Repeating History (History #1) (4 page)

It’s okay I’ll settle for just the benefits for the time being.

I’m smirking in the dark of my kitchen because I can imagine her huffing as she reads my message.

No benefits. No sex. No friends. No dates. Nothing. WE ARE NOTHING.

Shame. Night Princess. X

I don’t wait for her reply before closing the Facebook messenger app on my phone. I consider texting my sister but it seems a bit late. Maya is a twenty one year old girl and it’s Friday night. She’s either asleep, out clubbing or fucking someone I don’t want her to be fucking; either way it’s not something I want to disturb. I make my way back to my bedroom where Millie is still asleep in my bed. I undress and roll back into bed.

Millie is gone when I wake up the next morning much to my relief. She left a note on the counter in the kitchen saying thank you for a lovely evening. She didn’t leave a number or any means of contacting her so it looks like we both just wanted the one night. It’s a relief because as much as people used to think I was a player in high school, it’s never really been true and I didn’t want to have to be the guy that tells another girl he’s not interested in the long haul. Truth is, there’s only one girl that I’d go the distance for and there is no chance in hell that she’ll ever let me. I try calling my sister but she doesn’t answer so instead I send a quick email to my boss asking him for a favour. I hate asking him for favours even if we have developed a bit of a friendship.

From: Andrew (
[email protected]
)

To: Landon (
[email protected]
)

RE: Favour To Ask

Good morning,

Hope you are coping without Aurora this week. When does she get back?

I’m sorry to ask but I was wondering if we could arrange an internship for my little sister. She’s twenty one. Very clever. Just a bit unfocused atm.

I know I’m a pain in the arse for asking.

A

Andrew Contius

Account Director

TRW Advertising

I’m barely left waiting a moment before my phone alerts me to Landon’s reply. He really must be bored without Aurora around.

From: Landon (
[email protected]
)

To: Andrew (
[email protected]
)

RE: re: Favour To Ask

Good morning to you too,

Worst week of my bloody life. I’ve never been so bored. I don’t know what I did before I knew her. She’s back on Christmas Eve. Literally counting down the hours.

As for your sister... we could get her shadowing one of the directors if you like. Maybe Miss Delos?

Speaking of Miss Delos, how is she settling in?

L

Landon Peters

Managing Director

TRW Advertising

I reply quicker than lightening.

From: Andrew (
[email protected]
)

To: Landon (
[email protected]
)

RE: Miss Delos

She’s settling in great. Like a fish to water.

Do you think Clara will agree to having Maya shadow her?

Andrew Contius

Account Director

TRW Advertising

From: Landon (
[email protected]
)

To: Andrew (
[email protected]
)

RE: re: Miss Delos

I think you know her better than I do, so you can be the judge.

Send a quick email to Catherine Jenkins in HR to sort out the paperwork. If you email her now; she’ll likely get someone on it ASAP.

See you Monday.

Landon Peters

Managing Director

TRW Advertising

From: Andrew (
[email protected]
)

To: Landon (
[email protected]
)

RE: re: Miss Delos

Great. Thanks boss.

See you Monday aka Christmas Eve aka the day Aurora comes home.

Andrew Contius

Account Director

TRW Advertising

I send another quick email to Catherine in human resources before trying to call my sister again. It’s still early for her, I guess. I give up and this time when it goes to voicemail I don’t hang up, “alright Maya. I’ve got you a job. I know you want to sing but I think you should have something to do in the mean time... and it’ll keep Jake off your back about covering your rent. Call me back.”

I decide the best thing to do with my Saturday morning is to do work. I have nothing better to do and if I’m honest with myself I enjoy my work. I catch up on all of my emails and go over some of my team’s ideas so that I’ll be ready for the directors meeting on Monday morning. I decide to message Clara. I tell myself it’s just to warn her about the meeting but really I know I just want to talk to her.

Delos – every Monday morning Landon likes to have a meeting with all the directors.

Thought I’d better warn you. He’ll want to know what’s going on with your current accounts.

Thanks for the warning.

Her response is irritatingly short.

I could help you prepare. If you like.

I think I’ll be okay.

But thank you.

