Part 4 (2/2)

”Come on, Miss Grace.” He turns around and I have to force myself not to watch his bottom and hips sway with his movements as he leads me to his office. He opens the door and allows me to walk through first as he holds it open for me. I can smell his musky smell that drives me mad as I step past him and I am faced with Samuel's desk, as well as a second directly opposite. Samuel gestures to the chair at the second desk.

”Take a seat; we have a lot to do.” I do as I am told and Samuel moves one of his chairs so that he is seated close to me.

”As you know, we have this building that we use ourselves and hire out to other firms. We have the main hotel in the heart of the city and there is a smaller one just on the outskirts. Both hotels are doing very well and with that being said, there should be more investments being made into the company.”

”But there aren't” I say and am greeted with a nod of the head.

”We need to work through all doc.u.ments and find out how much the company has earned in all sectors in the last few years and find out what's happening to the company's money and why it's not being invested and making more.” He stops for a moment to gauge my mood at the little bomb he has just dropped into my world. I digest it as best as I can. I have the small realization that he wasn't joking when he said about spending so much time together.

”I got here quite early and started doing some printing before anyone else got here, Grace. I don't want anyone else knowing about this.”

”Of course,” is all I can manage to say?

”Thank-you. The printing should almost be done so I will go and collect them and you can go down to the coffee shop downstairs and get me a strong coffee and whatever you'd like.” As if he has completely forgotten he reaches into his suit pocket and pulls something out. He hands me a gold card which I can't help, but look at and then look back at him with confusion. Why is he handing it to me?

”Your company credit card. Anything for the business, drinks, food, clothes etc., you put on that, OK?”

”W....what?”

”You heard me, Grace; now go get my coffee so we can get to work.” I leave Samuel's office in a daze and make my way back to the elevator. I step in and as it makes its way back to the ground floor I look at the card and can't help, but think this is utter madness. I am being paid a yearly rate that few dream of and he then hands me a b.l.o.o.d.y company card. It's too much, I can't even think clearly as I make my way through the ground floor to the coffee house. I place our orders and am surprised when the card actually goes through without a problem. I am half-expecting it to bleep and shout thief as the a.s.sistant swipes it through their machine, but it doesn't. Go figure. When I get back to the office I am all ready to hand the card back, but once the drinks are down Samuel takes one look at it in my hand and then at my face and says with as much force as he can muster ”Don't even think about it, it's yours and you will use it. That's the end of it.” Just like that, he reaches over to the many piles of papers on his desk and puts a pile onto mine.

”We both need to work out how much was made and what went out over the last few years. You have 2011 and I have 2010.” And with that said we both put our heads down and work.

And that is how the two of us spend the remainder of the week and well into the weekend.

We go through years of doc.u.mentation, adding up the numbers to see how much was earned in comparison with the company outgoings, and things aren't adding up. I can sense that as time goes by, with as little sleep as the two of us are having, Samuel is getting more stressed by the minute. We work all day and well into the night, Samuel orders food to come up to us and as one continues to work well into the early hours of the morning the other sleeps on the large sofa that resides in the corner of the room. A few hours go by and we switch places.

I can hear the partygoers go by our building drunk and happy as car horns beep the strangers outside on this Sat.u.r.day/early Sunday morning. Samuel is asleep on the sofa and I can't help, but notice how peaceful and angelic he looks. Even in sleep the man is something to look at and goggle over, but I don't have time to think about that. I am looking back over the paper doc.u.mentation and on the screen in front of me, when I realize what could have been happening. I let Samuel sleep longer than I meant to as I go back over the figures that are in front of me, and just as the sun is starting to make its journey into the sky I step toward Samuel to wake him.

”Samuel.” I whisper, as I gently shake his shoulder.

”Samuel.”

”Samuel.”

I watch and I slowly see his eyes open and I am greeted by the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen. It's as if stars s.h.i.+ne from within the depths of the deep grey and I am mesmerized by the sparkle that hypnotizes me.

”W...What time is it?” He asks while he rubs his eyes.

”Just before six.” And before I can say anything else I watch as Samuel jumps from his place on the sofa like he has been possessed ”Why didn't you wake me? We still have so much s.h.i.+t to get through”

”I think I've found out what's been going on. Have a look at this,” I say as I make my way back to the doc.u.ments and computer on his desk. I point at the relevant figures.

