The Stolen Heart

Chapter 2: The New Marketing Head

I was prancing around my brand new office, breathing into the brown paper bag that my best friend and colleague, Jen had given me.

“Oh for god’s sake calm down” Jen muttered biting her lip.

“Calm down? Why wouldn’t I be calm? I am calm…see completely calm” I stuttered.

She rolled her eyes and continued sucking on the pineapple lollipop that was weirdly almost always in her mouth.

“You should have said something…You know to shut that b***h up? Not freeze there like a deer caught in headlights, then bolt” she said smugly.

I groaned, my cheeks turning pink as I remembered the way I ran out from the podium. Justin had come up to the stage to offer me assistance, but I simply ran off, without uttering another word. I felt so humiliated and disgraced. I should have stood there and said something….anything…

Now they would further spice up the rumors that I had bolted because there was actually some truth in their pronouncements.

I groaned again, jumping on to the white velveteen sofa, and tried to suffocate myself by smuggling the white fluffy pillow to my nose.

She let out a giggle as she pulled the pillow from my face.

“I am never going to live this down, am I ?” I murmured, pouting my lips.

She laughed and replied while holding out her phone, “No you are not. See you are already trending”

I swore out loud and snatched the phone from her. A sickening feeling hit my stomach as I scrolled through the post and all the rotten comments. I was being tagged as the gold digger of the century.

A nauseating feeling hit my stomach as my knees gave out and I fell to the floor.

“Merinna!” Jen yelled in shock and immediately tried to pull me back up.

“Excuse me, Ms Saunders, could I have a word with Merinna alone?” a rough, masculine voice asked…..Justin.

No! I don’t want to see him now. It was already humiliating enough to run and leave him alone to take care of all the mess.

I looked from Justin, who was standing near the door hesitantly, to Jen, who was looking at me, raising an eyebrow and sucking on her lollipop calmly.

My panicked eyes found Jen’s and I shot at her ‘Don’t leave me alone’ look.

And she shot back a ‘He is the boss’ look and shrugged and walked herself out. Oh! I am so gonna kill her….

I got up from the floor, quickly straightened out my Ralph Lauren dress and said guiltily, “Sorry for leaving you all alone to deal with the hyenas”

He closed the door, then walked towards me shaking his head.

“You don’t have to be sorry Merrina. They were out of line. Anyone would have done the same thing” he replied in a soothing tone.

I grimaced and replied, “You wouldn’t have”

He let out a sigh and ran a hand over his dark brown hair, which was perfectly styled, messing it up.

“When will you stop comparing yourself to me? You have did this since childhood, even in high school. Do you have a inferiority complex or something because I was always first?”

“And I was always second” I replied, heaving heavily.

I hated being second….but no matter how many hours I studied I could never beat the genius Justin Malcerk who would come to class, all hungover and would still miraculously manage to ace the test. What drove me crazy was that he never even tried and he got it easy, while me on the other hand, tried desperately so that I could give my mother a better life, but to no avail. I was never able to surpass the great Justin Malcerk. Though he was elder to me and Richard by two years, we were in the same grade from eighth grade. Don't get me wrong, Justin didn't fail or anything, but he had run away from home, dropping out of school briefly and when he had the audacity to show back, the principal put him in our grade. I was always first till then..

“You loathe me don’t you?” he asked, watching me with closely.

“No I didn’t….I was just not very fond of you. I could never hate you. You are Richard’s brother and by default that automatically makes you my family as well.”

He flinched harshly when I said family and I frowned. Did I say something wrong? Maybe I reminded him of his family….Richard. I am almost sure that he blamed me for the death of his brother. Well, it’s sorta true I guess. He wouldn’t have died if it weren’t for me.

My hands automatically went to my chest where the chain hung, and I clutched the ring tightly, tears making their way through my eyes into my cheeks.

“Don’t” Justin mumbled.

“Huh?” I sobbed

“Don’t go there. You have took Richard’s death the hardest of all of us. You have become a completely different person. You have shut yourself from the outside world,  focusing solely on you career and ignoring social events completely. Others may mistake this for hard work, or the determination to succeed. But you work yourself hard only because you don’t even want a minute to spare, because even if you had a minute to yourself, you would think about him.” He said grimly.

