Chapter 40 Women Are Like Flowers
Aidan found this petite woman quite intriguing. Not only did she resemble that woman named Bruce, but her audacity to completely disregard him sparked an unconscious desire to conquer her.
He just wanted to conquer her, that's all. He glanced at Alison. Though she was attractive and had a good demeanor, he preferred women with larger chests.
Big-chested and brainless, they felt good to touch. But this time, he wanted to make an exception. No matter who she was, he would pursue her first and then discard her. Wouldn't that be fun?
His expression changed rapidly, from anger to calmness to a smile. Everyone in the procurement department noticed, but no one had the guts to show it like Alison did.
Aidan was a well-known bachelor in the city, famous for his wealth. Along with his half-brother Jack, they were known as the "Rich Brothers." Women had to be qualified to get into his bed; otherwise, he wouldn't even look at them.
But now, he seemed to have a special interest in Alison.
A very special interest, which was obvious to anyone with eyes.
Finally, Aidan withdrew his intense gaze from Alison, scanned the procurement department staff, and said slowly, "No one is to miss the quarterly meeting. Dismissed."
With that, Aidan headed for the door.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Alison was about to head back to her small office to get a drink of water and calm her nerves from Aidan's intense presence.
But just as she took a step, Aidan's voice came from the doorway, "Alison, come to my office in half an hour."
Alison cursed under her breath and reluctantly shook her fist in the direction Aidan had left.
Aidan did it on purpose.
He could have had his secretary call her, but he chose to announce it publicly, drawing the attention of all the procurement department employees, both men and women, to her.
Whispers filled the air:
"So the boss likes this type of woman, huh?"
"Yeah, she's the first one to openly refuse the boss's orders."
"She must be doing it on purpose, trying to catch the boss's interest, and it worked."
"What do you think the boss wants with her?"
"What else? Every woman who goes in comes out looking pleased and radiant."
The comments behind her grew more and more inappropriate.
Alison knew that Aidan and his brother Jack were notorious playboys in the city.
Women, however, eagerly lined up to be pursued by them. Was it the men's pride or the women's tragedy?
But Alison's heart was destined to be lonely. She didn't want to give it to any man; she only wanted to save her love for Sophia and Ethan, her two beloved children.
"Alison, come here for a moment." Just as Alison poured herself some water, Manager McLean hurried past her, his tone filled with anger. It seemed Manager McLean was very displeased with her refusal of Aidan's arrangement. But everyone knew what "receptionist" really meant.
Alison put down her cup and walked into Manager McLean's office. There were still over twenty minutes before Aidan's requested meeting, so she wasn't in a hurry. She didn't want to see Aidan Winston's smug smile any sooner than she had to.
Before she could even stand properly, Manager McLean questioned her, "Alison, do you not know how to distinguish between good and bad people?"
Alison was puzzled, "Manager McLean, I don't understand what you mean."
"Are you really that clueless or just pretending? The boss came, and you openly refused his proposal. Are you trying to embarrass me?"
"I don't want to be a socialite. If Manager McLean is willing, I can suggest to the boss that you take the role of receptionist."
"Alison, what socialite? What nonsense are you talking about?"
"Isn't a receptionist just a socialite?" Alison said matter-of-factly. She was very dissatisfied with Manager McLean's attitude. As a fellow woman, couldn't Manager McLean preserve a bit of dignity for her subordinate?
Manager McLean's expression softened a bit. She shook her head lightly and finally showed the first smile since Alison entered the office, "I almost forgot you're new here. It seems I misled you. That's my fault."
"Huh?" Alison was even more confused. The dignified procurement manager was apologizing to her, an intern assistant? This was too strange.
"The term 'receptionist' is something we use privately. I thought you knew, so I said it casually. I didn't expect you to misunderstand."
"So, Manager McLean, the boss didn't want me to be a receptionist, but something else?"
"Yes, 'receptionist' refers to the female staff who receive foreign guests. Every quarterly meeting, we have business elites from various countries. This time, I heard a big German company is sending representatives, so the boss wants you to handle the reception."
Alison understood. It seemed Aidan had seriously reviewed her resume. She had majored in German in college and also studied Japanese.
But that didn't mean she should be given such an important task. Aidan hadn't even heard her speak German. How could he be sure she was good at it?
"Manager McLean, I'm new here. It's my first day, and I don't know anything about the company. I really can't handle such an important job. It should go to a senior employee."
"Alison, if it weren't for the fact that the foreign trade employee who knows German is on maternity leave, you wouldn't have this opportunity. Think it over before you respond to the boss. I guess that's why he wants to see you."
So it wasn't about making her a socialite; Aidan wanted to give her an important role.
Alison returned to her desk, holding her cup, watching the steam rise. At that moment, she was tempted. She really wanted the chance to interact with foreign guests; otherwise, her German skills would go to waste.
Though tempted and interested, sometimes a woman had to stick to her principles.
She wore light pink high heels and a small suit, her waist slender, making it hard to believe she was already a mother of two. On her resume, she only listed the names of her adopted son and daughter. So young and already adopting children, Alison was becoming more and more intriguing to Aidan. She was different from all his other women.