Page 3 of Wishes for August
Caleb
"Fuck’s sake!" I shouted, stepping over yet another pile of dog shit in the passageway of my South London brownstone. "Damnit Hamlet! This fucking dog!"
I am not sure who exactly I was yelling at. I lived in this large three bedroom house alone. Except for the dog, that is. My bitch of an ex had left me last month with this wiry hound when she took off, declaring that life with me had become "too domesticated." After she'd been the one to insist we move in together and the one to buy this pup in the first place. I had been hesitant but no, she thought we were ready for it. So, I bought this house and moved us in.
Big mistake.
Two years we'd been together and suddenly it was all too much for her. She didn’t want to be “tied to a house” and suddenly wanted to go out more and “see more of the world”. Her excuseswere weak, and I ended up watching in slow motion as she retreated from our relationship. I took her change of heart as a sign that I was too boring for her. Too focused on my career.
Well fuck her.
I had ignored the red flags blowing in my face, telling me she was not really in the relationship anymore. But then she had gone and walked out, leaving me with the dog. Thank fuck she wasn’t on the mortgage and I could afford the three bed house on my own. I wasn’t entirely over her, though I think I was more angry and disappointed in myself for caving when she suggested we move in together. And frustrated that I let her be the one to dump me when, in hindsight, I knew it was over weeks before. But I had my whole future mapped out and I was naive enough to think she shared in my dreams. At thirty-five, I was ready to settle down but seemingly that hadn’t been what she had wanted.
And hindsight was a bitch. A nasty one at that.
So now I lived in a house she chose, in a neighbourhood she chose, with a dog that…. she chose. Even if I’d grown begrudgingly fond of him. The two of us formed a quiet friendship in this large house.
Climbing into my car, after dropping Hamlet with Mrs Talbot next door, I made my way slowly through London traffic to my very first day as managing director of Manners Media. A job I'd been working towards for years. A job I'd achieved on my own merit and not because I was the son of Ronan Winters - king of the media world. No, this job I'd worked my butt off for. It was part of my carefully mapped out future.
When I was twenty two, I knew exactly what I wanted from life. It was all planned. University. My career path. A relationship. A house. Children. And as I parked my car in my own personal parking spot in the basement of Manners Media, I marvelled at the fact that parts of my plan were coming tofruition. I sat in my car for a moment, readying myself for the day ahead and smiled.You’ve done it Caleb.I lived for this - for the buzz of working in a busy city, in a towering office, with a staff of enthusiastic individuals. This was it. This was my dream.
Scanning my pass to call the lift to the main floor, the doors flew open and out stepped my enigmatic new assistant, Daisy. She had worked for the previous director and my predecessor had nothing but great things to say about her. I had met Daisy a few weeks ago and instantly liked her. She was young, maybe twenty five or so, had a short blonde bob and a radiant style. In another life she would have been my perfect type. But I had vowed that I would definitely not “shit where I eat” or however the saying went.
“Good morning, Mr Winters,” Daisy said as she stepped aside to let me onto the elevator. “It’s great to have you with us, are you excited to get started?” She handed me a takeaway coffee and I took it, my lips curled around the lid in a smile.
“Yes, I am. I am eager to get going, and to meet the rest of the team.”
“Well, I am here to help however I can. First off today you have a meeting with all the heads of departments. A chance to get to the lay of the land so to speak. That starts in about fifteen minutes. After that, I can show you to your office and introduce you to the rest of the team.”
“Thank you, Daisy. I appreciate that." A hum of anticipation kept my feet moving further into the building.
“The conference room is this way.” Daisy pointed her immaculately painted fingernail in the direction of a large glass walled space to my left. No one else was in the room yet given that it was still a little too early. I took the opportunity to take in the spectacular views over the city. I was born and raised in London, as were my parents. This city was in my blood. And yetstill it rendered me speechless at times. Especially when looking down on it from this height. London shone in all its glory.
