More Than Desire

Annelise

I lifted the parasol and held it tight, so tight I noticed my knuckles turned white. I waited for the car to pass, and the damn umbrella threatened to fly. Just at that moment, when I had the opportunity to move forward, the car squealed and a puddle of water exploded. I threw myself back, muttering curses I didn't even know I knew. The asshole even had the audacity to stick his arm out the window and give me the middle finger!

Anger hit me at that moment.

I narrowed the corners of my eyes and prepared to run, I could easily reach him and throw the umbrella in his precious black BMW. I would be really super happy.

I looked down and noticed my dress was soaking wet. The rain had started to soak me since I left the house. I was hoping not to hitch a ride with Brad today, my neighbor. He's had a crush on me since I moved from the apartment I was in to this one-the apartment was smaller and cost a lot more. My life has readjusted since I lost my job, and I've had to evaluate everything ever since. I know using a guy who has a crush on you is bad, but seriously, he likes to do it. Nobody got arrested for deceiving a guy.

I looked both ways and saw that no car was coming. I ran across the street until I reached the other side.

I stared at the front of the Pet's Cute Shop and smiled. It was right here. I looked at the crumpled paper I was holding and went inside, checking out the place. I saw Abby petting a puppy. She wore a pink blouse, matching bow tie and denim skirt. When she saw me, she smiled. I closed the umbrella and placed it on my wrist. I accidentally bumped into a pile of "Hunger Cat" cat food on the shelf. The bags dropped to the floor like dominoes. Abby narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow. She got up and the dog whimpered, asking for more affection. He got up on his hind legs and braced his front paws on the yellow pen. A very cute puppy! Abby put her hands in her pockets and the naughty smile appeared. I noticed only then that the umbrella was dripping.

Oh God... you're terrible, Annelise!

"Hi," she said. I ran closer and jumped, grabbing her in a tight hug. - Did someone die? She joked.

Generally, I almost never visited her. Last month, I remember seeing her for just one day a week. The move wore me out and I spent the rest of the day looking for a job. It was hell.

I released her.

"I had time today," I informed her, putting my arm through hers and pulling her along, leading her into her own shop, as if I already knew what every corner of this place held. - So I decided to visit my favorite sister.

"I kind of got scared now. She tilted her head. - What happened?

Ever since I got fired from my old job, I've avoided talking to Abby. She was like the realization of a dream just not imagined by anyone, you know? At twenty-six, she was married to a handsome guy, Mike Montgomery, a nurse, had two beautiful daughters-two little brats named Hannah and Maryah-and managed to open the pet shop she'd dreamed of since she was little. And I, at twenty-five, couldn't even hold down a silly secretary job! We were competitive and that would be declaring that I had lost the round.

"Nothing," I assured him. She stopped, frowned, and I added, "Okay... I kind of found a job. The pay is good, the job is good...

- But?

"But the boss sucks. she said vehemently. "He ignores me, he's abused and an asshole. She nodded. "And I don't know if..." The words died in my mouth. She took my hand and her warm touch warmed my chest.

Shaffer & Sheppard was everyone's dream. The job was perfect and nice. A week ago, when I applied to be a secretary for one Chase Ward, I had no idea that the guy was practically the devil's ward. The bastard kept me late every day, barely showed up at the office, and forced me to make his idiotic demands. During the interview, he stared at me like I was just a poor begging. But if there's one thing I have to admit, it's that the asshole is terribly sexy. The perfect face-which I supposedly wanted to lick-was made up of vibrant blue eyes, a toothy grin that was painfully cheeky, and a dimple that was purely tempting. I might have imagined what the muscular body looks like behind the tailored suit. But none of that erases the fact that he's a cocky asshole. I considered quitting the job, even though I've only been there for two and a half weeks. I needed Abby's opinion, because she was a lot more sensible than I ever was.

"Are you thinking about quitting your job?" She read my mind, but her voice sounded strangely surprised, as if I'd just said I kidnapped an elephant. - No.

- No? She shook her head no.

I held the bag under her arm.

What I wanted? After all, she was the sensible one.

"You can't give up on an job because of your boss, Anne," she said, walking past me and bending down. She took one of the bags of feed and placed it back on the red shelf. She hooked another package onto the hook on top of the other. I drummed my feet on the paw-speckled tile floor and braced my hands on my hips, waiting for the rest of the answer. "And besides, you need the job. She looked at me over her shoulder.

