Seducing The President

It was an alluring night. A crisp breeze passed through the half opened window of a darkened room making the sheer white curtains float aimlessly in the air. The breeze drifted toward the girl sleeping on a four poster bed. She was dressed in a simple nightgown and was covered with a fuzzy pink blanket. Her eyes were tightly closed and her sharp eyebrows furrowed together showing the exhaustion on her face. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she moved her head vigorously left and right. No doubt she was dreaming of the memories that were constantly haunting her.

***

[ IRIS'S POV ].

My loud and annoying ringtone pierced my eardrums waking me from my sleep. I panicked while sitting up in bed to answer the phone. Taking a long steady breath, I tried to stabilize my anxious state. With unsteady hands, I wiped off the sweat that was dripping from my forehead. I had nightmares again. But were they nightmares or memories? The medication that my psychiatrist had prescribed me didn’t seem to be helping much. I was still suffering from my night terrors. My thoughts snapped back to the present as my phone rang again. Reluctantly, I reached out for my phone and saw the number on the brightened screen. My heart skipped a beat and I tried to calm myself before tapping the answer button.

“What took you so long?” the cold voice resounded in my head. “I don’t have all night just to wait for you to pick up your damn phone.”

I gulped hard and replied in a low voice, “I… I'm sorry…I was sound asleep.”

He let out an agitated sigh and I braced myself for the string of curses that I knew he would throw at me because I made him wait. However, to my complete surprise, his voice softened a little. However, I could still detect the anger in his tone.

“Your new identity is Iris Young. Be ready for tomorrow.”

Nodding automatically, I parted my lips to ask for his whereabouts since I hadn't seen him for months. However, before the words could leave my mouth, I heard the call disconnect. Staring at the screen, my lips twisted bitterly and my eyes began to water.

“No, Iris. You can't cry.” I lectured myself. “Your old life is over. No more shedding useless tears.”

I walked towards my half opened window and welcomed the cold breeze on my face while looking up at the night sky. The bright light of the full moon engulfed my small figure and a soft smile formed on my lips. Shifting my gaze down toward the capital, my hazel took in the glittering view of the cityscape.

"Hello, Sliverstone City.” I spoke softly, “It’s been awhile..."

***

The following morning, I woke up with a high pitched voice right beside my ear.

"Mom… Mom…Mommy… MOMMY! Wake up! You need to get up and get ready for work!"

Ignoring the voice, I rolled over and buried my head deep within my pillow shutting out any further noises that would threaten my peaceful sleep. Regardless, my barricade didn’t deter him one bit as he was already used to my antics. So, for good measure, he increased the volume of his voice and repeated his words over and over again. Sitting up quickly, I chucked my big fluffy pillow at his small metal head.

“Stressed Tomato! Can't you just leave me alone!? I was actually starting to sleep!” I yelled, glaring at the robot.

Honestly, he was about to drive me insane! I was accustomed to living by myself. Nevertheless, my dear best friend, Daisy Maxwell, wouldn’t hear of it. On my 21st birthday, she gave me this small robot that she had built to help take care of me. He was more like an annoying pet that hovered around me all day. There was one time that I had slightly coughed and he actually called the doctor saying that I was about to die! I was fairly certain that she had programmed him to be an absolute pest. Daisy even programmed him to call me “Mommy”! In return, I decided to name him “Stressed Tomato”. His face constantly held a strained expression, as if the whole world rested on his tiny shoulders, and his metal round body was painted tomato red. I thought the name was fitting for my little house robot.

Grumbling, I got out of bed and tried to run my fingers through my disheveled hair. Opening the door, I was greeted by a wonderful and intense aroma. It filled my nose and caused me to immediately salivate. I trudged down the hallway, following the delicious scent, toward my unannounced guest. Standing in the kitchen doorway, I saw Daisy Maxwell, my beloved bitchy best friend making breakfast sandwiches.

“What are you doing here so early in the morning?” I mumbled, as I was still only half awake.

Daisy turned and smiled widely at me. Her short boyish hairstyle accentuated her sharp cheekbones and brown intelligent eyes, which were currently sparkling with excitement. Daisy, being a damned brilliant engineer, was currently finishing up her degree in Robotic Science. She was extremely passionate about creating new and improved robots. She licked the ketchup off of her index finger, while walking over to hug me. Still somewhat asleep, I remained motionless and she continued to tighten her arms around me.

“Oh, babe, I came to help you! This is your first day as President Gray’s secretary. Aren’t you excited?!” She asked, practically bouncing up and down.

