It's Just a Job (enteser and Devoted Toy)

[DevotedToy]

Brooke Bailey was just about to break. She looked stunning and fashionable as usual, with her smart leather pencil skirt and her Christian Louboutins, tapping away on the emptying wallstreet concrete. The disgraced young professional knew from her old job that the man she searched for, his rival, always stopped for coffee at the same place on Friday, three hours after trading had closed. And that was why she came. For her last chance to come out of all this with a win.

Oh God... No one stopped her, but they were all whispering and noticing her, she could tell. Ashamed, Brooke cast her pretty blue eyes to the ground as she passed the famous bronze bull. Averting her eyes gave her little comfort, however, as her gaze passed over a tabloid stand. Blood rushed to her cheeks at the headline and the accompanying picture. It was Brooke herself, trying to cover her face with her hands and her phone, alone with her company lawyer. HARRINGTON BANK HOMEWRECKER GETS OFF WITH A SLAP ON THE WRIST, BEAU HOLDS HIS BREATH!

What a foolish girl I've been... At just 24, Brooke knew she was quite unlikely to be playing in circles of investment bankers. But, she suspected, her flawless grades, or more likely, her pretty face, had managed to place her in a subtly powerful position, the personal assistant of a powerful CEO. Of course you had to screw it all up and sleep with him. Now that I ratted on him and sent him to jail, all of his friends have blackballed me. I'll never get a job here again.

At the thought her lip began to quiver, and her eyes water. But she swallowed heavily, and took a deep breath. The coffee stand was just around the corner. Why a man like him would get coffee from a dirty little stand like that was beyond her, but who was she to judge.

Taking a moment, she reached into her designer purse and pulled out her mirror, quickly checking her makeup, and nervously pushing a few blonde strands from her ponytail back into place. The man was breathtaking, that much was certain. It was a wonder he was not married, she had always thought. Handsome, rich and lonely was no way to go through life. But the real reason she came to him was that he was the only one who hadn't brought up her adulterous fling with her boss during the trial. Brooke had always been grateful for that.

Snapping the mirror shut, she straightened her blouse, and turned the corner. There he is... My word he does look sexy in a suit. Trying to look casual, she approached the back of the line where he waited. Pausing nervously for a moment, she cleared her throat daintily. "Excuse me. Maybe you remember me?" She joked, smiling as prettily as she could and attempting to look bashful. Her expression sobered after that.

"I came because I know you always drink coffee here, right now. Now there is a reason I was hired in the first place, and if you simply give me a moment I will show you that reason."

When she had practiced in the mirror, it had been confident and impressive. But now, as she looked up at him, her voice betrayed the hint of desperation and false bravado. He towered over her, even in her office-chic five inch stilettos.

If he turned her down, and Brooke was almost certain he would, she would have to valiantly contain her tears. Then it was all over, and she would be back to running her mother's flower shop in Tennessee with her 4.0 and her two years experience at Harrington's. And even that wouldn't be so pleasant after the bible belt heard of her sinful ways.

Oh please let him say yes...

 

[enteser]

Jeffrey Hunt was a man of subtle finesse and discrete elegance, at least in his public life. He never had felt the need to visit the most expensive restaurant, drink the fanciest coffee, or wear the most expensive clothing, and a lot of people judged him as cheap because of that. Such was the thought process of the Wallstreet elite, and he cared little for it. It was true, the CEO of the second largest banking company in the city had no problem stepping into a hole in the wall burrito place and enjoying some of the best tacos the city had to offer or, as the case today, getting some exquisite coffee at the local coffee shop. The break from the superficiality was a welcome bonus as well.

Simply because he didn't spend exorbitant amount of money on silly things however, did not mean that he didn't spend money at all. His tailored Armani suit had cost more than most people made in a month (though less than what most people of his rank spent on underwear) and fit him perfectly, and the watch on his wrist had been hand crafted by his personal Swiss watch maker to look elegant, but not ostentatious. Some recognized that for what it was. Everyone else didn't matter.

All this did however give him a rather arrogant attitude towards those he saw as beneath him, and so his pleasure with the internal troubles of his competitor, Roger Furlow, were infinite. It had all been absolutely delicious to him, and he was more than happy to pick up the piece when it was all over. Therefore, the smile on his face was wide and gleeful when the architect of his competitor's downfall queued up behind him in the coffee line.

"Hm... yes, I think I've seen you around before once of twice," he replied with amusement. He had wondered if the pretty thing would have the guts to approach him, and to her credit, she did. he had to admit, she looked sexy in that skirt, and the heels made her legs look extremely appealing. He could hardly blame his competitor for taking a pass at that.

He studied her for a couple of seconds after her request. Here she was, approaching him for what he was certain was going to end up being a request for a position within his company, after she had essentially caused the fall of her previous one. The difference between him and Roger was that he had made the mistake of fooling around with a young assistant whilst being Married. Jeffrey had no such issues.

