Chapter 7 Mr Knowles is Mr Gray

(Mr Knowles is Mr Gray)

‘Are you here for the interview?'

'Y.... yeah'

‘Goodluck then. I hope your pretty face works in your favour', he laughed nervously, ‘That came out wrong didn't it??'.

‘Ohhh you're fine'

‘Well then', he nodded and stretched forth his right hand, ‘Jacob Hempstead. Internal relations manager....in other words I work here so no pressure'.

Kathleen forced an awkward smile, ‘I'm Kathleen....Kathleen Turner but I go by Kathy or at least that's what people call me'.

‘Nice to meet you Kathy and good luck with the interview. You're going to need it and take it as a tip—Mr Gray loves a good resumé'. He smiled and walked away.

Kathleen wasn't sure why he was giving her such a tip but she appreciated it nonetheless. He was really lanky with frizzy blonde hair and nerdy glasses, he was handsome and charming too but she'd had her fair share of charming men—she had a one night stand with one of them and was abandoned in a hotel suite.

Taking a deep breath she walked into the building, arriving just in time for the interview as she was just one out of the three candidates waiting patiently for their turn. Suddenly a woman bursted out the door wailing like a little child, with her hands clutching her file and purse as she bolted into the elevator immediately. Kathleen was bamboozled as Jacob's heads up was starting to come into understanding now, she'd had her fair share of worse bosses so she hoped the so called Mr Gray wasn't too much of a hassle.

‘Ohhh he's a mean one I heard'. One of the interviewees whispered to her like she could read her mind or something.

Her brows perked feigning ignorance, ‘Who's mean??'.

‘Grayson Hunter', the interviewee responded, ‘I heard he fired his former assistant just because she sneezed in an investor's meeting.....rumor says she called in sick but he refuses to let her stay home'.

‘If he's so horrible then why are you here then??'. Kathleen asked, genuinely curious and at the same time annoyed by this new piece of information. For once in her life she wanted the odds to work in her favor and not give her a shitty employer.

‘Ooh the pay's good. If I'm going to be working for a monster the salary might as well be worth it. I've got seven kids to feed you know'. The lady responded and moved forward as the other candidate was called into the office.

Kathleen frowned at her mention of seven kids, her experience living in a foster home was enough to tell that the stranger's home wasn't one of good call. However she shrugged the thought off, maybe not all big families were as traumatic as hers were.....not all of them had terrible humans as parents as well.

She took a deep breath and took Jacob Hempstead's tip into account, the CEO loved a good resumé and a good resumé was what she had. She graduated with honors from a nice university, managed to bag her masters and the only thing pulling her down was her criminal record—her spending half of her teenage years in juvenile prison for a heinous crime until she was exonerated.

‘Okay Kathleen you can do this'. She whispered to herself as the last candidate except her walked into the CEO's office, a smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she could already smell herself getting the job already. There's no way he wouldn't hire her, she had incredible work ethic and very good experience, all she prayed for was for her criminal past to be kept in the shadows.

Half an hour later the lady with seven kids walked out with devastation written all over her face, her lips trembled as her hands began shaking with fear. Kathleen rose to her feet to help but she wasn't taking any of it, wishing her good luck as she walked away briskly and muttering curse words under her breath.

Maybe he really was a monster, Kathleen thought, but she'd dealt with monsters a lot of times, patting her shoulder with reassurance, if he was a monster then she was going to be a monster's assistant. Taking a deep breath and adjusting her shirt, she strode towards the glass door and opened it...here we go, she thought to herself as she walked inside.

Mr Grayson Hunter, the CEO was standing just by the office window admiring the morning view and something about him just seemed familiar, certainly he wasn't....no there wasn't a way it could be the same person, she thought to herself, ‘Sit down Miss......'

‘Kathleen sir....my name's Kathleen Turner'.