Trying to get me to wake me up she pinched my cheeks tightly.

“I knew that you were not going to wake up early. So I thought to come and make sure you had an amazing breakfast to celebrate your first day of work.” She said, finally letting go of my face.

I smiled at her with gratitude and happily ate what she made me. After finishing breakfast, Daisy shoved me out of the kitchen with a push.

“Now, get your ass out of here! Jesus, you’re going to be late for your first day of work. Hurry up!” She nagged.

“Yes, Aunty…” I said with exasperation. “I'll be ready in ten minutes!”

Briskly walking into the bathroom, I switched on the shower. Feeling the refreshing cold water on my skin filled me with contentment. After scrubbing myself with the lavender scented soap, I took one last moment to relax under the frigid water. Stepping out of the bathroom, I lightly wrapped myself in a thick towel and walked over to the closet. I frowned at the excessive amount of branded clothes that lined the wall. Looking at my options, I realized that it was going to be difficult to choose something appropriate that was suited for a secretary–especially for the president. The current president of USK State, Xavier Gray, was also the CEO and founder of Eden International Limited, a billion dollar corporation. To top it all off, Xavier Gray was only twenty-nine!

“He really is an impressive person.” I thought as I rummaged through my closet.

All the clothes were expensive, flashy and made with the utmost quality–which was the very reason why I found most of them uncomfortable. In the end, I picked a sleeveless black dress and placed it on my bed. Turning towards the full length mirror, I observed my smooth skin and beautiful soft hair. However, when I tried to smile, it never reached my eyes and it looked very artificial. Sighing at my expressionless face, I wondered how in the hell I was going to pull this off when I couldn’t even smile properly.

“Your job is to seduce President Gray. I have the utmost faith in your appearance and skill set. You must complete this mission. However, do not even think about crossing me. I will constantly be watching you and monitoring your progress.”

I received that threat on the day that I arrived in the city. Fear began to rise in my chest and I quickly put on the knee length dress attempting to bring my thoughts back to the present. Applying some make up lightly on my face, except for the fair amount of concealer for the dark circles under my eyes, I let my hair down and painted my lips a shade of ruby red. Before leaving my room, I did a final overall check in the mirror and my mouth fell open.

“Holy shit! I look more like an escort than an employee,” I thought. “Oh whatever… I will be the only female employee there anyway so might as well dress to impress.”

As I continued to grumble to myself, I walked out of my room with my purse in one hand and some documents in the other. Striding towards the dining table, I found Daisy waiting for me grinning like a fool. She whistled at me.

“Well, well, well! You are looking hot Miss Young! I'm actually starting to feel a little worried for the president. Damn… all the poor girls who are flocking around him don’t stand a chance.”

Rolling my eyes, I plopped down in the chair opposite her.

“But you know…” Daisy continued in a lowered voice. “I heard, even though he’s gorgeous, that President Gray is actually asexual. But even if it is just a rumor, it’s a known fact that all of his employees are men.”

She paused and gave me a curious look.

“Speaking of which, how did you manage to get this job, Iris?"

Not answering her, I chuckled softly at her bewildered face and drank my orange juice. I practically saw the wheels turning inside my friend’s pretty little head.

“Are you hiding something from me?” She asked.

“Daisy, I don’t have time for this interrogation. I am already close to being late.” I said hoping she would drop the matter while quickly downing my juice.

“Oh… I get it. You had to do some “favors” for the president to get this job, right?” She asked, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

I immediately started to choke on my juice once I heard her ridiculous question. When I was finally able to talk again, I looked at her incredulously.

“I have never even seen the president up close. The only way I know anything about him is through the news. It was actually one of my friends that managed to get this job for me. He told me that they were looking for a female secretary and I applied.”

She sat there studying me with an expectant look.

“Alright… alright… So it also didn’t hurt that I have two degrees, not to mention excellent grades. It turns out that my qualifications were a perfect fit for this job.” I stated proudly, while I winked at her.

I graduated college with two different degrees: a Computer Science degree from DKL University, one of the top ten universities in the world, and an English Literature degree from the renowned university of UX State. So yeah… I was pretty smart.

Looking over at the clock, I suddenly jumped out of my chair just as Daisy was about to ask another question.

“Crap! It’s already 7:40?!” I squeaked out as I bolted out of the apartment.

Daisy shook her head in exasperation and defeat while watching me leave.

…

“Wait!” I shouted.

