Fifty Shades of BLACK SILK

BLACK SILK: Part 13

Gemma popped over to your desk. "Hey, EIC wants to see you."

You roll your eyes and scoff. "Why doesn't she just call me? I do have a phone."

"Grrr so grouchy today," Gemma teased. "It's the New Year, 2017, you need to start changing your attitude missy."

"Okay, mom," you muter, rolling your eyes again and walking faster away from Gemma.

Everyone has experienced that type of person, either directly or indirectly. Yes, it may be the New Year, but it's still the same shit. And why are people hating on 2016 so much? As if the year was a conscious malevolent entity hell bent on destroying their life. What makes 2017 so special? Have these people ever thought that maybe, just maybe, the common denominator was them?

You knock on the EIC's door. "Gemma said you wanted to see me, Kimberly?"

EIC stretches a long smile across her lips. "Madison Harper, always a pleasure. Have a seat, please."

You slump down onto the seat across from her, careful not to make obvious your disdain for what's inevitably to come.

"So," she drops her pen and interlocks her hand over her desk, "how's the profile coming along?"

You nod. "Good."

"Anything more than good?"

You smile and feign bashfulness. "I guess he's really busy," you chuckle, scratching your forehead, "we haven't been in contact as much lately."

"Oh funny," Kimberly says.

"Yeah?"

"Yes, I just got off the phone with Mr. Grey."

Oh shit. "You did?"

She leans in. "Yes, he told me that he's busy schedule is keeping him tightly on lock. That the best way for you to get an interview is to shadow him."

"Shadow him?" You panic, your heart is drumming, your palms are sweating, and your chest rises and lowers as you're on the brink of hyperventilating.

"Yes, follow him around throughout his day and interview him accordingly."

"Oh, wouldn't that just distract him from his duties?"

"He says it'll be a good part of the profile. To write about what his daily life consists of; the merger will be even sweeter if they read about him favourably."

"I don't know, seems so weird."

Kimberly leans back in her large white leather chair, the material huffs in reciprocation. "What's going on here?"

"What?"

"Why are you so reluctant?"

"I just..." you shrug, struggling to form the words. I just can't resist him, I can't stand him, I want him and I hate him. You sigh, giving up. "So, I shadow him for an hour or something?"

Kimberly smiles. "A week."

Your eyes widen for a fraction of a second. "A week!?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Umm, that doesn't seem like a shadowing. That seems like I'm smack bang in the middle of him."

"Poor choice of words."

You shake your head and mutter, "Sorry. Point is, I have a lot of work to do."

"Postpone everything. This is your number one priority. We're getting a lot of financial backing to do this profile, Madison. We're counting on you to see this company through. This profile will boost our status. He's giving us an exclusive for pages for Christ's sake! We need this."

You tilt your head sceptically. "Really?"

"Okay, maybe we don't need this. But the big boys and girls upstairs are pushing for this. You have to understand where art and corporate interest meet. You're a writer, but we all still need to make money."

You mull over this, wondering just about by how much you're getting stiffed in the scheme of things. "Fine. But I'd like a bonus."

"Excuse me?"

"This is going to take a lot of time and effort, and clearly there's enough there in it for me. So, I want a bonus, please."

Kimberly narrows her eyes. "You've never negotiated salary before, have you?"

"Not-a-once."

Kimberly laughs. "Sassy and ballsy. I like it. Okay."

"Okay? Just like that?"

"I'm afraid written in blood won't do, will ink be okay?"

You gulp incredulously. "Yeah, it's fine."

"Okay, I'll have our lawyers draw something up." She points at her, warning colouring her intense eyes. "But you have to deliver. No funny business."

You nod. "Okay."

"Okay. See you in a week or so."

"Or so?"

Kimberly sneaks in a cheeky smile. "Have fun."

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