* * *

“I want what every girl wants…”

It’s true; I mean, don’t all girls want the same things in life? I’m not talking about five-year-olds who desperately want to be a ballerina princess and act out their own ballerina princess weddings wearing a white nightie and a pillowcase on their heads; I’m talking about what girls dream about having when they get older, for instance, in three words: career, marriage, kids.

That’s what I want and what I plan on having. I already have a perfect boyfriend and I did have the perfect career… now I’m sitting in an office that I share with seven other people who annoy me to high heaven. And I’ve only got myself to blame. Well, and Elijah I suppose. If not for his dashing good looks, charms and drop dead gorgeous body, I’d still be in my perfect career instead of sitting in a crumby office with a ridiculously small desk facing the most ridiculously annoying person in the world.

I did start off doing well in life. My parents, Jim and Sara Holmes brought me up as an only child which resulted in me getting spoilt rotten (hurrah!) up until college when Dad suggested that I learn to stand on my own two feet – which I didn’t mind; anything to get me out of the house, away from Mum and her nagging ways; trying to make me into a ‘proper young lady’ by buying me ridiculously hideous clothes and trying to get me a lawyer for a boyfriend. You’ve never met a woman like my Mum – the kind who tries her hardest to be snobby and look down her nose at people, the kind who won’t settle for a middle-class guy and the type of person you can always tell grew up boasting that she was going to marry a millionaire and nothing else would do. Dad, mind you, is not a millionaire and never has been. I guess what first attracted Mum to him was the fact that Dad and his friend were in the process of setting up car sales dealership and were successful.

Still, moving into a flat in central London with my best friend, Lilly was fantastic. The endless girly chats and gossiping was like heaven to me. At that time I was already pursuing my dream career; to be a Personal Assistant – mainly to the rich and the famous. As you can imagine, Mum was thrilled that I would be meeting millionaires and showing them around London or accompanying them to different places and meeting all of their needs. Nettleton & Co. is a company in London that specialises in finding the perfect Personal Assistants to meet each of their clients needs, and I was given Elijah Wood as my client. Elijah was in London filming a movie about football hooligans and had called up Nettleton & Co. looking for a Personal Assistant to basically show him the sights of London on his days off.

And after three or four days of meeting, we ended up shagging in his trailer.

Twice.

God, it was good.

Until a stupid cameraman walked into the trailer the next morning and caught us.

Then told my boss.

Who had a fit.

Who then told his very good friend… my Mum.

Who almost died of a heart attack (her perfect daughter did what??).

Who then eventually came around.

Who then went round to see my boss and begged him not to sack me (that would be a family disgrace).

Which leads to the present day. I’m sitting in that evil office with seven other people around me and although I still work for Nettleton & Co., I’m not a Personal Assistant anymore. My boss, John, told me that he would have sacked me on the spot for shagging a client if he and my Mum weren’t such good friends. So, instead, he put me in a crumby office and now my job is to take calls from clients and agents who need a Personal Assistant and hook them up with the perfect person for the job.

God, I would have rather have been sacked.

I’m still with Elijah though; a year and a half later and we’re still going strong even though Mum does not approve because of the way we first met and “humped” which cost me “the best career I could have ever hoped for” and how I “disgraced the Holmes family”. Thanks, Mum.

It’s the perfect relationship except for all the publicity Elijah got after it got leaked to the press about our ‘hot night of passion’ and now paparazzi try their hardest to follow us everywhere. John certainly got pissed off when they turned up at the office trying to get a picture of me. I must remember to thank him for telling them it was just rumours and none of it was true… and it kind of worked until they got a picture of Elijah and I tongue-wrestling at a restaurant. John got pissed off again.

