The next day at the office, was literally like someone had gone and put rays of sunshine inside the building. It felt like everyone was just happy and it was strange. Sometimes walking past reception they would like...sad,or bored, but today they all smiled and said hello as I walked in, with a large grin too. I was little confused, so I placed my bag down on my desk and went into Clarke's office.
He was already here, which was now no longer a surprise. Which was great because it's what he should be doing now, especially with the pressure on him with board at the moment. He looked reasonably calm and definitely happy....and his mood seemed to be how the whole office was, which just goes to show how much your bosses attitude can have on a work place.
"Good morning, Rory," Clarke said brightly. "How does it feel to be twenty-two?"
"No different to being twenty-one," I rolled my eyes. "What are you working on this morning?"
"Ah, getting a proposal ready to take to LA in a couple of weeks," Clarke explained.
"Oh, right, you have that event in LA,"I remembered now. "Possibly the best place to get a new client?"
"If I don't sign a client in LA, then I'm in trouble," Clarke sighed.
"I still think they're being harsh," I told him. "I mean, you signed a big client that has been going extremely well and you haven't lost a client yet."
"Yes, but our stock dropped and so did our image," Clarke explained, pointing his pen at me sightly. "They believe that's the reason I haven't gotten anyone else, which is what I need to fix. My image is better, but there's still doubt. I'm bringing Alicia with me, upon advice of the PR time."
"Oh," I said straightening up. "That's probably a good idea. Taking her to an event looks like she's there to support you, that's important."
"Yes, that's the general idea," Clarke said standing up and walking around to the filing cabinet to put something away. "I am hating this fake girlfriend thing though."
"Really?" I asked surprised.
"Yes, having to be touchy feely in public, especially with her being my friend," Clarke explained, walking up to me. "I want to be comfortable."
Before I knew what was happening Clarke had wrapped his arms around me. I moved back slightly, mostly in surprise and felt myself hit the desk. I felt Clarke's hands run down my body and he pulled himself closer to me. What, why was this happening at work?
"I like what you're wearing today," Clarke commented. "I like this skirt, have I seen it before?"
"No," I admitted. "It's new."
I wasn't wearing anything special, or really different. I had gotten myself a new skirt, it was just a simple black pencil skirt. I wore it with a white button blouse that was short sleeved because it was finally getting warmer back in New York.
"It's tight," Clarke whispered.
As he spoke he brought his lips down onto my neck and I feel like I should've pushed him off but the moment his lips touched my skin I felt my body completely shatter. I felt shivers up my body and I felt myself just want to fall into him. When he moved his hands down to touch the fabric of my skirt, I wanted to melt. I hated what he could to do to me sometimes.
"Clarke, the door isn't locked," I breathed out heavily, now putting my hands on him to hold myself.
"No one's going to come in," Clarke assured me, a tone of seduction in his voice.
"No...we can't though," I tried to tell him. "Not...not at...work, that's the deal."
I was saying one thing but my actions were saying another and Clarke could tell. Instead of really pushing him off like I should've done, I was wrapping my hands around his biceps over his jacket and pulling my leg up around him to pull myself closer. I didn't want to do this at work because it was work, but I really liked how it felt.
"Hey, I know I'm super early but- oh, shit, sorry."
It was a quick reaction then. Between the moment I heard the voice and realised what was happening between Clarke and I, I completely snapped and realised,this was so wrong. I pushed Clarke but he was already moving and he was out of my way nearly instantly. Standing at the door now was not at all who I expected it to be and I instantly felt horrified.
"Alicia, hey," Clarke said rubbing the back of his head, slightly awkwardly but never moving from my side. "You are, definitely super early. I thought we were having lunch."
"We are," Alicia confirmed. "My shoot got cancelled this morning but I didn't know that til I got there so I literally have nowhere to go, so I was hoping to hang out here...but I can go somewhere else because..."
"No, no," I said quickly shaking my head. "I mean, we need to work."
I was completely confused by Alicia's reaction because there almost wasn't one. She wasn't shocked, concerned or even angry. In fact I think she felt bad about interrupting us.
"Oh, I don't mind, you guys do what you want," Alicia shrugged slightly.
I opened my mouth to speak but realised I didn't know how to respond. This was kind of mortifying right now. I had been caught with my boss and Alicia was supposed to be his fake girlfriend, not to mention I hadn't met this girl before. I glanced at Clarke who I was realised was smiling and almost laughing.
"She knows, Rory," Clarke finally said. "I told her. I mean, she's supposed to be my fake girlfriend, I thought it was only fair."
I turned around to look at Alicia again who was smiling just as much as Clarke was. I don't think I felt relieved though that she knew the truth, that I wasn't just mucking around with my boss. Well I kind of was, but that's why we had the no work rule, something we almost broke today and I don't even know where it came from. The horny teenager thing from the other night must've worn off yet.
