Running From the Billionaire

I spent the rest of the day doing as Mr. Caldwell said. Only this time, I confirmed appointments for Mr. Benson, forwarded emails to Mr. Benson, and took messages for Mr. Benson. It seemed that the world knew of Mr. Benson’s new position and wanted to speak to him, and they had to go through me to do it.

Five o’clock finally arrived, and I grabbed my things before making my way to the elevator. Luck was on my side, and the elevator arrived quickly. Just as the doors began to close, a hand waved in between them, halting their progress. The doors slid open, and in walked Mr. Benson.

Wow, just my luck.

Instinctively, I moved to stand in the back corner of the elevator to give him, and me, space. Mr. Benson pressed the closed button, then walked to the back corner and stood next to me, the sleeve of his jacket brushing my arm. What the hell?

My heart jumped to my throat at the close proximity. Why, oh why did he have to stand so close to me? The smell of his cologne overwhelmed me, and it took everything I had to not do something that would jeopardize my career.

Despite not wanting to, I couldn’t help but stare at him from underneath my lashes. God, he was hot. Part of me wished that he was a good guy and not your typical womanizer, but I doubted it. Guys who looked like him had girls throwing themselves at them all the time, and he would be stupid not to take advantage of them. Still, a girl could dream.

“If you’re done ogling me, I suggest you listen to me very carefully,” came a deep voice from my left.

I looked up in surprise to see Mr. Benson staring at me with a hard expression. Heat flooded my cheeks as I realized that my covert glances weren’t so covert after all.

I tried my best not to appear too flustered. I would not let him intimidate me.

“Yes, sir, you were saying,” I said, my voice shaking slightly. Damn!

“You are to be ready to work by 7:30 a.m. sharp, from Monday to Friday. If you are late, then rest assured that the consequences will be dire. I do not like nor accept tardiness, so be very careful,” he said in a serious, business-like tone. “Also, keep in mind that I require and expect excellence from all my employees. If you fail to reach my expectations, then please know that your time with this company will be over.”

I gulped in fear, my eyes wide with shock. 7:30 a.m.? Excellence? Holy muffins, what was wrong with this man?

I continued to face forward, knowing my job was on the line and I couldn’t afford to upset him. Suddenly, his face was in front me, his eyes locked to mine. Up close, I could make out the blue specks dotted throughout his gray eyes. Back in Mr. Caldwell’s office, I thought them cold. But up close, I was caught in their spell, wanting nothing more than to stare into them all night.

The ping of the elevator had Mr. Benson snapping out of whatever trance he was in and he moved toward the elevator door. As the door opened, Mr. Benson turned back to me, invading my personal space once more.

He leaned down until his lips brushed my ear. “7:30 a.m., Hailey. Do not be late.” And with that, he turned and strode out of the elevator as if nothing had happened. Meanwhile, I was left alone with my insides a jumbled mess.

Holy muffins!

***

After my experience with Mr. Benson on the elevator, I knew I couldn’t work there anymore. My reaction to him scared me. There was something in his eyes—a dominance mixed with passion—that I knew I wouldn’t be able to resist for long. It was better if I left the company on my terms instead of waiting for the intense desire I felt to erupt.

My resignation letter slid out of the printer, and I sighed in relief. I grabbed the letter and folded it neatly before sliding it inside an envelope. I would deliver the letter tomorrow morning before Mr. Benson arrived at the office. Satisfied that my work was done, I turned off my laptop and walked out of my bedroom.

I went to the kitchen and pulled a tub of cookie dough ice cream out of the freezer. With my favorite ice cream and a spoon in hand, I sat on the couch to binge American Horror Story and forget about Mr. Benson and the tingles I felt when in his presence.

I was deep into my second episode when the sound of a lock turning broke through my reverie. I looked toward the door as Mandi, my best friend and roommate, walked through.

Mandi had been my best friend since high school, even though we couldn’t be more different. While I found pleasure in the organization required to keep a business running, she wanted to take the fashion world by storm. Right now her brown hair fell in gorgeous waves around her face, her honey-colored eyes were subtly lined to accentuate their round shape, and her full, plump lips were painted a deep red.

She smiled at me as she kicked off her sky-high heels. I sighed with jealously, even though my feet hurt just looking at those shoes. I loved Mandi dearly, but I’ve never been able to pull off her clothing choices. She regularly shopped for expensive, one of kind pieces that would look crazy on anyone except celebrities or models. Here I was, wallowing in my sweatpants and stained T-shirt, and she looked like she just stepped out of a magazine.

“Hey, Lee, how’re you doin’? I saw your text about your new boss. How he is?” Mandi asked as she headed into the kitchen to grab a spoon for herself.

As she dug into my ice cream, I told her about my meeting with Mr. Caldwell and Mr. Benson. I then told her about my interaction with Mr. Benson in the elevator and how good looking I thought he was with a dangerous, yet sexy aura.

“Oh my God,” Mandi said, putting a hand over her mouth.

“What? What’s wrong?” I asked. Mandi ignored me and began messing around on her phone.

“Mandi, what the hell? Tell me what’s wrong,” I demanded.

Mandi turned her phone toward me, and I saw a picture of Mr. Benson plastered on the screen.

“Is this your new boss?” she asked. I nodded, confused as to why she was asking me that question.

“Oh my God, Lee! Do you have any idea who this guy is?” Mandi asked, flabbergasted.

“Uh… Mr. Benson?” I said.

“This is Theodore Benson, Lee. The most notorious businessman in the retail industry. I can’t believe you haven’t heard of him. Even I know who he is, and I’m super far down the information chain in my office.”

“Okay,” I said. “So, you know who he is?”

Mandi sighed. “People call him The Sniper. When he wants to destroy a company, he does it in such a clever way that no one realizes it until the company is left with nothing. He takes over without letting anyone know, or even suspect, that he’s doing it, and now you’re telling me he is your new boss!” Mandi said all this without blinking.

My heart sank. It all makes sense now. Why I hadn’t known about the takeover, even though I was Mr. Caldwell’s personal assistant. Theodore Benson, The Sniper. He destroyed without making a sound. Holy muffins!

I must’ve gone pale, because Mandi started shaking me, bringing me back to the present.

“Hey, Lee, it’s okay. You just try and stay away from him. Or if you can’t, then try not to get on his bad side and you’ll be fine,” Mandi assured me while rubbing my shoulder.

I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. I’m going to resign. I already have my resignation letter printed out. I’m going to drop it off tomorrow. He’s dangerous, Mandi, and I don’t want any part of that,” I stated with confidence.

“Oh, well, if you’re sure, then I won’t stop you. It’s probably for the best. From everything I’ve heard, Theodore Benson is bad news through and through,” Mandi agreed with me as she got up.

“I had a long day, so I’m going to go crash. See you in the morning, Lee,” she said before leaving to go to her room.

I glanced at the TV before turning it off. I was dreading what tomorrow would bring, but I had a plan. I decided I’d go in early, at 6 a.m., and put the resignation letter on Mr. Benson’s desk before he got in, that way I could get in and out without having to face him.

Yeah, that was the perfect plan.