TRAPPED BY HIM

Cily

One, two, three...

The thumping of my heart was loud in my ears, and blood rushed to my face, as I counted under my breath, waiting for what was to come.

All around me, the party went on, and the very first rendition of Billie Holiday's song rang through the speakers.

It was a lovely evening, almost magical, but I didn't feel lovely, and I sure as hell didn't feel magical.

"What are you doing here?" Lucas half yelled, his eyes narrowing under the dim lights in the room.

His eyes searched mine, as I stood with bated breath, not sure what to say.

I was not supposed to be here. Other than the fact that I wasn't invited, which I chalked down to being a new employee, I should be sorting through stacks of files that were probably written by a bitter woman.

Who writes things down with a pen and paper these days with all the technology and the innovation of Google Docs? I thought to myself, irritation coating my features.

But I didn't dare say my reservations out loud.

I mumbled out words that I did not understand myself, and took a step backwards, while I searched for a way of escape.

My boss, Lucas towered over me, his gray eyes digging into my hazel eyes as he waited for an answer. I opened my mouth to respond, but words failed me, and I simply stared back at him.

The company's annual fundraiser was in full swing by the time I'd arrived despite warnings from my boss that I had to finish the work he'd piled up on my desk earlier that afternoon.

As I recoiled under his icy stare, I realized that I had no way of escape. I had just one job and on my first day of work, I'd flunked that. But no boss in his right mind would give his assistant that much work to do.

That was what I chose to believe as I held his gaze for as long as I could. Finally, I looked away, shy.

"Look at me when I talk to you." His eyes raked over me as he half yelled. A cold chill ran up my arms and I rubbed at them to steady myself.

I was suddenly self conscious and blamed myself for my choice of clothing that evening. I stepped back, careful not to step on my limited edition black slit dress from Prada. The only piece of expensive clothing I owned.

I dragged my eyes to his, and forced myself not to look away. He was particularly striking that evening, and try as hard as I was, it was hard to deny how good Lucas looked.

His hair was slicked back, and he was dressed in a gray tuxedo that made his eyes twinkle under the dim light. For some reason, I wanted to bury my nose in his neck as his rich cologne enveloped me.

Not bad. I murmured absentmindedly.

"What?" He regarded me closely, and for a split second, his eyes flickered to my cleavage.

"I said, I wanted a break and decided to pop in and out." I smiled tightly at him, doing my best to distract him from openly ogling me.

I should have been uncomfortable with the way he looked at me, but instead, my hairs stood on end, and I suddenly forgot how to breathe.

"I know I had asked you to get those files finished by the end of the day." The music had slowed down and I could hear him clearly. He wasn't happy.

"There was no way I would have finished that before the end of the day." The hardness of his stare made me want to take back everything I'd just said, but it was already too late.

Lucas stared back at me, his eyes widening slightly. He opened his mouth, and then closed it , deciding that it was not worth it.

"Get back to that office and get those files sorted." He took a step forward, his eyes shimmering under the dim fancy lights.

The champagne I had earlier was beginning to get to me as he closed the distance between us. I should have moved away, especially considering the fact that his jaws kept clenching and unclenching, but I didn't move away.

"Miss Tate, don't make me fire you." He whispered, his lips hovering dangerously above my ear.

I took a step back, and away from him as I tried to process my thoughts. Everyone else was at the party, even the new interns, but he was making me work at the desk all night.

"Please...I..." I started to say, but was cut off.

"Go back to work. I mean it."

"Are you always this uptight?" My hand flew to my mouth, but it was already too late. I could not take back those words. Mentally, I applauded myself. I was doing and saying all the wrong things.

"No one asked you to stay." He deadpanned. "You can turn in your resignation tomorrow and save me the stress of firing you."

There were no emotions on his face, even as the lights flashed off us, creating a slow kaleidoscope of colors.

"No..I'm sorry. I didn't...."

Lucas hissed impatiently and grabbed me by the elbow, cutting me off. I stared back with wide eyes, willing myself to fight back. To prove that I wasn't a pushover.

But I did not. I could not.

His eyes seemed to hold me in place, and freeze me to the spot.

"I only work with strong people, and not lazy, entitled rich kids who think the world should be at their feet simply because their parents could afford to buy the things in life that make it worth living."

His voice was getting loud and drawing attention to us. I felt like a deer trapped in the headlight as everyone slowly turned their attention to us.

"Don't think for once that just because you finished from Yale or whatever trustfund school, that you cannot take orders. I will not stand for that in my office. You might as well just quit."

The disdain in his voice felt like a poisoned knife slicing through my flesh. Non stopping.

I bit the insides of my cheek as I stood there, willing myself to stop trembling in front of this awful man. He did not deserve to see me weak, and trembling.

I could feel the judgment in everyone's stares even though I dared not raise my eyes to anyone's. I was mortified.

He was wrong. He didn't know me. How could he judge me that way, so cruelly.

My lips quivered as I fought back tears that were sure to be hot if they fell down my cheeks.

Lucas laughed. A mirthless laughter that seemed to mock my very being.

"Are you going to cry now? That's rich." He mocked, his eyes digging holes in mine.

The world seemed to tilt as I held my breath. I was scared that if I let myself breathe, then I'd cry. I heard the snickers, and my eyes flew to the people who were standing there.

I glared at them, as if daring them to snicker again. It was my silly way of trying to gain some control, or prove something.

Without warning, I turned away and ran.

How can a human being be so terribly ruthless? It was even worse than I had heard.

I didn't stop running until I was out of the building.

I barely heard my footsteps as they slapped against the wet pavement. The cold night's air whipped at my face, mingled with wet slim drops of rain.

I sighed, gathering the hem of my prada dress as I ran down the street.

This was not happening to me. I murmured as the intensity of the rain increased.

My lips quivered as I felt the familiar sting of tears. A single drop slid down my face. I didn't bother to wipe it away as it mingled with the rain drops on my wet face.

Taxis flew by as I stood on the sidewalk, finally too tired to walk. My heels weren't helping as they felt like stones attached to my feet.

It was happening again. I could not outrun it, or change my life.

Pressing my lips together, I struggled to stop crying. I didn't want to feel weak and defeated on my first try at independence.

My father would want this. I whispered to myself, standing there, rain pelting against my skin.

This new job was not a cause to celebrate. It was a sentence, some cruel trick that the universe was playing against me.

With a boss like Lucas Ross, how was I ever going to survive? The man hated my guts, even though I was sure that I didn't do anything to him.

Maybe he was right. Maybe I should quit, go back home and curl up on my couch.

But to accept defeat was to prove to my father that I could not survive on my own. And I could.

But not tonight.

Tonight, all I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and cry.