Elijah now lives in London; in a flat close to mine. But I know he would rather be back in Los Angeles with his family and friends – plus he would be obviously closer to movie studios and his agent. He insists that he’d rather be closer to me and he goes back to LA every once and a while to see his family and friends. I’ve only ever gone back with him once for a month and a half until John called me up and told me to get my butt back on the plane before he sacked me for good. I hate my job now and everybody knows it; but if I work hard and impress him enough he may give me my old dream job back. Just maybe…

“Are you with us?” Carla, who’s sitting opposite me, taps her pen on my forehead. I sit up somewhat in a daze as I make my way back to reality.

“What do you want, Carla?” I sigh. Carla Everett: Award for Most Annoying Person in the Universe.

“I want you to type out this letter for me.” She hands me a hand-written letter in her spidery handwriting. “And then I want you to fax it to the William Morris Agency in New York. Did you know George Clooney is coming over here for some business and that he’s requested our company for a P.A? Did you know that? Did you?”

“No, I did not know that and no, I’m not going to type out your love-letter and no, I’m not faxing it either.” I throw the paper back across onto her own desk. Carla snorts and picks it up as if my touch diseased it.

“Just remember, Scarlet,” she points her finger at me, “that you are still a part of this company because your mother knows John. And why John placed you in this department is beyond me. But as you are part of this department, you will listen to what I say. I am the Team Leader and what I say goes. You will type out this letter and fax it over to New York for me.” She places it at the top of my desk with a huff. “And it’s not a love-letter; it’s merely an offer for our best assistant.”

I fold my arms, refusing to pick up the letter. “And by ‘best’ assistant, you mean your good friend Anna Marie who will introduce you to George if you make her his assistant.”

Carla flicks back a strand of her straight black hair and looks down at me with a smirk. “She may introduce us, Scarlet; but at least my conscience will be clear and at least I won’t be putting my job at risk by fucking a client. I shall merely be telling George that I admire his work and that I hope he will enjoy his stay in London. I sharn’t be using the act of seduction to get his attention.”

“Well maybe you should try it,” I retort. “Because no guy would even notice you even if it was only you in a room with him.”

“Stop it, both of you.” Jake, the latest addition to the department stands over us with an annoyed look on his face. “I’ve only worked here for two weeks and all I hear are you two going off at each other.”

“Well maybe Carla shouldn’t get so jealous that I’ve found a real man.” I know I shouldn’t add anything to trigger off another argument; but just looking at her ticks me off. And my comments seem to have ticked Jake off too.

“Enough,” he just says simply. “Or I’ll be going to John Nettleton.”

“You’ll get used to it, Jake,” Vicky, another annoying colleague butts in. “Besides, there’s no need to go to John Nettleton. Scarlet would love nothing more than to see Carla get into trouble when Carla is the dedicated hard worker. John will sack Scarlet as soon as she gets bored with Elijah and moves on to another client so there really is no point in talking nonsense about getting the boss involved. Although,” she pauses. “A few of us reckon she’ll be banging the boss next; you know, seen as though John and her Mum are such good friends.” Vicky and Carla snigger while Jake shakes his head and goes back to his own desk.

I cast my eyes back to my computer where I was previously playing Solitaire and staring into space. So that’s my life at the moment: the office slut. All I seem to do is let people down, Mum, Dad, John, myself.

Except Elijah.

For some very strange reason, he says he’s proud of me. He says he loves me.

And do you know what? I love him too.

* * *

Oh, very good start! I'm really intrigued. It seems like Scarlet has it tough, especially at work. But, her relationship with Elijah seems good, at least. Can't wait to see where this will go!

~Amber~

Wohoooo! Look who's back!

*throws confetti in the air*

Ehy Holly! That's a really good start (although I had no doubts about it! I adore your writing!)... let's see where you'll lead us!

:love:

Great beginning Holly!

She is a bit in a though spot...but hey life can only get better then.....right???!
(suddenlty I remember a fic were you had all your readers, including me, crying all the time.....cannot remember the name now, but it was damn sad)

This is a nice perky piece of work. Fun and sprightly. You've got me amused. :) Great start.



