Awakening (Prosper and Litkit)

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LitKit

Edgebabby
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Posting Speed
  1. One post per day
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
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Preferred Character Gender
  1. Female
  2. Primarily Prefer Female
Genres
Modern/modern fantasy, horror, low fantasy, futuristic, medieval
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Annalise was overjoyed, naturally, at being offered the job, but she was also terrified. One chair in the office was probably more expensive than her entire wardrobe combined and she doubted her new boss would be pleased with her showing up in rags on her first day. Item after item was tossed from her closet onto her bed adding to a pile of clothing that could only be described as a thrift store throwing up on her comforter. Normally, the girl was proud of her ability to stretch a penny farther than anyone thought possible, but now she was regretting shopping at second hand stores just to save a few dollars.There was nothing fashion forward, nothing trendy, and definitely nothing chic enough to fit in with the modern styling of the office.

The focus on thrift store clothing presented another problem: absolutely no fashion sense. It had been years since she stepped foot in a department store and even longer since she had been in a boutique. The thought of going to either one again, and seeing the price tags, was enough to make her chest tighten with anxiety before she calmed herself down with one thought: her new salary.

The offer had been, to put it lightly, generous and she wouldn’t have to worry about money for quite some time, but the penny pinching side of her was screaming to avoid the pricey stores and she was quickly losing the inner battle. Deciding to let Google do the research for her, she did a quick image query for what women were wearing in the office and was pleasantly surprised by the modest necklines, lengths, and styles. In some of the dresses it even looked like they were giving an homage to the fifties’ styles and she could definitely get behind that. Feeling much more confident in her ability to find something pleasing for both her and her employer, she grabbed her debit card and headed out the door. A couple hours later she was struggling to get into her apartment with all the bags dangling off her arm and once everything was hanging in her closet, and she did her nightly routine, she dropped into the bed and quickly fell asleep.

The alarm roused her two hours earlier than her shift the next morning and she quickly bounced from the bed, almost falling flat on her face as she stumbled into the bathroom. After a quick shower, she styled her hair and sat in front of her vanity to tackle the horror of fashion she had made a u-turn from since she was old enough to use it: make-up. No matter how hard she tried she just could not achieve that flawless, airbrushed look she saw in tutorials so she settled for a little tinted moisturizer, to give her face some color, some light pink eyeshadow, mascara, a natural pink gloss, and a hint of blush. It was just enough to enhance her features and not make her look sickly so she supposed it was sufficient. Regardless of what she did, she would pale in comparison to the beauty of the other women in the office so it was pointless to frustrate herself over looking pretty.

Her hair was pulled back into a tight bun, but that made her features look too harsh so she pulled some strands forward to soften her cheeks, a look that, accompanied by glasses, made her look like a librarian, but she supposed there were worse things. Last was the dress: a simple grey affair with a length to the knee, a collared neckline with white lapels, and a slim black belt around her waist that accentuated the petite hourglass figure she happened to think was her best asset. Black heels were the completion to the ensemble along with her white, Michael Kors purse.

A half hour later she was walking into the massive lobby of the building and to the reception desk. Amanda said that he left a message for her to just go up to the floor and start setting up for the meeting that day. A nod was given before she walked off to the elevator, grateful for the ride since it gave her some time to get her thoughts in check. The Murphy meeting was today so she would be expected to set up the meeting room with the documents, snack trays, and writing implements for everyone.

Once she reached the floor she threw herself into her role, using the entire half hour she had, since she had come early on purpose, to arrange everything symmetrically and identically across the whole table. The meeting wasn’t happening for a couple hours, but he had left specific instructions for her to set up so that’s what she did. Task finished, she leaned against the back table and started checking her work e-mail for more things she could plan during the day wanting to surprise her boss with her ambition.
 
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(Excellent opening post! Sorry I don't have a good reference photo for Simon, but you'll get a pretty good idea of who he is after the first few paragraphs. I look forward to where we go from here).

Simon's alarm went off a 5:45 AM, but he did not rise until thirty minutes after. A long series of company social functions the night before had kept him up into the early hours of the morning so that, in effect, he had only slept for three hours and forty-five minutes. He'd set the alarm earlier in anticipation for a slower start out of bed, but had unfortunately underestimated his own exhaustion. The most irritating part wasn't even the fact that he'd been forced to allow himself less than his usual self-allotted six hours, but that the entirety of last night's functions involved him catering to lesser minds and incompetent underlings. He hated the majority of them, but they were necessary cogs in his section of the machine, and without them, the company naturally could not function.

He did not remember the girl until 6:30. He chuckled as he concluded his breakfast, as he'd been looking forward to her arrival since he'd accepted her application and seen her interview results. Choosing an assistant wasn't an easy task for executives, and in different circumstances he would have actually met her before this point or conducted the interview himself, but his schedule hadn't allowed for such flexibility.
As of this morning, the two had never met, and she likely had only the vaguest idea of what he looked like. Simon wouldn't have it any other way. If the girl couldn't conduct herself according to his standards, she wouldn't last long. Most of her tasks on her first day weren't all she thought them to be, and he hoped that she'd have the ability to conduct them in a more fitting manner than those before her.

