CHAPTER ONE
Sean and Shervon's Story (Book 1 Shervon's Perspective)
I didn't realize how nervous I was until I got onto the elevator. I was being interviewed for the third time in two weeks. I was beyond surprised. My first interview was with the administrative assistant for Harris Incorporated. I was not expecting to get a call back. I was thrown for a loop, when I received a call from the Vice President of Harris who scheduled me for a second interview. After speaking with him, I hung up the phone in complete shock. To my utter bewilderment, I received a call from the receptionist of Sean Harris, President of Harris Incorporated.
His personal assistant told me that Mr. Harris wanted to schedule a third interview with me for the position of head researcher for Harris Incorporated. Here I am today about to go into this interview and try my hardest to nail it. Damn I shouldn't have worn this blouse. I probably should have worn my hair up rather than down. Oh God, I am losing my confidence, please be with me.
The elevator dings to let me know that I am on the top floor about to be interviewed. I rub my damp hands down my pencil neck skirt. I give myself a pep talk "you are going to nail this; you are going to nail this". I stool my features and stand straight fixing my posture. I walk over to the reception desk, and there is this beautiful woman stating at the desk. Long blonde hair, straight, her nails are perfect. Her skin was flawless. No blemishes no nothing.
Her eyebrows were like, I cannot even explain, they were that good. Like she just came from the salon, I bet she just got up this morning and boom, perfection. I mentally shake myself from my thoughts and push forward. "Hi my name is Shervon Jones; I am here to be interviewed for the head research position". The receptionist lifts her head. She looks at me as if I am dirt under her shoe, or maybe that is me being intimidated. She gives me a smile, and I slap myself, because her smile is truly genuine. "Yes, Mr. Harris is expecting you" she said. I smile up at her, and shake the hand that she offered me. She directs me down a hallway and around the corner.
The office building itself is amazing. The color is very elite business slash corporate with light mahogany but the atmosphere gave off this home feeling as well. The furniture in the main waiting area was nothing to fancy, but fit just right. There was a leather sofa with a class coffee table in the middle. To the right was a glass beverage stand. On it was a glass pitcher filled with water.
To the right and left of the pitcher were three glasses. There was a Nespresso VerturoLine with available coffee cups to the right of the machine. In front of the Nespresso were the flavoured coffees at the clients' fingertips. I was tempted but only for a moment. Even though I'm feeling a bit intimidated, I can tell that whoever was in charge of the initial design wanted that relaxed feeling. As the receptionist and I continued walking, all I feel is power. It's strange. Its like something is giving me the strength to push onward and forward. I couldn't describe what it is even if I tried. I'm taken out of my reverie when the receptionist stops in front of two solid mahogany doors.
On the doors, written in silver not gold, is Sean Harris. The receptionist knocks on the door, and opens it on a slit. She then turns to me, and tells me to go right in. I nod my thanks to her and watch for a moment as she walks away. "I should have asked her to give me some of that confidence," I mumble under my breath. I turn and take a deep breath before I enter Mr. Harris' office. Once I enter his office, I am blown away. His desk is in the middle of the room his back is to the three major windows overlooking Times Square. Two leather armchairs face his desk with two business end tables on either side. On his desk is a new Mac Book Pro computer—a cordless Motorola phone.
Hanging on the wall—on the right side, is a beautiful painting I am not sure who the artist is. On the left side of his office is a beautiful leather sofa and armchair, with a coffee table in front of the sofa—the entire office with it's coloring of cool grey and black screams dominance, position and power. God I am sweating. I walk further into his office, and I stand between the two armchairs that are facing his desk. I didn't realize until I finally look at him, that he was looking at me admiring his office. He has the most beautiful smile I have ever seen on a man. He is beautiful. He could most definitely have a career on the side as a male model, no doubt.
And I can tell just by looking at his physical appearance that he works out. Even though he is sitting behind the desk, I can see the definition of his body, and that he's a man who takes pride in taking care of himself. He stands up and extends his hand for me to shake it. His suit jacket is open and the white shirt he has on is a little transparent, giving me a nice view. His stomach is flat and taut. I bet he has abs of steel. I cannot help it, I find myself wondering what it would feel like to run my hands over his body, and what would it feel like to kiss his abs. "Hello, my name is Sean Harris, it's nice to meet you" he says.
I am pulled from my fantasy by the sound of his vice and I shake his hand, and the moment we touch, it is like electricity has shot right through me. My eyes widen in surprise. What is happening right now? I pull my hand back, and deposit myself in one of the armchairs. I don't know if he has felt it, but if he did, he is a lot better at hiding it then I am. "I'm Shervon Jones. It is nice to meet you too," I say. We look at each other for a couple seconds. Then he lowers his head, as if gain his composure. "I reviewed over your transcripts and references from NYU, I was very impressed,' he says. I'm blushing, I can feel it, and I know that he can see it.
