Mr. Long's proposal (2)

He waved a hand lazily towards one of the chairs in front of his desk. Emma sat. Remembering her years of practice, she sat straight-backed with a polite, but impassive smile plastered on her face. She was trying very hard not to fidget. Mr. Long's piercing eyes were watching her from above his intertwined fingers. Emma held his gaze. She. Would. Not. Show. Weakness.

Quite abruptly, the strange intense aura lifted as Mr. Long laughed heartily and leaned back in his chair.

"Why are you looking so nervous, Ms. Huang. Did you think I was going to scold you? To fire you?"

He laughed again and flashed her a wicked grin, looking devilishly handsome. Emma laughed politely with him, striving to keep her cool. She didn't seem to be in trouble, but the way he kept looking at her made her feel uneasy.

"I hope I haven't made some mistake, Mr. Long. I'm still new in the VIP area. If there is anything I can do to improve myself, please inform me."

She was trying to show politeness and respect in her speech, while simultaneously projecting with her body language that she was not intimidated. Even though she totally was. Also, she really wanted to keep this job. Her salary was good, and what she earned from tips was even better. And she really needed the money.

"You are preforming very well, Ms. Huang. My manager is full of your praises. I'm very satisfied with you, no need to worry."

His tone was such that she was sure that he had ment something other than her cocktail mixing skills with that last sentence. Emma couldn't stop her hand from shaking a little, and she clamped them tightly together in her lap.

"In fact, I'm so satisfied with you, that I'm thinking of promoting you." He stroked his chin slowly while he waited for her reaction.

"Really? A promotion?" Emma asked excitedly. Internally she let out a huge sigh of relief. So this was why he had called her, to discuss a promotion! She could barely maintain her professional composure. He must have seen her nervousness before and decided to tease her a little, nothing harmless.

"Why don't you whip up a drink for the two of us to drink while we discuss your new position?" He gestured towards a well stocked drinks cabinet in the corner.

"Of course. What would you like to drink, Mr. Long?"

"Surprise me."

She nodded and made her way over to the bar, feeling slightly nervous again. This seemed to be some sort of test. She could feel his eyes following her every move, tracking every action. This must be how a rabbit felt when it was being stalked by a fox.

A few minutes later, she handed Mr. Long a perfect Negroni. Strong and slightly bitter, perfectly balanced and flavoured. He took it from her and sipped it, seeming to savour the taste. His low hum of approval was music to her ears. In her head she did a happy little jig, while outwardly she gave a professional satisfied smile.

When his intense stare fixed on her again a second later she started to feel nervous again. She hadn't noticed how close they were now. And why did he keep staring at her with such intensity? Part of her wanted to ask what was the matter with him, but she held back knowing she could not afford to offend him right now. 'Remember the promotion', she thought. 'Promotion means more money and you need money.'

Deciding to put some distance between them, she was about to take a few steps away from him when his hand closed around her wrist in an iron grip. Pulling at her arm, he yanked her forward so that their faces were brought close together. She could see the flecks of gold in his light brown eyes.

"Please let go, Mr. Long." Her voice shook slightly from suppressed fear and anger, and she tried pulling her hand back.

He just grinned at her with that devilish smile, but didn't release her.

"Let go of me!" she said more forcefully, but she already had a horrible sinking feeling.

Again she tried to pull her hand back, but to no avail. He chuckled in amusement.

"Don't you want to hear about your promotion?"

"I can hear about it from over there" she said, gesturing towards the other side of the desk. Anger had won over the fear.

How could she had been so stupid? There was something off about the way he was acting from the start. She shouldn't have let her guard down.

Not caring anymore about appearing professional, she let her anger show. She bared her teeth in a hiss as she tried to pull herself free yet again.

"There you are, you little spitfire. I knew you were hiding behind that cold, impassive mask of yours."

Suddenly he pulled at her again, quickly standing up and swiveling her around. Her butt hit the seat of the chair with a thud, as she was pushed into it. Scared and furious she pulled her arms up to her chest protectively. With one hand at each side of the chair, Mr. Long leaned over her. She was completely boxed in, with no way of escaping. Leaning down even closer, Mr.Long whispered softly in her ear.

"Your promotion is to become my woman."