She was right.

Abby got up and walked across the store. I followed her. She placed herself in front of a pen full of kittens. She took each one, kissed them and said good night.

My shoulders dropped, lighter.

It's been a long day today, but my boss let me go early because I had a fancy, futile party to go to with Mr. Sheppard, the brother of Mr. Shaffer, who founded the company. I couldn't wait to get home and take off my heels, which were so tight on my feet I thought they were going to explode at any moment.

Abby kissed the tenth kitten and looked at me.

'What are you still doing here?' - She asked.

That was another interesting point in our relationship: I kind of only visited her when I needed something-which I really didn't need. She was my older sister, so it was only natural that any larger questions I could answer would be dealt with through the elder brothers' divine filter.

I pretended to be silly.

- Do you want me to leave?

"No, but usually you just use me and throw it away. A smile crossed my lips. - Want dinner? Mike made macaroni and cheese.

I evaluated the idea.

Yea! My stomach screamed.

Do not. My mind decreed.

- I can not. I have to answer some emails, check the tasks my boss asked me to do, and organize my schedule for the third time in a single day." She grimaced.

- How boring.

- So it is.

***

I went straight home after visiting my sister. She spent nearly half an hour talking about Hannah and Maryah. Then I ran to the subway and got home. I took a quick shower, put on a robe, and fell into bed, surrounded by papers, notebook, and colorful pillows - my biggest secret since high school. I answered a few emails, drank a mug of coffee I'd brewed as soon as I arrived, and snuggled under the blanket. I went to the anonymous chat site I discovered a month ago and talked to a stranger for almost an hour. Secret People Chat was almost an addiction. My father used to say it was wrong to talk to strangers, but I didn't listen to him, because since I was fifteen I've loved chatting with strangers. Back in the day, I used to send notes to schoolmates and we would always talk over those notes. This evolved over time, and I found anonymous chats on the internet. But then, last month, when I found myself at the worst time of my life, I discovered Secret People Chat. It was unusual. Single. I was comforted by people I didn't even know, but who seemed to be by my side, supporting me, since I was born. It was surreal.

I opened the notebook and looked for someone. I saw a dot in the top corner. Mr. Blue Balls.

I smiled, finding it funny.

I opened the chat and typed:

How much time? - A.

I asked, referring to the last time he came.

The balls started to go up and down.

The characteristic excitement filled my stomach.

Mr. Blue Balls. he said:

It depends. - Mr. Blue Balls.

Chase

two hours before

I was staring at a fucking chandelier for almost half an hour. It hung from the ceiling beautifully, indicating the people who stepped onto the floor of that hall were incredibly wealthy. I arrived an hour early, as usual, and paid attention to every detail of the luxurious salon I was in. The walls were painted white and at intervals, walls of glass and wood rose from the marble floor, meeting the high ceiling.

I was waiting for mr. Sheppard, my boss. Today is definitely the happiest day of my entire life. He's finally going to recognize that I'm worthy of a promotion. In the entire history of Shaffer and Sheppard, I was the guy who brought the most customers to the company. Mr. Sheppard assured me that if I hooked up one more client today, I could spread the word that I would be the new chief marketing officer. That would definitely put me higher than Alan Patrick, the guy I'm running for.

I shifted in my chair and saw Alan across the room. He flashed a sly smile when he saw me and I responded with a wink. I lined up the suit.

- Chase, darling! "Sheila, the wife of Mr. Sheppard, greeted me from afar. She dragged the poor man, clinging to his arm, to me. I got up and flashed my best smile.

- Mrs. Sheppard." I held out my hand. She pulled me into a hug. I grimaced as I almost stared at her huge boobs that popped out of her overly long, over-the-top dress. Mr. Shepard. I muttered, still smothered by the bear hug. I held out my hand.

He squeezed my hand, nudged Sheila with his elbow, and she finally let go. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Brandon, their son. He quickly grabbed one of the champagne flutes arranged on a tray the waiter was carrying and, in the blink of an eye, he was planted in front of me, pulling me into another hug.

Jesus!

- Big Dick! He rubbed the top of my head. I let go of him and fixed my hair. "Mom said it would be a good idea to come. And by the way..." He looked around the room. I knew exactly what he saw. Elegant women paraded throughout the hall, spreading charm and charm. But Brandon saw only pussy with legs. He winked at me.

