A New York Minute by AnnieTheAuthor

Nothing quite prepares you for the change in seasons in New York. No one can begin to explain how warm it becomes, how clammy it feels, how it doesn't matter whatever you wear, it will always cling to you in the wrong places.

It didn't stop me from loving it.

Loving the warm rush as the train hit the platform in the subway, the distant sound of Shakespeare performances in the park, the chatter of the girls from the Upper East Side as they craved to be like Blair and Serena. It was definitely a step up from the wind and rain of Manchester, England, no matter what season it was.

But as I jumped out of the cab at the side of the road, it all didn't seem worth it. My brow was sweaty, my Touche Éclat was melting down my face, last year's Marc Jacob's dress was catching in between my bum cheeks, and I was late.

And no one was ever late for Alex Owens.

"You're late." He snarled, the entire boardroom cowering in their seats as he addressed me.

"Here's your venti latte, half soy milk and half low fat, a shot of regular espresso, and a shot of decaf espresso, shot of vanilla, and a tablespoon of whipped cream on the top, Sir." I couldn't help but be smug, leaning across the table, allowing most of the marketing team to have a glimpse down my shift dress. If he was going to reprimand me in a room full of people, I was at least going to have fun with it.

"I've left you some easy tasks on your desk. I'm sure even you can't mess them up, Helena." He barely looked my way as he shuffled some papers, intent on carrying on with his meeting.

"It's Eleanor," I said, for possibly the hundredth time since starting this job.

"Like I said, even a fool couldn't do them wrong Helena. On your way." He clicked his fingers, and like that, I was dismissed.

My daily encounters with young CEO Alex Owens were like this. Insults, smugness, and petty squabbling, but I couldn't help myself. He was an arse, and to wind him up some more, I left the boardroom door slightly ajar, which I knew would mess with his OCD. Any other boss, I'd pack up my manila files and leave, but Alex Owens was an advertising and marketing extraordinaire, and even if though I was just his assistant, it was an honour to work for the company.

Taking a seat at my desk, I stared into the glass boardroom where they all met. His glare was intensely on me as I kicked off my heels, and got comfy for the day. He kept his eye on me, and I was reluctant to drop his stare, I couldn't let him win.

Annoyingly, he was like every stereotypical guy from a contemporary romance novel. Perfect bone structure, designer stubble and piercing blue eyes, eyes that could tempt you to do just about anything. And right now, I was tempted just to go in and kiss the arsehole out of him. I can appreciate a good looking guy, and in all fairness, Alex Owen's is pretty much a god in that department, but he is also a Grade A toss pot!

"Elle, aren't you looking beautiful today." Ahh, Annabelle Owens, Alex's mother - the only thing that proves he wasn't actually spawned from the devil. "Your dress is gorgeous."

"It's only last year's, Marc Jacobs." I shrugged off, accepting her hug and then quickly offering to make her a cup of coffee.

"I'm clearly paying you too much, for the little you do, if you can afford Marc Jacobs." Alex appeared from the boardroom, kissing his mother's cheek, in return receiving a slap on his arm.

"You don't pay this young girl enough for the hell you put her through. Elle, sweetheart, he's not normally this rude." His mother assured, tutting at him disapprovingly.

"What are you doing here mother?"

"Just ensuring you've invited Elle to our Fourth of July party." She smiled widely, pulling an invite from her purse and handing it over.

"She'll be busy." As much as I didn't want to spend the holiday with this arrogant arsehole, I wouldn't have him answer for me.

"Actually Mrs Owens, I'm free that day." I grinned, scanning over the invite. "My roommate is out of town for the holiday, and Dan and I are on a bit of a break, so I'm at a loose end." I heard him scoff behind me, muttering about the inconvenience of having an employee at the party, but Annabelle ignored him.

"Fabulous dear." She grinned widely, embracing me in a hug as she told me the details. "We'll have a car sent for you, bring a bikini." With a wink, she left me, and her delightful son, standing speechless.

"You don't have to come." He grabbed my arm, pulling me close while staring intensely at me.

"Well, I can't possibly decline when I've already RSVP'd, Alex," I smirked, shaking my arm from his grasp and heading to the photocopying room for some room to breathe.

