BOUNDED

ENCOUNTER

3

ENCOUNTER

The building itself looked amazing with every fancy mirrored windows all piled up beautifully. Oh god I'm really here. I take a deep breath in before stepping inside and my own reflection pains me.

Inside the lobby, the floors were in white marble and granite that spreads all through out from one end to another beneath my feet. Here holds a steel that keeps the glass staircase in tact which leads to the second lobby floor and a see-through elevator that zooms up and down. The building looked like an edgy nightclub but as quiet as a museum.

As I walked passed the revolving doors and deeper into the reception. Oh f**k me, everybody at the lobby is looking at me. I can't do this. I just can't.

I take a deep breath in and exhaled. Get your s**t together Thea, this is a once in a lifetime chance. Your internship is at stake. You'll embarrass the name of Lure Magazine. Even though I'm already embarrassing the magazine's name because of how I dressed.

I walk up to the reception even though I am inwardly already embarrass. "Thea Thibault for Mr. Ben Saintclare." I say.

She looks at me quietly. Obviously inspects what I was wearing. She inspects my ID Card and frowns. I waited quietly as I feel myself shrinking.

"Top floor." She says, eyeing me from head to toe down to my dirty white converse shoes.

I head to the elevator and as soon as I ride it, I cursed at it for being see-through. The elevator zips up to the top floor dropping my companions who works here since all of them looked great in sharp black and white exec suits. Along the way to the top floor it's just me and huge nerves tightening more and more in my stomach. I feel like I'm in need to puke.

The elevator dings. s**t.

I stepped out.

There were four black desks, two to the right and two on the other. In between it was a huge frosted glass door leads to.... His lair. I'm sure it's his office, because the frosted glass itself makes the impression of a glass fortress. It signals accessibility while being totally out of reach from the world.

One woman comes around from one of the desks, "Miss Thibault?"

She gestured to the sitting section. "Just wait there. Can we get you anything?"

I shake my head. "I'm good."

I thanked her and walked my way to take a seat on the row of chairs. I watch all four women who were very attractive. I'm sure he keeps beautiful women since he's a handsome man. They wore sharp charcoaled suits and takes continual calls. They work in absolute perfection of synchronicity.

One woman walks into the frosted glass, I'm sure she's informing that I'm here. There were voices but I can't no longer hear them because of the nervous pounding of my heart. I close my eyes and wished that I'm wearing a corporate attire, I open my eyes again and it's still sneakers. I groan, hating this situation even more now that I'm here waiting to be called into his office.

"Oh, and Mr. Saintclare, the reporter... She's dressed a little bit.... Dissentingly." I hear the woman speaking.

"She's here sir." She adds.

I think I'm going to piss myself.

She walks to me and smiled, "Mr. Saintclare is truly pressed for time today. I hope you enjoy your ten minutes."

I smile. "Thank you."

"May I remind you that he's very strict with his time." She adds.

I nod and thanked her again.

I nervously stand and walked up to the frosted glass. As soon as I stepped inside and the doors was closed, I was mentally out. His office was vast. There was no live plants on top of his table but instead there was technology and tons of different screens and lots of space as if he needs it.

The windows have an open view of the city, but I can't seem to be fascinated by it because he's there. Standing with his back facing me.

"I'm so honored to have this kind of opportunity Mr. Saintclare." I say.

He didn't budge.

"Thank you so much for letting me have this quick interview with you." I added.

"I actually didn't want--" He spins himself around and stopped with what he was going to say when he finally faced me.

I paused.

He paused too.

I've never shivered like this before not even when I'm freezing out in snow. He has a storm-like intensity, that hurricane force that is almost otherworldly. A storm that's wearing Armani.

Wow.

Wow on every part of him. His face. Oh God, his body. His presence. His lips. His shoulders. His height. His eyes. His hair. Wow his eyes are glowing --- green and deep. It's like ice made out of frozen Emerald. His presence is quite the experience. No wonder people talk about him online.

"You are?" He asks.

I assumed he already knew my name.

"My name's Thea Thibault. I'm from Lure Magazine, sir. I hope I can at least have a little amount of minutes from your busy schedule." I say.

I recover myself from being fascinated by him. Kylie was right, this man can twist your panties in knots or two.

"You could've at least worn something appropriate for this interview." He snaps.

I gaped as I stared at myself. I didn't know what to do anymore and I've never felt more embarrass as of today. I bet everyone wears their utmost best when they're going to see him. s**t, and here I am in my dirty overalls and sneakers.

"Have a seat Miss Thibault." He instructed with his brows creasing.

I could already feel his coldness from his voice. It's deep and a bit husky and his British accent was thick even though he grew up and was brought in New York when he was a kid.

I sheepishly walked to the chair across his enormous desk as I bite my lower lip. Once I've settled, I can't help not to stare at my fingers. I can't seem to look him in the eyes because he already discriminated what I wore.

"You've only got eight..." He glances at his watch, "Actually seven minutes and fifty-four seconds left." He corrected.

I pulled my head up right away and I instantly worried about the time. He's really counting down the ten minutes.

