Resisting The Bad Boy

Chapter Seven

Lilian’s POV

It was only three days later that my feet touched the ground of the San Francisco airport, a carry on suitcase trailing behind me as I walked through the doors toward a brand new life.

True to their word, Evolution placed me in a small one bedroom apartment about ten blocks from the office. It’s an open plan space that has a view of the building next door, but it’s a damn sight nicer than what I could afford back in Boston. It is also not on a street where I feel like I need to carry mace in my hand as I walk home each evening, another bonus from my life across the country.

I pull open the door for the offices of Evolution Industries, I’ve been in San Francisco for two weeks already, and I already feel like I’m home. I have spent my days learning the ropes from Derek, and my evenings sightseeing and looking at a few apartments though I’ve already realised that what I can afford will be nowhere near where I am now. Today is D day, the day that Derek is finally going to hand me my first client and allow me to take the reins on this athlete's social media presence.

I step inside the air conditioned building, glancing quickly around the light spacious foyer before running my hand over my black pencil skirt nervously and heading toward the gold elevator doors to my right. My sensible black high heels click on the marble floor and I try not to tug at the front of the white blouse I’m wearing as I stop in front of the desk for a second where a stunning blonde woman is sitting talking into a headset.

‘Evolution, which name please?’ she chirps into the speaker by her mouth. Listening for a beat, she reaches in front of her as she replies, ‘one moment please.’

Pressing a button on the display on the desk, she waits for someone to answer. ‘Mr Edmund, there is a Stacy Warner on the line for you . . . yes sir, I’ll transfer her now.’

Hanging up she turns her gaze to me a welcoming smile on her face.

‘Lilian! She greets me, ‘how are you finding it here?’ she asks.

‘Hi Mel’ I reply, returning her smile, setting down my briefcase on the floor for a second, ‘I’m really enjoying it, Derek is handing me my first account today.’

Mel or Melanie if you want her full name, though she screws up her nose when you use it, seems only her mother calls her Melanie, squeals excitedly. ‘Yay!’ she whisper shrieks, ‘that’s awesome! We need to go out and celebrate! Drinks after work?’

I grin back at the woman who literally embraced me as a friend the moment I walked into the Evolution building two weeks ago looking like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. ‘Sure’ I agree, ‘are you finished at five?’

Mel nods, holding up a finger as she answers another call, patching them through before returning her attention to me. ‘On the dot’ she laughs, ‘Brook will be in to take over then so we can go get our cocktails on.’ She shimmies in her seat as I laugh, giving her a wave and picking up my briefcase again, continuing my journey to the elevator that will take me to my office.

The receptionist waves back to me, her attention already back to her phone that is ringing shrilly.

Pressing the button for the thirty seventh floor, I lean back on the rail as the doors slide shut and watch the numbers tick upward until the slide open again to reveal the now familiar plush carpeting and beige walls of my work place.

Stepping out, I hurry down the corridor, my footsteps muffled by the thick bream carpet, walking past rows of offices, some with their doors shut, muted voices coming through the barrier, others open so I can wave to the occupants.

Reaching my own office that I share with five other employees, I slide into my cubicle and sit down behind my desk, pressing the button to boot up my computer as I store my briefcase beside my feet.

‘Hey Lilian’ comes a voice from the next cubicle and I glance up to see my neighbour Julian peeking over the top of the divide.

‘Hey’ I reply warmly, turning to face him, running my gaze over his face before narrowing on his neck, ‘have a good night, did we?’ I tease.

Julian chuckles, rubbing the dark hickey adorning his neck, ‘I may have bumped into Darren after work at the local tapas bar’ he replied.

I shake my head at the man, Julian was a sharer and it took him less than forty minutes after I first sat down at my desk on my second day to fill me in on his on again off again relationship with a buff bouncer he’d met two years ago.

‘I thought you said that you were done with him’ I mock scold, waving a finger at him.

Julian blushes, ‘well I was’ he agrees before sighing, ‘but his muscles Lil! If you saw the way they bunch under a white t-shirt you’d understand why I can’t say no!’

I giggle at his expression, swinging back around to my computer and typing in my password.

‘Lilian!’ comes Derek’s voice across the room and I jerk my head up to find my boss leaning out of his door looking for me. ‘Office!’ he growls before disappearing again as I grab a notepad and pen and stumble out of my chair.

‘Ohh the big bear is growling today’ Julian sing songs behind me, ‘maybe take a stick to keep him at bay’ he winks as I walk past.

Shaking my head, I hurry toward Derek’s office sliding inside the room to find the man himself behind his huge mahogany desk, a frown creasing his brow.

‘Shut the door’ he grumbles without looking up and I’m quick to obey, kicking out the door stop from underneath so the heavy glass swings slowly shut.

I glance around the room, taking in the massive corner office that Derek Camberley occupies. Two walls are floor to ceiling glass with a breathtaking view of San Francisco that makes me want to press my face to the glass and soak it in.