But, I was too late. As I saw the elevator doors close, I came to an abrupt halt and I stomped my foot in anger scolding myself for not leaving earlier. Just when I was about to take the stairs, the elevator reopened. I wasted no time getting inside and thanked the lady who heard my frantic request to wait. She smiled back at me sweetly saying it was no trouble. When the elevator reached the ground floor, I rushed out of the building. Luckily, I found a taxi as soon as I stepped outside.

“Eden International Limited, please.” I instructed the driver while getting in the car.

He was startled by my directions and gave me an odd look. However, he just shrugged his shoulders and pulled the taxi off the curb driving towards the freeway. The driver must have sensed my urgency because it normally took about twenty minutes to reach the city center, but he had us there in fifteen. Scooting out of the car, I paid the man and didn’t even bother to take my change. I turned to look up at the gigantic building in front of me and, to quell my rising anxiety, I took a deep breath. Inside the front door, one guard checked my belongings while the other swept a hand held metal detector over my body.

“This place sure has some tight security,” I thought to myself.

Directly in front of me, I saw a man sitting at a desk typing nonstop on his computer. My black heels clacked on the marble floor as I entered the reception area. I walked up to him while clearing my throat.

“Excuse me, sir. I'm new here and I was wondering if you could tell me which way I needed to go?” I gently asked.

The receptionist finished what he was typing and finally shifted his eyes to me. A look of surprise flickered across his face before returning to his former blank expression. Waiting for him to answer my question, I fought the urge to play with my fingers. As he kept looking at me, I started to worry that maybe I had picked the wrong outfit. Maybe I should have tied my hair up in a more professional manner. After a long awkward silence, he cleared his throat.

“Yes, Miss. Take the elevator over there and go up to the 15th floor. That is where you will find Mr. Scott's office. He is your assigned supervisor.”

I thanked him and quickly turned towards the elevators. Getting into the first available one, I heard the receptionist’s voice yelling from behind me. I ignored him and pressed the button for the 15th floor. I was in a hurry! I had to reach Mr. Scott's office before 8 o’clock this morning and I was already running late. My thoughts were interrupted as my phone vibrated with a text from Daisy. I laughed at her lewd message and started to send her a reply when the elevator stopped. Looking up, I saw that I had arrived at the 18th floor.

“Why didn’t it stop on my floor?” I wondered.

Not paying much attention to it, I pushed the button again for the 15th floor. Hopefully, the elevator wouldn’t make any more weird stops. I went back to messaging Daisy when the elevator doors opened. Unexpectedly, I heard a man's voice having a conversation on his phone as he got inside. For some reason, his deep and rich tone made a chill run down my spine. Before I could look up at the stranger, I received another text from Daisy.

“Remember, I told you that your boss is damn handsome so don’t start banging him from the get go. Okay?”

Chuckling at Daisy's shameless message, I put my phone back in my purse. Suddenly, I felt a piercing gaze on me. Curious to see the person who I was sharing the elevator with, I lifted my head. My whole body froze as I saw a pair of arctic blue eyes staring at me.

“M-Mr. President.” I stuttered in shock.

[IRIS'S POV].

My legs began to shake violently like I had just seen a ghost. The once spacious elevator shrank immediately and I started to feel suffocated.

“Breath Iris!” I muttered to myself. “Everything is fine… you’re okay. It's just the freaking president! No, wait… calm down. He is your boss from now so this should be fine–right? Yeah… you’re totally good.”

I continued repeating this in my head like a prayer, trying to look as composed as possible. Having a full blown panic attack in front of the president of the fucking nation was not on my list of things to do today. Fortunately for me, he was still talking on his phone. Even though President Gray didn’t speak to me, I didn’t miss the disapproving scowl that seemed to swallow me whole. I felt as if he was hurling daggers at me with his steely gaze. Why the hell was President Gray even here in the first place!? One would think, considering his importance, that he would have his own elevator. Confused as to how I ended up in this situation, I shifted uncomfortably in my shoes. My phone began to vibrate loudly, making me clutch my purse as I mentally cursed at Daisy for bringing me more unwanted attention. He finally stopped glaring at me and turned to look directly at the opposite wall, avoiding me completely.