"Might as well start it right away. I don't have all day Miss Thibault." He added.

I lick my lips and exhale heavily.

"I'm just nervous to be facing you right now Mr. Saintclare. It's the first time I've seen such handso--" I cut myself off from what I was going to say by biting my lower lip.

Under my lashes, I watch him grin.

I clear my throat. "I just didn't expect you'd actually allow me to--"

"Nervous?" He cuts me off.

I watch him carefully as he takes a seat on his chair. He begins to look at me.

"I'm not doing anything that will hurt you Miss Thibault. Relax." He added.

I smile nervously. "It's just that... I've never done this before. I'm sorry sir. I'm just so nervous right now."

Fuck my hands are even shaking.

"It's okay." He c***s his head to the side. "Everyone gets nervous from time to time." He says with his deep voice.

"And since I'm still an intern for the company, they wanted me to have this hardest project to interview you because--

"Hardest?" He cuts me off again.

I gaped and noticed that I just told him he's hard to interview. Why is this day going wrong? Even the things I say are wrong and what I'm wearing is wrong.

"Interviewing me is the hardest thing to do? What was it like, your initiation?" He arched his eyebrow.

Now I'm getting more seriously nervous than a while ago. I don't know if he's mad at me for what I said or he's not satisfied of it because he keeps an impassive look on his face.

I shake my head. "It's not like that. It's just that..." I stutter.

"They've.. Been wanting to have a one on one interview with you. They've tried for so many years now and you always seem to decline every single one." I continued to speak.

"You're the persistent one." He snapped.

I bent my head down and felt massively embarrass at all becauset. I felt like every word I say to him is wrong and not satisfying. It felt like I'm being stupid because he's making me feel like one.

"I need this for my article. I'm sorry if I'm annoying you sir." My voice softens.

"Five minutes left." He reminded me.

I glared at my watch. "Ah shit." I cursed under my breath.

"I have a meeting after this. What do you wanna know?" He started.

His piercing green bore into me, it felt like he's studying me or maybe he's mentally discriminating what I'm wearing right now or maybe I'm just being paranoid. But no, facing such a handsome man like Ben Saintclare makes me anxious and afraid that I might say wrong things which I think I already did.

I pull my recorder out and placed it next to my thigh. "How is it to live the life of Mr. Benedict Saintclare? You're 25 and you've already accomplished so much."

"Well..." His voice is so deep, it sounds so sexy it matches his sexy green eyes.

"I always focus on work most of the times. It's my top priority. I want everything to be at best when it comes to work. I enjoy my free time with my closest friends. I'm pretty much into music too, I think growing up having dad around influenced me to become music-oriented. I think all of my siblings are into music as well." He answers calmly.

I nod.

"How does it feel to be the eldest son of Mr. Hugo Saintclare?" I ask, trying to sound calm like he is.

He grins.

"It feels great to be a part of this insanely famous family. I'm glad my father is one of the world's richest man despite the pressure, he's here to help me anyways." He boasted. Well he has a lot to boast about himself.

"Though its got ups and downs sometimes to be his son, I try to keep my head in the game. And I try to be a good brother to my three younger siblings." He continued to say.

"Don't you get bothered about the critics your company is facing?" I ask.

He c***s his head sideways. "I have the greatest conglomerate, why would I get bothered about little critics? It's only making my company stronger. The more they talk about us, the more our company wants to strive harder for success."

Ah, striking boastfulness.

I blink at him. "You are different than your father."

Okay so I also researched about Hugo Saintclare that's why I have a three-inch thick file about Benedict Saintclare. I need massive networks about him, his family, his parents and where he came from.

He arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

I shake my head, recovering from what I said. Damn it, my mouth needs a break. "People say things about you. They say you're ruthless and boastful, and that's not how Hugo was when he was your age." I continued to fire at him.

He grins that dimpled grin again. "Me and my father are two different people. Just because I'm his son doesn't mean I'd get his personality too." He sounded like he's annoyed.

Holy s**t did I annoy him because I compared him to his dad?

I clear my throat as I reviewed on the questions I wrote down on my pad.

"You're always out late with different women. Don't you think that'll affect your background as the President of Saintclare Enterprises?" I ask seriously.

"I think my personal life isn't really associated with my business. I keep my life private. If you may know, I have thousands of people who works for me and did it affect the company that I'm the known ruthless and boastful womanizer? I think it didn't, did it?" He snaps at me.

The door suddenly opens, "Sir, your meeting is going to start now."

I groan inwardly.

He nods at her as I hear the door closes once again.

"Can I please have another minute sir? It won't take long, I promise." I begged.

But he's already standing from his chair, "I'm strict with my time Miss Thibault. I have a board meeting waiting."

I have no choice but to agree since he's the boss. I stand from my seat with no choice and watch him as he quickly walk past me. I jogged my way closer while he opens the door for us. We walked out of his office even though I wanna pull him back in and ask more questions. Those questions won't even make one page for an article.

Inwardly, I was wanting him to take more time on letting me interview him but he's a busy man and he has no time for little magazines like Lure.