Obsessively Yours (Joe & Ella 1)

Chris leaned over to me and whispered “You need to close your mouth babes or you’ll start drooling.”

I shut my mouth quick as a flash and pretended that I found something extremely interesting on my ipad and couldn’t possibly look up at the car crash that was unfurling before my very eyes. Why did shit like this always happen to me? Why couldn’t the client be a 60 year old I could schmooze easily and not some hot as hell 34 year old I’d already kicked to the kerb in the most mortifying way last weekend?

“I think we should start with introductions and telling you a little about us and what we do.” Frank said. I didn’t agree. I wanted to tell Frank to shut the hell up and let me escape this nightmare and run away. That wasn’t about to happen anytime soon though as each of my colleagues proceeded to introduce themselves and give a little spiel about what they di

d for the company in such an overzealous way it made me cringe. Joe Madden was doing a very good job of looking interested but that sly smirk on his face told me he was loving the power he was holding right now in this room. The power he held over me, I could hardly breathe. I needed an escape route and fast. “Come on Ella, you need to think your way out of this trap.”

The women were gushing and acting crazy. Even Marge, Frank’s 63 year old secretary who took notes at our meetings was acting like a love sick teenager, all giggly and batting her eyelids. What the hell was happening? Suddenly all eyes were on me, particularly Joe’s and he raised one eye brow in response to my silence.

“Ella, that’s the first time I’ve ever seen you speechless” Eric laughed and the rest of the room tittered along. Oh man it looked like I was too love struck or whatever to speak, my cheeks started to flush as I felt the embarrassment set in. Skinny bitch had a look of sheer boredom on her catty face and I imagined myself flying across the table to show her exactly how much I disliked her being here too… WWE smack down style.

“Sorry Eric I didn’t realise it was my turn to speak.” I said as I reached for a glass of water to wet my dry mouth. My shaky hands didn’t quite make it and the glass flew straight across the table, water spreading everywhere. People made frantic grabs for their ipads and papers and gave me looks of disgust for being the biggest klutz ever. I sneaked a look at Joe Madden and he was smiling and rubbing his stubble covered jaw as if to stifle a laugh. What the actual fuck, not only was he invading my work place but he was now taking enjoyment in my misery, hell no!

His work girlfriend placed her perfectly manicured fingers on his arm and whispered into his ear making him chuckle. I swear I heard the words ‘moron’ and ‘incompetent’, how dare she undermine me in my arena; the place I felt most confident in (most of the time).

“I’m so sorry” I mumbled as Marge mopped up the excess water with the available napkins and I slunk back into my chair hoping the ground would swallow me up.

“Ella, I’ve heard great things about you, I’ll look forward to working very closely with you.” Joe said causing bitch face to scowl at him and roll her eyes. I just stared ahead and nodded glad to move the attention onto the next person and get the spotlight off me. There was no way Frank or Eric would want me on this account now and to be honest I didn’t want it. I couldn’t work with Joe Madden his presence was too intense, he scared me and the less time I spent around him the better. Some things just weren’t worth the heartbreak they could bring and Mr Joseph Madden had heartbreaker written all over him. A playboy of the worst kind.

Frank and Eric proceeding to give Joe and his colleagues a run-down of our history and past accounts we had worked on. Joe then explained exactly what it was he was looking for from our agency. I tuned them all out, I wasn’t going within a million miles of this account and I was glad. Chris nudged my arm about ten minutes later to show me what he’d written on his notepad. ‘Looks like Mr Mad - den is ‘mad’ for you baby girl.’ A smiley face with its tongue sticking out drawn below. I frowned in anger at Chris then looked over to where Joe Madden was sitting. He was looking straight at me with that direct intense stare he had used in the club. Suddenly he smiled a small smile and gave me a wink. I gasped. What the hell was he doing, this was a business meeting with my colleagues not a cheesy nightclub. He couldn’t just do things like that in here. I glared at him, huffed and folded my arms defensively. He seemed to like that reaction from me as he chuckled to himself before reengaging in the meeting. I glanced down at my watch, would it be too unprofessional to announce I had a doctor’s appointment I’d forgotten about and hot foot it out of the boardroom?

Just as I was pondering my escape the others around me began to stand up. It looked like the meeting was wrapping up and in my day dreaming I hadn’t even noticed. Thank goodness this would all be over in a minute. I turned to Chris and said, “Forget the coffee I think we need something stronger today, liquid lunch sound good?” Chris was grinning his wicked grin when that damn sexy American voice piped up and said, “Ella could I have a private chat with you?”

What could I say, ‘no you’re an ass and an arrogant prick and I don’t want to waste any more of my working day dealing with your crap?’ I wish. I painted on my meekest smile and said yes and sat back down in my chair as everyone filed out, including Frank, Eric and Mr Madden’s two male associates. Bitch face stayed seated exactly where she was until Joe said quite forcefully, “Anna please leave.”

She looked at me, then turned to him, huffed her disapproval then flounced off following the others. As the door closed it was just the two of us, the aura of the room became tense and uncomfortable. I was nervous and didn’t want to look him straight in the eye, he made me feel too exposed, too vulnerable. Sensing my unease he stalked across the room and stood behind me looking out of our eighth floor window at the view over the city.

“Ella I know we didn’t get off to the best start but I want you to know that I respect your work and what you do here. I’m not here to cause trouble for you, quite the opposite in fact. I’d like very much for you to head up the marketing and advertising for my new club and bring some of that fire and creativity I can see burning in those beautiful blue eyes of yours.”

He walked up behind me, bent down to whisper in my ears and placed both of his hands on the back of my chair. “I’m looking forward to us getting to know each other better, much, much better. Us working together to bring my new venture to the mainstream over here. I think we could do some great…things...together.”

He stumbled over that last part as if the ‘things’ we would do were more than advertising. He was so sure of himself and it made me angry, turned on and exasperated all at once.

“That’s all very nice of you to say Mr Madden…”

“It’s Joe, please call me Joe.” He insisted.

“Mr Madden I have no intention of working with you, now or at any time in the future. I’m sure you’ll find any one of my colleagues an excellent fit for what you want, but I’m not on board I’m afraid.”

I went to stand from my chair, but Joe placed a firm hand on my shoulder to keep me in place and whispered in my ear.

“But I want you. I don’t want anyone else. If I don’t have you I’ll be walking away.”

My skin started to prickle where he was breathing and my heart was beating ten to the dozen. Why did he have to keep touching me?

“Did you know I worked here? Have you been stalking me?” I asked.

His eyes twinkled as he sat in the seat next to me.

“I might have asked around about you. Can you blame me? You waltz into that club all bouncing blonde curls and sexy curves flaunting yourself on the dancefloor in front of me. What’s a guy to do?”

I gasped in exasperation, how dare he assume I was trying to get his attention on that dancefloor, or anyone else’s attention for that matter.

“I was out with my friends having a good time, I wasn’t and never will be inviting your attention Mr Madden. I think you need to leave and find someone else to take you up on your ‘mutually beneficial’ arrangements.”

He cocked one eyebrow at me in amusement, “But I couldn’t see anyone else on the dancefloor that night Ella, only you.” He lent forward into my face now to make sure I understood what he was trying to tell me, “you held my attention, you consumed me that night, my thoughts, my…. urges.” He spoke the last part in a low growl and I couldn’t help the flip of my nerves and tickle in my belly at what he’d said and the images they evoked in me. My eyes bulged as I leaned away from his deadly lusty quick sand that I could sense was sneaking its way over to me.

“I’m sure your date was more than able to help you with those urges, so if you’ll excuse me I have work to do.”