As he turned from me, I noticed the tattoo on his neck. It was of a dragon’s head. The tattoo was intricately detailed and the black ink boldly stood out in contrast to his pale skin. It truly looked like a work of art. This man was rightfully nicknamed, “The National Husband”. Not only was he breathtakingly handsome, but his whole persona radiated strength and authority. President Gray’s striking features made it impossible for anyone not to stop and admire him. Even under the white neon lighting, his silhouette resembled that of a Greek god. His dark hair was combed back and a pair of penetrating blue eyes rested under dark defined eyebrows. The sharp and straight nose, along with his chiseled jawline, gave him an aristocratic look. Speaking in a heavy British accent, his thin lips twisted into a frown–conveying extreme displeasure. The navy blue suit he wore increased the domineering air around him. I concluded that his presence resembled that to a king of Hell. Warning bells rang loudly in my head and it felt like this damn elevator wasn't going fast enough.

He gave me a sideways glance and my eyes gravitated toward those cold blue eyes. I felt as if I could drown in those eyes. It was a tempting thought but that’s not why I was here. Breaking my gaze, I hurried out of the elevator when the doors finally opened.

“Thank God he was still on the phone!” I thought, exhaling in relief.

I just wanted to disappear from his line of sight and I had only taken two steps, when I heard his cold tone.

“Wait...”

I shut my eyes.

“Damn it… yep… you are dead, Iris.” I said to myself, while I turned around.

President Gray slowly approached me with a dark expression while stuffing the expensive looking phone into his pocket. I swallowed hard when I noticed that no one else was around. He stopped within an arm’s reach from me and I nervously looked up to meet his gaze.

“Who are you?” He asked, frowning hard. “Are you the secretary hired by Mr. Scott?”

I nodded affirmatively and parted my lips to apologize for not introducing myself, but his words interrupted me.

“Are you blind?” He asked, as he pointed to the elevator. “Didn't you see the sign that was also downstairs?”

I tilted my head to see where he was pointing. My stomach dropped as I saw the engraved silver sign on the wall beside the elevator, which read, “President Xavier Gray and Approved Personal Only.”

“Damn it!” I screamed internally. “Well that explains why it went straight to the 18th floor! How can you be so stupid, Iris? Using the president's elevator means you broke one of the biggest rules on the first day. Congratulations…”

I mentally slapped myself and bowed quickly to offer an apology before the situation could get any worse.

“I–I'm so sorry, Mr. President. I was in a terrible rush and didn’t even realize that I had gotten on the wrong elevator. Please discipline me anyway you deem fit.”

Glancing up with frightened eyes, I noticed his expression slightly softened.

“Go and report yourself to Mr. Scott's office.” He ordered. “Remember, I do not tolerate irresponsible people. If you continue to act negligently, you will be fired within the week.”

“Thank you, Mr. President. I will be more careful in the future.” I said.

He hummed coldly and turned to walk away. Before he had gone too far, I heard him mumble in a low voice.

“Women are so troublesome.”

My eyebrows knitted together and I sneered at his overbearing attitude. He could have just forgiven me out of the consideration that I was new to his office. Staring at his retreating back, I felt somewhat bewildered by his arrogant charm. As he turned a corner, his tall figure vanished. My watch beeped, announcing the hour, and my eyes reflexively shut.

“Shit! It's 8 o’clock. There goes the second rule of being punctual.” I said in defeat.

Hastily, I went in search of Mr. Scott. After going down a long hallway and accidently bumping into someone, I finally arrived at my superior’s office. Panting heavily, I pulled open the door and stepped inside. Drawing in a long breath, I realized that I didn't even knock!

“There goes another rule. I’m going to get fired before I even start. Could this day get any worse?” I thought.

I couldn’t believe how many mistakes I had already made! Looking up nervously, I prepared myself to hear another earful about not being mindful. Yet, to my surprise, the man on the phone just solemnly stared at me. His expression remained unaltered as I scratched my head out of embarrassment. Mr. Scott continued chatting on the phone speaking fluent English, while occasionally glancing over at me. He had a handsome face and a calming aura. My mind subconsciously compared him with the president. Shaking my head, I mentally cursed myself for having weird thoughts. A few moments later, he finally put down the phone. Readjusting my top slightly, I initiated the conversation.

“I sincerely apologize for not knocking before coming in, Mr. Scott.” I continued faking a bright smile, “Heh… I really hope I didn’t offend you. I'm…”

“Iris Young, you are two minutes late.” He interrupted in a soft tone.

I gulped nervously as I watched him get up from his office chair.

“Miss Young, you are aware of the fact that we set strict rules for our employees here.” He proceeded in a serious voice. “Our president is very particular about our work environment and demands everything to be flawless. You must have heard that there are no other females employed here and that includes headquarters. Mr. President does not like to be around women. However, due to some unforeseen circumstances, we needed to hire a female secretary for him.”

He paused and looked at me calculatingly.

