Pain Without Love (Complete)

16- The Mark Of The Devil

An hour ago Shawn had been lounging in his seat in the presentation suite confident that his preparation had been thorough and confident in himself, his team and their ability to deliver whatever was required to the highest level. Just one hour later and that confidence now lay tattered at his feet

'The Bitch' it turned out, had been something of a cuddly nickname compared to the tyrant he now found himself in front of. She may have only been 5 foot 2 and she might have looked like an angel in her knee length, white dress, her hair plaited and draped over one shoulder but Shawn was sure that if you stripped her bare and examined her thoroughly you would find the mark of the devil hidden somewhere on her body.

Shawn tried to shake the images of himself, examining her body, touching her body, fucking her body and regain his focus on the presentation that was currently turning in to a car crash right in front of his very eyes.

Sami Alverez, 18 years old and the hottest up and coming talent in the Latin music scene sat at the head of the table next to his manager, 'The Bitch', non other than Camila Cabello. To say Shawn had been surprised when she'd walked in to the presentation suite would be like saying the sun was just a little bit warm and it had set him on the back foot before he had even got started.

Shawn and his team had been working tirelessly on Sami's first mainstream media campaign for the last 4 months, painstakingly researching the genre and the culture, what would turn people on and what would turn them off. Every tiny bit of information they gathered had been incorporated in to the campaign. The colors, the font, the TV stations he would appear on, the radio stations they would debut his singles on, everything had been painstakingly pieced together to provide Sami with the most mind blowing media campaign the team had ever worked on, they had planned every aspect to perfection and yet here sat the tiny brunette looking like butter wouldn't melt yet ripping every part of their work to shreds. Looking through the designs as though a toddler had drawn them with crayons, asking questions and then screwing up her face at every answer as though she was speaking to a room full of idiots.

Turning to her client Mila whispered something Shawn couldn't quite hear but the way her lips hovered just above the young man's ear and the way she placed her freshly manicured hands on the bare skin of his forearm bothered him in a way he couldn't ignore, it distracted him when he needed to be on top of his game.

"I'm sorry... " Milas voice cut through his thoughts and brought his attention back to the room

"When we came to you I was under the impression that your team was the best or the best, I mean we are paying you best of the best money"

"Yes and that's because we are" Shawn's voice was tense as a vortex of emotions swirled through him

"Well this..." she waved the folder containing the design samples in the air "this is absolute bullshit. I wouldn't use this to launch a toddlers ballet recital let alone one of the hottest young artists in the world"

With that she threw the folder across the table, hitting Shawn square in the chest.

Sami's head went down, seemingly embarrassed by his managers behavior but he remained silent, it was obvious Mila was in complete control and as his career unraveled around his feet Shawn couldn't deny the sting of jealousy as he wondered what else of Sami's she was in complete  control of. Had he been to her apartment, in to the room? Had she touched him the way she had touched Shawn? Had he taken her the way Shawn was desperate to take her?

Taking a sip of his water, annoyance was beginning to build in his chest, he just wasn't sure if it was due to her questioning so vehemently his ability to do his job or whether it had more to do with her very 'hands on' approach to her client.

"Okay, okay, let's just calm this thing down" the soothing sound of Shells southern drawl seemed to fill the room and take immediately take control over the situation. Shawn knew it was his place to fight back but in the face of his current adversary he found himself pretty much powerless against her.

"Let us get some feedback rather than insults and then let us go away and rethink one or two things and then we can meet back here in a week or two"

Shawn didn't even have to look to the girl with beautiful chocolate colored skin and 2 inch long dreadlocks to know she realised how thankful he was for her intervention

The fact that Mila agreed came as a shock to everyone in the room, her own client included, the fact she had then shaken Shawns hand and thanked him for his sportsmanship, the most beautiful, angelic smile pulled across her lips had shocked him to his core and as she and Sami exited the suite he was left wondering what the hell had just transpired, how once again she had made him feel so many apposing emotions all at the same time

He had presented her with the most thorough, groundbreaking, promotional debit any artist could hope for and she'd just torn it up and laughed in his face, there were times throughout the meeting he could have quite happily reached over the table and strangled her for being such an evil bitch but knowing Mila she would have loved that, the hotness that filled her eyes when she was turned on was a look Shawn would never forget, not even if he lived for 1000 years

Looking across to his team they looked so disappointed and deflated that he already dreaded their Monday morning pow wow and as he lifted the remaining paperwork and water canister from his table he felt the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders.

Walking to the elevator he pressed the button to summon it and once it arrived he settled in to it, as the feeling of failure settled in around him. Just as the elevator seemed to prepare to descend the door opened once more and in she stepped. The goddess with the mark of the devil

"Shawn..."

"Camila" his tone was short and he used her full name in an attempt to drag her to his level of annoyance before staring blindly at the elevator wall

"Bad day at the office?" he could barely contain the fury that flared in his chest at the flippancy of her comment, the fact he could hear a smile on her lips just made it ten times worse

"Bad day...are you fucking kidding me right now?"

Sucking her bottom lip in between her teeth Mila looked up at him, her eyes wide and innocent

"I hear your client is a total bitch"

Shawn didn't know which way his head was spinning right now. Fury and frustration ripped through him but just a word or two from her and hope and anticipation fought a war within his chest

"The queen of all bitches" was all he could force up through his throat and over his tongue

"Well I have a bottle of tequila and some satin sheets just waiting to hear all about it, if you're free tonight that is"

"One rule" Shawns voice was huskey and he was aware of how desperate he sounded

"You spend the night on your knees apologizing for what you just did to me in there"

"I spend the night on my knees and you will be thanking me for what I just did to you" she winked as they spent the rest of the elevator ride in silence, the thoughts of what the night might bring, loud in both of their minds

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