"How do you take your coffee?" he asked her, granting her request for his time.

 

[DevotedToy]

She made herself meet his eyes, a difficult thing to do in public these days for her. So much hinged on the agonizing moments as he regarded her silently. It felt like her heart was pounding in her ears. But she managed to maintain her composure, she thought. When he asked her about her coffee preferences, she smiled disarmingly, and replied without hesitation. "One cream, two sugars."

Her lips curved in a lopsided grin as she took her place at his side. "I am a very detail oriented girl. Perhaps you remember from the trial, my photographic memory can be a useful tool for a man like you. I know I'm a little high profile right now..." Brooke felt her cheeks heat up a little, but tried to move on quickly. "...But I know what I'm doing."

He interrupted her to pay for their coffee. Brooke watched the friendly and respectful way he treated the working staff. They already had his order ready, probably due to his regular status. It was nothing like the arrogance his competitors would have treated them with, assuming they ever got their own coffee. Nothing like Roger. He is something. It seemed only natural to let him order for her.

Suddenly Brooke realized she was staring, and looked away casually as her coffee was handed to her. "Thank you..." It did smell lovely.

Meeting his eyes breifly as he turned away from the counter, she fell in beside him once more, and launched into her desperate pitch. "For example... On Monday, I suggest you sell banana futures. You won't regret it." Trying to act nonchalant, she opened the top of her coffee and blew gently over it's surface. Be confident, Brooke. Be mysterious. Be sexy.

 

[enteser]

He said nothing while the young blonde tried to sell her talents, content to listen to her talk while he was handed his coffee. He liked it black, but for couple drops of milk. He paid, smiling at the cashier and wishing them a pleasant day and handed Brooke her coffee. Indeed, he found those little interactions delightful. Nothing like the obviously forced and sometimes awkward exchanges in the corporate office.

He made nothing of her staring and turned away from the counter, leading her through the coffee shop and back outside onto the busy street. "Sell banana futures?" he echoed, finally looking down at her and raising an eyebrow, a small smirk on his lips. The idea that an office assistant just gave him financial advice amused him greatly, though he had to admit her advice was not bad at all.

He began to understand more and more why Roger had fallen. She was undeniably gorgeous in that skirt and those heels. That wavy blonde hair flying about. The way she talked so confidently despite the difference in rank. He felt himself wanting her much the same way Roger had, he presumed. Unlike his former competitor however, Jeffrey never relinquished control of anything, especially not his own thoughts and feelings. She was certainly not pulling any punches in trying to work him, but two could play at that game.

"Maybe I will then," he replied curtly. "And what are your thoughts on the housing market?"

 

[DevotedToy]

Brooke wasn't certain whether the banana futures tip hit home. The man was a brick wall, and she already wasn't on her best footing. God, I wish I was a man. The busy New York streets, though familiar to her, had begun to feel like a jungle instead of a playground. Predators lurked in every news stand.

His next move was to test her with a question, and she moved into it with everything she had. But unfortunately, Brooke knew her answer this time was common knowledge. "Subdivisions are popping up all over middle america. So mid level housing will soon begin to fall in value."

Realizing he would care little for the housing of the middle class as an investment banker, she chipped in something that he perhaps wouldn't have considered. "Coastal properties at-risk for climate change have begun to reflect that risk in their valuation. Staying away from places like Florida could be a good move."

She swallowed subtly, glancing at him as she walked along the street. Again, she flushes a deep pink as they passed that very same news kiosk with her disgraced face plastered all over the tabloids. Futilely, she attempted to hide her face behind a sip of coffee.

 

[enteser]

Jeffrey ignored the looks she was getting as well as the news stand with her face plastered all over it, walking casually and confidently as if daring a passerby to make a comment or risk a snicker in his direction. Indeed, most people that recognized her, recognized him, and logically came to the conclusion that she was trying to seduce him much the same way she had Roger, and eventually bring him down as well. The idea did nothing but amuse him, however.

"Hm... indeed?" he replied to her initial response, hoping to hear more. Hell, even his niece could have told him that mid-level housing will begin to depreciate, and her main concern right now was making sure Billy whats-his-face asked her to homecoming. Surely enough however, the young woman added to her response in a reasonable manner.

Despite their conversation, this impromptu interview of sorts, his mind was exploring ideas for her employment that did not involve any trading market at all. There was a way to further accentuate his victory over his opponent, he was beginning to realize. Here was the woman that had been Roger's downfall... at his mercy. There was no way she could get another job in the field, not after what she'd done... and by her answers, she was smart enough to realize that.

"Not bad..." he said, looking down at her with a warm smile. "Perhaps I could have a use for you, Ms. Bailey. Drop by my apartment tomorrow evening. We'll have a drink, and discuss terms, hm?" he said, leaving the invitation on a platter for her.