Chapter 1
Lexa’s loft on Monday morning:
The alarm rings, as always, so Lexa opens her eyes, gets up and walks into the kitchen to eat some breakfast quickly, as always. For a long time every morning in her life has been the same. She doesn’t really have to think about what she’s doing next, it all comes naturally. First she would walk up to her closet and choose what to wear on this day. Today she chooses a dark blue button-up shirt, a grey jacket with fitting trousers and a red tie. Her shoes are right next to her door, polished and shiny. Before she checks her briefcase for all the important documents that she has been working on yesterday, she puts on her golden Cartier watch and slides a silver ring with a diamond in it over her middle finger. A last look in the mirror and she leaves the house to get into her car to drive to work. While she’s driving her thoughts wander to the upcoming charity event that her company will host and her mood drops a little. She has never liked these high-society events. During her time at Oxford all these weird-looking old guys would stare at her and try to talk to her at these kinds of events. She hated every second of it but you never make it far in business without going to a few of those from time to time. Some people may underestimate this but good relationships with important people decide the future of your company more than the hard work you do for it.
A few hours later Lexa is sitting at her desk and focused on her work when somebody knocks on the door of her office.
“Come in”, she says without looking up from her computer. The door opens and her secretary enters the room
“Excuse me Ms. Woodson but Mr. Hampton wants to speak to you.”
Lexa looks at her watch and asks with a slight confusion in her voice “But he didn’t schedule an appointment with me, did he?”
“No, Ma’am” answers her secretary.
“Alright, doesn’t matter. Send him in.” Lexa gets up, buttons her jacket and adjusts the watch on her wrist. The door opens again and a tall, handsome looking guy comes in. He and Lexa shake hands and sit down.
“I am quite surprised to see you here Mr. Hampton, I wasn’t expecting you today” says Lexa.
“Oh, I apologize to disturb you in all the work you have to do, I only needed to speak to you about the charity event this weekend. I hope you received the list with some of the requirements that I am expecting of you.” Lexa nods and just adds “of course.”
“Great, you know how eager I am to make sure everything will be executed to my company’s full satisfaction. I would like you to send me the guest list by the end of the work day today, so I will know who will attend the event.” Mr. Hampton gets up from the chair and checks his phone before he adds “I guess you won’t bring anybody with you, as always. Somebody could think that a sophisticated woman like you, wouldn’t have a problem with that but apparently not all can be so gifted.”
He laughs mockingly and Lexa just fakes a smile as he leaves the room. “What an idiot” says Lexa under her breath after he closed the door and she continues to work. Even though she is trying not to think of it during the day but his words wouldn’t leave her mind. She doesn’t want people to think that she was lonely, so she had to find somebody she could bring to the event with her. Somebody, who was that good-looking that it would wipe his stupid smile right off his face, but she doesn’t have the time to go on dates or anything, so she is handling it the fastest and easiest way, with money.