“What do you think of this elevator, Ms. Fritz?” Alex asked.
“What do you mean? I have little to no feelings about elevators. It’s convenient to have them to get everyone quickly from floor to floor.”
Alex chuckled, which immediately infuriates her.
“Why are you laughing? What did you mean?”
“What I mean is my family owns the Carmichael Towers, which simply means we own everything in it, including this damn elevator, which means, as one of the owners, I can do whatever the hell I want with it, in it, and on it.”
Harper immediately made a mental calculation and knew that it was Alex’s mother and father, Alicia and Ramon, who owned more than forty percent of the share. Them. Not Alex. He was the CEO and only owns about ten percent of the share. But then again, when his parents would die, they’d surely leave their shares with him. This realization drew a scowl on Harper’s face.
And now, she was stuck in the elevator with their douchebag of a CEO and she just made him cancel his phone sex because she was not comfortable about it. She was doomed.
“I’m sorry if you found my little protest on your obscenity offensive,” she said without looking at Alex.
“Obscenity? Now that’s a word.” Sarcastically Alex added, “Well, I am so sorry if I have upset you with my obscenity. Never mind that I am your fucking CEO.”
Harper rolled her eyes. “Again, I am so sorry if I have offended you. I just don’t think it’s appropriate,” she said, trying hard to make her voice sound as if it was devoid of emotion. She didn’t want to Alex to know what she felt because no matter how much she hated Alex, he was still a very rich and influential man, and his company’s recommendation would really help her with her next job hunting.
Alex laughed and casually pointed at her. “I like your guts, Ms. Fritz. No wonder Lucas was adamant that we make you stay,” he said, pulling a gold-plated flask from his other pocket. “And would this offend you, too?”
“As you have mentioned, your family owns this building and you can do whatever the hell you want with it, in it, and on it. So, what I think or the HR would think about you drinking at the place of work doesn’t really matter, does it?”
When Harper looked at him, Alex was smiling, as if this was entertaining to him.
He took a swig. “You have a point there,” he said, not taking his eyes off hers.
And when Harper felt her body warming up from the way his dark blue eyes were boring into her brown ones, she looked away, and when the elevator jerked and started its ascent, she couldn’t help but let out a sigh of relief. She heard another laugh.
“If you were any other employees, Ms. Fritz, you would have been packing your stuff in a box by now, but since my assistant likes you so much, I’d let this whole thing pass.”
Harper swallowed her pride hard and muttered, “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet. I could still change my mind.
She sighed and looked down at her shoes. “Of course, you could, Mr. Carmichael. I just hope you wouldn’t.”
“Keep your tough act at bay, and maybe I wouldn’t.”
Harper swallowed down the sudden urge to scream at Alex and said in a mild voice instead, “I am not acting tough, Mr. Carmichael, and I’m sorry if it may seem that I am.”
“I know you don’t like me, Ms. Fritz, and you’re being passive-aggressive.”
“Why would you think that I hate you? I don’t ―”
“Aha! I didn’t say you hate me. Hate is a strong word. Even for me, Ms. Fritz.”
Anger twisted inside of Harper. “And I’ve already told you, Mr. Carmichael, I don’t have any problems with you. I don’t dislike you. I don’t―”
Alex’s lips formed into a closed-lipped smile. “Didn’t know you’d really be this fun, Ms. Fritz.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, still looking down.
The minute Lucas introduce Alex to the interns during Harper’s internship some years ago, she already thought he was a bit of an asshole when he cut the meet-and-greet short so that he could meet with his girlfriend that particular month; and a shameless womanizer when he couldn’t seem to stop flirting with Ingrid, one of the interns who had the hots for Alex but was the only one who passed his taste and he actually flirted back with.
Alex might be as hot as hell, but Harper thought he would never be likable and decent for her unless he would shut his mouth to keep his smug mouth from talking. The only likable and decent part about him was the unlimited support he personally had been giving to the countless care homes that, later on, Harper found out about him. But in spite that, Harper would still rather work for a fast food joint or a coffee shop instead. For her, Alex was a very flawed boss, very incompetent and ineffective. And she was simply not happy to work for someone like him.
“You were bold enough to tell me I was offensive but submissive enough to quickly offer me an apology and act docile and timid,” Alex’s voice immediately interrupted her thoughts on him.
“Timid?” she scowled at him.
Alex raised one eyebrow at her. “Yes, I’m sure you know what that word means.”
Harper decided not to respond and kept quiet this time. She had so much hoped for her to reach her floor as soon as possible.
“Tell me, Ms. Fritz,” Alex spoke again. “Why can’t you look at me?”
“What-what do you mean?” Harper looked at him this time. “I can look at you. Of course.”
Then Alex took a couple of steps closer to her. “You’re looking at me now. And that’s better. I’d rather that you look me in the eye when I’m talking to you, or I’d have you up against the wall and―”
Just then, the elevator finally dinged open, and Lucas stood there, grinning at them. “Alex. Harper.”
Alex’s entire demeanor suddenly changed and pointing his finger at Lucas, he said firmly to his assistant, “Whoever’s in-charge in making sure that every fucking elevator in the two towers works, fire them.”
“Fire them?”
“You heard me,” Alex sternly said without looking back at Harper or Lucas and marched out of the elevator.
“Asshole,” Harper hissed.
“What the hell happened?” Lucas asked, totally oblivious.
“Long story.”