“I have changed?” I asked him bewildered.

“Of course you have changed. When was the last time you laughed out loud? And your stage fright, this is new. You were the debate team captain in college for god's sake. What the hell is going on with you?”

I can’t believe Justin noticed my stage fright, I thought he would just chalk it up to me becoming paranoid because of the malicious questions the reporters had asked. And how the hell did he know that I was the captain of the debate team in my college. All three of us had went to the same high school, but not the same college. Justin had went overseas for his graduation, while Richard and me had went to the local college.

I looked at him in the eye as I asked, “So what was all that about at the press meet? I had a feeling that you knew the blonde who started off the avalanche”

He grimaced as he uttered one word, “ ex- girlfriend”

“So, your scorned lover decides to attack me in front of everyone instead of going for your throat? Why me instead of you?”

“Because she wanted to hit it where it hurts” he muttered under his breath, so low that I almost didn’t make it out.

Hit it where it hurts? What did he mean by that? And why was that sardonic blonde targeting me?

I looked at Justin questioningly.

He , however shook his head, letting me know to drop it.

“Mr Malcerk, the new Marketing Head is waiting in your office” Jen slid her head in and said.

“New Marketing Head?” I mouthed at her.

“He is freaking hot” she mouthed back at me, before shoving the damn lollipop back in.

Justin frowned at Jen, then looked at me and said, “You better come too. I will introduce you to him. Today is his first official day here.”

I nodded at him. He then turned to Jen and said, “Please inform the CEO too to join us in my office.”

She mocked a salute at him and immediately took off, obviously to call my annoying little brother.

I sighed and followed Justin towards his office.

“Holy cow! You are hot….like so freaking hot” a very familiar annoying voice was shrieking excitedly inside Justin’s office…..My brother’s.

His office was right next to Justin’s, so obviously he reached there first. Justin held the door open for me, motioning me to go inside.

“You know why people wonder you are gay? This is the reason” I smirked at Nick, ,my little brother, who turned into a deep purple shade.

“ I tend to have that effect on most people. It’s not his fault.” A deep, masculine voice said sounding amused at our bickering.

I turned my head and saw the most gorgeous man I have ever seen in my life. Holy crap! It must be made illegal for a guy like him to exist in our very mundane world.

From his chiseled jaws to his blue eyes to his dark blonde hair, to his well-built masculine body, everything was a piece of art. He was not wearing corporate clothes and was instead spotting a black leather jacket and ripped jeans. Aren't marketing people supposed to be dressed in power suits and be all snobby?

I shook myself out of the daze as I found myself extending my hand, “ Ms Merrina Thomas, the CFO of Malcerk &Co”

He took a step forward, closing the distance between us as he replied, “ Daniel Walker, the new Marketing Head”

He then shook my hand firmly, while peering at me curiously.

He then looked behind me and I saw recognition flash in the blue eyes, as he moved from me and extended his hands to Justin.

“Mr Malcerk, how do you do?”

Justin shook his hand wearily and seated himself in his chair, while all three of us stood there like morons. 

“ As you have already familiarized yourself with both the CEO and CFO , you may leave now, Mr Walker. I would arrange for someone to give you a tour of the building”

Daniel immediately looked at me with a glint in his eyes as he suggested, “Would you do me the honor, Merrina?”

Why should I show him around the office? Okay, he is hot, but not that hot that he can get the CFO to give him the tour of the office.

Justin glared at him and replied icily, “She is the CFO,Daniel. I am sure she is otherwise occupied”

“Well, too bad then. See you later Merrina” He winked at me and left the office.

Nick raised an eyebrow at me, grinning as he said, “You know, I had to introduce myself to this guy three times before he started calling me by my correct name….But yours, of course he gets it right the first time.   Seems like someone is infatuated with you, sis”

I rolled my eyes at him as I said, “Oh! Grow up. You are just jealous that he gave me more attention than you”

“Hey, for the last time, I am not gay. Why does everyone keep thinking that?” He immediately shot back at me.

“HHmmm” Justin cleared his throat and continued to look incredulously at us.

I immediately left the office, visibly flustered, leaving behind the fidgeting Nick to fend for himself.