Benson looked forward to this time of year. It was the coldest month in Los Angeles. In December, he always had the best fun of the year. There were fewer people in the city at the time, and traffic was less congested. His life was made easier because people didn't know him because of way he would dressed, so he didn't have to be as reluctant as he typically would be. His nocturnal actions become more intense. During the occasional winter that comes the normally hot metropolis, he goes clubbing more.
Benson is frequently reactive to the weather in Los Angeles. The hotter it gets, the angrier he gets, the less he talks, and the more he yells. He is unaware of the shifts in his attitude, but those close to him are acutely aware of this dynamic nature. As a result, whenever a little cold reached the city, they were always overjoyed.
He'd go from formal suits to casual rainproof leather jackets, pea coats, jeans, and boots. During the winter, he was more stylish.
He was generally kinder and less arrogant at this point. If you met him for the first time at the end of the year or the beginning of the next, you'd have no idea he was laconic and reserved. It's ironic, because Benson only chatted and was outgoing during business meetings to avoid appearing weak, bu when he wasn't surrounded by business partners and individuals who worked for him, he was restrained and nearly misanthropic, but that would be an exaggeration.
But he comes out of his shell and speaks more, parties more, yep, the parties he despises. Every night, he was virtually always at the club. He slept very little in the house. Alita is ignorant of these regular swings in his temperament, but she will soon discover why.
Sarah and anyone who had a direct link to him were always the ones that enjoyed him the best when he dynamically changed into what most would consider his better self. He gave gifts and was exceedingly charitable at the time. He was like a genie at the moment, and he was all about having fun. Despite this, he continued to take his company's management very seriously and would not allow underperformance. The difference is that he would completely fire you and then go party about it.
Alita had been working for him for nearly three months and he had developed a weakness for her that had only grown stronger. Until now, he had fought the sensation. He'd have to figure out if what he was feeling was genuine, something that wouldn't dissipate with time, or if it was just because he saw her every day.
He hadn't had his typical late-night flings in a while, not since he met Alita, but that was about to change. After he finished with winter, he wouldn't have anything left to feel for Alita.
He sipped his coffee before placing the mug on the couch. He sat down, waiting for Alita to arrive so he could go out and perform the day's work, which was basically the strange plans he had for the day, which were mostly drinking and ladies.
When Alita entered, he rose up to leave. They exchanged greetings before he exited. They hadn't spoken much since the strange occurrence in Julie's bathroom when she helped him from Julie's bathroom to his bedroom. She'd been watching her boundaries ever since, and she'd been more reserved than he had been.
He wasn't sure what to do after that day, and it troubled him, but he wasn't going to let it derail the energy he had woken up with and planned to increase throughout the day.
He was exuberant and eager as he went out of his residence. He drove leisurely that morning, soaking in the sights and sounds of the city, including the gorgeous individuals he was always apprehensive of associating with, the houses, the skyscrapers, and the music. He breathed, picturing himself standing on top of the mountain, screaming.
When he arrived a little later than expected, Sarah and Luke were already waiting for him at the reception.
"Hello there, you as well," Benson said with a smile. They exchanged a familiar expression of astonishment before returning their attention to him. "Why are you standing here like statues rather than in your offices?" "Did I not make them comfy so you wouldn't stay in the reception?" He posed a scowl as he noticed their worried expressions, each trying to speak over the other. "Please, one at a time," he said, folding his hands over his chest.
Luke gave Sarah a nod before stating, "Ladies first." She rolled her eyes at him before turning to face Benson, feigning a smile. "Well, Sir, you have four meetings this morning, each within an hour, and then there's nothing for now," she grumbled.
"All right, let's get started, shall we?" Benson's words startled Luke, who had been staring at Sarah dreamily while she spoke. "Luke," he whispered, taking a few steps closer to them. "Do you have something to say to me, or are you just going to stand there wasting my time?"
"Um, no..." Luke stated as he carelessly flipped the page in his hands. "A representative from J&Ms has arrived with their annual financial report." She's near your office."
"Near my office?" He rolled his eyes and hung his head. "By my place of business?" He stared at both of them, expecting an explanation for why a representative of one of his most important clients was standing outside his office rather than sitting in reception or one of the VIP suites.
"Sir," Luke mumbled as he squeezed his lips together.