By 7:00 Simon was dressed. He'd turned the apartment stereo to Domenico Scarlatti's "Fandago" as he selected a suit and undershirt from his closet. The sounds of the harpsichord served well in the mornings to get his mind in proper order, and the piece was one of his favorites.
Simon chose his usual attire for the day: a charcoal black suit coat over a simple white undershirt. The decision of which tie to wear took only thirty seconds longer before he finally decided on one with a dark red pattern. Of all the items in his wardrobe, Simon took the most care with the selection of his necktie, as it was typically the only piece of his clothing with any semblance of shade, hue, or color. Simon aimed for the color of his tie to reflect a certain goal or appearance for the day. Coincidentally, his red colored tie was the one he wore most often. Red was the color of power after all.

After he was dressed, Simon turned to the rest of his appearance. He neatly combed his straight black hair into a clean cut style and smiled at himself in the mirror. Many of his colleagues frequently accused his smile of carrying some element of deceit, and while they often said so jokingly, Simon secretly loathed the fact that his smile was often the only thing that betrayed his facade. While his sharp features and fair complexion gave him a trusting, if intimidating demeanor, he could never force his smile to comply with whatever ill intentions he had. As a result, he'd mostly given up outward expressions of joy save the occasional smirk, and people seemed to respect him more for it, at least from the outside anyways.

Simon didn't delude himself, he knew his unorthodox methods within the company and beyond it had earned him more than a few enemies. He was unusually young for a company executive, but had risen to his position through sheer ruthlessness and cunning. The unfortunate fact remained that people didn't like new blood in high places, so they'd always be working against him. Simon took it as something of a compliment though, that he was also feared. His piercing gaze and sharp, precise manner often unnerved people, and his 'ends justify the means' mentality confirmed any suspicions they may have had about what kind of man he really was.

He made his way downstairs and had one of the apartment staff bring his car around to the front. Simon admired the expensive car for a moment before getting in, and took a moment to reflect on the fact that his apartment, wardrobe, and car quite likely held a cumulative cost greater than what some people made in their entire lives.
By 7:20 he was on his way to the office. Contrary to his new assistant's beliefs, the meeting was actually set for one hour later than the time she'd received, and was actually from nine to ten. He planned to use the built in hour as an introduction period, as she would undoubtedly have quite a few questions. If everything he'd read in her application and interview was true, she would hopefully be the kind of individual he was looking for.
 
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(I'm glad you liked it and that's perfectly fine! The description was more than sufficient. I look forward to seeing where we take this as well!)

Unfortunately, since it was only her first day, there was nothing in her work email other than welcome messages and general office announcements. The employer would be arriving soon so, having finished the only task he left for her, she took the elevator back down to where the receptionist's desk was. The girl looked up with a warm smile and asked how she could help. After asking a few questions about her new boss, and getting informative answers, Annalise felt that she had a better understanding of the man and a chance to anticipate his needs before he voiced them.

After thanking the receptionist she went back to her floor and made a beeline for the break room where she selected his favorite coffee, popped it into the keurig, and put the exact amount of milk and sugar into the substance as he liked. If the man was this specific about his coffee she didn't even want to fathom how high his standards would be for a woman who would spend every minute with him during the work week. Covering the coffee, she walked from the break room, snagged one of the cookies from the snack tray for the meeting, and munched on it while walking towards his office only to find the door closed.

It wasn't surprising, considering the man hadn't arrived yet, but it presented her with the task of having to hold the coffee. Granted, she could put it down somewhere, but the whole reason she made it was to have it freshly prepared and ready to be handed over to the man when he showed up.

Finishing the cookie, she dusted her fingers off on her dress and looked around the office, walking in and out of the open rooms: the copy room, the mail room, the break room, and the line of cubicles where people were furiously tapping away on their keyboards. After a few laps around the open areas she quickly grew bored and stopped in the main hallway, leaning against the wall and looking down at her phone to browse Facebook. Every few seconds she glanced up to see if he was there and would go back to her phone if she didn't see him.
 
Simon arrived promptly at 7:45, taking a momentary delight in another day of perfect punctuality. If only others could run their lives in such an efficient manner, the world would run like clockwork. After parking his car, he made his way into the building. Upon entering the main lobby, he took a few seconds to consult Amanda about any work related issues that may have popped up overnight. The only piece of noteworthy news was the early arrival of his new assistant. Amanda spoke fondly of her, and indicated that she'd been rather inquisitive in the short time she'd been there.

Simon boarded the elevator and made his way up to his floor. The two other individuals in the elevator with him took care to hold a noticeable distance from him. He felt a mixture of annoyance and pride, taking a small amount of comfort in the job security his intimidating reputation offered, but feeling slightly offended at the resulting fear it being expressed so openly. He dismissed his feelings a few seconds after they arrived. What did it matter? He was still the most powerful one in this building, with the only one above him being the company president and a few other choice gentlemen in suits. Did the opinions of others really matter if they still obeyed whatever he asked of them? He pondered the quandary for the remainder of his elevator ride, and was somewhat thankful when the door opened.

