Her Saviour

Emilie Saunders was exactly what the typical, every day desk clerk would look like. Hair knotted in a tight bun, black tank top and grey cardigan almost every day, paired with a light pair of jeans, sometimes on days she was feeling erotic, she’d wear leggings as pants.

Conservative, professional, not your average stereotyped secretary. But that’s what she was.

Emilie was neat, and she was good at her job, answering phone calls, making phone calls, running errands, and filling out paperwork. That was her life, and she was happy with it.

Emilie’s boyfriend, Aaron, was the same way. He worked in the same building, in fact, that’s how they met.

It had been Emilie’s first day on the job, she was a nervous wreck, and she dropped the files she was supposed to be photocopying. He showed up, like a knight in shining armor, and saved her from harm.

Ever since then she’d been happy about coming to work, eager even. But that was three years ago. She was as quick as lightning on the keyboard, her painted fingernails flitting across the screen like she was a world record holder, she was always told what a wonderful job she’d been doing, and she was the longest running secretary they had ever kept!

Yes, Emilie was indeed a job well done.

Aaron was a designer. A computer programmer to put it lightly. He made ads and designed layouts to make the perfect looking, eye-catching material he could make, and he was also very good at his job.

Emilie found herself daydreaming, thinking about the way Aaron’s hair had always been gelled back to perfection, his smile always as white as clouds on a sunny day, and she hadn’t noticed when a good friend of Aaron’s had approached her, knocking on the desk in front of her.

She shook her head, clearing her thoughts, “Hey, Stephen.” She sighed, leaning forward on the desk towards him. He leaned down, the top of the desk still higher up than her workspace.

“Em, I was wondering if you could maybe run next door and get a bunch of us some coffee? There’s a board meeting in 5, and well, we’re not exactly prepared.” She could see his nerves etching through his caring demeanor, and she chuckled, standing and grabbing her coat from the back of her office chair.

“Sure, Stephen. How many?” She asked, already tightening the belt on her beige trench coat.

“About 7, but the boss is coming today. I don’t know what he likes.” Sweat beaded at his hairline. Emilie shrugged, “I’ll get him the usual and if I get it wrong, I’ll let him know he can tell me for next time.” Stephen looked concerned but didn’t say another word as she walked from the office.

Pressing the button for the elevator, Emilie wondered if the snow outside was sticking. It had begun as a light flurry, but without a view of the window, she was unsure and slightly curious to find out.

When the ding sounded, she bounded inside and clicked the main floor button, immediately grabbing onto the rails for support. She never liked elevators.

It dinged again at the sound of its landing, and she quickly scurried out of that and into the very large, and open front foyer. If you looked up, you could see a giant, gleaming chandelier. There were countless couches and chairs surrounding a table in the center of the room, and a front desk near the entrance.

If you didn’t know any better, you would think this place was a hotel.

She waved to Alicia, who smiled and gave a small wave back, watching her exit the building. She could see the small coffee shop as she stepped outside, the light flurries continuing to fall from the sky.

She sighed and reached back for her hood, remembering only last minute that she no longer had one, and this was a new jacket that Aaron had gotten her for no real reason.

She smiled at the thought and quickly crossed the street, turning right and walking past many people, some carrying shopping bags and others with briefcases. Oh, how she loved New York.

Keeping her head low to keep the cold snow and winds from nipping harshly at her skin, she pushed open the coffee shop door, but it was quickly pushed back at her when she collided with something - or in this case, someone.

She heard a groan and lifted her head to see a very well dressed man looking down at his expensive suit, which was now covered with coffee.

He looked up to meet her eye, and she sucked in a sharp breath, “Oh deary me, clumsy as always. I am so sorry about that, sir. Please let me buy you a new coffee, and I’ll pay for your dry cleaning too.” Despite the words, and how confident she wanted to be, her cheeks her flushed a deep, deep red, and she couldn’t look up to meet his eyes again.

The man in front of her was the most gorgeous man she ever has laid her eyes on in her life.

“No need for that, darling.” The slight British accent made her want to rip off his tux and wash him with her mouth.

Conservative, Emilie. Stay focused.

“I insist.” She said, standing up straighter. He didn’t decline again, probably just being polite, the man looked like a million dollars, I’m sure another coffee was hardly a dent in his expensive pockets.

She ordered the 7 drinks she memorized from the group, and then stuttered as she ordered his, unsure exactly what it was. He cut in with a small smirk, “The usual, Dorian.” The young man behind the counter nodded and went to work filling the order.

She faced the man next to her, “I really am sorry.” She said in a much smaller voice than before. She finally was able to look up at his tall figure, and she noticed his deep green eyes, standing out from his russet skin and unshaven, slightly prickly looking beard. She wanted to reach out and touch it.

With her hands pinned to her sides, she watched as his smirk disappeared and was replaced with a small smile, “Don’t worry about it, it hardly matters. I’m only going to a board meeting in..” He cut himself off, flicking back the hem of his suit to check the time, “actually I’m very late.” Her face has never been so red.

“Your order, Axel.” The young guy, Dorian, said, catching their attention. He reached over and thanked him, then smiled at Emilie.

She twisted to grab her drinks, but first, she handed him her cash, but Dorian shook his head, “He paid for it, ma’am.” She was frozen, he paid for her drinks, all 7 of them?

She quickly turned and ran towards the door, opening it and stepping back into the cold, she shivered.

She just wanted to thank him, but really she wanted to ask, “Why?”

But he was already gone.