Chapter 20 AN ANNOYING HOUSEFLY
The moment I stepped into the office, my jaw almost dropped to the floor at the Beauty. It was enough to take my mind off that damned bastard and his slutty girlfriend.
The first thing I noticed was the large, rich brown mahogany desk, perfectly polished to a warm sheen. The desk was paired with a comfortable, high-backed leather chair upholstered in a complementary earthy tone.
To one side of the room was a plush couch, its cushions a soft, creamy white. They positioned the couch to take advantage of the stunning view through the wall-to-ceiling window, which stretched from floor to top and allowed natural light to flood the space.
From there, I could see those walking below, something I was grateful for since it overlooked the car park.
Throughout the room, vibrant green plants added a pop of colour and freshness, their pots a decorative complement to the peach hue of the wall.
I could tell, undoubtedly, that the decorator put his all in the room. It was so breathtaking that I didn't suspect I would have a dull time in the office.
Walking over to my desk, I placed my handbag on it and sat on my office swivel chair. was as plush as the entire room, made of the finest, softest cushion ever.
"God," I moaned, closing my eyes, only to snap it open when I got a knock on the door. Sitting up on my chair, I asked the person to step in, frowning when the last person I expected to see walked into my room with a smile on his face.
"Good morning," Dashiell greeted, acting like we hadn't seen each other a few hours ago. Like he wasn't eating his girlfriend's face a few minutes or so ago.
"What are you doing here?" My tone was hostile, letting him know I wasn't in the mood to play with him.
"How is your office? Is it to your liking?" He asked, ignoring the question I asked as he stepped over to my desk. "I was the one who decorated it," he added when he realized I wasn't going to respond to his question.
"Get out." Though I kept my tone neutral, I was brimming with rage. Seeing him after witnessing that scene outside his office door sparked my anger, and stroked my damned nerves.
"Why? I'm only here to welcome you officially into my company like a good CEO should." He raised both hands in mock surrender, watching me with a smirk. "As you can see, I don't need it."
"I see." Smirking, he gave me a mock salute. "Welcome to Dashiell's Group, Mrs Nova Anderson. I hope you have a wonderful stay." Winking, he turned and left my office, unaffected by my dark stormy glare.
That day was the start of his torment. Each day, he would be the first to walk into my office to greet me. Most days, he would offer coffee, which I would decline. On other occasions, he would step into my office with a request, pretending he needed help like he was doing today.
"There's something I need your intake on," he said the moment he stepped into my office, his face in an unreadable mask as he approached me with his work iPad. "Can you help me with this? What colour do you think will suit the meet and greet?" He asked, sliding his iPad to me as he sat on my receiving chair.
"I'm not in the event planning department, Mr James." I passed the iPad to him without checking on it. "If you need help with that, you can find Miss Rita. She will be better than I would ever be." "Do you think I didn't know that?" He placed both hands on the table and stared up at me. "I require your help, Nova. Please."
I blinked at him, wondering what he had up his sleeves with the request. "Okay. Just this once." I picked up the iPad from my desk, ignoring the goofy smiles he gave when I did so. Sliding through the different colours he highlighted, I stopped when I passed the peach colour. "This will go well with Golden. What do you think? The peach will be the primary colour and golden the accent." He took the phone back with a frown. "Why did you choose the two?"
Lifting my arms in a shrug, I gave the most obvious response, "Peach and golden tones create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Not only that, but these colours convey a sense of professionalism."
"I see. Thanks a lot, Nova." Grinning, he got up from his chair, and turned to leave, only to turn at the last minute. "Are you free for lunch?"
"No."
I didn't need to think about it. The last thing I wanted was to spend my afternoon with this bastard.
"But -"
A knock on the door interrupted him. Before I could ask the person to step in, Miss Astrid walked in with a smile, the expression dimming when she saw who I was with.
"Good morning, sir," she greeted him, tucking some strands of hair behind her left ear as a nervous shiver went through her.
Dashiell, as I found out from his workers, was known as the devil incarnate because of the way he acted with them. None of them had seen him smile, which was why they all feared him.
"What are you here for?" I asked Astrid before she could make a mad dash for the door because she looked like she was contemplating it. It was the first time I had seen the only friend I made here seem like she was about to shit her pants.
"A... Are you free for lunch? There's a new restaurant that opened, so I was just wondering..."
"Sure. I'm free." I smiled at her, to ease the fear on her face, and that worked wonders.
"Great!"
"Can I tag along?" Dashiell asked, freezing the smile on her face with his question.
"Ummm..." Astrid glanced at me, her lower lips quivering with fear as she returned her gaze to him. ".... Yeah. Sure."
"No. We don't need you," my response was clipped and abrupt.
"Uhm..." Astrid looked between us, unsure of what was going on. "I think I will be on my way. See you during lunch!"
Before I could ask her not to go, she was already out of the door. It was a wonder she didn't collide with the flower pots next to the exit.
"I'm not going anywhere with you," I deadpanned, turning my gaze to him.
"Astrid invited me, didn't she?" He smirked, looking like he had won the fight.
"But I didn't. You won't -"
"It's settled then. See you guys during lunch!" With a wink at me, he walked towards the door, and out of my office, not bothering to listen to my negative remarks.