Alli.

* * *

I stomp into my flat and throw my bag onto the couch in a huff. I hate Carla, I hate her; and I hate Vicky. And I hate everybody else who works in that stupid office. Lilly keeps telling me to tell myself that they’re just jealous but I reckon that they’re just smug that I lost my dream job. Evil, stupid, smelly people who are just being evil, stupid and smelly. I’ll show them. I’ll get a promotion and eventually work my way back up to being a P.A and everything will be perfect then. And Mum will stop nagging me (on that area at least).

“Good day? Or did I just ask the most stupid question in the world?” Lilly. She’s my best friend and has been for years. She’s the one who understands what a nagging cow my mother is, who understands how evil Carla and the other office people are, who understands how fantastic Elijah is to me, and kinda knows about how we ended up having sex in the first place.

Lilly’s training to be a barrister which is cool because if by accident I end up killing Carla, I could hire Lilly to represent me in court and get me off the hook because she’s so cool at her job. Well, she will be when she finishes training.

“You just asked the most stupidest question in the world,” I reply as I walk over to the fridge and take out a bottle of water. “It’s never a good day when I have to work in that poor excuse for an office.”

“Ah, but isn’t it a good day that Elijah’s on his way back to London?” Lilly smiles as I spit out my water into the sink and turn to her with wide eyes. Elijah’s been in Manchester for the past week promoting and visiting Dominic Monaghan and his family. And he’s on his way back? Today?

“You’re kidding,” I finally spit out. “Today? Now?”

“Today and now.” Lilly gestures to the phone. “He’s been trying to ring you for the past hour to tell you but then decided to tell me the news and asked me to pass it on. He’s on the train now with Dom and he should be arriving at the station within the next half hour.” Lilly looks down at my work outfit. “Are you going to change, Scarlet?”

A smile creeps up on my face but then disappears when I realise that my bedroom is an absolute mess. I don’t care about what I wearing (well, actually I do care)… but I care more about the fact that Elijah and I haven’t seen one another for over a week and when we do see each other we won’t be able to keep our hands off each other.

And we’ll end up in my bedroom.

Which is an absolute mess. I can’t have ultimate, passionate sex with my boyfriend in a room which looks as though an atomic bomb hit it.

I turn to Lilly. “Room. A complete mess.” I put on my pleading eyes. “Lilly…”

“Yes I’ll help,” she smiles with a twinkle in her eye. “But seriously, Scarlet, you really should keep it clean more often. Elijah could turn up at any time-” We’re interrupted…by the buzzer which is buzzing outside our flat door. Oh my God, he can’t be here already! Lilly’s expression is similar to mine except for the smirk on her lips and a ‘serves you right’ gleam in her eyes. “I’ll get it.” She strolls back towards the door and presses the button. “Who is it?” she asked into the speaker.

“Special delivery for Scarlet Holmes.” It’s Elijah’s voice. Fuck.

“Elijah!” Lilly gives a small chuckle and grins at me. “May I just say that you have the best timing ever!”

“Sure,” Elijah’s answer is short. “So are you going to buzz me in?”

“Tell him I’m not home yet and to come back in half an hour!” I plead with my friend just as she presses the button to let Elijah through the main entrance.

“Scarlet, as your friend I’m going to have to teach you to not leave your room in such a mess.” Lilly is laughing.

“Bitch,” I hiss. “You just want to have a laugh.”

“And that,” she winks at me as Elijah’s knocks on the door.

“I’m not dressed properly either!” I hiss, gesturing down at my white blouse half covered by my black jumper and the knee-length skirt and ugly black shoes on my feet. Lilly just shrugs and opens the door. “Lij!” I put a smile on my face and try not to think about being dressed like an old lady and my room looking like a tip.
“You’re home early,” I say as he envelopes me in a hug and squeezes. Lilly gives small chuckle in my direction which makes Elijah turn to face her.