He stepped out of the elevator and immediately assumed a brisk pace. The few people who greeted him received a curt nod and the occasional hello as he made his way across the floor.
His first look at his new assistant barely phased him, despite his surprise. The girl he'd seen in the application photos wasn't the one he saw next to the conference room door. She appeared older than he'd previously seen, and carried with her a mature and professional air. He also noticed, however faintly, just how nervous she was to be there.

He didn't pause to greet her as he passed. He simply extended his hand, taking the coffee she'd been holding for him. He didn't break stride and didn't speak as he strolled through the door, leaving it open for her to follow. He took a seat at the head of the conference table and took a sip of the coffee. It was exemplary, and made precisely to his specifications, but that was no surprise. He'd figured his morning coffee had been one of the first questions she had posed to Amanda upon entering. Without even speaking to her, he'd already gained a small degree of admiration for her ambition, but she didn't need to know that too soon.
He turned to address her for the first time,
"A promising brew, but there remains room for improvement."
He extended his hand towards her,
"I'm Simon, you're new boss."
 
Annalise had a clear view to the elevator so it only took a couple seconds of observation, after Simon stepped off it, to know that he was someone of great importance. The people walking by gave him a wide berth and the kind of smile that said, "Please don't fire me," before subtly making their escape. He was incredibly handsome as well clearly taking great care in his appearance. Not a hair was out of place, his clothes were neatly pressed, and his facial hair was trimmed to the point of being meticulous. If anything, he was too perfect and it wasn't until he took the coffee from her hand that she realized who he -really- was. Her thoughts caught up in a rush and she scrambled out a greeting while trying to keep up with his surprisingly quick stride.

"G-good morning, sir. I prepared the minutes for the Murphy meeting. They- they're in the conference room and--" He wasn't listening so she stopped speaking, deigning to follow behind him instead since he would be the one doling out her next role. He walked through the conference room door and left it ajar clearly expecting her to follow so she quickly shuffled in, looking around the room nervously. In such a confined space with the man she understood why people were parting away from him like the path of the red sea. His presence was powerful and seemed to squeeze any relaxation or positive feelings out of the room. She breathed out, just to break the deafening silence, but didn't dare make an auditory response.

Her gaze followed the coffee cup as it rose to his lips, eager to see his response that turned out to be, sadly, stoic. Did he like it? Did he hate it? Say something!! She shifted along the table until she was standing two chairs away from him, not wanting to crowd him by being right next to his seat and not wanting to be far enough away that she had to scramble to retrieve something from him. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he offered an introduction and extended his hand. She took it, shaking the appendage with more fervor than was necessary, his hand easily dwarfing hers. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I want to thank you for this opportunity. I look forward to being a part of such a fantastic company." She stopped there, not wanting to gush and seem like a fan girl meeting her favorite celebrity for the first time, possibly souring what she hoped was a positive first impression.
 
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Simon raised his eyebrows quizzically, but didn't dare smile. The poor girl was scared out of her wits, and her frantic, worried demeanor nearly set him on the verge of laughter. It was times like this that he forgot the fearful stares and the timid whispers behind his back, and simply took refuge in the simple fact that he was powerful, and that such power set people ill at ease.

He took the few seconds of her timid handshake to size up his new assistant. Her small hand was soft in his, and held a delicate if a bit shaky feel. Her professional attire seemed to clash with her nervous expression and, for lack of a better word, small appearance. Despite the fact that only a few years separated them, she carried with her a much younger demeanor, like a student on the first day of class. However, he also saw in her eyes a burning and passionate ambition. She'd already exceeded his expectations in just the few moments he'd known her, so he knew there was something more beyond her timid facade.

Simon released her hand and set his arms casually on the conference room table. The room was empty, aside from the two of them, and the tense silence was already palpable. He allowed it to stew uncomfortably for ten seconds as he kept his gaze on her eyes. He took another sip of coffee before gesturing to the seat she stood behind,
"Feel free to sit down. The Murphy meeting isn't for another hour. If you have any questions or comments, now would be the time for us to talk about them."
he took a moment again to ponder on his own patterns of speech. He often overused his direct manner to the point of being insensitive, and the fact that his words were quite often delivered in a cold, humorless way was used with calculated intent, mainly to force would-be rivals or opponents to judge him too rashly. It also worked as an excellent intimidation technique for new hires.

(Sorry for the super late response, weekend turned out busier than expected)
 
The handshake was just as powerful and sure as she had been expecting, but it didn't hold the firmness she had been assuming it would. If anything, it was gentle and almost reassuring, settling her nerves to the point that she could interact with the man without resembling a deer in headlights. He released her hand from the handshake and set his arms on the table signaling that he would be speaking momentarily. He knew how to make someone stew in deafening silence making her extremely grateful for his invitation to sit. "Thank you, Sir." She pulled the chair out that she was standing behind and settled into it. The leather was luscious, instantly cradling every part of her body like she had sunk into a bed of clouds. It took all of her self control to bite back a moan of pleasure since that would be both highly inappropriate and extremely embarrassing.

