Obsessively Yours Read online

  His work girlfriend placed her perfectly manicured fingers on his arm and whispered into his ear making him chuckle. I swear I heard the words ‘moron’ and ‘incompetent’, how dare she undermine me in my arena; the place I felt most confident in (most of the time).

  “I’m so sorry” I mumbled as Marge mopped up the excess water with the available napkins and I slunk back into my chair hoping the ground would swallow me up.

  “Ella, I’ve heard great things about you, I’ll look forward to working very closely with you.” Joe said causing bitch face to scowl at him and roll her eyes. I just stared ahead and nodded glad to move the attention onto the next person and get the spotlight off me. There was no way Frank or Eric would want me on this account now and to be honest I didn’t want it. I couldn’t work with Joe Madden his presence was too intense, he scared me and the less time I spent around him the better. Some things just weren’t worth the heartbreak they could bring and Mr Joseph Madden had heartbreaker written all over him. A playboy of the worst kind.

  Frank and Eric proceeding to give Joe and his colleagues a run-down of our history and past accounts we had worked on. Joe then explained exactly what it was he was looking for from our agency. I tuned them all out, I wasn’t going within a million miles of this account and I was glad. Chris nudged my arm about ten minutes later to show me what he’d written on his notepad. ‘Looks like Mr Mad - den is ‘mad’ for you baby girl.’ A smiley face with its tongue sticking out drawn below. I frowned in anger at Chris then looked over to where Joe Madden was sitting. He was looking straight at me with that direct intense stare he had used in the club. Suddenly he smiled a small smile and gave me a wink. I gasped. What the hell was he doing, this was a business meeting with my colleagues not a cheesy nightclub. He couldn’t just do things like that in here. I glared at him, huffed and folded my arms defensively. He seemed to like that reaction from me as he chuckled to himself before reengaging in the meeting. I glanced down at my watch, would it be too unprofessional to announce I had a doctor’s appointment I’d forgotten about and hot foot it out of the boardroom?

  Just as I was pondering my escape the others around me began to stand up. It looked like the meeting was wrapping up and in my day dreaming I hadn’t even noticed. Thank goodness this would all be over in a minute. I turned to Chris and said, “Forget the coffee I think we need something stronger today, liquid lunch sound good?” Chris was grinning his wicked grin when that damn sexy American voice piped up and said, “Ella could I have a private chat with you?”

  What could I say, ‘no you’re an ass and an arrogant prick and I don’t want to waste any more of my working day dealing with your crap?’ I wish. I painted on my meekest smile and said yes and sat back down in my chair as everyone filed out, including Frank, Eric and Mr Madden’s two male associates. Bitch face stayed seated exactly where she was until Joe said quite forcefully, “Anna please leave.”

  She looked at me, then turned to him, huffed her disapproval then flounced off following the others. As the door closed it was just the two of us, the aura of the room became tense and uncomfortable. I was nervous and didn’t want to look him straight in the eye, he made me feel too exposed, too vulnerable. Sensing my unease he stalked across the room and stood behind me looking out of our eighth floor window at the view over the city.

  “Ella I know we didn’t get off to the best start but I want you to know that I respect your work and what you do here. I’m not here to cause trouble for you, quite the opposite in fact. I’d like very much for you to head up the marketing and advertising for my new club and bring some of that fire and creativity I can see burning in those beautiful blue eyes of yours.”

  He walked up behind me, bent down to whisper in my ears and placed both of his hands on the back of my chair. “I’m looking forward to us getting to know each other better, much, much better. Us working together to bring my new venture to the mainstream over here. I think we could do some great…things...together.”

  He stumbled over that last part as if the ‘things’ we would do were more than advertising. He was so sure of himself and it made me angry, turned on and exasperated all at once.

  “That’s all very nice of you to say Mr Madden…”

  “It’s Joe, please call me Joe.” He insisted.

