Heartthrob ✓

seventeen

S E V E N T E E N

"LET'S GO, GUYS."

That was how Ashton wrapped up his pep talk to the office who was currently standing there, waiting for a cue to get to work.

The crew was a mixture of our team from Baldwin Industries as well employees of the hotel. We all got to work on unpacking boxes of decorations and setting up the technology that Ashton would need to give his presentation. I worked with Elijah and his friends on hanging up streamers and setting up tables. They were a nice group, the reception team plus Eric and his friend from human resources.

"So," Eric's friend who was named Dana said, "I hear that you're the new personal assistant. Did you hear about how the last one nearly had a breakdown, the girl dating the baseball player?"

"Yeah," I said with a laugh, "that's kind of how I got the job in the first place. My cousin is on the team and he told me when the job opened. So here I am."

Getting past the starstruck reactions of hearing about how my cousin was famous, they definitely opened up a bit more to having me around. There was some talk about rumors that Bretton would be doing the ESPN Body Issue, but other than that, I was completely comfortable with talking to them.

"So," Dana said with a suggestive wink, "you tapped our good ole boss yet? He looks like he's got a firm ass and he could sit on my face any day. Or vice versa, I love a submissive man but I can give what I take."

Because I didn't have a glass of water in my hand, I ended up spraying saliva all over the floor in front of me, coming up coughing and sputtering.

Elijah decided that he wasn't going to wait for me to recover, nodding along in agreement before saying, "yeah, I could eat ice cream off that man for days. Weeks, actually." His tone was dreamy and since he was imagining that kind of scenario (of course, with me in it and not Elijah), I technically couldn't blame him. Of course, he snapped out of his trance when he noticed Eric glowering at him.
"No," I said. "I haven't done any of that because he's my boss and that isn't morally sound. Besides, he's probably got a lot of baggage since I'm sure he sleeps with a bunch of women. I don't really want to be a part of that."

Dana looked taken aback, as if what I said was insulting to her. "Emotional baggage is the new black, I'm positive that everyone's got it."

I knew, I knew it all too well. I was just trying to make excuses and dance around the topic of Emilie. I just did not need to hear her name, especially since she was already going to be sitting at the head table with us.

I just had to get used to the fact that she was his girlfriend, whether it was real or not, good or not, and me one not. It made me feel bad about how rude I was that one day when she came to the building to meet with Ashton and I acted like a total bitch to her. Ashton felt content with her, especially because she was the one who got away according to him.

He didn't know that he was the same thing in my eyes.

"Where should we hang these up," I asked to divert the focus away from me and my hypothetical sex life with my boss. All of the other groups were in the process of decorating but because of Dana wanting to talk about sex with Ashton, we barely got anything done.

Elijah blinked at the box of gold streamers as if finally realizing that we had a purpose here. I hated to be the wet blanket, but I also wanted to do a good job so Ashton didn't hate me again. Regardless of my romantic feelings, he was still my boss and I couldn't afford anymore mistakes or I would be risking getting fired. "Um," he said, "I guess everyone else is hanging theirs up along the walls."