"Right now, Luke, I'm disappointed in you. You're my personal assistant, and you can't handle a woman?" Benson twisted his face as he walked past Luke on his way to his office. "That is very unacceptable, Luke. How can I put my trust in you now? If this happens again, we'll lose half of our clients, and poof," he slapped his palms in the air. "We've gone out of business." Is it your intention to put me out of business, Luke?" He inquired. "I have a list of recommendations for personal assistants, Luke." "If you want to get fired, let this happen again," he said as he came to a halt and turned to face Luke. "If they insist, you keep going, okay?" That's how we roll. You impose the nice stuff on them and they'll thank you later, plus I built those suites specifically for this purpose, so having it lying about unused is a waste of space and money."
Luke nodded, his face flushed. Sarah stayed far behind, battling the impulse to burst out laughing.
"Who are we?" Sarah laughed. "You have to accept responsibility for your actions, sir; I warned him it would be bloody, but you demanded that she insisted."
"You're right," Luke squeezed his lips together and wiped sweat off his brow. "I'm sweating now, although it's winter."
"Well, so long, sucker," Sarah said as she sashayed down the corridor. "See you around, mate," she laughed as she continued to swing.
Benson dashed to his office. When he spotted the voluptuous girl hooked to her phone, standing on one foot with a file under her arm, he cracked a smile.
"So you're the inflexible rep?" As he approached her, he opened his hands wide. "What happened to Sam? Sam with the blonde hair and the slender body, you know who I'm talking about "He made a motion.
"He couldn't make it," she murmured as she turned to face him, her hands crossed across her chest and her hip jittering as she pushed a leg forward. "So here I am. What difference does it make? Let's get this out of the way."
"OK, let's get this over with," he said, not moving an inch. He clasped his arms in front of him and pressed his glasses to his face.
The lady arched her brows and cocked her head. "All right," she murmured, expecting him to lead the way to his office, but all he did was stare into her eyes. "Are we not going to your office, or... Is there something I'm missing?" She let her hands drop to rest on her hips.
"I'm not sure," he pocketed his hands, "but tell me if we're going to cross our hands here outside my office and get this over with. You're the one who believes reporting is so important. Based on what I see in that file, I decide whether or not to continue doing business with your boss. Now that I think about it, I can opt not to see it, and we'll see what your employer says about it. I've got a lot of corporations lined up, so let's get this over with." He clenched his teeth and smirked. "I'm not sure why you're being gruff about this, and I don't care what reason you have for it; it's really wearing on my nerves, and it's not just the morning. So please greet your employer on my behalf."
She let everything he said soak in, blinking her eyes and swallowing air. She could be the reason why her company is severing relations with his. She would be doomed.
"Now, let's not get too fired up, okay?" she remarked, attempting to halt her bouncy feet.
Benson strolled passed her, pushed open his office door, and then turned to face her, nodding sideways. "You can tell her I want to meet her in person because of a minor misunderstanding, very minor," he smirked as he entered his office, still enjoying the game he was playing.
She followed him inside, absolutely dazed, exactly as he desired.
""I can't do it, sir," she murmured, looking down. "What exactly do you want me to do? I'm not sure what I was thinking. I was too excited to be here for the first time, and my ego got in the way, and now I'm about to lose my job."
"I see," he said, sitting down on his table and leaning slightly backward. "Luke was on the verge of losing his job this morning because he couldn't get you to wait for me in one of my VIP suites. If you ask me, I'm only repaying the favor."
"No, Sir, no favors, I will do anything," she bit her lower lips, sending an unspoken message. "Anything," she said as she looked him in the eyes.
"Let's see whether you mean that," he said as he assessed her. "Please come here tonight," He said this while handing her a card with simply his address on it.
She accepted it with a smirk on her face, instantly relieved. She would go to any length to retain her work, and everything for Mr. Benson Astor was completely worth it.
She was ready to go when he stopped her and drew her close to him. He leaned very close, his mouth near to her ear. "I'll take it," he said as he took the file from under her arm, his breath falling on her vulnerable flesh. He then shoved her away, leaving her gasping for air.
She sighed and turned to walk away.
Winter gets off to a strong start.
As he watched her leave, he inhaled the file and savored the scent of her perfume.
"I didn't get the name," he exclaimed.
"Jane," she muttered, trying to regain control of herself.
Jane, Jane, Jane...