  “Mr Madden I have no intention of working with you, now or at any time in the future. I’m sure you’ll find any one of my colleagues an excellent fit for what you want, but I’m not on board I’m afraid.”

  I went to stand from my chair, but Joe placed a firm hand on my shoulder to keep me in place and whispered in my ear.

  “But I want you. I don’t want anyone else. If I don’t have you I’ll be walking away.”

  My skin started to prickle where he was breathing and my heart was beating ten to the dozen. Why did he have to keep touching me?

  “Did you know I worked here? Have you been stalking me?” I asked.

  His eyes twinkled as he sat in the seat next to me.

  “I might have asked around about you. Can you blame me? You waltz into that club all bouncing blonde curls and sexy curves flaunting yourself on the dancefloor in front of me. What’s a guy to do?”

  I gasped in exasperation, how dare he assume I was trying to get his attention on that dancefloor, or anyone else’s attention for that matter.

  “I was out with my friends having a good time, I wasn’t and never will be inviting your attention Mr Madden. I think you need to leave and find someone else to take you up on your ‘mutually beneficial’ arrangements.”

  He cocked one eyebrow at me in amusement, “But I couldn’t see anyone else on the dancefloor that night Ella, only you.” He lent forward into my face now to make sure I understood what he was trying to tell me, “you held my attention, you consumed me that night, my thoughts, my…. urges.” He spoke the last part in a low growl and I couldn’t help the flip of my nerves and tickle in my belly at what he’d said and the images they evoked in me. My eyes bulged as I leaned away from his deadly lusty quick sand that I could sense was sneaking its way over to me.

  “I’m sure your date was more than able to help you with those urges, so if you’ll excuse me I have work to do.”

  I stood up to leave but he stood too and towered over me, rooting me to the spot with his confidence and power.

  “Only you Ella. Only you can help me with those……urges.”

  He smirked at me as he spoke and I lost my mind. I was skittish, nervous, trapped. I could hardly breathe. He took a deep breath in then his face became more serious.

  “Help me out here, work with me. I know you feel this pull between us. I know you want me. So let’s stop the games and just give in to what our bodies are telling us.”

  “You are quite possibly the most arrogant, conceited, egotistical man I have ever met. I have no desire to work with you or for you.” I spat out, “The words ‘Hell’ and ‘freeze over’ come to mind Mr Madden.”

  He shook his head in mock sadness and repeated his earlier threat, “Like I said, I don’t want anyone else. If I don’t have you I’ll be walking away.”

  “I’m not some add on prize you know. Come work with Parker Hayes and you get your choice of office girl thrown in for fun! You can’t blackmail me into working with you.” I said looking straight ahead. I knew if I let me eyes wander towards him he would have me in that lusty quick sand again, clawing to get myself out but failing miserably as he seduced me with those diamond eyes of his.

  “Blackmail is a strong word Miss Reid and I would never describe you as just an ‘office girl’, you are so so much more.”

  He smiled and tilted my chin up to meet his sparkling seductive eyes.

  “I have no intention of forcing you to do anything you don’t want to but I think it would be of mutual benefit if we pulled in the same direction on this, don’t you agree?”

  He came closer to my neck as he spoke and then he whispered breathlessly “I love your perfume.” Oh hell no. I pulled
away and walked purposefully to the door. I had to get away from him before he had me totally undone.

  “Some things you just can’t fight Ella…” he called over to me, rubbing his hand across his stubbled jaw and smiling out of the corner of his mouth, “I’m one of those things.”

  “Frank and Eric will be more than happy to help you Mr Madden, and I hope your business is a success…” I stated, “I also think your girlfriend out there wouldn’t be too impressed with the way you conduct business.”

  He went to speak but I cut him off, pulling open the boardroom door before he could make any more suggestions. I marched towards the ladies to lock myself into the first cubicle I could find. This was not how I had envisioned this day going.

  As I pulled open the door to the ladies there stood the green eyed skinny bitch with a face like a slapped arse.