”I've been going back over these numbers. What they have been doing is transferring money to this account which takes out wages and then doing the same here. When you look at it, it looks fine, but when you take a closer look you can see that the figures don't match.” I point towards the computer screen.

”Now look at this.” Samuel leans forward and I can tell when he sees what I have been staring at for the last few hours.

”Can we take a closer look into this account?” He asks, as he looks back at me with so much hope.

”Already done it.” I press a couple of b.u.t.tons and we both watch as the screen comes alive with an array of different figures and I jump with shock.

”The f.u.c.kers.”

We spend the next few hours going through all the evidence and printing it all off so we have as much evidence as we need. I hear Samuel talk on his mobile as he informs his father and uncle of what we have found out and as I arrange the many printed doc.u.ments into folders I look up to watch him cancel the call to only start another so he can ask his family's lawyer to fly over from the States. Just as I finish off the folders I can hear Samuel end his call and then he steps towards me and takes hold of my hands.

”Thank-you. I knew you would figure it out.” I can't do anything, but watch as he leans in and places a kiss on my lips and as he does I can feel my legs grow weak. He seems to be unaffected by my response and I try to steady myself as I slowly pull away from him. I brush away the loose strands of hair and don't look at him as I try to right myself. I look up at Samuel as he moves away from me and stands by his desk looking out the window. I feel confused as I watch his back and the way the rays of light highlight certain features of his face. Why he has to affect me the way he does is beyond me, he sees nothing in me, wouldn't really in his right mind, but still I allow myself to go all giddy when he gets too close or shows even the smallest amount of affection. I'm so stupid, why do I do it to myself? I keep saying I am a professional and, dammit, I should really start working as such. I begin to finish off the folders just as I hear Samuel cough and as I look up towards him I see him turn around. Both his hands are in his pockets and he looks relieved as he watches me.

”Are you nearly done?”

”Pardon?” I say, trying to control the shakes that attempt to corrupt my voice.

”We've both worked so hard over the last few days, now we have what we need I thought we could go out for lunch before going back to the hotel.”

”Haaaaa.” He begins to laugh at me as he steps forward, getting a little too close for comfort now I have managed to regain control of my thoughts again.

”Lunch. Where would you like to go?”

”Ummm, I'm not really dressed for lunch, Samuel.” I can't go out with him. If I do, it would be like we were on a date and I don't do things like that. That would be like letting someone get too close to me and I can't do that, not again.

”I can see your brain working overtime, Grace.” He steps even closer until he is mere inches from me and I can see the s.h.i.+ne from his shoes as I continue to look down. If I just keep looking down I won't get lost in those eyes and I won't give in to Samuel's way. I feel fingers at my chin as they slowly force my head up and then those eyes are staring into my own just as my legs wobble from underneath me. He places both hands on my arms to steady me.

”You've not eaten and neither have I. We're going to eat and then we can go back to the hotel where we're both going to bed.” I suddenly stop at his words as I look up at him with what I can only a.s.sume looks like horror.

”Separate, Grace, but it's nice to know where your thoughts go” And he gives me a wink as he looks down at me before taking a hold of my hand and pulling me towards the elevator. We step into the metal cage and I force my hand out of his hold as my heart races against another cage, holding me into something I don't think I want to do. I reach to my band and start to play with it as I feel Samuel watch me.

”Samuel, I'm really not in a position for lunch. I must smell and look awful.”

”Grace, you could never look awful.” I begin to shake my head as his words melt into my brain and I can't believe he would say it, not about me.

”If you would feel better we will go back to the hotel and order food in.” I release a deep breath that would be so much better; I'll feel happier doing that.

”Thank-you.” He takes hold of my hand again and once the elevator comes to a stop Samuel marches me past the security desk.

”Mr. Samuel, do you need a car, sir?” I hear the guard shout at us.

”No, thank-you, David we'll be walking.” He marches me through the doors and the cold air hits me as soon as we step foot outside the building. We walk past Parliament and the London Eye and as we round a corner I b.u.mp into Samuel when he just stops dead in front of me.

”Now we're talking.”

”What's the matter?” I say as I watch where his eyes are focused and it's then that I see the McDonalds right in front of us.

”You said we were going back to the hotel.”

”Changed my mind. Come on, sweet cheeks.” And Samuel pulls me down the road and to the McDonalds. As with the last time I was out with him, he opens the door for me and he leads me over to the back of the restaurant where it is pretty secluded.

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