“Sorry, Lilly, did you want a hug?”

“How long have you been on that train?” Lilly asks.

Elijah shrugs. “About three or four hours.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna pass on the whole hugging thing. You’ve been on that train for almost four hours and you must smell to high heaven. I thought I saw Scarlet gagging when you guys hugged.” Lilly tries to keep a smile off her face and I roll my eyes from over Elijah’s shoulder. Those two love teasing one another and it can be so funny to watch. “But you can give me the present you bought me.” Lilly holds out her hand.

“Oh, right, your present.” Elijah digs around in his pocket and pulls out a small, crumpled-up piece of paper. “I saved you my train ticket, Lilly. It’s from an actual train that travels to Manchester and London on a daily basis. Now you get to look it and forever remember that I went on a train.”

Lilly takes the ticket and I slap my forehead with my palm. “Fantastic, Elijah! How did you know? It’s everything I’ve ever wanted and I’ll cherish it forever!” I thought it was a bit too much when Lilly skips into her bedroom. “Don’t worry guys,” she calls from her room. “I’m just getting my jacket and my bag and I’ll be out of your way.” Lilly re-enters the room now wearing her denim jacket. “I just have to show everyone my ticket!”

“Cheers, Lilly. Now would you do me a favour and kindly move your skinny ass out of the flat?” I’m desperate to push her out of the flat and lock the door forever to make up for one week of being deprived. But I love Lilly just for being Lilly and doing anything possible to make me smile. She gives me the thumbs up and shuts the door behind her leaving only me and Elijah in the room. Alone.

“I suppose you want your present now?” Elijah steps closer to me, a smile on his face.

“I suppose…” I try to look sexy as I stroll slowly towards him but how the hell can you look sexy when you’re dressed in clothes that even your Grandma would find fashionable? I suddenly become paranoid that my hair looks raggy and my make-up has run…and then suddenly realise that I’m not wearing sexy underwear… Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

I stop dead in my tracks and sigh. “I’m sorry, Elijah.” I shake my head.

“What?” he frowns, closing the gap between us and placing a hand to my cheek.

“I just…don’t feel sexy. If I had known you were coming home today I would have better prepared. I’ve been at work all day and didn’t have time to shower or to change when I got home because I was too busy moaning about Carla and Lilly didn’t even tell me you were coming home until the last minute and now I look like a hag.”

“Scarlet,” Elijah places kisses up and down my neck tenderly. “You’re right; you really should have showered and changed.” He grins and I roll my eyes. “But to be honest, I don’t really care what you look like. I’ve missed you like fuck and anyway you always look gorgeous to me.” He buries his fingers in my shoulder-length dark blonde hair and kisses my nose.

I always look gorgeous? Yeah, whatever. Sometimes I really don’t know why Elijah chose me when he could have any glamorous girl he wants. Yet, here he his, standing my messy flat with his arms around me; me, dressed in smelly, ugly clothes with messy hair and hardly any make-up on my face. There really isn’t anything glamorous about me.

Just as finish that last thought, Elijah moves forward and kisses me. I know he knows what I was thinking about; he knows that I don’t have much self-esteem. Suddenly he’s breaking off from the kiss and taking my hand in his.

“Elijah-” Shit, he’s heading towards my room.

“Come on,” he grins and continues walking in the direction of my bedroom.

“No, but, Lij…” I’m running out of things to say. Suddenly I see something in the corner of my eye. “The couch!” I say a bit too enthusiastically. “We haven’t done it on the couch yet and I think we’re at a stage in our relationship were we really really need to have sex on the couch.” What did I just say??

Elijah chuckles and shakes his head. “Lilly could be back any time soon.”

“She’ll be gone a while.” I argue.

“What I want to make up for being deprived for the past week is going to take longer then a while.” Elijah grins and starts to move towards my bedroom again. Fuck. It’s a mess; in such a mess that I’m embarrassed to let him even look inside it let alone have sex in it.