  “And the punches just keep coming….” I moaned as I tried to step past her to take up my place in the comfort of a cubicle. She blocked my path with an evil glare in her eyes.

  “He’ll lose interest in you soon enough,” she spat out with all the venom she could muster. “Joe doesn’t do relationships only one night stands. So don’t get comfy darling you are nothing special.”

  She glanced up and down my body in disgust and grinned obviously happy with herself for warning me off.

  “I have no interest in being anything to Mr Madden so you can keep your warnings to yourself, they’re wasted on me love” I replied with my own grin. “Some of us have self-respect and dignity, but I guess that’s a foreign concept to you isn’t it.”

  She turned on her heels to stomp off out of the ladies but not before she issued me with her parting shot.

  “He likes tall sexy brunettes, who take care of their bodies like me not short, plain and dumpy blondes like you.” And with that she was gone and I was left staring into the mirror.

  Dumpy? Plain? Those words hit deep and all the insecurities I had tried to bury when I was with Adam started to surface. Short, yes maybe I was only five foot six after all, but plain and dumpy. Those words cut like a knife to my core and I stalked over to the nearest cubicle, locked the door and slumped down onto the floor.

  I stayed in that cubicle for about thirty minutes before Kim came in and told me that Chris had sent her in on an Ella finding mission and that Mr Madden and his ‘associates’ had finally left the building. I sighed and opened up the door, looked in the mirror to try to regroup myself. ‘I will not believe that I am dumpy and plain’ running as a mantra through my mind in an effort to bury the insecurities once more.

  “I’m not surprised you had to come into here to calm down,” Kim said, “I found myself in here earlier after I saw him and I had to splash water on my face to cool me down. That guy is a serious hunk of man candy and I’d love to feast on him, sod the diet!” she laughed and I couldn’t quite believe myself but a pang of jealousy hit me. As disturbing as I found his attention, it was also extremely flattering after spending the best part of five years feeling drab and frumpy, ‘dumpy and plain’. I rolled my eyes at those damn words surfacing into my conscious again.

  “His girlfriend was stunning wasn’t she! Looked like a real man-eater though…” she said, “I suppose you’d have to be to keep a hunk like him in check, hey Ella.” And with that I was instantly put back into my place, he didn’t do monogamy, relationships, girls like me. He was playing games with me, I was just an amusement to him, someone to toy with and keep him entertained. I had to put him out of my mind and escape the sexy vortex he kept pulling me into. It would only lead to heartbreak and humiliation once the next model brunette came along.

  Chapter Six

  Chris and I headed out for our liquid lunch, a much needed diversion after the morning we’d had. When we stumbled back into the office putting on our most sober convincing persona, Frank popped his head round his office door and called me into his office.

  “Mr Madden was very impressed with everything we do and he wants us to start work straight away,” Frank enthused.

  “That’s great news Mr Parker I’m so pleased to hear that, it’ll do wonderful things for the agency.”

  “He wants you to head the creative team Ella, he thinks your energy and style will fit perfectly with his vision. I think Chris should support you with the whole direction but I have total faith in you Ella, I know you can do this and do it well for all of us.”

  He smiled but I frowned and sighed, “I can’t Mr Parker, it’s too much for me, I wouldn’t feel right taking on such a substantial project on my own whether Chris supported me or not, I don’t have the experience. I think Eric or yourself should oversee it all. I don’t feel confident in my ability to control such an important account.” I argued knowing it was the man-whore behind the account that I couldn’t control.

  Frank just shook his head and carried on smiling, “but that’s exactly what he wants; young and enthusiastic, full of ideas about what other young people would want from a health club. Ella you are perfect and you can think of ways to attract the female twenty something crowd, something Mr Madden is very eager to do.” ‘I bet he does’ I thought.

  “Ella, how will you get the experience you need to move up in our agency if you don’t take the bull by the horns? Go for it petal, I know you can do this.”