He wanted her to ask questions and she struggled to come up with even one since her brain was still in surprised mode. Plus, being this close to the man she could smell his aftershave and it was making her heartbeat speed up. It stung her nostrils in a pleasant way and she realized she was taking deep breaths just to inhale it, but he would see it as her simply calming her nerves. "Well, the job description was rather vague when it described what my main responsibilities will be. I know it's only my first day, but I like to jump right into the deep end so I'm not stonewalled by something new down the line."

(No problem! Sorry for the shortness. Since they're just talking I didn't want to inject a bunch of fluff just to make it longer).
 
Simon continued to watch her as she spoke. She'd shown some restraint upon settling in the chair, probably just enjoying the privilege of being allowed to sit at the executive table. Annalise had then taken to breathing deeply. It almost appeared as though she was attempting to stay calm, but the action seemed rather forced. He dismissed it at moved to answer her question.
"A fair request, although not necessarily an inquiry. At any rate, your job here, as the description indicated well by its lack of detail, is rather flexible and rather vague. You will simply function as something between an assistant and secretary until I find further use for you. And that's really all you need to know for now."

Simon leaned back in his chair,
"But now I have a question for you, Miss Annalise. If you had so little idea of what you were signing up for, why did you apply at all?"
The question wasn't another test. For all his research into his new assistant, he'd found astonishingly little about why she needed this job in the first place. There were plenty of more well-defined careers out there, but he had no idea why she'd been led here of all places.
 
Annalise had always been passive in her behavior. She defaulted to whatever would make someone happy because she wanted to avoid confrontation and couldn't stand the thought of someone being disappointed with her. Simon was different, though. He projected an aura of control and eerie calm that set her nerves on edge making them all quiver simultaneously. Everything he did was methodical and restrained, but it was that same restraint that worried her since it was akin to a cobra waiting for the right moment to strike.

Exhaling again she spared a glance to the side, studying his muscles and the chiseled outline of his features. He was incredibly handsome and could easily get any woman he wanted, women far prettier, classier, and more sophisticated than Annalise would ever be. Why was she thinking like this?! The man was her boss, yet being immersed in the smell of his cologne left her feeling trapped and blissful. It was a strange combination of sensations that made it difficult for her to think hence the horrible question she had asked since it was the only thing that appeared at the forefront of her mind.

He spoke again and she lifted her eyes to meet his, resisting the urge to falter under his piercing gaze as he laid out the specifics of her role. Well...sort of. He was being intentionally vague now and that only made her nerves tighten more. Why the secrecy? What had she agreed to in taking this position? He was hiding something and her heartbeat sped up so fast and so quickly that she felt like she was going to pass out.

A question was posed and she inwardly forced down the dizzying sensation so she could respond legibly. He had a point. She knew why she had chosen the position, but to admit such to him seemed like it would be admitting weakness. -I chose it because I like answering to someone.- Yes, that would go over extremely well with someone who would both be the figurehead of her upcoming career and who needed to see her as determined and ambitious otherwise why keep her?

"A fair question as well, sir. I suppose it was the chance to travel that drew me in. I like organizing and making life easier to navigate so if the chance to travel to China is part of that it would be a huge regret to just let it pass me by. I also think your company is wonderfully innovative and I would love to be an asset to something so closely tied to what our future holds."

That seemed like a sufficient answer and much better than the truth. Would he know she was lying, though? Was it a test to see if she would maintain her integrity and tell the truth? Her heart started hammering against her chest again, fingers wringing nervously in her lap. How much longer was it until the Murphy meeting? She distracted herself with trying to figure out the time while waiting for his answer.
 
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Simon watched her for several seconds. Annalise had gone from confident and ambitious to a complete nervous wreck in the span of thirty seconds. While she'd appeared on edge before they started their conversation, the girl had reached new levels of fear since they'd been talking. She'd gone pale, and was fidgeting nervously in her seat.

She was obviously lying about her reasons for being here, but it wasn't the fact that she'd lied that concerned him. What concerned him was the fact that she was a very poor liar. She had the drive, which was half the battle in and of itself, but ambition was nothing if one could not back it up with results. Was little Annalise ruthless enough to obtain the results, or was he simply wasting his time?

He mentally shook off the feeling. He'd selected her for this position because he saw something in her. Something powerful, and something dangerous. If he could nurture it, and hone it into the shape it needed to be, then this girl would gain all she had ever hoped for, even if it meant sacrificing everything she stood for. She didn't need to know his endgame, or his final goals as of now. As they spend more time together, she may begin to see the trends and patterns he sets up. However, by the time she realizes the full extent of his plans, it will be too late to turn back.