Grayson heard the beautiful silky voice from behind him and felt his heart freeze for a second, transfixed on the spot and unable to turn around as he just couldn't face the truth....God he wished it wasn't true, he prayed to whatever supreme being that lived up in the clouds for Kathleen Turner....he hoped she wasn't the same beautiful, charismatic and amazing woman he met yesterday and had the most wonderful sex of his life.

Not even the greatest of prayers could prepare Kathleen for who she saw, she felt her world shift as her heart stopped beating for a moment. Surely it wasn't him, was he?? he definitely had the same height, the same beautiful eyes, the same hair only now it was professional and certainly the same Richard Swanson watch she saw yesterday.

Mathew Knowles was Grayson Hunter!!, she couldn't believe it! the bastard lied to her after charming her, taking her to his bed and making her feel like a wonderful woman which she hadn't felt in weeks! then he left her alone in a big hotel room, without a goodbye and now what?! he's her boss to be?. The universe certainly had a way of toying with her feelings, but this was just downright cruel.

‘Are you just going to stand there Miss Kathleen??'. He finally broke the silence without a speck of recognition in his eyes. All she heard in her head was, run away Kathy....you don't deserve this.

Instead she gulped hard and took a seat, ‘Sorry sir...I....I...I was just taken aback for a moment...you remind me of someone'.

His brows perked up, ‘I'm pretty sure you're mistaken. Explain to me why you should have this job Miss Kathleen...you have two minutes'.

Doesn't he recognize me?? she asked herself in absolute disarray, he certainly didn't look like he knew her, no sense of emotion whatsoever. This left her mute for a moment as she pondered over what in the world was going on, Grayson Hunter however wasn't having any of it.

‘Miss Kathleen if you're not interested in the job then you might as well—'

‘No sir!', she cut him off in a bid of protest, ‘I...I...I have an impeccable resumé which you can see here', she pushed her file forward on the table towards him, ‘I also have an incredible work ethic and—'.

‘A lot of people have had much better resumés than yours, certainly you don't expect me to be impressed do you??'. He interrupted and with every urge in her veins, she was ready to slam his head right on the glass table.

Certainly Mathew Knowles was way different from the man standing right in front of her, Grayson Hunter was a dick....just like other men but he was a special kind of asshole, he was the kind of asshole that had sex with her and abandoned her like a cheap slut in a hotel with two hundred bucks.

But she needed this job, she needed this job more than anything even if Grayson Hunter was acting like he didn't know her, ‘I graduated from a good university, I have my masters and if you would look at my resumé you would know I have great work experience Mr Grayson'.

She was actually amazing, he thought, other women would've sparked and he wished his scary demeanor would send her away but she persevered, she was calm with a smile on her face that was clearly cracking at the corners. He sighed and took a look at her resumé—she certainly wasn't lying, it was impressive which made her all the more endearing but he couldn't help but wonder why she would apply for the measly job of a personal Assistant....she had all the qualifications and more to be a General manager.

‘Your resumé is impressive Miss Turner and I don't say that very often, but that's not the case here'. He said.

‘What is the case Mr Grayson?'.

‘Are you quick on your feet?'.

‘Yes sir'

‘Can you make good coffee?'

‘The best of the best sir'

‘Can you withstand emotional abuse??'.

‘I have been abused all my life. It's not a problem sir'.

Grayson wasn't sure by what she meant being abused all her life but something in his heart knew it wasn't just emotional, so he cleared his throat and closed her file, ‘I expect you to start on Monday. Dress appropriately and be here 7am sharp with my coffee and a bright smile on your face before I get here....if I get to work before you, you're getting fired'.

‘Thank you sir!'. She responded with excitement as she rose to her feet, she was doomed working with a man she'd slept with but she was Kathleen Turner....a beater of all odds.

Grayson watched her walk towards the door and God she was really beautiful, even more beautiful in the daylight and he wished she could walk away faster so he couldn't finally breathe, but then she paused and turned around, ‘Mr Grayson??'.

‘Yes Miss Turner??'.

‘Did you...did you by any chance go to the club yesterday??'.

‘That's an absurd question Miss Turner. Please leave now'.