- - - - -

As if I wasn't shocked enough by the town car that picked me up, the yacht was something else. I definitely felt under-dressed in my floral maxi when I saw Annabelle in her Just Cavalli number.

"Elle, sweetheart, you look just adorable." She insisted, kissing my cheek and handing me a glass of champagne. "Happy Fourth of July." Exchanging pleasantries, she introduced me to her niece, Chloe, who insisted I go and change into my bikini and meet her on the deck for sunbathing and more champagne. Who could say no to that?

Navigating through the main room and down the stairs to the bathroom, I couldn't help but be drawn to the door at the bottom of the stairs.

"I appreciate what you're saying Calvin, but it's the Fourth of July. I don't know what sort of miracle you expect me to pull to get this done for tomorrow morning." I watched as he raked his hand through his short hair, the stress evident in his shoulders, I pushed the door open, continuing to listen. "It's a holiday; I can't just drag people in from their holidays. For Christ's sake, I'm in the Atlantic Ocean right now. This is a fifteen million dollar job; we can't rush this." He stuttered a few times, and then I watched as he pulled the phone away from his ear, and looked at it blankly. "Ass." He grunted, throwing his phone across the room.

"Are you okay?" I didn't know what possessed me to walk into the cabin and show concern for someone who couldn't even take the time to remember my name.

"Not now, Elle. I can do without your smart mouth." Apparently, he did know my name.

"But you could do with one of your employees helping you out right now, couldn't you." He didn't react; he just took a swig from the glass of scotch that sat next to his laptop. "They're demanding the proposal for the Huisman account, right, and the original deadline we had was next Wednesday?" He just nodded, his eyes not lifting to my own. "Alex, I know this shit. I've sat for hours in meetings taking notes, I know what they want, we can do this."

"I can't call everyone into the office, Elle. As much as I appreciate your offer, I know you don't mean it." Rude; I was giving up the chance of champagne and sun for this bastard.

"Get your head out of your arse, Alex. I'm not telling you to call people in, I'm saying utilise me for more than sending letters and organising your fucking dates. I know this project, you've got a laptop, let's get the presentation sorted."

I stood my ground, hands on hips, determined he let me help. I knew the artwork was sorted, I knew the numbers just needed to be finalised, but the perfectionist in him wanted another week to make sure everything was done.

"Alex, the campaign is ready, you've done this hundreds of times, God, I've proof read the bloody proposal so many times I could do the presentation. It's ready; it can't be any more perfect."

"There's always room for improvement Eleanor." He smirked, pouring another scotch and sliding it along the table towards me. "But I'll accept the compliment you paid me." The smug shit, I was complimenting the work the team had put in, not him.

I couldn't lie though; I felt a sense of excitement that he was being playful with me. There was definitely something about casual Alex Owens. Despite the work stresses, he seemed relaxed, dressed in a short sleeved white shirt and cargo shorts; he had my ovaries throbbing.

"If we're doing this, you need to listen to me." I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"You mean like you did every time I told you my name wasn't Helena."

"Semantics." The arse was actually teasing me. "I mean it though, if we mess this up, it could ruin the contracts for the whole of..."

"Jesus, I know Alex. I appreciate it's your company, but I don't want failure on my CV either. I'll never get another job."

He was quick to organise us, taking no shit from me. He was a natural leader, delegating the jobs he required me to do and arranging for food and drinks to come to the cabin.

We sat for hours, mostly in silence, working the finer details of the proposal. He listened to my ideas reluctantly, patronising me at times about my lack of knowledge of the industry. On many occasions I had to stop myself from ripping up the notes I made, leaving him to do it all on his own.

"So, you're looking for another job?" He didn't look up, highlighter poised on the notes I'd made for his presentation, his focus barely shifting. I didn't answer, confused by his question. In all the time I'd worked for him, I was convinced he'd never shown interest in me. "Earlier, you said you didn't want failure on your CV, so you're looking for another job?"

"No, well, maybe. I don't know. Eventually, I will be, I can't be your assistant forever. I'm on first name terms with the barista at Starbucks, that's not really what I wanted for my big move to America. It's supposed to be the land of opportunities after all." I relaxed my head on the sofa that I was leaning back on, stretching my legs out on the floor.