“Aw, Lij, please,” now I’m desperate. Really desperate. I’ve got the puppy-eyes out.

“Scarlet, I promise you the next time we’re at my place we can have all the shags you want on the couch. The difference is that you have a room-mate and I don’t. We could easily be disturbed if we do it on the couch. Come on now, I’ve missed holding you in my arms.” Shit, now he’s got his puppy-eyes out. I’m going to give in.

There’s no time to anyway, because now he’s swung the door open and turned on the lights. My eyes close and my cheeks redden. There’re clothes scattered in heaps all over the floor and bed, magazines lying around and CD’s chucked anywhere. Elijah has a smile on his face.

“Here’s a question, Scarlet; where the fuck is your bed?”

“Under the rubble and dirt,” I reply with a sigh. “Now do you see why the couch was a better idea?”

“Nah, the couch idea was a shit idea.” He lets out a laugh and pulls me with him into the room. Next thing I know, my door is closed and he’s pressing my back up against it; holding me dangerously close to his body.

“Elijah Jordan,” I say with a smirk, trying to at least sound sexy. He just kisses me; kisses me with such a passion that everything around us is just a blur. My head is spinning, my heart is racing.

Up until the doorbell buzzes making us both jump as if someone had just thrown a bucket of ice cold water over us. “Shit.” I mumble, pulling away from Elijah and looking towards the door.

“Ignore it.” Elijah kissed my neck and wraps his arms around my waist and heaves me up against his body. I react by wrapped my legs around his waist as he carries me over to the bed. As he gently lays me down on top of CD’s and magazines, I chuckle and try to move some of the mess out from under me. But Elijah isn’t bothered. He’s kissing my neck and enjoying every minute of it.

Except for that bastard doorbell. It’s buzzing again.

“Lij, it could be something important.” Elijah groans and looks down at me. We’re both breathing heavy and both annoyed at the impatient person who’s standing outside the building and continually pressing the bell to my flat.

“Go get rid of them,” Elijah sighs and I wriggle out from under his body.

“Two minutes.” I smile and peck his lips softly then run my hands through my hair trying to neaten it out before I answer the door. I push the speaker button and move closer towards it. “Who is it?”

“Sweetheart, it’s cold out here! What took you so long?” Mum. She would come to see me now wouldn’t she? I could be sat down doing nothing except watching telly or picking my fingernails and she wouldn’t turn up. The second my boyfriend comes home after a week she feels like a visit. Sods Law. Sods bloody law.

“Come on up.” I sigh. It’ll take years to get rid of her. I open the door and wait for her to climb the stairs. She finally gets to the top, pretending to be huffing and puffing as she walks into my flat.

“Those stairs are a nightmare to climb,” she says. “They really should get elevators in this place; I’m not as young as I used to be.”

I close the door. “What do you want, Mum?”

“Oh, and now I need a reason to visit my only child, do I?” She looks offended.

“Well, yeah,” I fold my arms. “It’s usually me doing the visiting since you don’t like me living here and you hate climbing the stairs to get here so obviously there must be reason.”

“Scarlet, darling, what on earth have you been doing? Your shirt is untucked, disturbingly messy and undone. For goodness sake, girl, your breasts are out!”

I quickly look down on myself. No, my breasts aren’t out; just too much of my bra is showing. I quickly button it up and straighten it out trying not to look flustered and hoping to god that Elijah doesn’t walk out of my bedroom. “Now can I have the reason for this visit?”

“I just wanted to see how you are.” Mum’s eyes are wandering around my flat, clearly disapproving. “Although…”

Here it comes; supposedly fantastic news and now that she’s making herself comfy on the couch means it going to be a long one. Great.

“I was speaking Amma Richards. You do know Amma Richards don’t you sweetheart?”

