Flatline - Murder | Mystery | Intrigue

Chapter 3

Kay

Mr. Richards addressed Mitch, “We love your ideas for the campaign, we’ll sign, on one condition.” I could feel the tension rolling off Mitch, this account would elevate us to another level. 

Mr. Richards looked me straight in the eye and said “We want her to head up the campaign.”

My eyes widened and my jaw dropped, wait, what? Mitch quickly squashed his shocked and then crestfallen look, he had no choice but to agree. 

“I’m sure that won’t be a problem Mr. Richards, Kay is very capable and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed,” he said with a gracious smile. 

“Great,” said Richards. “We’d like you to start immediately, we have a tight timeline. Kay, I’ll require regular status updates, you can liaise with Emile,” indicating his assistant. 

“No problem Mr. Richards,” I stammered, still shell-shocked, and amazed at the opportunity. 

“Emile please stay and set up your first meeting with Kay,” and with that he left. 

My colleagues also filed out and then it was just Emile and I left. Oh God, I had to work with the sexy assistant until we finalised the campaign? I looked over at him, he was so handsome and he knew it, my least favourite kind of hot – arrogant and hard, maybe even a little entitled. I bet nobody ever said no to him. So why was my heart beating so fast?

“So,” he said sitting down next to me. “That pitch was yours wasn’t it?” and for the second time that morning, my jaw dropped. 

“How did you know?” I asked. He reached over and with a single finger pushed my sleeve up a few centimetres. His touch left a burning trail up my arm and my cheeks flushed, my brain was suddenly mush. I followed his heated gaze, he was looking at my tattoos. I pulled my hand away quickly and buttoned the sleeve. 

“Nobody else here seemed the type to understand the brand on that level, we didn’t get where we are without killer instincts,” he said. 

I knew his instincts weren’t the only thing ‘killer’ about him, as the hair on the back of my neck raised. I was wary, aroused and proud at the same time, he was definitely not boring after all. 

“I wonder what else you’re hiding Kay,” he leaned in, reached up and lightly trailed his finger along the bruise on my face. I winced slightly, it was still so fresh and tender. 

Damn, he didn’t miss a thing.  Suddenly I was aware of how close he was. There was something elemental about him, unpredictable like a storm that could be unleashed at any moment, yet his touch was feather-light and gentle. 

I knew the type, I’d seen them in the ring and I could feel the power rolling off him. If he decided to strike, he wouldn’t hesitate and you’d be lucky if you even saw it coming, dangerous. For a moment I was caught in the combination of power and the spicy smell of him. Stop Kay, don’t s**t where you eat! I took a deep breath and put some distance between us. I never mixed business with pleasure and I wouldn’t start now, especially with this arrogant specimen of hotness.

“So when would you like to meet for your first update,” I said, relieved that my voice was steady. 

“Friday, five pm. I’ll buy you a drink” he answered. 

“I’m not sure that’s entirely appropriate,” I said with a stern look. 

He looked amused and stood up, so I did too, we were way too close for my liking.

“There is nothing inappropriate about being at a bar at five pm on a Friday. I’ll send a car to the office at four-thirty pm, be ready,” and then he turned to leave. 

I exhaled slowly, I hadn’t even realised I was holding my breath. What the hell just happened? I made my way back to my cubicle and heard my name called as I passed the CEO’s office. 

“Yes Mr Andrews?” I said as I entered his office. 

“Congratulations Kay,” he said. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how important this account is to us.” 

“Thank you and you don’t Sir, I assure you they will be more than happy with the campaign,” I replied confidently. 

“Good, don’t f**k it up,” he said and immediately started looking at his emails, his way of dismissing me.  As I walked away I thought of Emile, his full lips, intense presence and my body’s reaction to him. Damn, damn, I had to get him out of my head, I had way too much riding on this.

  *_*

Emile

Fvck, I was a fourty-three year old man, my d*ck hadn’t been this hard from a simple touch since I was a teenager. She was gorgeous, intriguing, like a mystery I needed to unravel. Voluptuous curves that seemed to have a strength to them, lips that promised heaven, suddenly I wanted to kill whoever had hurt her beautiful face and Friday was too damn far. 

Next thing I knew I was plotting a way to see her before then, I couldn’t get those eyes and curves out of my head, and what the hell was with hiding her art under such prudish clothes. It took everything I had not to go back in there and get her, instead I got into the car. 

“So, was it her?” asked Tony with a grin. 

“Yeah, I knew it had to be.  Bet the others have done everything in their power to avoid the hood,” I said with a low snort. 

The proposal was brilliant, it aimed to take us back to our roots for all intents and purposes. A shoot on the real streets, in the hood. No manufactured set could capture the grit of genuine street. We’d get a few stills and some short promo clips, it was ballsy because real street wasn’t exactly the safest either, but it would give it authenticity, and that was exactly what our brand was about. 

Flatline was named after the gang ridden Cape Flats after all, the most dangerous part of Cape Town, the city voted as the most beautiful city in the world year after year. “I need a background on her ASAP,” I said. 

“Sure boss,” said Tony, with a curious look. I usually didn’t require one for this kind of business. I could tell the moment he caught on, his eyes had a glint of surprise and mischief to it, it had been many years since anyone had caught my attention this way.                                                                                                     

 *_*

Kay

As I neared my cubicle, I could hear Janet’s snide tone, “I bet she fvcked the boss to get that account,” she fake-whispered conspiratorially. 

Giana, the CEO’s quiet secretary, just looked at her with big eyes, definitely uncomfortable with the conversation, but not confident enough to offer anything to the contrary. I walked over and stood in front of them. 

“Do you have something you want to say to me Janet?” I offered, my presence an immovable wall. 

Janet stared at me in horror, not ever imagining that I’d confront her head on. Her expression turned into a sneer as her bitterness returned. 

“Just wondering who you slept with to get that account is all,” she spat. 

“Gee, maybe it was my hard work and all the extra hours I put in, you might want to try it sometime, you’d be surprised at the results,” I taunted. 

Her face turned red with fury, obviously not used to anyone not cowing to her tactics. I had had enough of bullies in my life and would no longer suffer any abuse, whether from words or punches. I would never be a victim again. I smiled slyly as she huffed and stormed off, struggling to manage her anger. Giana looked at me a little fearfully, probably wondering whether I believed she was complicit in the conversation.