CEO // t.h

Chapter seven - Second thoughts

warnings: swearing.

Avery's P.O.V

The weekend seemed to fly by. It was filled of getting all my paper work done for today's meeting with Tom, although at the same time I did feel as if I had an extra-long weekend since the charity ball was on Friday night.

Over the weekend as I was preparing for my meeting with Tom, I couldn't help but think of him. At the ball, he was so kind and caring, something I'd never heard about him or seen him act like, I started to question if my initial thoughts about him were wrong. Tom has always been known as this powerful and brutal man but the man I saw and danced with on Friday wasn't anything like that. He was generous and gentle; I would often think of his compliments to me and how I'd never expect him to say something like that.

As I walk into my office for the day I feel more confident going into my meeting with him, almost as if the moment we shared together eased all my worries. I sit at my desk and finish up some other design templates that Meryl wanted me to do – she asked last minute may I add, when I was suddenly bought out of my train of thought by a knock on my office door. "Come in" I say as I continue to write my final notes on everything, I look up as the door opens and see Tom walk in wearing a navy suit "Oh hi Tom" I say with a smile as I place the documents I was working on in my desk draw "Miss. Johnson" he replies with a small nod.

"I have office 12 for our meeting since my office is a bit small" I say as I gesture to the tiny room I call my office. "I see" he replies, I grab my stuff for the meeting and lead the way, we soon get to the office that was just down the hall and we sit at the round table in the middle of the room.

Once seated I turn to face Tom and say "I just want to say thank you for everything at the charity ball, your donation and the dance – it was all so lovely of you". "The pleasure was mine, I hope you had a good night" he replies with a small smile, "I certainly did" I say also with a smile, I then place all the documents on the desk "okay, shall we?" I say referring to our meeting.

-

The next hour was filled of more possible business ideas for Hiddleston Towers, both of us suggesting different ideas and possibilities for future projects. Yet a couple of times our conversation would go off track with our jokes or just random questions, it was probably the longest conversation we shared – even though it was about work we still had small talk throughout it.

"I will just get my work planner to see when our next meeting can be" I say standing up and leaving Tom in the office so I could go and grab my planner. Once in my office I begin to look for my planner which I couldn't find, I look in all the desk drawers, my bag, my bookcase but I can't find in amongst everything in my cramped office. As I go to turn around I knock the files that were sitting on top of my desk and sure enough, under all the files I found my planner.

As I head back to the office that Tom was in I open my planner and find the next free day I have, which is in a week. I get to the office doors and look up as I'm about to speak when the sight of Lucy one of my co-workers sitting on the desk in front of Tom leaves me at a loss for words, her back is towards me and Tom is too busy looking at her to acknowledge my presence, I see Lucy's lean forward and her hand finds its way to rest on his thigh as she goes to whisper something in Tom's ear whilst he has a smug smile plastered across his face.

Before Lucy can say anything, I knock on the door and interrupt their little moment. My actions however don't cause Lucy to jump away like I did when Mason walked in on my meeting with Tom but just flick her hair over her shoulder "yes?" she says whilst glaring at me. "I just came to collect my papers" I say walking over to the desk and picking up the pile of work "our next meeting can be in a week; I will get Linda to send the times through" I say looking at Tom.

I then turn around and make sure to close the office door so they can continue whatever they planned on doing. As I get back to my office I lock the door behind me and throw the paper on the desk as I sit down, "argh how could I be so stupid" I mumble to myself "one night isn't going to change a man, besides it wasn't a big deal – we danced that's all" I tell myself "I was wrong to think differently" I mumble as I turn on my computer.

However just as I'm about to get some work up on my computer, my phone begins to ring. "Ellie is calling" the screen says, I answer "hey" I say "whoa, what's up?" I hear her say through the phone, I groan "I just had my meeting with Tom" I explain "and why is that a bad thing? You guys were good on Friday" she replies.

"It wasn't bad at all; it was actually the best meeting we had until the end" I add as I open some files on my computer. "What happened?" Ellie asks "well I left to grab my planner and when I came back Lucy my co-worker is sitting on the desk rubbing his thigh and trying to whisper in his ear, whilst he is just sitting there with a stupid smile on his face" I explain further. "What the fuck, who does that?" Ellie replies, "I know! Especially at work, I mean have some respect – just when I thought he could be a kind person, I am proven wrong" I reply.

There is a knock on my door interrupting my phone call with Ellie "wait one second" I reply placing my phone on the desk as I go to unlock my office door. I open the door and am greeted by Lucy standing on the other side "just a word of advice, don't interrupt next time" she replies in a cold tone, "well 'next time', try and wait till my meetings our done" I reply feeling annoyed at her – I mean who does she think she is.

Lucy just rolls her eyes and storms off down the hall, I close the door and head back to my desk. "I'm back" I say after I pick on my phone "was that the girl trying to fuck in the office?" Ellie asks "sure was" I reply, "well if it helps, I heard what you said and I think personally you won whatever argument she was trying to have" Ellie replies with a laugh "thanks" I reply laughing too.

Just as I am about to reply again, I am interrupted by another knock at my door "argh Lucy is back again" I say into the phone. "Well I will let you go have fun with her, see you at home" Ellie replies, we then hang up "come in" I say keeping my eyes on my computer "Lucy look, you can do whatever you want, all I said was that do it after my meetings" I say as I type "Pardon?" I hear a deep voice ask that didn't belong to Lucy.

I look up and see Tom standing in the door way, "sorry I thought you were Lucy" I say looking back at my computer. I hear the door shut as Tom asks "Who is Lucy?" causing me to roll my eyes "the girl you were just with, in the office" I explain "Oh, I don't know her that well" he explains "seems like you were getting to know each other pretty fast" I say as I type "excuse me?" Tom says.

"What?" I reply keeping my eyes locked on my computer screen "what are you trying to imply Avery?" Tom asks crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not implying anything, I'm just stating what I saw when I walked back into the office" I explain "and from what Lucy told me, I think my ideas are right" I add, "look I don't know what Lucy told you, but I would think that you would have more respect towards me then to just assume things" Tom says.

"I'm not assuming things if they're correct" I say "and I think that you would have more respect towards me then to do that during our meeting" I add. Tom then walks over and places his hands on the desk causing me to look at him "I don't need to have any respect towards you, trust me I don't even have the slightest bit of respect for you now. But you should have respect towards me, let me remind you Avery I am a very powerful man and I don't need some lady running her mouth because of what she thinks she saw in the office. besides it doesn't matter – whose word would they believe anyway, clearly mine. So, watch how you act." Tom says in a low cold tone looking at me in the eyes.

I simply just nod and turn to face my computer again. I hear him groan and storm out of my office making sure to slam the door on the way out, I place my hands over my face and sigh.

Author's note: Action packed chapter, make sure to share, comment and like this chapter along with the others if you like them! it does really help and it shows me if you're enjoying the chapter xx