- Well, have a great night, Chase. - Said Mr. Shepard.

I nodded, nodding.

Brandon and I strolled around the room, enjoying the view-which, to say the least, was spectacular-and I saw Alan talking to the client. He looked out of place and was scratching his sack. I approached and Brandon followed, imitating me after I asked him to behave properly. Mr. Simon, CEO of one of the biggest cosmetics brands, flashed a polite smile when he saw me, unlike Mr. Jumbled. I returned the polite gesture, and slipped an arm around his back. Alan glared at me, decreeing that he would kill me. I smiled over his shoulder and pouted. Brandon escorted us to a waiter. I took a glass of champagne and offered it to Mr. Simon, who was talking to me about how he needed an innovation in his company. I discussed with him why choosing Shaffer & Sheppard was the best option.

- You know what? He said, looking at me. "You were the only one who offered me a decent proposal. - I smiled.

I talked about amenities. This was a very important tactic. If you want to conquer someone, make them seem like God to you. I've been getting ready for this occasion for a week and all the cards in my sleeve were running out, so I went to my idea and got a sim from him, who seemed super excited and said he would talk to mr. Shepard later.

One more victory.

I punched the air when I was sure he was far enough away and realized Brandon was still on my side.

- Congratulations! he celebrated. "You did it, man! That's like scoring a first-time goal.

Brandon, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Sheppard was a peculiar guy. He was a confusing mix of playboy and businessman. The rest of the seventy percent of the time he was hunting for fun was hard work and lots of gym hours.

We sat at the table and he took his cell phone from his jacket pocket.

The waiter brought our orders, which arrived only after almost half an hour of waiting.

- What are you doing? I asked curiously. He shrugged.

The truth is that we have gotten closer in recent times. His mother adores me, his father adores me and he adores me. I'm like the cousin who occasionally pops in for a surprise visit.

"You know, it's inelegant to use a cell phone at the table. - I took a sip of the champagne.

"That must be why. He said, catching my attention.

- What?

"That must be why you don't have a girlfriend, Big Dick. - He said. "You shouldn't sink so much into work, especially since the rest of things are so much better. - I frowned. "You know... talking, dating, parties... those things all singles should do.

- AND?

"And you do just the opposite. I never saw you with a woman other than a client or mom. You need to get laid, Big Dick. He commented. I leaned forward and raised an eyebrow.

- I have sex. I fuck a lot.

- Much? He didn't believe it, because his disbelief expression spread across his face.

"Not as much as I'd like, but that doesn't matter. I don't have time for non-professional relationships," I admitted. He practically laughed.

"I'm going to call you Blue Balls."

I huffed and he laughed.

"Call me a hero." He handed me the phone. "It's called Secret People Chat.

'And what's so special about it?' I asked. "Looks like just another dating site. I shrugged and took another sip of champagne.

"Maybe, but in this one, you can keep your privacy while you talk to whoever you want. If the relationship over the course of the conversation seems good, you may gain clues as to who the person is. That's the difference. The suspense, the excitement...

- Hmm. I nodded, feigning interest. I handed him the cell phone. - Look great.

***

The event was only halfway through when one of the waiters spilled a glass of wine on my new suit. I got pissed off, but I just smiled and went to the bathroom. Excellent! When I got back, I noticed that Alan was sitting with Mr. Sheppard and his wife. I approached and found that Alan had lied to him, saying he had won the Liferty account. I wanted to punch him right in the middle of the face when he gave him that "suck that sleeve" look. I had to use all my control not to jump on him.

Mr. Sheppard left thirty minutes later, and I went back to looking at the chandelier, when I finally had the bright idea of ​​going home.

I walked out of the restaurant and easily recognized my red Audi parked next to two other cars. Frustrated, I slammed the door and drove to my house. My shoulders were stiff and sore. Motherfucker Alan managed to win the war, but I wasn't going to let him win the battle. When I finally arrived at my building, the elevator seemed to take forever to reach the floor. I walked into my apartment, defeated and just admitting it I could see the smug smile on the bastard's face.

I hate him!

I hate Alan Patrick.

I hate Mr. Shepard.

I hate myself.

I collapsed onto the couch and huffed, throwing my jacket across the room.

I suddenly remembered what Brandon had said.