The office itself has a black sectional seating area and a large armchair that are curled around a coffee table that holds various sports magazines. The walls are bare except for a shelf that supports a few sporting memorabilia that are signed by what I assume are players and a large photo of Derek shaking a man’s hand as they both beam at the camera.

‘Take a seat Lilian’ Derek sighs and I hurry over to the chair across from him, taking a seat as he drags a hand down his face.

‘Is everything OK?’ I ask my boss worriedly, wondering if I’m in trouble, my stomach sinking at the thought that maybe I’ve done something wrong or that Derek has decided that I’m not right for the position after all.

My boss shakes his head, raising tired eyes to me that crinkle as he smiles, ‘no, no’ he replies, waving a hand dismissively, ‘same s**t different day is all. Just one of my accounts causing problems and I need to put out the fire . . . never mind, that isn’t why I called you in here.’

I nod, straightening up and waiting, pen poised to take notes. Derek chuckles as he takes me in, ‘relax Lilian’ he huffs, ‘you are always so highly strung, you make me feel on edge.’

I try to relax my shoulders, ‘sorry’ I mumble, ‘I just don’t want to get anything wrong.’

Derek nods, ‘trust me, I understand that’ he replies fondly, ‘but I promise you that you are doing great. Marston told me that you helped him out on his golf prodigy i********: the last couple of days, he was impressed with your input.’

I beam as I make a mental note to buy Julian a cupcake for giving me props with the boss. ‘It was nothing’ I reply modestly, ‘Julian had an awesome idea to get his name out there, I just helped him with a few extra ideas.’

Derek laughs as he shakes his head in amusement, ‘one thing you need to learn here Lilian’ he rumbles, ‘you take credit where it’s due. Everyone wants to move up the ladder here and they will take the praise for your work if you don’t step forward and do it yourself. If Marston says you gave him the bones of his pitch then you gave him the bones of his pitch. Everything he said just makes me even more positive that we were right to snatch you up and pull you into the Evo circle.’

I blush brightly at his praise and bite my lip hard to stop myself from deflecting again. Take the praise Lilian, you earned it.

‘Thank you Derek, It was a lot of fun to come up with ideas’ I reply instead and my boss nods happily as if he’s pleased with my words.

‘OK’ he grinds out, clapping his hands together, ‘are you ready to go out on your own?’ he asks. ‘Want to dip your toe into the world of PR work and see what you can do for a sportsman who is trying to make a name for himself?’

I nod excitedly, forcing myself to not bounce in my chair, since I worked with Julian, I have to admit, I’m excited to have my own account.

Derek grabs a folder from a pile on his desk and holds it out to me, ‘here is your guy’ he says as I grab the folder and flip it open to find a bio and a photo of a young man wearing a basketball top smiling shyly at the camera.

‘Maverick Deagilo?’ I read from the top of the page before glancing up at my boss who nods.

‘He’s just been drafted into the San Francisco Warriors’ he explains, ‘he’s warming the bench right now but the owner thinks he could become a big name out there when he’s done his time. He needs a social media presence, someone to dig around and make sure he has no skeletons in his closet, and if he does? Make sure that we are the only person who can find them.

If we can get his face out there, hopefully, we can pick up some endorsements for him which is extra money for us and in turn you.’ The boss winks as I stare at him in shock.

‘I thought I’d just get a small account’ I stammer as I hold the folder in slightly shaky hands.

Derek leans back in his chair, smiling widely, ‘I thought about it’ he admits, ‘but I think I want you to build something all of your own. Maverick is green, he still has the same email address he set up at thirteen. He has the potential to make himself and us a lot of money, but he comes over as a little naive. He needs someone with their head screwed on that won’t let him get chewed up and spat out by the media. I believe that you are his person’ he adds, ‘you are touch enough to stand your ground with pushy execs and asshole journalists looking to stir up s**t that isn’t there. You also have that trustworthy feel to you that will make our guy feel at ease.’

Derek leans forward, pressing his fingers together as he rests his elbows on the desk, ‘this guy isn’t from the big city Lilian, he’s a small town boy who got lucky. If we want to keep him after he hits it big, we need to protect him and treat him well whilst he’s small fry. Maverick Deagilo is the kind of guy who is loyal, he’ll take the company with him when he starts making bank, we want to be that company.’

I nod immediately, glancing over the basic information on the young man who will be my very first client.

‘Are you up for this Lilian?’ Derek asks seriously, ‘can you build this account up from the ground?’

I straighten my back, looking my boss determinedly in the eye, ‘I can do this Derek’ I reply firmly, ‘thank you for trusting me.’

My boss grins as he leans back in his chair, ‘I can’t think of anyone I trust more than you for this’ he replies warmly before dismissing me, already looking at his computer with a resigned groan as I hurry out of his office, my first official company file gripped tightly to my chest.