Caldwell Pharmaceuticals was the name over the big corporation tower that stood in the center of Manhattan where Jessica Kennedy had been working since graduation. Going into the elevator she made her way to the 9th floor. Joey the security guard winked as she went by as usual—Joey made her laugh, always bringing a smile to her full, red lips. With a flick of her chestnut hair over a shoulder in a smooth motion, she made her way to the promotional offices. Today she wore a wrap around brown suit skirt with a cream shirt, jacket to match and a pair of black stiletto pumps. Taking off her jacket she left it on her desk and made her way back across the hallway with her portfolio in her hand.
She had never really felt all that confident in all her 26 years of age, and this meeting where she would bring across her proposal for pharmaceuticals company she did advertisement work for would require a whole lot of confidence, especially as she was against Caldwell for it. If she didn't get this proposal over Max Caldwell she'd be working under him. She got all hot and bothered thinking about it. Of course she wouldn't be working under him in that respect but she couldn't help but think it. After all this was the 'King' of double meaning she was thinking about here. And if he wasn't the king he was definitely be part of the royal family were his looks were concerned.
He had short dirty blonde hair, grey searching eyes and a straight roman nose with wide lips that had often made her drift into a day dream at work. He was tall too, that was sure, even taller than her 5'8". He was about five inches taller, and not many mean made her feel dainty in height, so it was a shame he made her feel like a fool whenever he opened his mouth! He was cute, no doubt about it, and he always made her feel stupid, but not today! No! She was going to show Max Caldwell that she was not just as good as him but better when she got this proposal. He may be the boss' nephew but no way was she going to work in a position where he could rub in his success to her. She wouldn't allow it.
Not that he had got the better of her other promotions, they had basically gone up in ranks together. As you got higher in the chain the scarcer the positions within the company; that was how this whole rivalry had started. It had been a normal day in Caldwell Pharmaceuticals when Mitzy, one of the building gossips, had come into the PR department, which she had no place in being since she was an assistant to the receptionists. She talked about how there was a promotion going since Bill was going to retire, and of course we all knew this but let her go on, we were sure she'd find her point eventually, and she did when she said the promotion was between two people—that was when Jessica's ears had picked up, and then everyone knew. It was between her and Max.
Well, Caldwell. They had a pretty easy going relationship before this had got going; she had called him Max. Well, that was over now. She had always thought him too arrogant for his own good. Maybe it was his looks that made him think he was better then everyone, she had first thought when she had met him, because come on let's face it—he was hot. But no, she had soon discovered in a week of being at Caldwell Pharmaceuticals, that that was not the case. It was his intelligence that made him think he was better than everyone else; that much was evident in the way he handled himself. The confidence just rolled off of him like the water on the back off of a dolphin. The ease in which he had ridiculed her when she had made the mistake of filing the wrong file in her second week had taught her that she would have get stronger or be trampled on in the process.
Making her way over to the gilded elevator she pressed the button for the 15th floor and waited by the doors. She had never really liked elevators but she had forced herself to get used to them; if you showed your weaknesses they would be used against you. She had gotten over that fear slightly, although she still had to count the 'ding' sound that would pass as they went past another level. She always did it, every time. She just never really would make much of it because, after all, it was part of her everyday life.
"Well if it isn't Princess." Hearing the soft masculine drawl behind her she looked to see Caldwell directly behind her.
"Fancy seeing you here, Caldwell," she said stiffly.
"Well I could let you have all the fun, Princess." She gritted her teeth at the nickname he gave her first week at Caldwell Pharmaceuticals. Needless to say she didn't like it. She hated the fact it implied she thought she was better than everyone else. Considering she had grown up dirt poor and going though foster homes, she personally thought it was bullshit. Not that she was going to enlighten him about her past, it being none of his business.
"What, not talking to me? Now that isn't the way to treat your new boss." He was trying to provoke her, she knew he was. She tightened her lips to prevent herself from telling him right where to go. She really wanted to but she knew she couldn't, not just yet anyway.
"So what have you been up to, princess?" he said with a gleam in his eye. There was no harm he could pull out in that question.
"Nothing much." The elevator came and the doors opened before them. Making sure he wouldn't have a chance to ask her to actually make conversation with him, she rushed in the elevator and into right far-end corner, but before she could think to press the button, Caldwell walked in with a grin on his face.
"Going up?" Wordlessly she nodded.
He pressed it for the 15th floor. That's when she realised it. She had been asked to come and present her case to the partners today for the promotion, that's why she was there and that must be why he had been there. Oh shit. She didn't have time to think before the doors closed and the elevator began its motion. She closed her eyes against the sick feeling finding a place at the bottom of her stomach—she always got this feeling riding in an elevator.
Bing.
'10th floor.' her mind went.
Bing.
'11th floor.'
