Very Important Person
“Yesterday I dared to struggle. Today I dare to win.” - Bernadette Devlin
Monday morning was interesting to say the least.
Kate had woken and was slightly surprised to find Tony still lying beside her underneath the rumpled bed sheets - on the bed she had painstakingly put together herself after Jethro’s failed attempt. It gave her a slight insight into how the guy thought; either he wanted a friends with benefits system, which was fine by her, or he wanted something a little more long term. If it was neither of those things, then he was obviously too worn out to bother sneaking away like a thief in the night while she slept.
At that time of the morning, when her mind was still clouded with sex and sleep, she wasn’t sure what she liked more about Tony. The fact he was still there with he, or his stamina which kept them going until four-thirty that morning. Both were a huge plus to Kate, and it seemed she had snagged him for herself.
When he rolled over and pulled her into his side, Kate decided it wasn’t any of that at all. It wasn’t as if she was actively seeking a relationship with anyone, let alone guys ten years her junior, but if she happened to fall into one she’d quite happily go along for the ride and see where she ended up.
They’d rolled out of bed a little after eight and had enough time to split a cup of coffee between them or Kate would be dangerously late for work, she almost never made it out the apartment once he seen her outfit for the day. She did, however, have enough time to dig through the utility drawer in the kitchen where she had put the spare keys; she figured since she was at work all day, Tony would need to get into her place somehow.
Dragging him out the front door, he once again wrapped himself around her, like a child unable to part from his favorite toy and Kate let him. They moved as best they could towards the elevator and stood in the back corner, where Tony let his arms drift up from her waist so they were loosely draped over Kate‘s shoulders. They’d known each other for exactly twenty-four hours and their level of comfort with each other baffled Kate; she had been brought to several mind shattering orgasms at his hand, so there was no use in being uncomfortable around him now.
“I forgot to ask last night, but how much is this little installation costing me?”
“I won’t lie, it’s gonna be expensive.”
“How many zero’s do I need to put on the check, or can I pay you in kind?”
Tony chuckled into Kate’s hair, appreciating her straight-to-the-matter attitude and gave her shoulders a tight squeeze. He’d certainly been propositioned before, but never by someone he’d already slept with and was seriously falling for. As much as he wanted to take her up on her offer, he needed the money more than the sex, but he certainly wasn’t going to turn her down either.
“Three, but with you I’m willing to accept other forms of payment.”
“Really?”
“Really, really. Can I meet you for lunch?”
Kate mentally checked her planner for what her day entailed. She knew there was a meeting at eleven she needed to attend, and she had to consult with several of the design team that afternoon. Not to mention the whole day was going to be meet and greet with everyone, including clients.
“Come by my office around one, and I’ll see what I can do for you. Call it, payment in advance.”
The rest of the ride down was spent trading barbs and innuendo laced comments, which they both had plenty of. When they reached the third floor, Tony surprised Kate by making a move to get off. As they had done with a lot of things the night before, Tony had failed to mention he lived in the same building as her; he claimed it was easier working in the building where you lived than having to drive every day. It was clear in his actions that he didn’t want to leave her just yet, but she told him where her office was and he promised he’d be there. Just before he left Kate alone, he stepped back and gave her kiss which he hoped would keep her head spinning until she could return the favor at lunch, and judging by the look on her face as he left it had done slightly more than that.
For Kate, being alone now in the elevator gave her time to consider, again, where she wanted this thing with Tony to go. She was realizing, however slowly it was taking her, that he was totally smitten with her and she felt herself reciprocating his feelings equally.
The drive to work was nothing special, and Kate arrived in time to run across to the Starbucks across the street before she had to attend to anything that required being in her office. As a gesture of faith, she even bought a large coffee for Jethro to make up for her bailing on dinner last night. Being a two minute walk away from her office, the nerves really set in for Kate, whose hands were now shaking ever so slightly. In ten minutes, she was meeting with Jethro and Tom Morrow, the company director, then she would be meeting with her personal assistant and the rest of the day would be hers.
When her order was up, Kate grabbed the cups and crossed to what she was officially calling “her building”. She did, after all, have a quarter of floor space that was hers which was more than she had in New York. She had a PA for crying out loud so she knew she was more important now than she had been. It was times like these Kate thought she needed a serious ego check because she became a little egotistical, but with the way her life had been she felt she sometimes deserved to be.
All eyes were on her as she entered the building and took the escalator up to the first floor. From there she would board the elevator, meet Jethro in his office and together they’d meet Tom in the board room so he could officially welcome them to DC and say his farewells. Jethro had mentioned on Friday they may even get to meet with the other recently promoted directors before they flew out to their own branches, which was an interesting prospect, as Kate knew of the fling Jethro had had with one of their associates.
At the time, the associate was more Jethro’s than hers, and the woman in question had been more an acquaintance he’d met at a business conference in Paris. Kate had taken a dislike to the faceless nameless woman immediately, and not because her own jealousy had clouded her judgement of who her friend chose to have affairs with when it wasn’t her. The conniving bitch had built Jethro’s hopes up, and then she’d walked out and left him a Dear John; yet more time Kate spent convincing the man he wasn’t destined to spend his life alone.
Before she could get anywhere near Jethro’s office, a tall brunette jumped up from behind the desk in front of Kate’s office and stepped in front of her. Kate done a clinical assessment of the woman standing before her and decided, upon looks at least, she didn’t seem all that bad. Her personality and work regime could be a different matter.
In her arms she held a stack of folders, on top of which sat a brand new PDA and what Kate could clearly see as her schedule for the day; she really hoped she had an hour she could spare for Tony. It didn’t seem fair to sleep with him and not see him the next day, especially since he was doing all that work for her.
Kate wasn’t allowed time to think anymore of Tony as the woman in front of her, who Kate assumed to be her personal assistant, handed over the PDA and held out her hand. Kate stacked the coffee cups together on the desk and reciprocated the handshake.
“Good morning, Ms Todd. My name is Jeanne Benoit and I’m your personal assistant.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Kate Todd is a recently promoted, highly successful business woman who embarks on an affair with the much younger security guard who works in her apartment complex. After a night of passion and excitement, the new couple are brutally attacked on their journey home. Kate sets out for revenge only to find it will never be enough.