brunette pipes up before she extends her hand. "I'm Abbie. You must be…Casey right?"
"Y-yeah, yeah, that's me." Casey responds with a nervous smile before she clears her throat. "I-I realize that my appointment is at two but I just…well I just wanted to be a little early."
"Nah, it's no problem." Abbie replies with a waft of her hand before eyeing the blonde behind the desk. "Don't worry Manda, I'll show this one where she's supposed to go. You stay gorgeous 'till I get back, you here?"
The secretary smiles bashfully and blushes once again before she quickly presses a button on her headset and answers an incoming phone call.
Meanwhile, Casey blinks in utter amazement as she is led through the hallways of the publication office. Each and every inch of the building is seen to be decorated with the utmost expensive amount of furniture, décor, and mother miscellaneous items. Hell, even the light fixtures find a way to look amazing.
"You should be glad. You're the only one that I've actually scheduled an appointment with." Abbie begins with a shake of her head as they exit the elevator on the top floor. "All of the others seemed like complete bimbos through their application. One actually put in the footnotes 'I just wanna sleep with you'. Man, Alex would've flipped if she saw that."
"Oh, thank you. That means so much. I really need this job." Casey replies as she reaches a nervous sigh. "You see, my mother has brain cancer and she needs this operation for it before it's too late and with my sister in jail I-I'm the only one that actually has a chance at helping her. I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound like a pity sob story just so I can get this job, I just…I just really need this."
A soft expression passes over Abbie's face before she nods her head. "Well I wish you the best of luck, for your mom. But I'm not the one who has the final say so, you still have to convince Alex that you're up for this."
Casey jerkily nods her head before managing a nervous smile. "Yes ma'am, I intend to." She states before they come to a halt outside of a set of double doors, her nerves suddenly increasing all over again.
"This is it. Just relax, act natural, and be yourself. Unless yourself is revolting then don't do that." Abbie attempts to joke as she knocks one of the doors and opens it without even bothering to wait for a response. "Hey, your two o'clock is here."
"Great." Alex mutters quietly as she is currently busying herself with typing on her computer. "Send her in."
"Good luck." Abbie replies with a smile before she gives Casey a reassuring nudge into the office before she leaves, closing the door behind her.
Casey nervously clutches her satchel as she makes her way further into the office, taking note that the décor in there is even more extravagant that it is anywhere else. She swallows nervously as she carefully approaches the blonde's desk before slowly taking a seat in one of the chairs across from it.
"What's your name?" Alex asks flatly as she finally turns her attention away from her computer screen to focus on the woman across from her desk.
"Um, Casey Novak, Ma'am. I'm here about the position for an…assistant." The redhead trails off quietly, finding herself a little intimidated under the harsh gaze of steely blue eyes. "I have my resume here with me if you would like to take a look at that and I can tell you a little about myself if you'd like."
Alex holds out her hand for the resume before she takes the folder and settles back into her chair. "Do you have a job right now." She asks flatly, briefly looking at the redhead from over her glasses.
Casey opens and closes her mouth several times before she awkwardly rubs at the back of her neck. "Um, no…no Ma'am. That's why I'm here."
"Then tell me why I should pick you? Out of anyone else?"
"Well, I…as I told the woman who brought me here; I'm not trying to attempt to present some made up sob story just to get this position. But you see…my mother is really sick. She has brain cancer and she desperately needs an operation but her insurance won't cover it. I'm the only one who has any chance of getting her what she needs. I desperately need this job for the money so I can help my mother. If she doesn't have the surgery she…she'll die and she's really all I have left."
Alex purses her lips tightly before she returns the folder back to its owner before she leans back in her chair and folds her hands on her desk. "It said there that you are an artist? Are you in school?"
Casey hesitates for a moment before she shakes her head. "Well…no. I had to stop because I couldn't afford to pay for that and support for my mom. Mostly I try to sell my paintings at amateur art festivals or any place that I can to get the money. Every little cent counts."
Alex is silent for yet another moment before she sighs heavily and removes her glasses. "Listen Casey, you seem nice, you really do. But I just don't think that this position would be the one for you." She begins, pausing before she continues on. "You don't particularly have any experience in business and management and that is one of the very important things you would need if you were going to work for me. I just don't think you're the person who can fill this position."
"Oh…well, I…do you have anything else open? I-I'm hard working and I have flexible hours. I can be here as early as you need me to and I can stay as late as you need me to. Please, I really need something. Anything."
"I'm sorry Casey. I really wish I did have something, but I just don't think my office is what you need. Again, I' m sorry."
Casey hangs her head before she gives a slow nod. "I understand. I'm sorry for wasting your time." She mutters quietly before she stands up from the chair and quietly makes her way towards the door. As she exits the office, she fights tears, wondering just what it is she's going to do next. If there is anything that she can do.
A packed first chapter wasn't it? Don't forget to leave your thoughts!