I stepped over to the head of the table, and leaned my hip on the edge, smiling and nodding as members of staff started to arrive. Someone had set up refreshments in the middle of the table and as each member of my team sat down, they reached over, grabbed a pastry and then chatted quietly among themselves.
Shortly before nine, the conference room was looking pretty full, bar a few empty chairs. Slowly those filled too and, Daisy gestured for me to start. Straightening up, I took a deep breath and looked over the full conference room. At that exact moment, my eyes clashed with two dark brown orbs staring directly at me. Or more like directly into me. A sly grin spread over the owner’s face, and I stumbled on my words.
Clearing my throat, I started again. It wasn’t that I had a whole speech planned; I wanted to go over a few things and assure everyone that I wasn’t there to stir things up in a bad way. I knew how some people were resistant to change and I wanted to get off to a good start. Overall, it all went well. Everyone appeared to share my enthusiasm, nodding when I spoke, and asking questions. That is except for the dark haired owner of those stark brown eyes. He never uttered one word the whole time, didn’t offer any suggestions or even make idle chit chat with any of his colleagues. His stoic expression never wavered. But I felt him the entire time I stood in front of that room. His gaze bore into me. It was like he emitted a heat from his eyes that I could feel radiating through my suit. A suit which suddenly felt too tight and far too warm. Was it hot in here?
After I called the meeting to a close and everyone left, Daisy and I made a detour on the way to my office, stopping by each and every desk so I could personally meet each employee of Manners Media. I followed Daisy as she introduced me toeveryone in the finance team, the copywriting team, advertising and human resources. We made our way around every department, finally ending up at the design team.
“This is Ruby, she’s our lead artist.” Daisy introduced me to a tall brunette girl with leopard print glasses. “And this is August. He was in the briefing earlier but you didn’t get a chance to meet. August is the head of marketing.” Those eyes, they captured me again, looking straight into me.
“Hi” I said, offering my hand, plastering on a warm smile. He took my hand, holding it firmly while his eyes raked over me, lingering on my face for a beat, a small smirk playing on his lips, before he dropped my hand and continued on with his work. He didn’t glance my way again. “Okay then, great to meet you,” I said quietly to him, thrown by his response to me. I smiled at Ruby and then turned to Daisy and gestured for her to continue.
Daisy showed me to my office. I’d seen it briefly when I came to speak to my predecessor but not taken the time to appreciate the view or the gorgeous oak desk that stood in the centre. There were samples of the company's marketing work on the walls and a small informal seating area with a sofa and rug to my left. A tall yet empty bookshelf stood to the right. I closed the office door then wandered over to my desk, stopping to look out of the large glass windows before sitting down. Sunlight streamed through the room and I took a moment to take in my surroundings and think over the events of the morning. I had so much to do. But all I could think about were those deep brown eyes. And their owner.
August was quiet, but he had a confident air about him. His expressions changed so subtly as I spoke, and though he never uttered a word, his eyes narrowed and the small way in which his features changed told me he was listening to my every word. And he never smiled. Where the others in the meeting had joked and chatted, he hadn’t. He’d seemed cold, but not rude. Aloof.When he’d looked me over hungrily, smirking, I saw a brief hint of playfulness hidden under his stoic demeanour. He intrigued me, but I wasn’t sure why. All I knew was that I wanted to know more about him. August, with the beautiful eyes and solemn expression.
Chapter 3
August
Mr Winters - or Caleb as he insisted we call him - was very different to the previous managing director. For one, he was around a lot more than the previous guy had ever been. And for another, he would sit and actually listen to every idea and every suggestion someone brought to him. Watching him walk through the office, stopping to converse with others, it was clear he loved his job.
My new boss made it a habit to swing by my desk every morning to say hello. If it wasn't for the fact that he stopped by every desk at some point in the day, I'd have thought he had a thing for me. But no, he was just very friendly. The man smiled all the time.Like all the fucking time.I wanted to ruffle his feathers. I wanted to make him cry. Do something to wipe that sunshine off his face. I could think of a few things I could do.
But no, no, no August. Do not go there.