Unavoidable Attraction 2
I disclaim
Hey guys! I'm glad everyone is enjoying this, and thank you for your
wonderful replies and keep them coming! I hope yall enjoy this chapter!
~Kristen
Chloe followed the short blonde woman ahead of her towards the elevator. She could feel the knot in her stomach increasing with each floor they ascended.
The woman looked over at the tall brunette. She figured her fidgeting was due to her being nervous about the interview. "I'm sorry where are my manners. My name is Belle Black, Brady's..I mean Mr. Black's secretary." Chloe looked up at the smiling face a little confused. "Black? Are you related to Mr. Black?" 'Please don't be married to him' Chloe thought.
Belle's smile widened "Yes well, He's my brother. You see I'm still in college and wanted some extra money so my father told me I could be Brady's..I mean Mr. Black's secretary" the bubbly blonde explained. Chloe nodded in understanding at least happy that they weren't involved. "So may I ask why you're leaving?" "Yes of course, well as luck would have it my boyfriend, Shawn Brady, recently popped the question and naturally I accepted, but he just got transferred to a different precinct so looks like I'm moving with him." Belle held out her hand to show off her beautiful diamond ring.
Chloe eyed it and smiled. 'She seems really nice, not at all like the snobby, money hungry vermin I suspected her brother to be. Maybe I'm wrong about this Brady Black' Chloe wondered. "Actually today's been a busy day around here, not that it isn't busy everyday, but this is a top company. A lot is expected, sometimes you might need to make your own call on something, but I'm sure you can handle the fast pace" Belle said giving a small wink to Chloe as they stepped off the elevator. 'Who was this chick kidding? Fast pace had been her life for the past two years' Chloe thought with a wry smile. "I'm sure I can keep up" Chloe answered as they neared a large door that read BRADY BLACK in bold.
Just looking at the door made her sick to her stomach and her confidence drop. 'I will not be intimidated. I can do this job' Chloe told herself. She silently gulped and held her head up high as she reached for the knob and slowly opened it. The first thing she noticed was the deep crimson carpet that made her feet sink into it. She looked around the large, plush office, noting how every piece of furniture was made of beautiful, freshly oiled cherry wood. As she looked toward the back of the room her eyes traveled to a large window that showed an exquisite view of the Salem skyline.
Brady had heard her come in. He slowly swiveled around in his chair and was taken aback a bit. 'The same women' he thought. "Ms. Lane" Chloe quickly averted her gaze towards the voice, and of course there was the same blonde haired, blue eyed millionaire tycoon from the lobby. As she looked him over she noticed his firm set jaw line and the small stubble starting to form. 'My, my, So the millionaire is also a babe too' Chloe thought. "Excuse Ms. Lane?" he asked again annoyed that her mind kept wandering. "Y.yes that's me" Chloe fumbled, extending her hand, trying to keep a cool façade.
"Nice to meet you" he replied as he shook her hand strongly. His large hands felt warm and soft in her small ones, and she noted his Cheshire smile that reminded her of a sneaky cat. "Please, by all means have a seat" he said motioning for her to sit with his hand. He sat down and pressed the intercom. "Belle, would you bring Ms. Lane and I some coffee please?" Chloe heard the annoyed sigh on the other end. "I'm so glad I'm leaving. This is the last time I'm bringing you coffee Brady" "That is Mr. Black to you" he said sharply and ended the call. Chloe looked up to see him staring at her with those damn blue eyes that made her feel like she was staring at the sky. His eyes squinted a little and his face had an expression she couldn't read. He finally looked down to the file on his desk.
As he read the contents in the file Chloe didn't have anywhere else to look so she just studied him. She found it cute how his hair was long in some places and already starting to curl. He was concentrating hard on the words in front of him for his mouth was set in a thin, straight line and his full eyebrows furrowed down. After a long silence he asked, "You do realize you are one of five on a final short list for this position?" "Yes, I do" she answered evenly. He looked up at her and leaned back as he flipped the file closed. That same slimy smile came back to his face as he asked with a slight arrogance in his voice, "So tell Ms. Lane, from the four other perfectly qualified hopefuls, why should you be the one I choose to hire?" If this same question had been asked to her a while back she would have scoured away from his close scrutiny, but for some reason something came over her she couldn't explain.
"My qualifications are accurately listed as you have read, so I think that is something you should decide on your own Mr. Black." Chloe answered with a new confidence. He was definitely not expecting that and his eyes showed it as they froze for a split second before his expressionless wall came back up. Even though he showed no emotion he certainly liked that sudden spark that came from the pretty brunette. "Is that so Ms. Lane?" he replied back letting his voice sound deeper than normal. She suspected she had taken him off guard with her quick-witted reply, but she wasn't about to play games with him or anyone else for that matter. She watched him stare at her for a few moments again trying to study her. She saw his hand go for the intercom button on his phone and felt her heart skip a beat. 'Oh no, see there you go Chloe, always opening that big mouth before you think, now you probably lost the one job you desperately need' She thought to herself as she heard the door open. She turned to see Belle walk in with two coffees and turned back around to notice his hand stray away from the phone.
She let out the breath she had been holding. She suddenly had an itch to straighten her hair, but due to the confines of her long braid she just fidgeted with the curled ends. Brady noticed this and took it as a sign she was nervous, as Belle placed the two cups on the desk. "You do like coffee don't you Ms. Lane? Or maybe you would prefer tea?" Chloe looked up to his steely gaze that held her again. "No coffee is fine, thank you." She replied smoothly never dropping her gaze. His eyebrow went up almost like he was challenging her in some way. She didn't falter only raised hers, silently meeting his challenge. Belle noticed the two gazing at each other, like they were talking through their eyes and facial expressions. She rolled her eyes at the two and turned to leave.