What was the name again?

Secret People Chat.

I took my cell phone out of my pocket and looked it up on the internet. It didn't take long to show up. I made an account and started rambling, scrolling, bored. Then a notification exploded.

THE.

Curious, I entered the chat and read:

How much time? - A.

I straightened my posture, sitting up.

What?

I bit my lower lip.

Depends - Mr. Blue Balls," I typed.

Than? - A.

How long are you going to make me wait? - Mr. Blue balls.

HA HA - A.

May I know what is your name? - Mr. Blue Balls.

Depends - a.

A crooked smile tugged at my lips.

of what? - Mr. Blue Balls.

How long will you wait. - A.

Brandon was right after all. My conversation with the mysterious A. lasted almost an hour. We talked more than I probably must have for a year, and his teasing made my heart race. It was a mixture of suspense and excitement, as Brandon said, only intensified a thousand times.

By some miracle, A. managed to make my night better.

***

My eyes opened quickly.

I looked around and saw the empty bed. A memory lapse ran through my brain and I remembered last night. My head hurt.

Aspirin.

I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. I crouched down, looked for the damn bottle of aspirin, and took one. I lifted. I looked at myself in the mirror and smoothed my medium brown hair, brushing it back with my fingers. I blinked at my reflection. I had huge dark circles under my eyes.

By eight in the morning, I was at work, and on the way, I prepared myself for what would happen as soon as I set foot in Mr. Shepard.

I took a deep breath, walked past Alan's office and knocked on the door. He answered, showing the smug smile. Ah... how I wanted to break his teeth!

My head hurt again.

"Congratulations," I said, sticking my head in. - It was an unfair victory, but it is still a victory.

He sat up and raised an eyebrow.

Idiot!

"I learned from the best," he said. I smiled, walked into the room and walked over to his desk. The mahogany gave the room a rustic feel. I supported my arms on the table and leaned toward him.

"I'm glad you do," she said, glaring at him. My eyes roamed over the black suit with the hideous red tie and landed on Alan's dumb face. - Enjoy. It will be for a little while.

I turned around, straightened my blazer and took a breath, walking to the door.

"Bye, baby.

I closed the door with a loud thud.

Now it was time to face the beast.

I went to the office of Mr. Sheppard and knocked on the door. He called in and I opened the door slowly, checking if there was no one there besides him. So I went in.

"Hello, Chase," he said. "You know why you're here, don't you?

I nodded.

Of course I knew. I worked every day of my life to get up the stairs. As soon as I graduated, when no ad agency wanted to hire an inexperienced guy, I found support at Shaffer & Sheppard. Well, actually, I met Mr. Shaffer, brother of Mr. Shepard. Mr. Shaffer was a kind and gentle man. He founded Shaffer and Sheppard from scratch, unlike his brother, who was a visionary. I worked as a waiter at an event and offered him the last glass of liquor before telling him how terrible the campaign they were working on was. I was going out with the secretary of one of the account managers and that allowed me a wide range of fresh information.

He pointed to one of the padded visitor chairs and I sat down, crossing my legs.

"About who won the client. - He said. He nodded and I took a deep breath, as if the very mention meant more weight than I could carry.

Conrad Sheppard is a man like no other. He's not so easily fooled, but he takes the "kill or die" adage seriously and believes there are no injustices, only opportunities - no matter whose eye you have to gouge out to get it. I admire him because he is unshakable. When his brother died, everyone was unsure how he would handle the grief, after all, the two were inseparable. But to everyone's surprise, he wasn't shaken.

My motivation was to wake up every day and look a little like him, even though my insides were broken, it had to look unshakable.

I lifted my chin a little and saw him pick up his black-rimmed glasses. He picked up some papers and looked over them in my direction.

"You know I'm not in favor of favoritism, don't you? "I nodded. - And that despite the efforts, there are always setbacks. But, I realized that you are exceptional. You never get tired and your greed is the power that precedes you. I like that about you, Chase. Without a doubt, he would be the new marketing director, if this position were available. He smiled, leaning across the table. He put the papers down and laced his fingers together.

It was a test.

It was a test!

I widened my eyes and held my chin, perhaps afraid it would collapse in front of him.

"By now you can conclude what my intention is."

- Assess which is the best?

He nodded.