"It's totally fine," Alicia said quickly. "I completely get it, everyone has needs, especially Clarke. Sorry, don't worry about me."
"Right, okay," I said quickly. "I do need to work though, despite him trying to distract me."
Clarke had sat back in his chair and he was laughing now and I rolled my eyes.
I felt so awkward that I just wanted to get out, so I did. I gave Alicia a little nod and a smile and she smiled back as I left the office and sat down on my desk. The reason I wanted the no work rule was exactly what just happened. I didn't want to be one of those girls who looked like they were sleeping with their boss for money or something else. I wasn't that girl. I worked hard, I worked hard for myself. Worst of all, it was a celebrity that had walked in on us. I was now way more aware of who Alicia Moore was. She was literally an amazing person from what I could tell. Not many people had anything awful to say about her in the model industry. Some thought her nice attitude was a show and she was fake, others didn't. She was beautiful from the photos and meeting her in person, she was super beautiful.
Just standing in the room with her it made me wonder why Clarke was even fooling around with me. I didn't look skinny like her, or have shinny hair like hers. I was your very average everyday girl. Eh, I hated how what just happened made me feel.
"Hey, seriously please do not worry about what just happened."
I looked up from my desk as I had been blankly staring at my computer. Alicia was standing there in her thigh boots and skinny dress and looked amazing.
"I just...it's a little embarrassing," I admitted to her. "I'm not that girl that just...sleeps with her boss."
"Oh, I know," Alicia nodded quickly. "Clarke explained the whole deal and the rules, and how he feels bad he just tried to convince you to break the no work rule. He can be a jerk."
I laughed slightly, I was glad she open to talk about this and make fun of Clarke. "He can be, yes."
Alicia smiled at me. "Look, I wanted to meet you, maybe this isn't exactly how, but after Clarke spoke about you, I wanted to meet you myself. He makes you sound like you're amazing."
"What do you mean?" I frowned.
Alicia lent herself on the desk to talk to me. "He just always says nice things. Like, how you pushed him into Paris so he could get the client, and pushed him in general when he first got here. I'll be honest, when he first came to me about this fake girlfriend thing for the press to help his image, I was worried he wouldn't care, cheat on me and ruin my image. It sounds like you gave him a real kick up the butt."
"I...wasn't going to work for him if he kept carrying on like a child," I shrugged. "I was here when Henry was here and...I couldn't watch him do nothing."
Alicia paused. "I miss him. He was like a Dad to me when I needed him."
"Me too," I nodded at her.
"Well," Alicia breathed, standing up. "I'm going to hang around here until lunch time if you don't mind."
"Of course, do whatever you want," I told her calmly. "I'll be here if you need me."
Alicia disappeared off into the office, I don't know where because there was only so many places in the office. Not long after Alicia had disappeared, Clarke had replaced her spot in front of her my desk.
"I'm sorry for...pushing it in the office today," Clarke said quickly. "I don't know what came over me. Honestly, I just saw you..."
"It's okay," I said, stopping him before it could get sexual again. "Just please don't let it happen again at work. Alicia walking in was bad enough and she knows. Imagine if it was someone else."
"I can see why the rule is important now," Clarke nodded softly.
"You should've told me Alicia knew too," I scolded him slightly. "Would've made meeting her less awkward."
"Sorry. I didn't plan on telling her. We were just out on one of our fake dates and Alicia was asking about how I was dealing without...well you know because I had to appear faithful. So I explained our deal and she was surprised...but happy. When I told her what you are like she became excited to meet you."
"Yeah, she told me already actually," I shrugged slightly. "She's very nice."
"Yeah, it can be annoying sometimes," Clarke rolled his eyes as he stepped back to his office.
"You're just mean," I teased him.
I eventually felt that fearful fret from being caught fade away. Alicia seemed to really understand the deal and also seemed very supportive of the idea. I guess she knew Clarke especially since they were old friends and she did not seem like the judgmental type at all. So when she showed back up after it looked like she found the vending machine she asked to sit on the chair in my office area.
"So, Clarke said you want to be lawyer?" Alicia asked from the chair, munching on her chips. "Are you still in college?"
"Yeah, I graduate this year," I nodded, still typing the email I was working on. "I go to law school later this year and then we'll see if I can cut as a lawyer in New York."
"Clarke says you're very smart, and I know I've just met you, but you seem smart," Alicia shrugged. "Still stressful I imagine?"
"Always," I agreed.
"Oh, wait, don't you have spring break soon?" Alicia asked
"Hmm, yeah," I said realising she was right. "I think in two weeks time."
"And what do you plan to do? Relax surely?" Alicia guessed.
"Probably study a fair bit. Its good prep for my final exams," I explained.