He quickly came to the decision that he couldn't let her believe such an awkward lie had gone unnoticed. Ironically enough, however, he'd voice his own concern truthfully.
He gave a calculated and noticeable sigh before speaking,

"Annalise, if you plan to work here, I'd like to make some things clear. Believe it or not, I care quite little about your actual reasoning for being here. What I do care about, however, is your lack of honesty. I live in a world or lies. It is where I am at home, and where I thrive as a businessman. People lie to my face nearly every hour, and more often than not, what annoys me is not the fact that I'm being lied to but the fact that they believe I'm stupid enough to believe the idiotic and dull-witted dishonesty they present to me."

He leaned forward, making sure to focus his gaze on the girl's worried eyes.

"Therefore, my first real request to you as your boss is this: If you are to lie to me, don't get caught. You can give me a truthful answer, or you can lie to me, but as far as I'm concerned, it doesn't really matter. If you are capable of deceiving me, then you deserve to get away with whatever you're lying to me about. But if you think me stupid enough to buy into the laughable excuse for deceit the men and women here would pass off as clever manipulation, then you have another thing coming. I do not intend to scare you with this request, simply remember what I have said and take it to heart. It will serve you well later."
 
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The lie had been expressed in what she hoped was a calm, collected manner, but she doubted he wouldn't pick up on the subtle nervousness or the twitch of her muscles betraying her honesty. It seemed like eternity stretched between them, her eyes focused on her fidgeting fingers while trying to ignore the fact that his eyes were on her, studying her, measuring her. Did the man even realize how intimidating he was? It seemed like something natural that just exuded from him so he probably was blind to it and just enjoyed the effect he had on people. Why change behaviors that had such wonderful and beneficial results.

She breathed and lifted her gaze to see if he was still looking at her and, locking eyes with him, she darted her gaze back down. He made her feel like a scolded child awaiting her punishment and it was both an unsettling and thrilling feeling. It was a feeling of powerlessness and loss of control that she had never experienced and she was sure that this was just the tip of the iceberg.

Finally, he made a sound in the form of a sigh that was unreadable. Was he annoyed, disappointed, contemplative? She bit the inside of her cheek while waiting anxiously for him to continue. At the mention of her name she glanced up again, refusing the overwhelming urge to dart away from his eyes again as he spoke. He didn't mind that she lied... He just wanted her to be better at it. The explanation made sense and the worry drained from her muscles making her look much more relaxed and less like a scared mouse looking for a way out. Swallowing at the gravity of his words, she nodded and breathed in and out a couple times, smiling gratefully to the man.

"Thank you, sir. Like I said before, I accepted this position because I felt that it would provide the necessary training to become a stronger, more assertive person. I didn't want you to think I was weak-willed or too meek to survive the harshness that this world carried. I am ready and willing to learn, though, if you still feel it is worth your time to teach me..."
 
For a moment Simon didn't know whether to laugh or worry. A smile accompanied by gratitude wasn't the typical response to his request, which was typically met by sharply mixed reactions from the few others he'd made a similar request to. Annalise's response was... Different. The typical reactions he received were either severe shock or something akin to immense fear. The fact that Annalise was grateful for what she likely perceived as mercy was telling about her. He wondered, however, whether it indicated an excess of trust, or an inherent submissive nature.

Simon attempted a smile, and felt a slight strain at the atypical motion.

"Don't worry, dear Annalise. We can both be completely honest with the fact that you may not be ready quite yet, but that you have it within you to be just what I'm looking for."

He leaned close to her, well aware of his imposing and powerful presence, and the calculated nature of every word he chose. He didn't want her to think herself ready by any means, and wanted to remind her of her position, and of what her goals were. If she was being honest about self growth (and Simon believed she was, at the very least, honest about that much), then that would have the desired effect.
As he opened his mouth to speak again, there was a sharp knock on the door. He gave a quick motion with his hand, indicating for Annalise to stand up, before standing himself and moving towards the door. Looks like the Murphy meeting would be a little earlier than expected.
 
Annalise couldn't read his emotions after she gave him that grateful smile. It probably caught him off guard that she provided that response when the normal reaction would be either shock at what he was proposing or fear that he had already caught them in a lie and wanted them to own up to it. Simon was a powerful man, though, and she wanted to show him deference along with an appreciation for him not only imparting a life lesson on her, but allowing her a second chance to clarify why she wanted the position.

Much to her pleasant surprise, he actually smiled back...well, as much as his stern features would allow. It was quite humorous, but she didn't dare laugh in spite of him. Finally, he spoke and his words were cryptic yet positive. What was it he was looking for? Had she passed a test by giving him that submissive response? Was he searching for someone to take under his wing and nurture until she could take flight on her own? The unknowns were maddening and her lips parted to voice one of the questions, but his sudden intrusion halted her thoughts.

His lips were close enough to her ear that he could have kissed it and she could feel his breath as he prepared to speak. His scent wafted over her and, combined with his powerful presence, glued her to the seat. Images of him kissing just below her ear or even along her jawline played tantalizingly through her mind making her cheeks heat as the images became more intimate. Her fingers curled in her lap, bunching the bottom of her dress and digging into her thighs so prevent a moan from escaping her lips.