“Mr. Cullen suggested for me to hire you; however, you still need to pass the president’s evaluation. Your background and list of achievements show that you are quite an intelligent and capable young woman. I have high hopes for you. Don’t disappoint me, Miss Young.”

His frank words made me realize the seriousness of my position. I smiled back, assuring him that I would give it my best. He gave a curt nod and led me towards the “dragon's cave”–I mean, the president's office!

Walking through the corridor, I found several men curiously eyeing me. Weren’t they all supposed to be busy working? I offered each of them a warm smile, but they all remained unfazed. I smirked at their vacant expressions and continued to follow Mr. Scott. Jeez, why was everyone here so serious! He stopped at the office entrance and ordered me to stay put until he came back. I nodded obediently and waited to be called.

***

[XAVIER'S POV].

“Fuck! Women are so troublesome!” I cursed, stomping all the way to my office as I thought of that stupid little girl.

As I entered the elevator earlier, I was having an urgent meeting with the chief commander. Seeing the small woman, I assumed that she was the secretary Scott had hired for me. But why the hell was she in my elevator? Honestly, I was firmly against hiring a woman from the beginning. However, it was painfully pointed out to me that I needed a female employee to accompany me to certain foreign gatherings, corporate parties and any other functions that required a companion. Scott had hired out a couple of celebrities to join me a few times, but they were all incredibly annoying! I even took steps to ban those girls from even setting a foot into any of my facilities ever again. What I hated most about the whole damn situation is that these women tried to gain my favor by offering to sleep with me. What a joke! After all of that, I avoided women like the plague.

However, a few months ago Scott informed me that my sexual preference was being called into question since I was almost thirty and didn’t have a woman beside me. I had a feeling that my mother was the mastermind behind these baseless rumors. She had been pestering me for almost a year to get married or, at the very least, find a girlfriend and I really haven't felt any attraction towards any woman–until now. Truthfully, I would say this girl looked different from any other woman that I had ever met. Her head barely came up to my shoulders, despite the fact she was wearing heels. When our eyes met, the blush that crept into her cheeks accentuated the green tint in her hazel eyes. She looked ethereal with her wavy hair going past her shoulders, cute turned up nose and small red lips. While wearing a black sleeveless dress that fitted her petite figure, she still maintained her girlish features. To me, her appearance was refreshing. I was immediately drawn to those hazel eyes. Sighing helplessly, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back against the leather chair. Abruptly, a vague memory of a laugh crashed through my mind and my eyes shot open as I heard Scott come through the door.

I frowned as he took bold steps into the room, but he stopped right in front of my desk. Scott’s professionalism was always impeccable and I waited to hear what he had to say regarding our new little addition.

“Mr. President, the secretary has arrived and is waiting for your approval. I believe that she won't disappoint you.” He said with confidence.

I sneered and straightened my chair.

“Disappoint me? She successfully disappointed me.” I said. “Did you know she took my elevator to get up here this morning? She even admitted to not paying attention to the designated signs. You think someone like that can manage my affairs? She will need to handle issues from both headquarters and my company. Do you seriously believe this girl can handle all of that, Scott?”

His face flushed with embarrassment and disappointment. I laughed inwardly at his reaction to hearing of the girl’s behavior from earlier. Nevertheless, Scott didn’t waste any time putting back on his serious expression.

“I seek your forgiveness on her behalf Mr. President.” He said with a bow.

“Well, would you look at that?” I thought.

“Miss Young is still new here and doesn't know the rules very well.” He continued. “I will strictly guide her and make her perfect in all aspects to successfully carry out her duties as your secretary. Moreover, if you ask about her education qualifications, I guarantee her capabilities. Miss Young graduated with two different degrees, both from renowned universities. In addition, she has also completed a few programming and game developing courses. She is licensed to drive all sorts of cars and knows more than seven languages, due to the fact that she has lived aboard. Not to mention, she is ambitious and takes her work quite seriously.”

He paused and the grin on my face slipped hearing her list of accomplishments.

“In conclusion, I think you should give her a chance at least.” He pleaded. “You will be gaining a knowledgeable secretary and shut down the rumors surrounding you at the same time.”

Frustrated, I ran a hand through my hair.

“Fine… I give up...” I admitted. “Let her come in but if she doesn’t prove to be on par with my standards, I’m not hiring her.”

I waved my hand dismissively and Scott gave me a last bow and headed outside to fetch my “secretary”.

“All these years working together really has made him quite the expert in knowing how to persuade me.” I thought as I rolled my eyes.