Obsessively Yours (Joe & Ella 1)

Fine. 6 it is. I’ll pick you up outside your office.

Joe

I forced back the urge to reply that I would meet him somewhere instead of him coming to pick me up, but I didn’t think I was in a position to barter seeing as how I was the one in the wrong here. I had to swallow my pride for an hour or so and be the polite girl my Nanna had taught me to be. I had better manners than to treat someone the way I had been, however frustrating and persistent they were.

When 5.30pm came I sneaked off to the ladies to freshen up my make-up, fluff up my curls and spritz some perfume. I’d do the same if I was meeting Robyn or Chris for coffee I told myself, ignoring the butterflies that had started to flutter across my tummy. I stared at my reflection in the mirror and reminded myself of an encounter in here not so long ago with a certain skinny brunette. Her warnings still rung in my ears, ‘he doesn’t do relationships’, and ‘you are nothing special’. I needed to remember this when he started using that lusty quick sand he was so good at catching me in. This was my chance to put right all the wrongs over the last few weeks and set my world back onto the right axis, get myself back onto a steady track. Things had gotten a bit crazy and I had let them. Now I had the chance to take back the control I had lost, be the bigger person and walk away with some dignity and decorum.

I did one last fluff and flick of my hair and checked my watch 5.55pm, better look lively and steel myself ready for what was to come. I had no idea how this was going to play out to be honest but I owed it to the company, myself and even him to be honest and up front.

As I headed for the exit to the office I got an attack of the nerves, what was I doing agreeing to see him, be in his car in such close proximity to his manliness? I’d probably end up saying or doing something embarrassing. Let’s face it I had a habit of being clumsy and putting my foot in it. I tried to switch off my brain as I let one foot move in front of the other on automatic pilot until I walked through the doors and there he was. Leaning against his Range Rover, one leg casually crossed over the other and his arms folded like before in the street. He smiled that cocky smile and opened the door for me.

“Thanks” I said not knowing what else to say.

He just widened his grin.

“My pleasure,” then he strode around to the driver’s side of the car settled himself in and turned straight towards me to say, “You look particularly beautiful today Ella, that dress makes your blue eyes sparkle.” He gazed seductively right into my eyes, “A man could get lost forever in those blue eyes of yours.”

God he was good. I looked down at my boring grey work dress with matching jacket. It was nothing special. How did he always have the knack to chip away at my resolve? To suddenly flip the tables and make me go from feeling dumpy and plain to desired and attractive all with a few words or a look? I needed to steer these peace talks back onto the right track. Otherwise things would be heading down the same road as before when I’d met him at the club that day.

“Let’s go get this over with.” I spat out a little too quickly as I gestured for him to start the engine and drive.

He cocked an eyebrow in surprise and replied, “You make it sound like I’m driving you to your execution.”

“That’s what it feels like.” I muttered to myself looking out the window as he pulled into the traffic. I couldn’t help but glance over to his arms as he was driving. What was it about a man driving and the way he held the steering wheel and manoeuvred a car that was so damn sexy? His white shirt had the sleeves rolled up to his biceps to show off the dark hairs running along his tanned muscular forearms, flexing and moving up and down, round and round. Fingers gripping the wheel, and letting it spin through his grasp as he turned the corners showing a hint of the magic they could perform in other ‘areas’. That look of power and the testosterone that was oozing from him into the air around us, putting me under his spell. Good lord Ella get a hold of yourself before you go back on everything you’ve promised yourself and you jump him right here in the car.

“Where are we going?” I glanced up at the profile of his face. He really was breath taking, with his chiselled stubbly jaw and lightly tanned skin, dark hair wavy and smelling so enticing he sent my brain into mush.

“There’s a bar I know just round the corner it’s not far now. You can have coffee if you like, I think I might opt for something stronger.”

“You’re driving remember.” I scolded sounding like my Nanna Jean.

He chuckled and replied, “Thanks for caring but I can call my driver to pick me up if I can’t control my ‘urges’”

I blushed at his reference to the ‘urges’, the comment about the driver on call totally bypassing me. He pulled into a parking space, turned off the engine and jumped out of his side of the car. Ever the pseudo gentleman he opened my door before I had time to do it myself and placed his hand on the small of my back as he led me towards the door of a trendy city bar. He thanked the doorman by name and led us to a private table at the back.

A stunning waitress came over with a very pronounced swing of her hips, eyes not wavering from Joe as she purred, “So what can I get you Sir?”

He didn’t even glance at her as he said, “My usual and…..” he held his hand out to me to answer and I kept my head down in embarrassment as I said, “just a latte no sugar for me please, I’m working.”

My comment merited a grunt from him as the hot waitress swaggered off back to the bar to get our order. Her furtive glance over to our table when she was out of ear shot wasn’t lost on me, she was so obvious it was shameful.

“So how has your day been? Good training?” He smirked at his reference to my lie and I sighed feeling awkward about what to say.

“I think we both know I wasn’t training today.” I looked up through my eyelashes at him but I couldn’t get a read on his thoughts, his eyes gave nothing away.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t been dealing very well with some….personal issues lately, but I can assure you I won’t let it a

ffect my work.”

“I’m not questioning your ability to do your job Ella, I just want to know more about you. What makes you tick? I thought we’d got past the bullshit after our ‘meeting’.” He smiled to himself at this then went on, “So why the cold shoulder? I thought you enjoyed out little get together the other day at the club, I didn’t hear any complaints at the time, in fact I seem to remember quite the opposite. So you got spooked when we were interrupted, I get it, you don’t like to be ‘on show’, I like privacy too. So tell me what’s going on am I not your type?”

The hot waitress chose this moment to saunter back over to us and pop a glass of what looked like scotch in front of Joe and a latte for me. Again she gave him her most sickly sweet smile and purred, “If you need anything else, anything at all, I’ll be just over there.” Joe completely ignored her.

“Let’s just keep this professional shall we? What I like and don’t like and who I find attractive is of no importance right now.”

“I beg to differ Ella, it’s all I can think about right now, that and what it’ll feel like when I eventually fuck you.”

“So it’s just a foregone conclusion for you, is that right? To hell with what I want.”