As if fate had smiled down on her, at least for the time being, there was a knock on the door and Simon removed himself from her personal space gesturing for her to stand. She immediately complied and fell in line behind him as he walked towards the door where, she assumed, the participants for the Murphy meeting would be waiting to be let in and get started.
 
(Alright, after a super crazy week, I'm back and ready to rock and roll. Hopefully this is how investment deals could theoretically work using dramatic methods)

Simon smiled to himself as everyone took their seat around the conference table. Annalise may put on a strong and confident facade, but the moment he'd gotten so close to her, she'd practically folded. She was more sensitive than he originally thought, and possibly even more submissive. It was going to be a lot of work getting little Annalise where he needed her to be, but then again, Simon always enjoyed a challenge.

By the time everyone had found their seats, Simon remained standing. It was a little trick he'd learned a few years back, meant to psychologically establish oneself as the head of the room by starting above everyone else while simultaneously appearing courteous by allowing others to seat themselves first. Once he'd established that he was in control, most people would yield to whatever he demanded. It always became an elegant game when someone else played the way he did, and he saw it occasionally among other executives he encountered. However, Simon knew going into the Murphy meeting that he was dealing with weak-willed men, and that there'd be little sport in what he was about to do.

Murphy Pharmaceuticals was one of the oldest pharmaceutical companies in the country, originally starting as a small drug store chain during the Roaring Twenties. During that time it had been completely family owned and operated, and had developed into one of the most well recognized companies in the country during the post-war era, but slowly fell out of popularity as larger corporations left them behind. Murphy Pharmaceuticals had been an actively failing business for roughly five years, but had been careful to conceal this fact from both its customers and the larger drug corporations who'd happily buy them out. This meant that public confidence in the old company was still high, especially since Murphy had a reputation for quality products. Unfortunately, Murphy didn't have a reputation in the investment world for reasonable spending and company management, which was the reason this meeting was taking place at all. The men he'd invited today believed that they were here to get a much needed investment offer that would save their company from being bought out. They had no idea what was coming.

"Good morning gentlemen."

An enthusiastic reply echoed from around the table as he finally took his seat. All eyes were on him, and the anticipation radiating off those present was palpable. They likely needed this investment more than he'd realized, and that desperation would lead them to make some rash decisions. They'd be dead in the water without the money.
Finally, the Murphy executive at the far end of the table broke the silence.

"Sir, we can't thank you enough for agreeing to meet with us. We've been trying to work something out with your group for months, so when you finally returned our calls about the investment I was overjoyed. You said you'd have a few conditions, but if they're reasonable, we'll gladly negotiate-"

"Ah yes, the conditions."

Simon cut him off, leveling his gaze across the table at the pudgy executive.

"There exists only one, with more than a few details associated. We'll give you the necessary investment; however, we get the authority to overhaul your entire company leadership, and gain control of your company until further notice. Clearly you've shown that Murphy Pharmaceuticals has been mismanaged for the past decade, and we won't be putting our valuable time and money behind something that will ultimately fail. We're not buying you out, we're just... Changing management, so to speak."
 
It took a few moments for Annalise to collect herself after having Solomon hovering by her ear. She was dying to know what he was going to say, but that matter had to wait until after the meeting. As the men filed in she walked to the back of the room and sat in the chair against the wall with a binder in her lap containing the minutes for the meeting she had prepared. The preliminary reading she had done of the documents revealed something surprising…at least if she was interpreting it correctly. The men convened in the room would be anticipating a large contribution from Simon’s company, one that would provide a lifesaving tug from the quicksand their company was sinking into, but it was the complete opposite.

The minutes contained a systematic overhaul of the company, illustrating why they needed the overhaul and rebuild it from the ground up into something that would appeal to the technological age the public had transcended into. Since the meeting hadn’t actually started yet the men were unaware of the coiled cobra at the front of the room waiting for the moment to strike, but Annalise watched with bated breath, her heart drumming against her ribcage. The man exuded such a high level of confidence that he was not only prepared to deliver this crushing blow to the company, but he would stand by his decision and likely stomp any possible arguments the men presented.

Finally, he spoke and, as expected, the men all grinned and welcomed him enthusiastically before the speaker offered his esteemed gratitude for Simon’s investment making note of the conditions, ones she was already aware of since they were contained within the contracts sitting in front of each Murphy member attending this meeting. There it was… The proverbial bomb had been dropped and she gleaned a sick satisfaction in watching the men falter, staring blankly at the man who had, single-handedly, made their empire come tumbling down around them.