Chloe followed the short blonde woman ahead of her towards the elevator. She could feel the knot in her stomach increasing with each floor they ascended.
The woman looked over at the tall brunette. She figured her fidgeting was due to her being nervous about the interview. "I'm sorry where are my manners. My name is Belle Black, Brady's..I mean Mr. Black's secretary." Chloe looked up at the smiling face a little confused. "Black? Are you related to Mr. Black?" 'Please don't be married to him' Chloe thought.
Belle's smile widened "Yes well, He's my brother. You see I'm still in college and wanted some extra money so my father told me I could be Brady's..I mean Mr. Black's secretary" the bubbly blonde explained. Chloe nodded in understanding at least happy that they weren't involved. "So may I ask why you're leaving?" "Yes of course, well as luck would have it my boyfriend, Shawn Brady, recently popped the question and naturally I accepted, but he just got transferred to a different precinct so looks like I'm moving with him." Belle held out her hand to show off her beautiful diamond ring.
Chloe eyed it and smiled. 'She seems really nice, not at all like the snobby, money hungry vermin I suspected her brother to be. Maybe I'm wrong about this Brady Black' Chloe wondered. "Actually today's been a busy day around here, not that it isn't busy everyday, but this is a top company. A lot is expected, sometimes you might need to make your own call on something, but I'm sure you can handle the fast pace" Belle said giving a small wink to Chloe as they stepped off the elevator. 'Who was this chick kidding? Fast pace had been her life for the past two years' Chloe thought with a wry smile. "I'm sure I can keep up" Chloe answered as they neared a large door that read BRADY BLACK in bold.
Just looking at the door made her sick to her stomach and her confidence drop. 'I will not be intimidated. I can do this job' Chloe told herself. She silently gulped and held her head up high as she reached for the knob and slowly opened it. The first thing she noticed was the deep crimson carpet that made her feet sink into it. She looked around the large, plush office, noting how every piece of furniture was made of beautiful, freshly oiled cherry wood. As she looked toward the back of the room her eyes traveled to a large window that showed an exquisite view of the Salem skyline.
Brady had heard her come in. He slowly swiveled around in his chair and was taken aback a bit. 'The same women' he thought. "Ms. Lane" Chloe quickly averted her gaze towards the voice, and of course there was the same blonde haired, blue eyed millionaire tycoon from the lobby. As she looked him over she noticed his firm set jaw line and the small stubble starting to form. 'My, my, So the millionaire is also a babe too' Chloe thought. "Excuse Ms. Lane?" he asked again annoyed that her mind kept wandering. "Y.yes that's me" Chloe fumbled, extending her hand, trying to keep a cool façade.
"Nice to meet you" he replied as he shook her hand strongly. His large hands felt warm and soft in her small ones, and she noted his Cheshire smile that reminded her of a sneaky cat. "Please, by all means have a seat" he said motioning for her to sit with his hand. He sat down and pressed the intercom. "Belle, would you bring Ms. Lane and I some coffee please?" Chloe heard the annoyed sigh on the other end. "I'm so glad I'm leaving. This is the last time I'm bringing you coffee Brady" "That is Mr. Black to you" he said sharply and ended the call. Chloe looked up to see him staring at her with those damn blue eyes that made her feel like she was staring at the sky. His eyes squinted a little and his face had an expression she couldn't read. He finally looked down to the file on his desk.
As he read the contents in the file Chloe didn't have anywhere else to look so she just studied him. She found it cute how his hair was long in some places and already starting to curl. He was concentrating hard on the words in front of him for his mouth was set in a thin, straight line and his full eyebrows furrowed down. After a long silence he asked, "You do realize you are one of five on a final short list for this position?" "Yes, I do" she answered evenly. He looked up at her and leaned back as he flipped the file closed. That same slimy smile came back to his face as he asked with a slight arrogance in his voice, "So tell Ms. Lane, from the four other perfectly qualified hopefuls, why should you be the one I choose to hire?" If this same question had been asked to her a while back she would have scoured away from his close scrutiny, but for some reason something came over her she couldn't explain.
"My qualifications are accurately listed as you have read, so I think that is something you should decide on your own Mr. Black." Chloe answered with a new confidence. He was definitely not expecting that and his eyes showed it as they froze for a split second before his expressionless wall came back up. Even though he showed no emotion he certainly liked that sudden spark that came from the pretty brunette. "Is that so Ms. Lane?" he replied back letting his voice sound deeper than normal. She suspected she had taken him off guard with her quick-witted reply, but she wasn't about to play games with him or anyone else for that matter. She watched him stare at her for a few moments again trying to study her. She saw his hand go for the intercom button on his phone and felt her heart skip a beat. 'Oh no, see there you go Chloe, always opening that big mouth before you think, now you probably lost the one job you desperately need' She thought to herself as she heard the door open. She turned to see Belle walk in with two coffees and turned back around to notice his hand stray away from the phone.
She let out the breath she had been holding. She suddenly had an itch to straighten her hair, but due to the confines of her long braid she just fidgeted with the curled ends. Brady noticed this and took it as a sign she was nervous, as Belle placed the two cups on the desk. "You do like coffee don't you Ms. Lane? Or maybe you would prefer tea?" Chloe looked up to his steely gaze that held her again. "No coffee is fine, thank you." She replied smoothly never dropping her gaze. His eyebrow went up almost like he was challenging her in some way. She didn't falter only raised hers, silently meeting his challenge. Belle noticed the two gazing at each other, like they were talking through their eyes and facial expressions. She rolled her eyes at the two and turned to leave.