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65
The phone woke us both up with a start. It was early, that much I knew. Ezra clocked the name on the screen and answered it immediately.
“Morning.”
I heard a male voice on the end of the phone.
“What do you mean?” Ezra’s tone changed from light to dark in seconds.
“No, I haven’t seen them, I’ve just woken up.”
Still on the phone, he got out of bed. He held the phone next to his ear with his shoulder as he pulled on his clothes without even casting a glance my way. Was it Mr Franks?
“Yeah. Send me some copies over by email.”
He strode into the kitchen, where I heard him switching on his laptop. I sprang out of bed, finding any kind of clothing to put on before going off to find him.
He was sat down, elbows on the table with his fingers pressed into his lips. The deep frown line in his forehead told me this was anything but good.
“What is it?” I
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Mr Stone, My CEO 66
So, this was what the threat had all been about. I hadn’t stopped seeing him, so as a consequence, nude pictures of me had been leaked, and false information printed. I wondered how Greta had got to the point of hating me this much. We barely even knew each other. Had she been in love with Ezra?By the time I got back to my halls, I realised I could still make my mid-morning lectures. The fact this thought occurred to me surprised me. After all, I could so easily sink back into despair and not leave my room. But I was tired of that. All my life I had been fearful about what others thought. That fear had kept me trapped, restricted from living my life. I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of. I had done nothing wrong. Hiding away in this room was going to solve nothing. It would only prove to the world that I had been beaten once again. Last time, Mr Stone had saved me, but this time, I was saving myself.Taking a deep breath, I found some of the fanciest clothes I
Mr Stone, My CEO 67
I was relieved that Vanessa decided to not adopt her usual ‘tough love’ approach. I’d managed to hold it together all day, but I didn’t have a lot left to rebuff any further judgement.“I can’t believe that bitch did this to you. This is why I work with animals. People suck.”We were sitting on my bed while I used a wet-wipe to clean the smeared make-up off my face from crying.“Yeah well…it’s not even her I’m the angriest with…” I trailed off, looking at the once pristine wipe that was now a grubby rag.Vanessa sighed. “Hah. I haven’t even got on to that bastard.”We went silent for a moment, neither of us knowing what to say.Just then, my phone rang. I fished it out of my pocket, almost dropping it when I saw who it was.“It’s him.”Vanessa’s face went instantly sour. “Don’t answer it!”
Mr Stone, My CEO 68
Eight long days went by. By the third day the story about Ezra and I was old news. He hadn’t contacted me at all since Vanessa had sent him that text message, and maybe that was for the best. A few days after the story came out, Emma stopped turning up to lectures. I wondered if Vanessa had talked to her dad, but she promised me that she hadn’t. At first, I wondered what had happened to her, but then I realised that I didn’t care. I shouldn’t be wasting my time thinking about people like that.I wish I could have applied the same principle to Ezra, but he was far more difficult to forget. Everything seemed to remind me of him. One of our lectures would cover a marketing trick that he used and I see him at his desk. I’d see a fancy deli and I’d remember his favourite food. Sometimes when I was walking down the street, I would catch a glimpse of a tall man in a dark suit, and I would snap my head towards them. But of course, it was never him.
Mr Stone, My CEO 69
I wanted to look at Vanessa, to what her reaction was. But my eyes were stuck on the screen, barely believing what I was seeing was real. His dark eyes seemed to be boring into my own.“My name is Ezra Stone, and I am a foolish man.”I felt my hands begin to shake, and I dug my fingers into the armrests to try and control myself.“I have lived a life without love, and so when it finally arrived, I didn’t know what to do. And so, I did the only thing I knew how. I pushed it away. But I no longer want to do that.”Tears began to slip down my face.“So, this my public pledge to win back the woman. The woman who’s smile melted my heart. The woman who showed me there was more to life than money. The woman who introduced me to milky tea and full English breakfasts. The woman who I want with every fibre of my being. The woman who changed my life, forever.”The screen cut out and the lights went up. I
Mr Stone, My CEO Prologue
“I... I can’t do that.” I stammered. What was he thinking? That was going too far, way too fast. And we were in his office! What if someone were to walk in?! He arched his eyebrow. “I thought we agreed you wouldn’t question my instructions.” The tone of his voice was hard and displeased. I gulped as I tried to stop myself from shaking with fear, I hated that he had this effect on me. He was right though. I had promised not to question him. But I couldn’t help wondering if I went a long with everything he said, his methods could damage my self-esteem even further, and it was already in the pits. I looked at him defiantly, crossing my arms in front of me. “I know I did. But we’re doing this so I know how to pleasure someone. How does this translate to that? It makes me wonder if you’re just doing this because it’s a fun game.” My tone at the end came out a little sulky, and I cursed myself
Mr Stone, My CEO 1
Today we were going to look round Stone Marketing. This was a pretty big deal. Stone Marketing was the most successful marketing company in London, and they looked after all the main contracts in the city.I had no idea what I was going to wear. My fellow students often turned up to class in formal business attire, including pencil skirts and shirts for the girls and perfectly ironed suits for the boys. Most of my peers were from families with money though and often had grown up in London. I was a bit different. I came from a small seaside town in Devon. My uniform was jeans and hoodies. I certainly didn’t have enough money to buy expensive clothes just for going to uni.In the end, I picked out the smartest pair of jeans I had. Deep blue boot-cut ones with a high waist. I was desperate to put a large dark grey hoodie over the top in order to hide my figure, but I knew I couldn’t get away with that in such an expensive environment. I forced myself to put on
Mr Stone, My CEO 2
The crimson colour of embarrassment was still evident on my cheeks as we made our way out of the building. “Can you believe she didn’t recognise Ezra Stone?! Does she live under a rock?” Emma’s remark was said in a whisper, but a very loud one. I was pretty sure she knew I could hear her. Her partner in crime Tiffany laughed. “I know right. I don’t even know why he’s asked her to meet him.” “Maybe to give her some fashion tips.” Emma quipped. They promptly burst into hysterical giggles. I tried to ignore it. I really did. But I knew their words were going to play over in my head later. Neil held up his hand for quiet. “Right…well I suppose we should congratulate Rosie on Mr. Stone’s invitation.” Even he looked confused. Limp applause followed, barely audible for more than a few moments. “I would like 1000 words on what you have learnt fr
Mr Stone, My CEO 3
My stomach was continuously flipping over, and I kept wringing my sweaty hands together. I felt so out of place in this building. I looked it too. My charity shop outfit stuck out like a sore thumb against the designer suits that everyone appeared to be wearing. It was a little baggy on me, but that’s how I liked my clothes. Anything to hide what was underneath. The waiting area I was in was the same monochromatic theme, and I perched on a particularly uncomfortable black bench. The walls were lined with large geometric art work. I tried not to look at it too closely. It was making me feel even sicker than I already was. I’d arrived earlier than 8am, the command to not be late ringing in my ears. Now I was regretting it slightly, because I could feel my bum going numb. A woman approached me, a cream skirt suit showing off her barbie doll figure. A thin red lipstick smile directed at me. “Miss Woods?” She asked curtly. I nodded, not trust
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