As expected, the blow was met with flustered, stammered attempts at speaking as they tried to wrap their minds around the information as well as come up with a logical argument. “Sir, that’s hardly…” one started only to be cut off by another one. “This is highway robbery! This company has been in our family for decades!” Then another one. “You’re taking the food right out of the mouths of our kids!” Annalise rolled her eyes at that last one since it was a lame tactic at trying to appeal to the man’s compassion. They weren’t losing money… If anything, this would make their company even more successful and popular, but they couldn’t think past the idea that control was being wrested from them. It was a room of men who were weak-willed, yes, but not used to being contested because they always had the money to back up any disagreements. This was the first time they were faced with a problem that they couldn’t just buy their way out of.
 
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Simon sighed with annoyance and fought an urge to roll his eyes as the protests and angry blustering started around the table. He'd expected an emotional response, as was almost always the case, but the Murphy executives were clearly a little more attached than Simon had initially believed. Who could blame them though? This company had been theirs for generations, and he was practically wrenching out of their incapable hands through extortion.

"Now now now, don't be so childish."

He held up his hands and made a downward motion, as if urging the volume and tension in the room in that direction. When that didn't work, he tried a less subtle approach. Simon slammed his hands on the table, and let loose a commanding bark,

"Alright you idiots! Listen up!"

His voice traveled with enough ferocity to silence the men around the table and send many back into their seats, and carried enough authority to maintain their newfound silence.

"Ask yourselves a question: would you rather watch as your company slowly suffered and died, or would you rather sacrifice control for a shot at continued existence? Are you willing to do what is necessary for your business to succeed, or are you so cowardly, so afraid of change that you would sooner give up than do what needs to be done? Ask yourselves what kind of men you are. Cowards, or entrepreneurs. Quitters, or businessmen. Without me, Murphy Pharmaceuticals will not survive."

Simon removed from his own binder a thick contract brimming with sticky notes. He slapped it apathetically on the conference table before casually sliding it towards the chief executive at the far end.

"Sign on the dotted line, my friend, and I will make all your company's problems go away. I will fix what has been broken, and I will revitalize your business for the modern era. All you have to do, is give me the power to help you save yourselves."

The man's eyes portrayed a look of having been broken in the span of thirty seconds. He'd recognized his own failures, and was now about to do what he believed to be unthinkable, and what Simon knew was practically predestined. This was always Simon's favorite part. On some level he recognized that he probably shouldn't take as much joy in people forfeiting their life's work, hopes, and dreams to him, but he couldn't help himself. The feeling of power he experienced when someone signed over their sense of control to him was one of the greatest joys in his life.

He watched as the broken man sighed and looked through the contract. After a few moments, he looked back at Simon, and withdrew a ballpoint pen from his coat. The single click of the pen signaled the end of an era for Murphy Pharmaceuticals.
 
Annalise wasn’t paying attention to the men in the room since their reactions were predictable and expected given what Simon was asking. Instead, she was intently focused on Simon since he was to be her mentor and the figurehead of the journey she was going to take to being an assertive, powerful, confident businesswoman. The status symbol of him being the only one standing while the others were seated was downright genius and so subtle that she could easily do it without those around her realizing the subliminal message of control that she would be conveying.

Annoyance was clear on Simon’s features and she could see the storm brewing right beneath the surface preparing her, somewhat, for the slam of his hands on the table and the raising of his voice. The sudden snap of sound still made her jump in reflex, but it wasn’t a complete surprise like it was to the men around the table, too wrapped up in their own complaints to see the evolution of emotions on the man’s face before their immature squabbling forced him to react angrily.

The startling movement succeeded in silencing the complaints around the table and turned their attention towards Simon once more, hanging on every word he spoke. The questions he asked were biting and forced the men to look inward at what would be best for their company, putting their emotional investments aside. By the time he ended his speech the men were muttering their assents and turning to face their chief executive officer who would be the ultimate decider for the fate of their company. The chief executive caught the contract that was slid towards him, pressing his fingertips to the top of it to stop the movement, and resigned himself to the decision.

Annalise watched with rapt interest at the decline of morale in the room in the span of mere moments. Sitting around the table now were broken men who recognize Simon as their alpha and would defer to his authority from now on. The chief executive tucked his tail, removed the ball point pen from his jacket, clicked the top, and signed. Then men all hung their heads, not entirely sure what to do now that their boss had signed control of their company over to the man hovering over them from the front of the table.

Now that they had conceded how would Simon handle them? Would he be gentle and ease them into the transition or would he be ruthless and start implementing the overhaul practices? She shifted a bit on the stool before standing and walking to the side to grab a glass of water from the cooler. Unbeknownst to her, one of the men at the table was eying her backside as he bent towards the cooler, making no attempt to hide the lust in his eyes.
When Annalise rose and turned he quickly shifted his gaze back to Simon and then to a picture of a lotus flower on the wall behind him.
 
Now that everything was in order, Simon again composed himself and assumed a calmer demeanor. He took a quick look again around the table, and began outlining some of the procedural and financial changes that would be taking place in the short term. He always preferred to save the changes of leadership until a few days after the initial bomb drop, just to allow the reality enough time to sink in and to guarantee there was no going back. But then again, there were always exceptions to that policy.