"Girl, do not be afraid to have fun. I did college and it stressed me out, and now I don't even use it," Alicia explained. "I regret not having a bit of time to myself."
Clarke and Alicia left around midday for lunch for what they called a PR lunch, and was completely for show, in fact I was pretty sure the press had been tipped off as to where they would be. I got a news alert that they were together not even fifteen minutes after they had left. That was Clarke's life though, in the spotlight and it was easy to understand why. He made a lot of money...like a lot of money every minute of every hour. The way it worked with his company was there was money flowing in and out constantly and because they owned parts in several companies they got some of the money from them. So Clarke's face was on their company too, which is why it was important he looked good all the time.
I had my lunch break down in the cafeteria by myself and once I got back I realised Clarke was back, and it wasn't because I could see him in his office but because he was waiting for me at my desk. He was leaning against it looking all smug in his nice suit. I forgot this what Clarke usually looked like.
"What?" I frowned at him as I sat at my desk.
"You're going to just study during your spring break?" Clarke asked me as he turned around to face me.
I rolled my eyes a little. "Alicia mention that, did she?"
"We were talking about LA and how spring break matches up," Clarke shrugged slightly. "She mentioned it because she wants you to come with us?"
"What?"
The thought of me coming to LA hadn't even crossed my mind, not to mention Alicia coming up with the idea of it. I couldn't think of anything more awkward.
"She thought it would be a good idea, and frankly so do I," Clarke admitted. "I hate the idea of you just studying, and I get it's important to you but it's all you do. Well, you work, sleep, go to college, and then study. I mean, even when you're at mine you're studying. You need a break because you and I both know law school is going to be even more stressful then this."
I started shaking my head immediately. I mean, he wasn't wrong but school was important to me, it was all I had and I didn't have a lot of money to pay for it, so I always made sure to get through with good marks.
"Look, it's not even a week," Clarke said before I can protest. "It's a couple of days, and like Paris you can study for most of it. Plus, I could use you for the event, I could always use your help with business."
"Clarke...I...it would be weird," I pointed out. "You, me, Alicia, in a hotel room, that's really awkward, even if you're not dating her."
"It won't be a hotel, Rory. Did you forget about the property my Dad owns in LA?"
For a moment I had actually forgotten, and I couldn't believe I had. Henry had bought the house ages ago. He told me he got for vacation because it was hard for him to leave the country and with this house he could have his family there and work. It was a real kick in the gut if you ask me, the holiday wasn't really a holiday just easier for Henry. Once the family time stopped, he used the house still, to travel for work. It must've been another thing Clarke got in the will.
"Right, I did know that, I just haven't been there," I nodded quickly.
"Well, the house is huge. Literally you can have someone on one side of the house and someone on the other side and you'd never know," Clarke promised. "I hate the idea of you just sitting here during your break."
"I've never minded," I shrugged slightly. "I have Ava and Kieran here, we do stuff."
Clarke smiled slightly, looking down. "You always have them. Literally, its maybe four days and its LA, Rory, you've never been. You get a free holiday and just a fancy house to study in, are you really going to turn that down?"
"You know, it's more than that. Look what happened last time we went away," I reminded him.
Clarke rolled his eyes. "That was a while ago, for one and how can you even compare that to how we are now?"
"I'm not just talking about that, Clarke," I sighed. "Last time, I ended up in the tabloids."
"What are you talking about?" Clarke frowned, confused.
"I...I never told you, but that story about you with the girls in the night club in Paris after I left. One of those pictures was actually me...us, dancing when we were drunk," I told Clarke.
Clarke frowned deeper. I figured he never looked at the article that well, so he would never notice, plus you couldn't see my face.
"Okay, but no one knows it was you," Clarke shrugged slightly.
"Yes, but I don't want that to happen again. I don't want to end up in the tabloids because someone see us together somehow," I explained to Clarke. "I'm...not that type of person."
"Okay, okay," Clarke said, holding out his hands, "and it won't. We slipped up back then but it won't happen here. The house is secluded, never had a reporter up there ever, and other than the one event you don't have to come out with me. Just say, yes, Rory, it'll be fun, and Alicia would love if you to come. We're great friends and all but I think she's sick of me, and I don't blame her."
I looked at Clarke and realised how genuine he was being. I had a bit of shell-shock after travelling last time and I guess that's why I was hesitant and putting out whatever argument I could come up with. In the truth an actual break would be nice. I was running myself into the ground with everything, so why couldn't I just enjoy one thing for a change?
"Okay, fine, I'll go," I caved, "but after you slipping up today the rules will always apply. The new rule involving not being in New York, is just nothing in public, okay?"
"Nothing in public, got it, no problem," Clarke flashed a smile at me. "Now... get back to work."