Hating the CEO

Chapter 1 - Family business

Ever since Jack had turned eighteen he had become a favourite among the ladies. He could not help it. It had just sort of happened. Every party or sports event in college, and later at university, had ended up with Jack taking a girl home, or a girl taking him home. He definitely hadn't been complaining. The girls never had either. Hell, they'd wanted more!

Then he'd met Julia. He'd been visiting his parents during the summer break, and so had his baby sister, thrilled with the results of her finals. Zoey had invited her friend Julia for the weekend. At first he had even found her hot; long legs in skinny jeans and great boobs under that tight blouse, but then she'd spoken...
Jack had never been really sure why Julia had taken such a dislike in him. He didn't even remember her from his college years; she and Zoey must have been freshmen back then. Anyway, since she had been literally the only girl not in awe of him, maybe besides Zoey and his mother, but that did not count, he'd decided to ignore her.
This had worked quite well; he'd only visit his parents occasionally and Julia had always stayed away when he'd been around.
This had worked quite well most of the time, but they had still bumped into each other every now and then. Their conversations would then look more or less like that:

Julia (in a sweet voice): "Annie says 'hi'. You still remember Annie, don't you, Jack? That's the girl you screwed five girls ago."
Or
Jack (in a husky tone): "Don't frown that forehead of yours that much, Julia, it will make your bitter face even more bitter."
Or
Julia (in a careless tone): "I heard a couple of girls on the campus got chlamydia. I guess this is how screwing university students ends up..."
Or
Jack (in a friendly voice): "Jules, here, I got you this leaflet. The meeting of the virgin students is next week in the college library..."

Then after university Zoey's and Julia's friendship kind of loosened, as Julia moved to Seattle, while he and Zoey focused on creating their company in New York. It was not easy and took a lot of their efforts and all of their energy; especially that he and Zoey wanted to be a consulting company. Not the most original idea; but still something they were educated for. Plus, Jack had a couple of years of experience in the best consulting companies in the market, while Zoey had that artistic spark that helped them stand out. In the end they'd become a consulting and marketing company, Brand Today.
Jack naturally took the lead and became the CEO. Zoey never wanted that role and was gladly heading the marketing division.
Then about a year ago something strange had happened. Zoey insisted on hiring Julia Stiles to the company. Well, actually not Julia herself, but her one person company, that would be responsible for organizing events for Brand Today, but also for their customers. Jack saw that action as outsourcing of the tasks that they could easily keep in house, but Zoey insisted.
"I let you take all the recruiting decisions for the company!" she had told him back then in a firm voice. "Let me take that one."
He'd always had difficulties in saying 'no' to his little sister, so he had obviously agreed. Busy with opening the new branch office in LA, he hadn't thought of that matter, nor of Julia Stiles since then. Till last night.

Like the first time he'd seen her, also last night, he thought she looked hot, till the moment she spoke. And damn, that girl knew how to swear!
In those silly pink pj's with white rabbits and a messy ponytail she looked like the annoying college girl she once had been. She hadn't changed much. At least that was what he'd thought till the moment he'd noticed that glint of fear in her eyes. He could swear that when he'd taken a step towards her and she'd stepped back, there had been actual panic in her gaze. She'd managed to hide it as quickly as it had shown, but Jack knew that something had happened in Julia's life that had changed her. Well, maybe not changed her completely; she was still that unnerving, foul mouthed witch.

This morning as he stepped onboard of the jet, the pink pj's and messy ponytail were gone; replaced by a gray jumpsuit and black hills. She looked really professional typing away on her laptop.
Oh, how he enjoyed the shock on her face when she lifted her eyes from the screen and noticed him. Did Zoey forget to mention that he was moving back to New York? If she did, then Jack was grateful; the look on Julia's face was priceless, especially that it disappeared within a fraction of a second.

                                                                                      ***

She knew her laptop would not take that fierce typing any longer. Julia wasn't sure whether she was more pissed at Zoey for forgetting to mention that her prick brother was flying back to New York with them, or at Jack for looking so cool and fresh this morning. Her laptop was therefore the one that had to endure her anger.
She hadn't slept much last night after that unfortunate encounter in her room. Her spirits were not lifted in the morning either once Zoey informed her that Jack would be moving back to New York. Somehow Julia managed to come to terms with that, assuming that she would still have a couple of weeks to prepare herself for the fact that she would be working in the same office and on the same floor with that panty ripping asshole.
She scolded herself internally at her naivete.
"Good morning, everyone," Jack spoke in a warm and friendly tone. Oh, how she hated that tone!
"Jack! I thought you would not make it!" Zoey exclaimed, getting up from the seat behind Julia and running towards him.
Jack gave his little sister a kiss on the cheek.
"I wouldn't miss travelling in such a charming company for the world."
Zoey knew very well the dislike Julia had for her brother, so she punched him in the chest, immediately realizing who his remark was aimed at.
"Julia," Jack nodded slightly and took a seat further down, but still so that he was facing her.
"Jack," Julia answered, trying to force a smile to her face and failing miserably. Why is he sitting in my line of sight?! Ooooh, he's doing it in spite of me. But I'm a professional and I shall not be distracted!
She looked back at the screen of her pc and went back to the email she was typing so fiercely. Thankful for her workaholism that allowed her to get completely engrossed by her work, Julia spent the next couple of hours on event planning and actually managed to forget about the CEO.

"Remind me why we had to travel by a private jet?" Julia whispered to Zoey as they were leaving the VIP zone at the airport and other passengers were staring at them. "What's wrong with business class on a normal plane?"
"Oh, shush, Debbie Downer! I'm freaking rich, therefore I do have the right to fly my rich ass in a leather seat every now and then."
Julia just smiled at her friend. There was no argument against Zoey's logic.
"You wanna ride home with me?" she asked Julia as they left the airport. Julia was about to agree, but in the corner of her eye she noticed Jack approaching. In her imagination she could see herself squeezed in Zoey's car between the two siblings.
"Girl, we spent the last four days in each other's company literally day and night. Forgive me, but now I need some me time." Julia hoped her excuse sounded reasonable. Zoey looked at her from over her fancy shades, but before she even uttered a word, Julia gave her a kiss on the chick, grabbed her bag and was off in search of a cab.
As she was walking away she could not help but grin. Asshole avoided! But the moment she realized she was actually running away from him, the grin disappeared. You should be facing him head on, Jules, and annoy the hell out of him, not flee like a scared puppy...

The next morning Julia decided to work from home, but not because she was hiding from Jack. Of course not! She simply needed some peace and quiet since for the last few days she'd suffered from the insufficiency of both.
Julia felt like she had to set her mind straight and plan the next steps for the near future. No matter how hard she tried denying it, Jack Deschanel's sudden appearance had shaken the already shaky foundations of her existence. Something about him reminded her of that one person she'd been trying so hard to forget.
An unpleasant chill ran down Julia's spine, so she did the one thing that always helped her get her mind off things; she grabbed her laptop and got to work.

Long live workaholism!