"So what did you want? You've got bachelors degree in Advertising, a Masters in Marketing, I know you're looking to do Business Management, what's it all for? You must have a plan?"

"How do you even know that? I literally just applied for it last week." I asked, shocked that he'd done his research.

"On a work computer." He spoke to nonchalantly.

"You have me monitored." I was mortified. The stuff I'd searched for on that computer. From watching clips from 'Horrible Bosses' to buying penis straws for a hen party, I'd searched some of the most inappropriate things on that computer.

"I have everyone monitored. I especially take an interest in the lingerie sites you visit on a daily basis. I'm wondering if you just window shop or you actually buy that stuff."

"I can't decide if I find this creepy or..." My sentence trailed off. The way my skin prickled made me think I found it sexy; as if he was being a voyeur, imagining me in the underwear I was looking at.

"Or if it turns you on?" I could hear the uncertainty in his voice; the confident CEO definitely wasn't present in this room. He was no more than a twenty something man who had desires.

"And is this what you do with all of your employees."

"I have to admit, Joel from Social Media's shopping habits aren't nearly as interesting as yours. I often wonder if you're wearing those garter belts you've got a fascination with. I watch you bend over your desk, wishing your skirt was an inch shorter so I could see just a hint of the top of your stockings." It was hot the way he was talking to me, the way he lowered his voice just in case anyone heard, the rasp in his voice becoming more apparent as he spoke about my underwear.

"What would you do? Have a quick wank under the desk when you see the slither of skin." The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them. He was my boss, he could ruin me, and I was asking if he'd pleasure himself while thinking of me.

"You know I can make my office windows opaque at any time; I just enjoy to watch you strut around in those ridiculous heels and the dresses you've probably spent your month's wage on." He watched me, probably in the same secretive way I'd watched him for the last however many months.

"This is bordering on sexual harassment in the work place." I mocked, waving the paper presentation I'd printed off.

"I don't see you leaving." And in an instant, he was on me.

Moved from his seat on the sofa, he was straddling me on the floor, his hands dragging through my long hair as he kissed me with fever. He sucked and nipped at my lips, his tongue teasing my own. I couldn't help but grip his shirt, dragging him closer, feeling his heart thudding against his chest, mirroring my own reaction.

He groaned as I fell deep under his spell, thrusting myself up to meet his movements, hoping his hands would wander from my hair down to my chest. I ached for his touch.

"Alex Owens, I'm not allowing you to keep this girl down here..." His mother's voice trailed off as she opened the door to the cabin. "Oh, well, so it's finally happened." I couldn't look at her, but I could hear how flustered she was as I buried my head in his neck. "I'll leave you both to it then, shall I? But make sure you both come up for air soon, it won't be long until the fireworks start." I was certain I heard her giggle as she closed the door over.

As I tried to move from his grip, he caught my face in his hand, forcing my eyes to his.

"Where are you going?"

"This was a mistake." I needed to say it before he did, try to get myself from underneath him and escape back to the party. To the champagne.... I did have a boyfriend after all. Sort of.

"If that's what you think..." He stood up quickly, turning his back on me and walking to the bar. "I'll make sure you're paid for the work you've done at holiday rate."

"I didn't do it for the money, Alex."

"Then why did you do it, because it certainly isn't because you like me. Nine months you've worked for me, and the only smile I got from you before today was a sarcastic sneer. You've never once replied when I asked how your weekend was, you wouldn't take the flights I offered for you to go home at Christmas. Jesus Elle, you're frustrating as hell." He had never shown interest in me, I was certain of it.

"I'm frustrating? Are you kidding? Have you worked with yourself? Who the fuck orders that shit from Starbucks anyway?" He bit his lip, stifling a laugh. "You're laughing right now?"

"I ordered it to piss you off that one time because you were late because you were kissing your arsehole boyfriend outside of my office. And then it just became amusing, because I knew how much it wound you up."

"And what? You were jealous of Dan?"

"Yes Elle, I was fucking jealous. He's a prick, and you fall for it every time. I saw him kissing someone else at the Christmas party, and so did you, and let him get away with it."

"He was drunk..."

"And that makes it ok?" He edged closer, digging his hands deeper into his pockets. "Does he know how amazing you are? How beautiful you are? Does he appreciate how intelligent you are? Does he even know you, because if he did, he wouldn't lead you on, break your heart every few months so that he can play around? You deserve more than that Elle."