  “Frank, if there really is no way I can talk myself out of this then of course I will head up the team for you, I’d do anything to help make this agency be as great as it can be, but I’m not one hundred percent happy about this.”

  “Then its agreed,” Frank stood and shook my hand as I stared up at him bewildered, “I’ll email over all the details I have and you can get started right away. Pick yourself a team and hit the ground running. This will be the making of you Ella. Congratulations!”

  Frank walked to his door to signal that our meeting was over and it was time for me to leave.

  “Oh and I’ve put the feelers out for a new graphic designer to join us as I think we’ll need the extra expertise.”

  I nodded and headed back to my desk in a daze. What had I just agreed to and what was I setting myself up for? Maybe I could become a silent project manager to oversee the whole thing, send Chris out for meetings and delegate where possible. That’s it, I decided, delegation was going to be the key to surviving this. I would smash this out of the park but all from my trusty safe desk, safe in these office walls away from tempting hot man who could shatter my already delicate heart.

  Just before five o’clock, as I was about to power off my computer and take the boring commute home, the front desk buzzed. A delivery guy walked through the doors with the biggest bunch of blue roses I’d ever seen, held together by a huge silver bow. Kim’s eyes sparkled as she made a grab for them and signed the delivery guys clip board with her free hand. She sniffed them dreamily then headed into the main office.

  “Someone’s out to impress you Ella.” She said as she brought the flowers over to my desk and plonked them down with a big sigh. I shrugged and picked up the little envelope nestled in amongst the flowers.

  Blue eyes,

  I told you it was meant to be.

  Don’t fight the inevitable.

  Joe x

  P.S Anna is NOT my girlfriend. I am very much single ;-)

  Anger surged through me. How dare he make it sound like I was being foolish to turn him down! He was so arrogant, so cocky and sure of himself. I wanted to take the flowers and shove them where the sun didn’t shine, but that would be a waste of the stunning flowers.

  “Here Kim you take them, pop them in reception for the clients to see when they come in.” I said handing her the bouquet.

  I pocketed the note in my handbag though. Joe had written his mobile phone number at the bottom, and as angry as I was at his presumptuousness, I also didn’t want to chance someone else finding the note in my trash.

  Chapter Seven

  Friday soon rolled around and with it came the excitement for the weekend and what adventures Roby
n, Chris and I would get up to. I always worked extra hard in the week, but the weekends were what it was all about. Chris was off on his date Saturday, so Friday was going to be all about us and letting off steam.

  After work we piled into my little room to get ready together and dance around to my weekend playlist. I let Chris work his magic again and he managed to transform me into a goddess. I paired a silky, sapphire blue short playsuit with silver heels and jewellery. I felt seductive, sensual and the outfit definitely brought out my flirtatious side. I put my curls up into a high ponytail channelling my inner Ariana Grande.

  We downed our wine and danced our way out of the house towards the cab, full of excitement for what lay ahead. I felt carefree, courageous, and fearless. Chris sat in the back, putting his arm around me as Robyn took the front seat to guide the driver to the usual bar we were starting out from.

  “I need to keep you on a tight leash tonight,” Chris said, “you are way too hot for any guy to handle.”

  I laughed “Oh Chris you have no idea.” I replied and giggled as Chris licked his finger and made a hissing sound as he touched me. I had no intention of letting any man get close enough to find out exactly how hot I was though, I was still a man free zone.

  As we walked into Après, the bar we usually spent our Fridays at, the door men and bar staff nodded and waved at us. We were known by most of them and they were a good bunch. We ordered our drinks and took ownership of a tall table with stools close to the dance floor where we could get happily merry and slink onto the dancefloor when the mood took us.

  I was onto my fourth glass of wine and feeling warm and fuzzy when that prickly sensation came over me again. I looked around the bar but didn’t see anything or anyone I recognised. Maybe I needed to slow down my drinking, I was starting to feel like I was going slowly insane lately.