Falling For The Boss

1

"I've told you times and again, Phina. What we both had was a one-time fling and there was no feelings involved. I'm not looking for a wife, or a baby momma, so could you please stop showing up at my office unannounced! You're such a beautiful woman, but seriously you need to go get a life!"

My left eye twitched as I tapped my fingers hurriedly over the keyboard keys, trying to drown out my boss' harsh words to yet another victim of his sexcapades. Unlike the models before her, I didn't particularly feel any pity for Phina and knew she deserved everything coming her way. She'd been coming over at the office these past few months, treating everyone like shit and bragging about how she was going to be "the woman", who would change Damien Striker for the better. She'd thrown her weight around, threatening to have us sacked if we tried to stop her from barging into his appointments. I'd even heard her lie to her friend over a phone call how Damien had proposed to her the night before and they were currently thinking about setting a date. Just like the other women before her, Phina wanted Damien. So fucking much that it was becoming irritating to witness her obsession with him. A lot of women wanted him, but they failed to realize that he just wasn't that type of man. Damien lacked commitment issues – a clichéd example of a handsome, downright sexy, dirty hot billionaire bastard known famously around town for his nanosecond affairs. Not one of his sexcapades failed to make the headlines every week.

"Bastard! That's what you are, you fucking piece of shit!" Phina cried, flinging something against the door, probably her purse. "You made me think you were gonna marry me! You promised my parents...I just can't – "She paused, sniffling. "You're gonna regret this, Damien. You're gonna come crawling back to me sooner or later and I sure won't be a fool to take you back!"

She stormed out of the office, rushing past my desk. I tapped harder at the keys, trying to feel at least a little sorry for the latest woman in a long line of woman running out of the office with teary eyes. These past month, he seemed to be sending more off than usual.

For a few minutes, no one spoke. Everyone tried as much as they could to mind their own business, no matter how nosey they were in nature. Releasing a sigh, I leaned back on my swivel seat, rounding off the latest batch of paperwork that Damien wanted in an hour.

"Sasha! Get in here now!"

Startled at the sudden bark, even though I was expecting it, I quickly got my ass off the chair and made my way toward the office door. Delia, a colleague and my best friend working in the finance department mouthed 'sorry!' as she hurried past me, down the corridor. I let myself in through the partly open door.

"Yes, sir?"

"What did I tell you about not letting that bitch into my office?"

"I...I – "

"Speak up now!"

I jerked back. "I really don't know, sir. She said you were her fiancée."

"And you believed?"

"She's been coming over all these while and you never told us to stop her from seeing you. Today though, Amanda, the receptionist downstairs tried to talk her out of barging into your office but she didn't listen. She told her she was nothing more than a low-life, and that you wouldn't mind seeing her right away."

"You could have prevented her from coming in and notify me first."

"She was already inside your office before I even got to know she was around."

"Oh Jesus," He sank back unto his chair, breathing hard. With shaky hands, I picked up the little things Phina had knocked over in a fit of rage. I placed them back in their usual position and stepped back with my hands behind my back, awaiting further instructions or further barks, you might say. Damien Striker was truly an embodiment of an imposing asshole and devilish features. He tugged at the stripped tie-knot, loosening it off and giving it a careless toss across the table, equally pulling up his socked feet and wriggling his toes. His eyes were instantly on me, assessing me slowly. One intriguing thing about Damien was that his stare could be mistaken as interest and only stupid women who wanted to get their delicate hearts broken took it as such. I tried not to let myself be one of those women, no matter how close he came to pushing all my buttons.

"Well, hopefully that's the last of her. I don't want to hear about or see her around this work environment in the future. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir. Is there anything else you wanted from me?"

"Are you done with the paperwork I asked of?"

"Yes. Done and was about to be delivered so you could sign them before you called me. Is that all?"

"Yes, actually I wanted to compliment your hardwork, Sasha. It's really helpful having you around here. I applaud your professionalism."

I flushed. "T-Thank you s-sir."

A graduate of Penn University with a degree in English Literature, working as a PA to one of Massachusetts' biggest billionaires wasn't on the list of jobs I'd dreamed of. Not even close. But after three flopped novels and a bad case of writer's block, I'd finally taken the hint that writing wasn't my purpose in life and sought a receptionist job among the list of vacancies in the local paper. I'd been lucky to be accepted without an interview because it was a post which needed to be filled urgently. Damien Striker left no stone unturned in letting me know the dos and don'ts of the Striker Corporation. After a scandalous affair with his personal secretary that rocked the headlines for a cool fourteen weeks, I was called into his office and practically forced to take up the post. I'd been nervous and undaunted by the high pay increase. The following months, I got a lot of advice from my fellow colleagues telling me to quit before Damien got his stick in me, if I didn't want a failed career before I even began. When I'd gotten a bit close to Damien, the rumours that we were sleeping together came up but I made no attempt to dispel them because I was secretly planning to resign in a few months' time, having worked here for five years and gathered up enough savings to last me for the next two decade.

"Sit." He ordered.

I pulled back the identical black leather swivel chair and sat, smoothing my skirt and looking down at my hands on my thighs.

"I heard you're about to resign."

I looked up at him in surprise. "Y-Yes S-Sir. But it was only Delia I told. How did you – "

He waved it off. "It doesn't matter how I got to know of it. Is it true?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'd prefer you call me by my first name, and yes we're that close."

"Okay. Damien." The word tasted like a bitter pill in my mouth.

"Why do you want to quit?"

"In case you don't know, Damien, I've got other priorities aside from being your priority. I didn't expect to get this job, neither did I wish to work here in the first place. It just happens that I have a bad case of writer's block and I didn't want to be dependent on anyone."

"So you're saying you had no proper training in clerical duties?"

"None, sir. Except that my mom was once a clerk and she always ensured I come along with her to 'take your child to work' day, even when I turned eighteen. I learnt a lot, though unwillingly."

"Hmm." He sounded thoughtful, still watching me with a hawk-like gaze. "You were quite an intelligent child, but you're damn good at what you do. Makes your story a bit hard to believe."

"Yeah, I get that a lot." I consulted my wrist watch and saw that he had an appointment in the next few minutes. "You have an appointment with Ava Winston in a few minutes. I better go get ready. Phina would be the gossip of the week." I mumbled, getting off my chair and heading for the door.

"Makes a change from being about us," he said. I froze in my tracks, turning to look at him. His blue eyes were impossible to read. "Pardon?"

"You think I don't know?" He stood, coming around the monochromatic table to stop before me. I kept my eyes down as he toyed with a strand of my hair. "You think I don't know what's going on around here? How everyone's saying I fuck you after office hours?"