"Like you? Someone, who clearly play games? Someone who has called me the wrong name for the last nine months. Someone who's insisted I get them the most pretentious drink every morning just to wind me up. Someone who humiliates me in meetings; patronises me and irritates the shit out of me." I was furious, I just wanted to escape, but I was stuck in the middle of the ocean with him.

"But I can tell you like it. It's all been leading up to this; it's all been part of the chase Elle, the sexual attraction. I know you can feel it too. I just can't act on it because you're my assistant. Fuck, do you know how many times I've had to stop myself from kissing you every time he's upset you?"

"So why's today so different? Why do you think you can kiss me now, and then it be different tomorrow?"

"Because tomorrow you won't be my assistant." My heart hammered against my chest, I'd said too much, he was firing me. "Tomorrow you'll be the person who presents the Huisman account. You'll be their point of contact, and you won't be sitting at the desk in front of my office, teasing me with your low cut dresses and your ridiculous high heels. Tomorrow you'll have your own office that I can sneak in to and tell you how amazing you were at the meeting. Then I can kiss you and take you out for dinner to celebrate that you've won your first account."

I sat down, unable to comprehend everything he was saying to me.

"Today's just another day when you've proven your worth. I want you; not just for the company, but I want you in my life. I don't want to play the game anymore; I want to take you upstairs and show you off as mine. As annoying as it is, my mothers been hoping for this for so long, she'll have the Krug on ice after seeing that kiss."

"You've been an absolute arse for so long." He dropped to his knees in front of me, lifting my chin so I could see the guilt in his eyes.

"It's the only way I knew how to be around you."

"Who knows?" I asked, finally lifting my gaze to meet his. His eyes looked full of emotion, sparkling with energy. He seemed completely different from the Alex I spent each day with.

"About how I feel?" I nodded. "My mother realised pretty much straight away, a couple of the guys on the board might have made some crude comments about you, and I may have lost my shit, so they were on to me pretty quickly. None of it matters though; it's my company Elle. I want to try this; we just have to see if you want this too?"

How did it progress from arguments in the work place into wanting to try a relationship in such a short space of time? Aside from my initial interview, I couldn't think of a time when he'd actually attempted to have a conversation with me. Had I been so obsessed with Dan that I couldn't see what was right in front of me?

"I've said my piece, the works done, so you can go up to the party and enjoy yourself, maybe think about what I've proposed. I'm not going to pressure you, but the balls in your court now Elle."

He stepped aside, allowing me the space to leave, to head up to the deck and enjoy the party. I was torn, I could stay here and admit I was intrigued to try, or leave, never quite knowing whether this would be an option again in the future.

I had to breathe, I needed fresh air, and as his mother said, the fireworks would be starting soon. It was already dark, and I'd missed the day's festivities.

"Can we talk later?" I asked cautiously, the weight of the decision bearing down on my chest. He nodded and then retreated back to his workspace, pouring himself another scotch before I left.

His mother looked at me with hope as I ascended from the cabin, but I just shook my head and walked towards the bow of the yacht. The breeze on my face was refreshing, the fresh air relieving the heat that was created by his touch but I still shivered, missing his closeness.

It didn't take long for me to realise that we were like kids in the school yard, bickering because we liked each other. I'd moved to America for a change, but in all fairness, I'd slipped into my old ways and let Dan walk all over me. Alex could be part of the life that I wanted to find when I moved here; there was no harm in trying.

As the first fireworks exploded, I felt the warmth of a blanket cover my shoulders. "You looked cold." He spoke concerned, but taking a step back as if not to impose on my space. "I got you a drink; it's not the Krug though." He smiled softly, holding out the champagne.

I took the glass, allowing my fingers to graze his as I took it. "Promise me you're not always an arsehole, like you are at the office," I asked, looking out on to the fireworks as I cautiously took a step back to be closer to him. He took this as his opportunity to wrap his arm around my waist and pull me closer.

"That's definitely not me, but I can't promise I won't send you on a wild goose chase for a crazy drink if you piss me off." Teasing me, he placed a tender kiss on my neck. "You'll let me take you out tomorrow night then?"

"Only if you behave yourself tomorrow at work."

***