Across the table, one of the executives clearly had their attention elsewhere. While everyone else had been listening intently, and paying careful attention to the new changes in business, this old fool had been gazing at Simon's newest hire. At first he simply was tempted to let the matter slide.; Annalise was an attractive girl, and he had already on some level acknowledged that the individuals he dealt with may steal a glance at her occasionally. However, the moment the man's gaze again shifted off the individual he should have been listening to, and off into some distance space behind the speaker's head, that's when Simon decided to break protocol.

"Ah, I just remembered something else I wanted to inform you gentlemen about."
Simon leveled a finger at the unobservant man, who suddenly seemed to snap out of his absent-minded trance upon realizing he was about to become a topic of conversation.
"I want you out of this conference room in 30 seconds. I put up with a lot, but the one thing I will not tolerate is someone believing my words to be so unimportant that they don't bother to listen."
The man looked around at the executives on either side of him, who leaned noticeably away from him as if to distance themselves from their guilty comrade. He finally found the gall to speak up about the command,
"Are you talking to me?"
"No, you blundering idiot, I'm talking to the man to your immediate left listening attentively to the important details of this meeting."
The man appeared somewhat startled by the rebuke, but still seemed unsure about the full ramifications of what had been said. It was then Simon who broke the uneasy silence,
"No wonder you all need our help, this company is managed by fools. Yes, you! You're now down to 10 seconds, now get out of my sight before I pick one of you friends at random, and send him out with you!"

This finally got the man moving, as did the aggressive prodding of the other executives. As soon as he'd hurried out and closed the door, Simon took a deep breath and twisted his face into another attempted smile,
"Now then, where did we leave off."
 
The men were hanging on Simon’s every word since he literally held their futures in his hands. If they didn’t succeed in making decent first impressions then they risked being cut from the company and replaced by someone more compliant. All eyes were on him, intently listening to each syllable that the man spoke…all eyes, but one. He leered at Annalise’s backside when she was moving about the room and then turned away so as not to be caught, but didn’t meet Simon’s gaze again.

Simon, ever vigilant of what was happening and always maintaining control of the situation noticed the man’s inattention and called him out, commanding that he leave the room in 30 seconds. As soon as he questioned Simon’s order, Annalise inwardly grimaced and closed her eyes, shaking her head back and forth. He was just digging himself a bigger hole. His ego was so massive that he couldn’t bear having another man tell him what to do let alone have his authority over his company questioned.

Simon’s sarcastic response almost made Annalise laugh, but she managed to remain mostly stoic with her lips curling just the tiniest at the corners. He reminded the man of the time he had left to exit the conference room and it was only after the threat of having someone else thrown out with him that his own comrades started prodding him, urging him to leave. Sensing that he had lost control of his subordinates and having no other choice than to acquiesce, the man exited the room and Simon went back into his speech.

A few of the men pulled at their collars, some mopped their foreheads with their handkerchiefs, and others just looked like they wanted to flee from the room as fast as their assumedly poor health lifestyle would allow since the majority of them were overweight.
 
The meeting went on without incident, but Simon felt it necessary to drag it on a little past the original hour he allotted for it. He wanted to give the indication that he actually cared about their company beyond simple restructuring of management, and he also wanted to make them a great deal more uncomfortable. He'd keep them in the room just long enough to remind them who was in charge, and whose time was being allocated to their irrelevant problems. Most of the questions he was asked during that time were responded to with vague but sufficient answers, or simply redirected entirely.
At any rate, Murphy Pharmaceuticals would cease to be his greatest concern when the meeting ended, and the company would be turned over to other corporate cogs. Simon then moved on to another project, and would only occasionally check back in to make sure his guidelines and demands were being followed to the letter.

At the meeting's new conclusion, he paused for final questions, and allowed them to sit in awkward silence for a minute and a half while he waited for anything else. He fought the urge to laugh and scoff at the men around the table. They were fat, entitled, and arrogant fools who didn't deserve what they had. If one was not prepared to hold on to what one built, then he did not deserve to keep it for long, and would inevitably lose it to a better man. However, if you had not the desire to work for something, you were perfectly free to take it from someone else, assuming you could get away with it after all.
Those Simon explained this philosophy to found it cold, insensitive, and even cowardly. Simon, on the other hand, called it progress.

"Well then, if there are no further questions, then I will bid you gentlemen farewell. If you have any questions, please consult the new supervisor I assigned you."

Simon took care to shake each of their hands on the way out the door, no matter how hesitant each appeared to do so. Simon noted the contrast between his own dry palm and the sweat-drenched hands of those exiting his conference room. It simultaneously disgusted him, and stroked his ego. Had he been that commanding and intimidating during this conference? Today was a good day. As the last executive waddled out of the room, Simon withdrew some hand sanitzer from his coat and began to clean his hands, before turning his attention back to his new assistant.

"I hope you were taking notes, Miss Annalise, that was a fairly textbook case. At any rate, I think we've both earned a thirty minute break before we go over the Murphy paperwork and discuss more about your position here. Or we could always head to my office and get started now, if you're feeling up for it."
 
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