"There is no need to be nervous Miss Jones. Your record speaks for itself. You have worked hard, and from your references here"—he pauses as if to ponder a thought. "I can tell that you are very much wanted in the graduate department. May I ask why you have decided not to attend graduate school?" I thought I would be prepared to answer such a question. I practiced in front of my bedroom mirror, but the question still managed to catch me off guard.
I took a deep breath and sit up straight and answer him. "I have no objections to graduate school, but I want to get out in the field. I know with graduate school, I would have some exposure, but not the same level of exposure, as I would have if I was working in the field" I pause to give myself a moment to collect my thoughts before pushing forward.
"I researched a lot of major corporations within the world, and Harris Incorporated, has a great research department. You focus not only on medical breakthroughs; you also focus on issues that affect our everyday lives. I see that you have worked with other major organizations, government and non-profit to put an end to child abuse, human trafficking, and domestic violence to name a few". I was totally surprised at the amount of research that leads to assistance. He looks at me intently and I have to admit it is pretty nerve-wracking.
"If you don't mind my, asking Miss Jones, why are you so passionate about some of these issues?" I close my eyes just for the briefest of moments. I knew that someday this question or others like it would be asked. I cannot be afraid to answer them—I am no longer a victim. "I am a survivor of abuse. My parents died when I was young, and I was placed in the care of a couple that adopted me. My adoptive father abused me until I was fourteen years old. I was removed from their care when I had the courage to tell, my junior high school teacher, who then adopted me. She is my only family." "I am sorry Miss Jones. I did not mean to open old wounds, or make you feel uncomfortable".
"Please don't worry about me. I am not ashamed to talk about my past. I want to be a voice for those who are not able to speak for themselves." There is an awkward silence for a few moments. Then he moves from where he's sitting behind his desk, and sits in the armchair next to the one I'm sitting in.
"I think you are right fit for our charity and research department." "Excuse me?" I ask. "The position I applied for was head researcher. I did not realize that there was even an opportunity to head the charity department as well. I do not want to kick a gift horse in the mouth, but I have to be honest, I do not have any experience running a charitable foundation" I say. Sean just looks at me, and I can't figure out what he's thinking. His facial expression doesn't reveal anything to me. I'm getting nervous because I think I've just put my foot into my mouth big time.
He takes a deep breath before speaking again, and I closed my eyes for a moment to prepare myself to hear him tell me that I'm not going to be right for either position. And what the hell just happened, I just mentally called him Sean. "I was looking for someone to head up not only my research department but also my charity foundation, and I believe I've just found her," he says through a big smile. Okay, I must be loosing my mind here. What is it about that smile that has me all tied up in knots? I clear my throat before speaking.
"Mr. Harris, again, I don't want to kick a gift horse in the mouth… but I don't have experience running a charitable foundation," I say. He smiles again. "I am confident that you'll do just fine. I'll see you on Monday. Come prepared for a heavy and hectic work day." His phone start to ring and just like that the interview is over. He gets up out of the armchair and turns to answer it. Left sitting there with this dumfounded look on my face, I feel like I'm being dismissed.
As he picks up the phone, I'm momentarily bewildered, but I gave myself a mental shake, and get up and leave his office. I'm completely taken by surprise and can't even relish in the fact that I was just given the position of not only head researcher, but also head of Harris Incorporated's charitable foundation. His poor people skills aside. I start Monday. Oh God, I start this job on Monday! I'm excited to call my mom and tell her about this weird interview and how I start at one of the world's most successful corporations on Monday.
I exit the building and hail for a cab home. The second I get in the door, I call my mom. "Hi baby, how did the interview go?" she asks. I scream in my mom's ear. I can hear her on the other end, asking me if everything is okay. "Mom I don't know what I did to woo this guy, but I just landed not only the position of head researcher, but also head of the charitable foundation." As soon as the words leave my mouth—an image of Sean pops right into my head. The image is like a still picture.
I see his beautiful smile. Perfect white teeth and his eyes, which reveal a level of mischief I'm not sure I could decipher. My mom gives me a moment and I apologize for screaming in her ear. "Oh honey that's wonderful. I'm so proud of you. Do you want to go out and celebrate your new job?" "Yes, mom, I do." "I know that Tao Restaurant is a little rich for my blood right now, but I want to take you somewhere nice and truly celebrate," she says. "Oh, mom, I would settle for you just coming over and we order our favourite pizza." I tell her. "NO! Absolutely not!' she says.
