Anna nodded. “Yes,” she said. “I wanted to surprise you with dinner – I just have to put this in the oven, and then I’ll be out of your way. I bet you want to relax after such a long flight.”
I frowned. The idea was tempting, but I was more energized than I thought I’d be after a long flight. The cold air outside felt crisp and refreshing on my skin, and I was eager to get into the office and make sure that everything had gone well in my absence.
“Thank you, Anna, but you can just put that in the fridge and clean up.”
Anna frowned. She was a sweet, pudgy woman in her mid-sixties with a motherly bun of brown hair, streaked with grey. She’d been my employee for just over three years, and I knew that she felt a maternal kind of protectiveness over me that I found endearing.
“Mr. James, you shouldn’t work so hard,” Anna said disapprovingly, clucking her tongue. “You need rest! Those planes, they’re so filthy, all that air circulating around and around!”
“I feel fine,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “Seriously.”
Anna flushed. “Yes, Mr. James,” she said politely. I watched as she poured the contents of the bowl into a glass casserole dish and placed it in the fridge before washing her hands and putting the dishes in the dishwasher.
“I’m going to take a shower,” I called over my shoulder. “Thanks again, Anna!”
My housekeeper mumbled something of a response, but I didn’t hear her as I walked into the master bedroom and shut the door behind me. It felt so good to be home that I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, inhaling the familiar air. Now that I was face to face with my bed, I had to admit that a nap was tempting…but still, the urge to go back into the office and check up on things was strong. Besides, I knew that it would be a surprise – no one at Magnate was expecting their CEO back until the following Monday.
And what better way to check how things are going than to drop by unannounced?
After a long, hot shower, I pulled on a fresh Oxford shirt and a pair of slacks. I brushed my hair back from my head, knowing it would turn unruly before long, and tucked my laptop into my briefcase. It was snowing outside, but I looked forward to feeling the cool air on my skin.
As I waited for my driver, Nick, to pull my sedan around to the front of the building, I studied the groups of women walking back and forth. Most of them were laden with heavy Christmas-themed shopping bags and parcels. I felt a small tug of loneliness in my heart. Unlike last year, I typically spent the holidays alone. I always used the “work is too busy” excuse whenever I was invited to a gathering, but it was starting to get old.
I wondered if Harry had any secret plans up his sleeve.
To my relief, the Magnate Group offices looked as pristine as ever. As I walked past the rows and rows of secretaries, they all looked shocked to see me.
“Mr. West! What a surprise, you’re back early!”
“Mr. West, wow, would you like some coffee?”
“How was London, Mr. West?”
I brushed off the girls with polite smiles as I made my way to my office. There, sitting at her desk in front of my door, was Janet, my assistant. When she saw me, her jaw dropped and her cheeks turned bright pink.
“Oh my gosh, Mr. West! You’re back!”
I smirked at her. “Yes,” I said. “A latte, please, with soy milk.”
“Right away,” Janet said. She leapt to her feet and scurried across the room, her heels clacking on the marble floors.
I rolled my eyes. I’d forgotten how it felt to be drooled over constantly. While the women in London had obviously been attracted to me, they’d shown a lot more restraint than the thoroughly American Janet.
Unlocking my office door, I went inside and sat down. It felt good to be back in my own chair, at my own desk, in my own office. Janet followed a few seconds later with a hot, steaming latte in her hands.
“Here you are,” Janet said proudly. She passed me the latte as if it was the Olympic torch. “How are you?”
“I’m fine,” I said without looking up. “I wanted to drop by and see how everything was going here.”
“Oh,” Janet said. I glanced up and saw that she was squirming and fumbling with her hands. “Right.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Janet said quickly. “Um, it’s just—”
I sighed. “Spit it out,” I said, narrowing my eyes at her. “This is getting really old, Janet. You’re not a child. Please, stop acting like one.”
Janet’s cheeks turned bright pink. “I’m sorry,” she said meekly. “It’s just, um, I have something for you,” she added in a soft voice.
“Is it work related?”
Janet’s face fell. “What do you mean?”
A flash of hot annoyance rose in my throat and I tried hard to push it down. I’d always prided myself on behaving professionally, but people like Janet made it incredibly hard sometimes.
“I mean, does it relate to our work here?” I asked, a trace of sarcasm creeping into my voice. “Because otherwise, Janet, I’m sorry to say that it’s not relevant.”
Janet’s chin began to quiver.
“Please, calm down,” I said in a low voice. “I’m not trying to upset you, but you have a job to do, don’t you?”
A single tear rolled down Janet’s cheek and I sighed.
“I’m sorry,” I said, even though I was well aware that I’d done nothing wrong. “Janet, please take a few minutes and pull yourself together. Then I’ll email you some notes that I want you to type up for me.”
Janet didn’t move.
“Janet, please go to the ladies’ room and tidy yourself,” I said sternly.
Another tear dripped down Janet’s face and she buried her face in her hands, crying loudly.
“It’s not fair!” Janet shouted. She took her hands away from her face and glared at me. “I don’t understand you!”
“What?” Frowning, I got to my feet and crossed my arms over my chest.
“You heard me,” Janet shot back in a vicious tone. “You think you can do whatever you want, walking around with that stupid smirk on your face! You make every woman who works here think that you want to sleep with her!” She bit her lip and tearfully shook her head. “And I’m sick of it!”
“Excuse me,” I said coldly. “But I’ve done nothing of the sort. If anything, you’re the one who embarrasses herself, Janet. You’ve mooned over me since your first day here, and you’ve ruined a few very important tasks during the short time that you’ve worked here.”
Janet glared at me. “It’s not fair,” she said.
“Go to your desk and gather your things,” I said, glancing down at my watch. “I want you gone by the end of the day.”
Janet’s cheeks turned from red to white and her jaw dropped. “You can’t fire me,” she said. “That’s sexual harassment!”
“No, it’s not,” I said. “And if you try to threaten me with such ludicrous claims again, I’ll have my lawyer contact you immediately.”
Janet swallowed. I could see her rapid pulse thumping in her throat. For a moment, I almost felt guilty. Then she made a vicious face at me.
“Well, don’t worry,” Janet spat. “Just know that every time a woman fucks you, she’s only doing it because you’re the goddamned CEO!”