"I intend to fire anyone who isn't there. And that includes you if you don't stand out. In the end, whoever wins the next stage wins the contest.

I smile, victorious.

Suck that mango, Alan Patrick.

I held out my hand and he squeezed. I got up and walked towards the door.

- What about Chase? - He said. I turned towards him. "Try to get some rest. Maybe a good night's sleep will help you with those dark circles.

I nodded once more and headed to my room. I found the new secretary picking up something from the floor, desperate.

I just missed this one...

I got closer and noticed the tight black skirt hugging her ass. Not bad. I walked past her and cleared my throat, catching her attention.

- Mr. Ward." She lifted her head and picked up one of the folders, placing it on top of the pile she was carrying. - Good Morning.

Blonde hair framed her pretty face. She was quite beautiful. Wearing a red blazer and black skirt, with heels, she was sexy. The strands of her hair fell out of her messy bun.

What's her name again?

"Good morning, Adele.

- Annelise.

"Annelise," I tried. "How long have you been working for me, Adele?" I asked, reaching into her pocket.

She stood up, giving me a critical look, as if she was judging me.

"Two and a half weeks ago.

- Hmm. I hope you dedicate yourself," I said, turned and walked into the office, adding, "maybe break the record.

Annelise

He closed the door and I gaped.

What did he mean by "maybe break the record"?

Narrowing my eyes, I went back to my desk and left the papers and folders on the others.

I took a deep breath.

I need coffe.

I woke up super early today. I barely slept last night. After I talked to Mr. Funny, the next door neighbor started to move the furniture. I tried every possible way to close my eyes, but I couldn't.

I went to the pantry and found Susan from HR. She wore a beige blouse and gray skirt. We talked a few times. She's super nice, and she taught me how to deal with Mr. Hot Head. She said he growled and bared his teeth but was unable to bite-perhaps because he was afraid of catching disease?

- Wow. You're wrecked," she said as I approached. I took a deep breath. "You urgently need this. She passed a cup of coffee across the counter and I smiled gratefully.

"Can you believe he still doesn't know my name?" - I commented, exhausted

She didn't look the least bit surprised.

"He doesn't know anyone's name. Even more from the desk. You know... he has a history. Secretaries don't last more than two weeks.

- Oh. - I said. The answer was this, then.

- What?

"He mentioned something about me beating the record," I said, shrugging. I took the coffee and took a sip. I grimaced. - Bitter.

She held out a bag of sugar.

- Thanks.

"Well, you've been sitting in the chair for two and a half weeks that other secretaries only lasted two weeks.

I poured in the sugar and stirred it with a spoon I took from one of the drawers.

- This is a good sign. I grumbled. "Maybe he likes me.

She almost laughed, and I drew my brows together.

"Miracles don't happen, Anne, but you can try.

I wondered, in that instant, if there was anything I could do to tame that beast. Men don't need much to get the ball down. They need something that makes them believe you are essential. Smile. Here I was, thinking of a way to keep my job. Maybe being indispensable was the best option to show a cocky asshole why I was indispensable.

- Adele! - a shout. Susan's eyes widened.

- It's Annelise. I corrected, rolling my eyes.

I said goodbye to Susan and went back to my desk. When I arrived, I realized he was standing there. That was one of the ways to call me, although there was the good old intercom.

- Adele! Look... and I thought you had run away. Leaning against the table, he uncrossed his legs and picked up my stack of documents. "I thought I told you to cancel the meeting at ten. He looked at me, raising an eyebrow.

- Mr. Ward...sorry," I said, putting myself behind the desk. "I must have forgotten. He shook his head.

"Don't disappear again. He leaned toward me, planting both hands on the table. 'And clear the meeting crap.' - I nodded. He smiled smugly and continued: - Good girl.

He turned his back on me and I rolled my eyes, muttering his last words with disdain, until I focused on his ass and... My God... what was hot about this man, he was asshole. I bit my lower lip and shook my head, pushing away the impure thoughts that had taken over me. I was pretty sure I blushed. Chase Ward caused me that, as well as anger and stress. He turned his head toward me and flashed a smirk.

Apparently, everything would be very difficult.

My boss is an asshole. Mr. Stupid Asshole. And she seems to enjoy watching me run around like a madwoman. Maybe that was his secret fetish: pissing people off.

I took a deep breath and played the good girl role for the rest of the day, as he had asked me to.