He Wasn't a Jerk In The End (He Wasn't a Jerk #4)

Prologue

THIS IS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT STORY AS OF 2-14-15. THE CHAPTER CONTENT HAS BEEN CHANGED BUT THE PLOT WILL REMAIN THE SAME.

Prologue

Three folders full of paperwork, five cups of coffee and one sleepless night later, I was rushing into the Stone Enterprises building at exactly six forty-five on a Monday morning. I focused on balancing in the four inch high heels I had bought the previous weekend. I passed through several corridors, took an elevator ride to the seventh floor, and was greeted by a middle-aged woman who needed a well-deserved facial at the day spa.  

            Sinking down into one of the plush waiting room chairs, I placed the paperwork on my lap, my knees bouncing ever so slightly from the rush of caffeine prior to getting dressed this morning. For six fifty in the morning, cubicles around me were busy with frantic people taking phone calls, breaking their hands to get their final report ready for an afternoon meeting, or laid-back workers who idled by the coffee machine in the break room.

            “Ms. Ashford?” a voice called out, halting my bouncing knee.

            I grabbed my folder of paperwork and stood up, adjusting my black pencil skirt so it wasn’t riding halfway up my rear end and smiled politely at the secretary that had just called out my name. In return, she gave m e a deadpanned look and ushered me into the glass office behind her.

            “Mr. Stone will be with you shortly,” She gestured to a chair neatly placed in front of a mahogany colored wooden desk, “Please, have a seat.”

            I thanked her before she nodded and left the room without any words of encouragement. I inhaled the clean smell of the office, before gently blowing out the breath. This was my one shot at becoming a PA for Mr. Stone.

Cheryl, who was now the adoptive mother of my brother Henry, had pulled a few strings to get me this interview. Before becoming a full-time mother to Henry, she used to work as a secretary in the money management department of Stone Enterprises. With that, I was surprised to be getting an opportunity of a lifetime with this interview with Mr. Stone.

The door swung open behind me, nearly missing the concrete wall that was built behind it. I turned slightly in my seat to find a back that was clad in a navy blue suit turned towards me.

“Carol,” He bit out with a hint of disgust oozing off his tongue, “I told you I wanted those numbers on my desk by seven o’clock sharp.” He scoffed, shaking his head and slammed the door in Carol’s face, who I now realized was inches away from Mr. Stone’s face.

The minute Mr. Stone turned around he froze, giving me a once over. “I presume you are Victoria Ashford.”

I stood up, holding onto the manila folder that I was clutching tightly. “Yes, sir. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I held out my hand for him to shake, but he passed by me without a second glance at my hand. I awkwardly dropped it to my side, watching him remove his suit coat and taking a seat behind his desk.

“Resume?” He asked, holding out his hand.

I opened my folder, handing him the laminated two-page resume, taken back by the lack of manners. He snatched the packet out of my hand, careful not to touch my hands as if they were a dirty piece of clothing.

He scanned the resume, and his eyebrows quirked on the last entry. “Dance instructor?”

I cleared my throat and nodded. “Yes sir. For a year and a half.”

He nodded, clearly distracted by something else on my resume. I knew by heart everything I had typed on that piece of paper last night, and I had a gut feeling what he was preoccupied by.

“Tour manager for the boy band One Direction?”

My heart sunk, it wasn’t exactly a lie. I was on tour with One Direction for months six years ago. And even if I wasn’t one of their managers, I did have a big role in their tour for however long I was around them.

“Assistant,” I corrected him; “I wasn’t their primary manager although I did a lot with them. This was several years ago prior to my college education and accounting degree.”

“You have quite the resume, Ms. Ashford.” Mr. Stone commented, flipping to the second page.

I clasped my hands together in my lap to try and calm their shaking. I was never usually this nervous, but I was desperate for this position. From my understanding, any PA for a large company makes over five figures a year.

“I’m quite ambitious. Nothing is a challenge to me.” I spoke, lifting my chin up slightly to come across with the confidence I had not been feeling.

His lips quirked up ever so slightly before he set down my resume on his desk, “We’ll be in touch Ms. Ashford.”

I stood up quickly and thanked Mr. Stone for his time. My fingers were crossed the entire time I walked from Mr. Stone’s office and to the parking garage where my Volkswagen was awaiting my arrival.

After all these years, I was finally pulling my life together. Louis Tomlinson was just a name to the media nowadays. One Direction had broken up four years ago due to disclosed information that was kept away from  the prying eyes of the media.

You're making a name for yourself now, I would tell myself. You shouldn't feel guilty for yourself, I tell myself. But somehow, I can't seem to shake the feeling of guilt that I have worn on my sleeve for more than five years.

~*~

ATTENTION: The first few chapters are being completely revised with a different outlook for this story. If you previously read this story before I had a leave of absence, I suggest you reread this and the whole story I will be updating.The plot will be the same, but the chapter content will be completely different. I like where I'm taking this story as of now.

Thank you for sticking with me. I truly have the best fans, and I hope you didn't give up on me. I' m much healthier and have a better outlook on life than I did before.

Don't worry, you guys didn't miss much.