Glamorous (#Watty 2017) [Completed]

Six.

Luxury is the ease of a T-shirt in a very expensive dress.

Sasha drove down Rodeo Drive and turned into the underground parking lot at glamour .
The familiar sense of pride overwhelmed her. The warm fuzzy feeling of homecoming washing over her because this ultra modern edifice of sparkling glass and marble soaring high into the foggy frigid morning air was like her second home.

Glamour had always been her fantasy ever since her mom taught her how to sew. The love of fashion had been born on that sunny lazy afternoon. And she had finally made it a reality. Within two years it was the most opulent fashion store that ever existed if she could say so herself.

After her first husband Ellis O'Neill, the multimillionaire bachelor who owned O'Neill Enterprises had died after ten years of blissful marriage she had been shuttered and lost to say the least.
She had little if any real friends taking in mind the small charmed circle of acquaintance they entertained with her husband. So wrapped in themselves as they were that they probably lived in their own world that kept others out.
So it was a shock when her husband died leaving her alone with prowling fake men vying for her attention because of her vast wealth. Wealth she couldn't begin to believe was hers let alone know what to do with it.

After years of international travels around the world with her husband seeing to everything it was even a greater shock to realize that she was pregnant. A responsibility. A child she couldn't think she could raise alone when she was too lost in her own grief.

She had met an Italian man then Vito Cohn and imperiously in a bout of need and reckless passion she had married the jerk within two weeks and boy did that end badly. She reflected.
Shy by nature it had taken the appearance Michael in her life to push her in right direction.
Burying herself in the construction of her empire and raising her daughter.
Fact is she had made it despite the challenges.

God knew without Michael's help she couldn't have made it. He was her head buyer, former photographer who knew women and supplied his inspiration to her world class customers.

Pretending she was seeing it for the first time, she walked around, enjoying the tour and acting mesmerized, surprised and bewitched by it all.
A thrilling experience she thought smiling foolishly ignoring the curious stares from her employees.

" If I didn't know you well enough I would think you got lucky last night"

Michael's teasing baritone voice whispered close to her ear.
His hot minty breath startling her reminding her of his lack of respect for personal space.
She caught herself before she yelped and glared daggers at him.

" How many times should I tell you sneaking upon people is creepy and downright rude" she admonished adopting the tone she used on Emily and come to think about it a tone she used more and more with Michael.

" Hey cool off you don't have to bite my head off. Jeez you would think I did more than say hello to all powerful Mrs O'Neill"
He replied his hands shooting up as if to stop any more tongue lashing from her since her posture; arms akimbo legs apart promised war to anyone who dared mess with her.

And here he thought she was happy and glowing he thought morosely.

" Didn't I -

"Blah blah, " he cut her short, " like I would forget with you repeating it all the time "

" I won't have to repeat it if you will stop calling me that. And anyway don't you have work to attend to? I don't enjoy dealing with a child at home and another here"

Oops was it just her or had she just said the wrong thing. Judging by Michael's pissed look she had probably said the worst thing imaginable.

" I swear by anything that's holy.. ."

he started but his charade was cut short by Kelvin Josh as always dressed to the nines striding towards them.

Sasha, grateful for the distraction fled to Josh side, sizing him up and liking what she saw. The naughty girl in her let out a whistle and purr of feminine appreciation. He smelled good too. Musky and reeking of masculine pheromones. A heady combination guaranteed to wreak havoc to her hormones. Her treacherous body was already responding to him.
His mere presence getting her juices flowing, her hands itching to explore his hot body...
Gosh what was wrong with her. Acting like a lovesick teenager. She admonished herself.

She licked her lips and caught Michael's bemused look, his eyebrows arched in question before his scowl morphed to a knowing smirk his anger forgotten.
She shifted on her feet self consciously, cleared her throat shaking her head as if to dismiss her lustful thoughts in the presence of Michael all seeing eyes And took a step back realizing just how close she had been encroaching into kelvin personal space.

Still with enough presence of mind for self preservation she floundered for a good excuse before beating a hasty retreat to the safety of her office.

Their eyes burning holes on her back.

××××××××

They were all gathered in the boardroom, including Joe Bean the recently hired top marketing wizard and her new assistants sitting in a cluster of expectant, ambitious young femininity.

" You all know Joe, right?
Said Sasha as a way of introduction to everyone. " I will let him speak to you"

" Thanks" Joe said warmly his pink cheeks, reassuring smile, round kind face and white hair warming him into the gathered group affections. He was likeable man. The group already taken to him. " We are talking about capital intensive business, and I am satisfied that there is enough capital to keep the new branching of glamour above water till it picks up. My job is basically to get customers and with glamour 's reputation as a world class store it won't be very difficult since the path is already paved. "

" Reputation and circulation is key to ensure success. With the right advertisement and connection to ensure it reaches the right people who would buy into our business. So primarily folks,we can't do without those key things. "

Ted Stimson, the company know -it - all nodded in agreement.

" Next is the inventory. Which is basically guesswork. You first have to know what resonates with customers. What they want or else you will be stuck with overstock. "

" That's why we have Michael on board. " Sasha said with the cheer of magician who had pulled a rabbit out of a hat. " we can't possibly go wrong with his uncanny knowledge. "

Michael smiled.
In the weeks since they begun work he had noticed a new friendliness had sprung between Sasha and kelvin. Intimate glances and telltale sneaky behavior.

Well, it was only natural when working together in the same office. It came with the territory. An occupational hazard.
Close proximity always led to closeness he thought sagely dismissing the idea that there could be more than met the eye. And anyway Sasha wasn't the type to mix business with pleasure. Or was he wrong?
He loved a good mystery so he could play detective and he knew he would have a field day with what he would find.