Flirting with A Jerk

The first time I ever caught a glimpse of that horrid Erik Graham was on the day before my first ever spring fashion show since I joined his company.He was sitting comfortably in the makeup room just as we were finishing up on the preparations for the big day and was successfully causing some kind of major uproar among all the stuff and models alike just by being in there with us. Apparently the jerk was handsome enough to make it to the top list of New York's super handsome men and even though I wasn't his biggest fun as of yet, I still had a heart to admit that he was indeed good-looking.His eyes were a striking blue, like an ocean or one of those polished blue rubbies you find decorated on Christmas trees. His perfectly sculpted jawline had a hint of an upcoming beard, well more like a stubble actually which made him look even more handsome. His hair that he'd allowed to grow to shoulder length level, was dark brown and curly and it fell all ov

The arrived at the Golden Plaza at least four hours before the event had started, but still found the entire square of it swarming with people as they got ready for the high and mighty society fashion show. There were people everywhere, from exhausted looking staff milling about with heaps of designer clothes slung over their shoulders to overexcited supermodels in short denim jeans that exposed their super tanned thighs and clad tops that barely covered much of anything.And then they were the photographers, swarming around everywhere and clicking away their cameras at everyone from some of the most famous people in their designer clothes and overpriced shoes to the said models as they showed off their endlessly long limbs clad in the skimpiest of outfits. They all appeared very posh, intimidating even as they floundered about in their expensive couture designs, making me feel so unworthy in my simple flowery dress I got off at a buy two get one free deal from a lo

I spent the next hour or two following Erik around like an obedient little puppy as he mingled around and made small talk with several famous people with whom I was far below status to even be allowed anywhere near a sniffling distance of. Among them were actors, actresses, musicians and those business tycoons we only get to read about in magazines and watch on TV.They talked and laughed about subjects that neither concerned nor interested me in anyway and so I tuned them out, opting to watching my fellow work force as they moved frantically about, taking care of a few finishing touches to their preparations as the show geared on around us.It goes without saying that I didn't fit in with that kind of crowd, I was completely out of place which got me to wonder why Erik thought it was a great idea to bring me along in the first place. Well unless his intention was to humiliate me in front of his rich guests as a way of putting me in my place which i

The next few days following my so called 'date' with Erik turned out to be such a hassle. I found that I had suddenly turned into some kind of celebrity overnight among my peers at work whose only interest was to find out what my actual relationship with him really was. I didn't know either as it turned out but apparently, no one listened to any of my explanations and just went on to assume that I was probably his latest fling.I hated being associated with that word. I wasn't anyone's fling and I sure as hell didn't want to be Erik's fling if at all I ever decided to do flings at whichever point of my life. He wasn't my type of guy, he was way too rich for me and didn't really fit into my simple way of life, but as it turned out, I was still powerless to stop the wild gossip and complete jealousy that haunted my every move just from that one harmless evening.It was the most frustrating thing I had ever had to experience and it got even worse on th

"Ashanti! I want to see you in my office now." Madeline's Vernon laced voice pierced through the air like a sharpened sword, bringing my fast moving feet to an abrupt halt just as I made it halfway to my desk. I stood frozen in place as thoughts of whether I should call Erik or not evaporated right out of my mind like morning dew, leaving only about twenty pairs of eyes from ten other colleagues of mine staring up at me with looks that either pitied me, or were bottom line scared for me.It was never a good thing to be summoned by Madeline Ford at whichever part of the day or for whatever reason. It was a horrible thing that every person who worked in our department thrived to avoid with everything they had. She was a bitter woman who for reasons only known to her, was always in bad mood. Being called to her office was never for anything like a pat on the back for a job well done or for a nice conversation about the future projects assigned to us, it