Obsessively Yours (Joe & Ella 1)

“I hurt myself.” I replied.

He shook his head, “Apart from yourself did you actually hurt anyone, cause any heartbreak? No! You’re single, he’s single and you let yourself be led into something which, let’s not forget, he’s been pushing for pretty persistently since he first laid eyes on you. It’d take a fucking nun to resist him like you have these past few weeks Elle. You haven’t done anything wrong!” he repeated glaring straight into my eyes to make sure I was listening.

I looked down at my hands and whispered, “It was on office time, what if Frank or Eric find out I could lose my job.” The tears started running again now, wetting my already damp pillow.

“Who’s gonna tell them? Him? I doubt it, he could be hit with a lawsuit for workplace harassment. You? Well I know the answer to that. I think I can safely say I’m not gonna say anything, so I think your secret is safe Ella.”

He wiped a tear rolling down my cheek and smiled at me.

“I could make your hair curl even more if I told you all of the things I’d done with guys on office time.” He sniggered.

“But I have to work directly with this guy Chris, what do I do when he rings up to talk to me, wants a meeting or even worse shows up at our offices?”

“Things are still raw for you at the moment Elle. If you don’t want to talk to him I will, just put his call through to me. If he asks for a meeting or shows up at the offices I’ll tell him you aren’t available, he’ll have to deal with me. We can deal with this. Then once you’re feeling stronger you can hit him up with some of that Ella Reid sass you’ve had in spades just lately.”

Chris was right of course and yet again I found myself wondering what I would do without him.

“You’re the best friend a girl could ever wish for.” I said and kissed him on the cheek.

“Better believe it,” he winked, “you’re my girl Ella and I’ll always have your back.”

It’s been just over a week since the famous visit to the ‘mansion of lust’ as Chris likes to refer to it now and he really has stepped up to the mark with his protection of me like he said he would. Joe rings my line every single day, sometimes multiple times but I haven’t had to speak to him once; Chris always takes the call or takes messages. I’ve been to a conference, meetings with clients and sent off for extensive training out of town according to Chris, all in the name of keeping me away from taking those phone calls which I know aren’t business related at all, but a way to try to get through to me, to control and manipulate me.

The day after the visit I received the traditional roses. They were beautiful. White roses that took up half of my desk and smelt divine. The envelope attached to them read

Blue eyes,

White roses are a symbol of purity and innocence and you beautiful girl are both of these. I’m sorry for corrupting you. Actually no I’m not, and I look forward to doing it again very VERY soon.

Joe x

He obviously thought he’d broken down my walls, and maybe he had taken a few bricks away that day, but my sturdy, protective walls were still well and truly in place unbeknown to him. I placed the flowers in reception for Kim to coo over and put the card into my bag along with the others he had sent me. I didn’t email or ring him though. No contact was the best way to go. He would get the message soon enough.

Yesterday it was another request for a sight visit. Chris went in my place and took great pleasure in telling me how Joe instantly spun round with a shout of “Fucking unbelievable!” before storming off into his office when he saw Chris walk in alone. Josh was left looking between the office door and Chris in total bewilderment as he had no idea what the hell was going on with his temperamental boss. Joe didn’t appear again and left Josh to deal with Chris, and I got the feeling that Chris was forming a soft spot for the shy man as he told me affectionately how Josh had asked after me and how attentive he was during their meeting. Maybe something positive could come out of this whole mess after all.

I was standing in our little kitchen at the back of the main office trying to decide whether to go for a latte from our machine or save up the calories and just boil the kettle and have a much more figure friendly cup of tea when Chris slinked into the room like he was on a spying mission and closed the door behind him. I raised an eyebrow at him, “What’s with the 007 moves dude?”

“He’s here.” Chris whispered and I knew straight away who the ‘he’ was. I gasped and held my hands on my chest to try to stop my heart bursting out of it.

“What should I do? I’m trapped.”

“Stay exactly where you are ok. I told him you were at a trade fair in Liverpool and wouldn’t be back today.” I huffed out a huge sigh of relief then my eyes bulged again as I realised Chris was in here and not out there keeping up the charade. How long before someone else told him I was just making a cuppa in here and he came stalking in?

“Granted my little white lie confused Frank when he appeared behind me, but bless the old guy he went along with it and he’s speaking to Joe in his office now. I’ll come back in when the coasts clear ok.”

I was lucky to have so many ace people in my corner. Three lattes and a kitkat chunky bar later and Chris came into the kitchen with the thumbs up.

“All clear, you’re free to come out.”

“Thank God, I need to go walk off some of these calories I’ve consumed waiting for my release from hell.”

“Want some company gorgeous?” Chris asked but I shook my head no. I needed to get some fresh air and be on my own with my thoughts. I needed to start manning up and find my girly balls. I couldn’t keep hiding in kitchens and running away. I was a big girl now playing in the big leagues after all.

I grabbed my bag and headed out into the warm breezy afternoon, the crowded city streets full of people with purpose, all lost in their own heads and pushing into each other to get to their destination in life. I had no purpose today, I just wanted to walk and breathe; take in the beautiful city that we all take for granted every day. To notice the little wonders that made it such a vibrant place to be full of hope and expectation for what your life could become. The cloudless sky and soft summer breeze on my face. The hum of the traffic and smell of the city all smoky, warm and laced with ambition. The buildings with breath-taking architecture and the people so diverse and wonderful each in their own right.

I turned a corner and stopped dead in my tracks, feeling sick to my stomach. There leaning up against a black Range Rover, arms folded and

looking straight at me stood Joe Madden. I couldn’t move. People pushed past me on the pavement, bumping me and tutting, cursing my frozen frame blocking them from making their journey quicker than it already was. I didn’t care, I was paralysed. Joe took off the sun glasses he was wearing, eyes still piercing into mine and he shook his head in what looked like disappointment, turned his back on me to get into his car and sped off down the road away from where I stood.