"You are my daughter and you deserve to be spoiled, you have accomplished so much and I am so proud of you". I can hear her on the other end crying, but tears of joy not sorrow. "Oh mom, please don't cry, or else you are going to have me crying" I laugh and cry in her ear, and now she's laughing and crying.
We talked for a couple more minutes and agreed to meet each other at Tao Restaurant around 7 p.m. for dinner and to celebrate. I spent the rest of the day doing personal earns and then I went about cleaning up my apartment. It didn't take me long to clean my loft. I had most of it done last night. I was nervous about my interview today, so I couldn't sleep and went about cleaning. I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening trying to figure out what to wear.
I don't really shop for clothes or better yet designer clothes. And some classify my style as being 'plain Jane'. When I do go shopping I buy what makes me feel good. I decided to go with a flower print skirt, which stopped above the knee. My blouse was soft pink and sleeveless. I opted for comfort shoes and wear flats instead of heels. Thirty minutes later we meet up at Tao Restaurant. My mom dressed in a soft blue dress, which brought out the soft blue in her eyes.
Great minds must think alike, because she decided to opt for comfort shoes too—and went with a pair of flats. Her hair was tied back in a loose ponytail. She looked so pretty. She hugs me and kisses me on the left cheek. When she pulls away from me, I see evidence of tears threatening to reveal themselves. Her cheeks were flushed and she had this beaming smile.
"I'm so proud of you. You've worked so hard and you've come so far," she says with a sob. "I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have if it wasn't for you. I love you mom." She hugs me again, and then we make our way into the restaurant. It's busy, but not so busy that we can't get a table for two. A waiter comes over and asks us what we'd like to start with, and I tell him a glass of red wine and my mom goes for white. "So tell me more about the interview," mom says. I had to try and find the words to tell her how the interview went. The interview was somewhat laid back, but it wasn't like past interviews I've had. He was very relaxed and he oozed nothing but confidence.
I didn't want to mention that Sean was a bit of a jerk toward the end of the interview, making me feel I was dismissed. Tonight was special and I didn't want to ruin the moment or our night. "The interview was not like any other I've ever had. Sean Harris is very good-looking, very professional, polite but also very, very intimidating," I tell her. "Really?" she says sounding surprised/skeptical. I look at her, not sure if I understand, where she's coming from.
Then I realize what I said: I let it slip that Sean Harris is good looking. I've never shown any real interest in a man, since what happened to me. I've been trying to get past that. "Do you want to tell me what you mean by that?" I ask her pretending I don't know what she means. "You're a beautiful young woman—and you have finally admitted after a couple of years that you find a man—"good looking".' "I know that it's been hard for you. I don't want to ruin our evening by saying this, but I think it is time that you embrace all that life has to offer," she says.
"What your adoptive father did—is unthinkable—no child should have had to go through that. But you are strong and you have come through. I just want you to be happy." She took a moment before speaking again. I could tell that she wasn't finished. "With that being said, I think it would be wise if you were to redirect your feelings elsewhere. Getting involved with a person you work with, especially your boss, may not be such a good idea honey. If things end badly, you could loose your job or he could make life difficult for you," she says.
I was about to rebuttal, but she grabs a hold of my hand and squeezes gently. "It is a positive sign you being attacked to the opposite sex and not letting what happened to you define your life… but I want you to take it easy, okay," she asks. I nod my head in agreement. I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes. Because my mom is right, I have been hiding, behind school and behind her as well. I need to take the plunge and move on with my life. "You are right mom.
But you are wrong about Sean Harris; he would never fall for a girl like me. I mean, look at me. And before you come to my defense, I am a plain Jane as they say. I hardly wear make-up, and I am not what men would call exciting." My mom's face takes on that "mom" look. I have learned over the years that when I see that face, I'm going to lose the battle no matter what.
"First and foremost, I maybe a little biased... but you are beautiful and exciting, and any man who has an opportunity to be with you, would be lucky." "I certainly agree with you there" a man's voice says. My skin started to get hot. I cannot explain it, but it is like a part of me knew right away it was Sean. But I didn't want to give that away to him, so I play it dumb. I turn my head and look up at Sean Harris looking down at me with that damn beautiful smile of his. God I melt every time I see that smile. Granted, this is only the second time I am seeing it. But I am lost for words for a moment, as we both look at each other. Then I remember my manners.
"Mom this is Sean Harris, my new boss, and Mr. Harris this is my mom Melissa Michaels" I stammer out. I can't help but stare at him. He was a beautiful man: smooth skin no blemishes at all—clean white teeth. And his lips look so soft, I find myself wondering what they would feel like kissing me. Oh God, am I blushing? "It is nice to meet you Miss Michaels," he says. "Who did you come here with tonight?"
