Charity Night (english)

5

It's as if someone is pouring ice-cold water over me, yet I suddenly feel unbearably hot. I can't decipher his gaze, but there's definitely a hint of annoyance in it. Unfortunately, I can't tell if it's because of my lateness or if my escape from his hotel room could be responsible for it.

Ashamed, I look down at the documents in front of me and keep trying to lower my pulse to a normal level by thinking of cute little bunnies. However, I can feel that my face is still the color of a tomato, and I'm slowly starting to sweat.

This man makes me quite nervous, and the authority he exudes up there is the same as the one he displayed on the balcony. Just the thought of it makes the heat surge between my legs, which I inevitably clench to soothe this throbbing sensation a bit.

As if he knows exactly what's going on inside me, he raises an eyebrow and grins confidently to himself. I'm probably not the first woman to sit in front of him like this, and just thinking about it annoys me. With his looks and his status, many women have probably fallen for his charm and thought they were making the big catch.

I can't follow the presentations anymore and just hope that Tom will go over everything with me later. Unfortunately, at that moment, I don't know that it won't happen because right now, the words retirement and interim are being spoken, and everyone starts applauding.

Confused, I look around and can't quite grasp what's going on. Everyone is standing up, and some are hugging Tom, others are showering him with praise and well-wishes for the future. And me...? I'm still standing like a wet dog at the other end of the room, staring at him.

Why did he never even hint that he was going to retire?

Slowly, I walk through the crowd of people towards him, still too stunned to speak to him. Tom has become a kind of father figure to me and has taught me everything I know today. He gave me the chance to show that I'm capable of handling my position and will do everything very conscientiously.

Now I'm standing in this conference room, feeling like someone is pulling the ground out from under my feet. Nevertheless, I put on my best poker face, smile at him, and embrace him tightly.

"Tom, I don't know what to say except thank you! You've always trusted me and made me who I am today. Without you, I wouldn't have made it. You deserve only the best, and I really hope you're happy and, of course, that you finally find enough time for yourself."

Tom also wraps his arms around me and pulls me close to him. "You're such a treasure, and I will really miss you. And I hope you'll do your work for Mr. Hyde just as conscientiously and flawlessly. Although I have no doubt about that. You've been by far the best assistant I've ever had."

Wait, did he just say that I'll be working for Mr. Hyde in the future?

In disbelief, I ask again if I heard correctly, but before Tom can answer me, I feel a large hand on my back, from where the heat immediately spreads throughout my body.

His suggestive grin only makes me feel more uncomfortable, and I almost squirm under his gaze. "Mr. Hyde, may I introduce you to Charlotte Love?" Tom addresses the young man. "So we meet again! Mrs. Love... So from tomorrow on, you'll be fulfilling all my wishes?"

The double entendre of his words is probably not lost on me alone, as his father immediately takes my side, unnoticed as he has also joined us. "Zachery, I hope we'll be spared such drama as in Seattle this time. I don't want to constantly be searching for qualified assistants! And as far as I'm informed, you're doing extremely good work, Mrs. Love."

From what I've always heard, Hyde Senior is supposed to be quite an asshole and not particularly fond of people, especially women of lower status, but the way he's behaving towards me right now, I can't believe it.

The hand on my back has slipped down a little by now, and his thumb is tracing light circles on the fabric of my skirt. A slight shiver runs over my skin, which fortunately doesn't seem to be noticed by his father and Tom. I try to escape his touch by stepping aside, but he simply holds me too tightly. So I try another approach.

"I'm sorry, but I would like to get back to my work now, before I can't handle the workload for today anymore. Will you excuse me?" I throw a smile around and move towards my office, where I first lean against the closed door and try to regain control over my body.

Right now, I would love to bury myself or find some relief because I definitely can't focus on my work one hundred percent with this throbbing sensation. How am I going to survive the next few months without losing my mind or becoming weak?

I've been working quietly for two hours now when there's a knock on my door, and it opens to reveal two men in work clothes.

"We're here on behalf of Mr. Hyde and are supposed to exchange your doors!" says the taller one. "Excuse me?" I look at the two of them, who are already lifting my doors off their hinges and shortly thereafter hanging a glass one in place. What does this mean?

I'm just about to rise in agitation when Zachery Hyde walks through the open connecting door and looks at me with an indefinable expression. "What's going on here?" I ask slightly irritated and gesture with my hands that I mean the door replacement.

"Charlotte, I'm convinced that you won't mind if we work here as transparently as possible. I like to keep an eye on everything, and that includes you now!" He looks at me so intensely with those incredibly blue eyes that I feel dizzy.

I stagger a step back and lean against the cool glass of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the office tower to alleviate the heat raging in my body a little.

Without even addressing it again, he turns around and leaves my office with such authority that it intimidates me greatly.