“Yes; Lilly’s mum.” I nod my head and sit down next to her, trying to make an interested expression appear on my face; with no luck.

“Yes, well, you know how she’s a top barrister and that Lilly is so cleverly following in her footsteps… well just the other day I was thinking to myself how much of a difference it would make to your life if you were a barrister.”

I frown. “If I was a barrister?” I repeated.

“Of course!” Mum taps my knee. “It would benefit you in lots of ways if you became a barrister. You wouldn’t have to work at that office anymore, no-one you know would know about how you humped that actor and lost your job.”

I shake my head, trying to get a grip of the conversation. “I’m sorry but ‘wouldn’t have to work at the office’? You literally begged Derek Nettleton to let me work for the company even after what I did and now you’re telling me you think I would be better away from the office? I thought you and Derek were good friends.”

“We are, darling, we are but since some light came to my attention, I now realise that it would be better if you left the company.”

“What light?” I groaned. Derek Nettleton is the owner and founder of Nettleton & Co. and my boss, John’s father. Mum made quite an effort to become friends with the Nettleton’s ever since Derek’s wife Daisy bought that ridiculously expensive diamond necklace and showed it round all the dinner parties.

“I’m glad you asked.” Oh no, she’s smiling. “I was sat in Derek’s office just the other day when he asked how you were doing. I said you were doing fine but you really needed to get your act together and gt out of that office. Derek quite agreed and then the subject came up.”

“What subject?”

“Oh you and John Nettleton, of course! Derek was so sympathetic when I poured my heart out about how much you had disappointed me by giving yourself to that beast of an actor and then we got onto the subject of how relationships in the work place are a no-go area. And then Derek just happened to mention that John has taken quite a fancy to you; and what a fine husband he’d make. You’d never have to work again, Scarlet darling. The Nettleton’s have enough money to last a lifetime. Plus think of the business he will inherit! Derek and I have made plans, you see; and I happen to know that John is going to talk to you about his feelings. How marvellous is that?”

“Dull.” I reply. “But you were just saying how relationships in the work place are a no-go.”

“That’s why you become a barrister, my darling and get out of Nettleton & Co. The sooner you dump that actor and become a barrister, the sooner you and John can marry!”

“Yes, okay, Mum, I get it. Thanks so much for bringing that to my attention now I really need to get back to my…bath…”

“You understand that I’m only looking out for the well-being of my beautiful daughter,” she places a kiss on my cheek, leaving a big, red lipstick mark. “Ciao, darling. Call me as soon as John talks to you – not a second before.”

“Yes, thank you, Mum. Bye Mum.” I sigh with relief as I finally shut the door. As soon as I do, my bedroom door opens and Elijah looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

“So your boss fancies you.”

“But I don’t fancy him,” I sigh. “Yet Mum already has the wedding planned out.” I slap my forehead. “I’m going mad. Very, very slowly.”

Elijah wraps his arms around me and sighs. “Don’t worry. If you do eventually go mad, this beast of an actor will still love you.” He’s got a playful smile on his lips and I smile back as he leans in and kisses me softly.

Suddenly all memory of my conversation with Mum leaves my head.

* * *

I saw that you were the author of this and thought, 'Oh, its Holly. Its already amazing.' And tada! I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.

This story is really cute. I like the idea .. and the setting .. and your style .. and yeah, its great!

New reader alert!! Yay! I absolutely love this story.

:lmao: I used to do that! teehee. You're such a great author. You rock my socks off! lol
Keep up the good work, I'll be waiting for more! ~Alli~

Uhoh, Mum seems like an overbearing one..... ^_^ I wonder about this John and what role he will play in Scarlet's future. I like her and the beast of an actor together...that John better not mess it up. :yes:

I'm really enjoying this.

Wow you are back and this is abosolutlely fantastic Holly Elijah as a beast not going to happen. I love your style and everythoing about this fic. Greatness I look forward to reading more.

ok, i'm a fan.