***
After Grant brought to my attention what I already knew but didn’t want to admit, that I was physically attracted to a man I couldn’t stand, at least I couldn’t stand the idea of him, I did my best to do my work while avoiding him at all costs. I found that was going to be easier said than done. Seth seemed to be one of those “hands-on” bosses that were everywhere yet he still gave his employees the autonomy to make decisions on their own, based on whatever their particular expertise might be. When I was forced to be alone with him, I did my best to just ignore his flirtations or act like I didn’t get it at all. I noticed that by the end of the second week he seemed to be toning it down.
I worked hard during the day and then in the evening when things were quiet and I knew that Seth had left for the day, I did my snooping. I snooped through the computer files that it would make sense for me to be accessing, but I worried about leaving a trail in places that I wasn’t supposed to be. I really doubted there would be computer records of it all anyways. I was convinced that finding the old books or the legal paperwork was what I needed to do. Where they might be hiding was another story. I couldn’t just go digging around in the CEO’s office, or in the records department downstairs. I would need a legitimate reason to be in either of those places.
I was confident in the fact that once I set my mind to something it was unlikely that I wouldn’t succeed. I just needed to be patient until the opportunities I needed arose and be ready to take advantage of them when they did. Part of accomplishing my goals meant that I needed to become a valuable employee at Hunter Corp. That would be hard to do if I got caught snooping and got fired.
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CHAPTER SIX
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On the Thursday of my second week with the company, I decided that once Seth and the other executives were gone for the day, I was going to have a go at the oversized file cabinet that sat behind his assistant’s desk. I had no idea what was in it, but if I could even find legal documents related to the take-over, it would be a start. The legal documents would have to have some of the financial information I was looking for in them. I had tried to access those through the courts, but since Hunter Corp. was a private corporation that had never taken their stock public, the documents were sealed.
I did a couple of casual strolls through the hall, each time glancing into the long window that framed each door. I also left my door open so that I could hear who was leaving. I heard Charles leave around five. Michael was still left at his desk then. Sometimes he didn’t leave until after I did. Besides Seth, his assistant and I, they were the only ones on this floor. I hoped that Michael left soon, along with Seth and his assistant. I absolutely did not want to get caught in the building after hours… that would be a hard one to explain.
I heard Michael say good-night to Seth’s assistant around seven. Then at seven-thirty, I heard her knock on Seth’s door and stick her head in to say good-night. I could hear the smooth silk of Seth’s voice reply to her, but I didn’t hear what he said. Delving back into the report I was finishing for him this week, another half hour passed before I realized it. I was shocked when I looked up at the clock and saw that it was already close to eight p.m. My neck was aching and as I sat there and pondered what I should do, I took the braid out of my heavy hair and ran my fingers through it. My hair grew like a weed. It had ever since I was a little girl. I couldn’t wear it short because of the curl, the shorter I went, the curlier it seemed to get and then I looked like one of those girls from the eighties with a bad perm. Instead, I wore it long and did my best to style it so it was always out of my face. Sometimes the weight of it wore on my neck and shoulders though and tonight was one of those times.
After de-tangling my wild mane with my fingers, I got up from my desk and glanced down the hallway. Seth’s door was still closed, but it would be whether he was here or not. I left my office and snuck quietly down the hall. I double checked that all the other lights were off and the offices were empty. I didn’t know what time the cleaning crew came in, but if they caught me going through files they wouldn’t have any idea that I wasn’t supposed to be.
I knew if Seth was gone, his door would be locked. My not so brilliant plan was to gently touch it and if it was locked I could have a go at the files behind me. As I reached for the brass handle it suddenly turned. That was my first clue that I should have thought my plan through a little better. I jumped and in spite of myself I let out a squeaky little noise. I realized I was staring right at his chest and I could feel the blue eyes boring down at me. I swallowed hard and looked up at him, doing my best to offer what I thought was my most dazzling smile.