I cannot believe I asked him that. Feeling my cheeks burning. I quickly turn my head. I look up at my mom who has a big grin on her face. I turn back expecting him to tell me it is none of my business. "I'm here with my family, my parents, brother and little sister. It's the only time this week we were all available at the same time," he says pointing in the direction where his family is sitting. "Nice," is the only word I can get out of my mouth.
The two of us continue to look at each other for a few more moments. "I am going to excuse myself to the ladies room," says my mom. "Sean, would you like to sit and chat until I return?" My mom totally ignores me and gets. Sean takes the opportunity to deposits himself in the seat my mom has just vacated. Her move wasn't lost on me. Seeing it was only minutes ago she was telling me to direct my feelings and attraction elsewhere. I guess it is a woman's prerogative to change her mind. As soon as Sean sat down, my nerves hit me.
I was trying really hard to keep a calm, cool and collective composure. But the man was making me nervous. Sean is smiling because he knew that is exactly what my mother was doing. He has this look of confidence, from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet. "I was going to call you. But luck was on my side tonight. Your mom must have read my intentions very quickly," he says. I look at him, shocked, sure my mouth is in the shape of the letter "O."
"I don't know why you would want to call me. I mean what could you possible want in me? Just look at me, and then look at you," I say. I continued to forge ahead without even given him a chance to make a counter attack. "You're an attractive white man. You can literally have any woman you want. I am—". I stop right there as I looked at his face. His expression has changed it's intimidating, as if he was upset with me. It was strange, I felt like I had failed him some how.
"What is it?" I say. "Did I say something to offend you? If I did, I am sorry." There is an odd silence before he speaks. "No, you didn't offend me. You are a beautiful woman. I love the color of your chocolate skin. I just don't like how you put yourself down. As if to say you are not good enough for me, when we know that isn't true". I stare at him, once more at a loss for words. He was looking at me intently. It was like I could see myself reflected in his blue eyes. I could tell by the softening expression of his face, that I had his full attention.
He was only interested in me. Its like there's no one else in the world right now but the two of us. It has me off balance, and I don't like that feeling, not one bit. I'm not used to feeling this way. Hell, I couldn't even truly explain how I'm feeling. I just know that he stirs some things inside me. I can't stop myself from asking him, "What are you doing to me? I cannot explain it. Why do I feel like I have this need to be with you, near you?" He takes my hand, and again I feel that electricity shooting up my arm. I try to pull my hand back. But Sean won't let me.
His hold on me becomes stronger, more possessively. He isn't allowing me to run. "Do you feel it? I know that I must be imagining this. It's like electricity just shot up my arm," I say to him. "No, you are not the only one imagining this. I felt it when you were in my office, I just didn't know how to respond then, I'm sorry" he says to me. I smile up at him and he smiles back at me. After a few more moments, once he releases my hand.
I find the strength and to reach into my purse and get a pen. Taking a deep breath before I take the plunge to ask him for his cell number, deciding I am going to take a leap of faith. "If you want to see where this could take us," he says to me before, he pulls out his phone. Then he sends a text and my phone beeps. I get my BlackBerry out of my purse and see his message. Dear Lord, this is all happening way to fast for me. Or is it? I haven't ever dated a man—like, really dated a man. I just said I would take a leap of faith. Now I have to put it all into practice.
His message reads: I will pick you up next Friday night at seven for dinner and dancing. I reply with I will be waiting. I try to hide the giggle that threatens to escape. It's weird, but sort of sweet in a way, the two of us sitting only inches away from one another, texting each other from across the table. I look up at him and smile. My mom decides to pick this time to return back to our table. My encounter with Sean has ended way too soon. "Thank you, Sean, for keeping my daughter company until I returned," she says. Sean smiles at her. "The pleasure was all mine."
He reaches out his left hand and I gladly shake it with my right hand. God, I think I'm melting on the floor right here. I unashamedly watch him walk back over to his table sure his family will have a mountain of questions. I turn back to my mom who has a big grin on her face. "What?" I say. "Nothing, nothing at all. Are you ready to order:" she asks. We finally order and enjoy the rest of our evening. Once I am home, I realize that I have a date next Friday with one of the richest and most beautiful men in the world, one of the most eligible bachelors in New York.
I pull out my BlackBerry and stare at the message again. Lost in the moment—not able to believe what happened tonight. Holy fuck! I start dancing around in a circle in my living room. I know it is very high—school— girlish and I am a little nervous. But I have a date with Sean Harris on Friday.