You’re welcome. This Monday shouldn’t be too big what with it being Christmas Eve.

Okay
.


Have you thought more about my Christmas present?

I can’t resist the opportunity. I need to get a rise out of her. It’s like heroin or coke and I’m an addict. She doesn’t respond immediately and so I carry on working on one of my current projects.

What are you going to get me?

I can’t work out if she’s teasing me, calling my bluff or flirting... she’s the only girl that’s ever confused me. It’s infuriating.

You can have anything you want, princess.

Including you leaving me alone?

Her answer isn’t the one I want.

Except that.

That’s all I want.

I don’t reply. I don’t really know what I’m supposed to say to the girl who apparently still hates me for something that happened eight years ago. It’s completely ridiculous. As if either of us are the same people we were in high school. I get up and head down the hall. I need something to drink. I grab a bottle of beer from the fridge and an apple from the fruit bowl before making my way back to my home office. A part of me hopes that in the brief time I’ve been in the kitchen she’ll have changed her mind, but if the lack of a new message is anything to go by she hasn’t.

Come Monday morning I’m literally dragging an unwilling Maya into my office. “Wait here,” I tell her irritably.

“Fine,” she retorts, arms folded. She sits herself down in one of the comfortable arm chairs and gives me a death glare.

I walk out of my office and knock on Clara’s door. Every day last week, Clara arrived earlier than me. Trust today to be the exception. I turn to the cubicles in the middle of the central office space. Katie, Clara’s assistant is sat with two coffees in front of her. Evidence that Clara is late. “Can you get Miss Delos to come see me as soon as she comes in. It’s important.”

“Yes sir.”

I turn back to my office and sigh. Why the hell did I agree to my brother’s stupid idea? “Right Maya,” I begin a riot act that Jacob would be proud of, “you are going to take this job seriously. Do you understand?”

“Of course I understand. I’m not deaf, so I can hear you. I’m not foreign, so I can understand you and I’m not illiterate so you can just give me the bloody contracts and shit and I’ll go through them.”

“You can be such a brat sometimes.”

“I’m not a brat... I’m just fed up of being treated like a child. Just because I’m not like you or Jake...”

“We just worry about you,” my voice is gentler now. Perhaps we are too hard on her sometimes. I know it’s because she’s so much like mum...

“I’m not mum you know...” her words are a whisper. “I’m not going to change my mind on a whim... I’m not going to run off with a guy I’ve just met... I’m not going to forget to take my meds... I’m not her. P.S. I don’t have any meds to forget to take... more proof I’m not her.”

“I know,” I nod, “you just seem so similar sometimes and we worry.”

“I’m my own person Rew. I need to make my own decisions.”

“I know but give this job a chance, please.” I’m almost begging her. I need to know she’s safe. I need to know she has money. I need to know she can pay her rent. If there is one thing I’ve learnt in life it’s that you can’t rely on your parents. “Please?”

She nods her head, “what does it entail?”

“You’ll be shadowing one of the directors,” I tell her, “much like an assistant.”

“I can do that.”

There’s a knock at my office door, “you wanted to see me?” Clara asks as she lets herself in. She’s wearing a suit dress. It fits her perfectly. I know that if she turned around now I’d see that she has the perfect arse. Her waist must be tiny and her boobs are completely covered up and yet they are still the focal point of the dress. She looks amazing. Her hair is down and flowing a deep red auburn.

“Yes,” I smile at her but she doesn’t return it. Her eyes are cold as stares me out, “my sister Maya is going to be your intern.”

“My intern?” she’s not impressed. “I don’t need an intern.”

“Landon authorised it.”

“Fuck sake Contius! Can I talk to you next door?” she asks. She’s struggling to keep a polite tone.

I follow her out the door, watching the sway of her hips and admiring how good her legs look when she’s wearing those killer heals. Fuck; she’s hot.

“What are you playing at?” she almost screams at me as soon as the door is closed behind us.

“I’m not playing at anything. My sister needed a job. I asked Landon to help her. I suggested an internship and he said she could be your intern.”

“This isn’t some Contius quest to piss me off?”

“Maya isn’t interested in helping me piss you off. Trust me.”

“Problem is I don’t,” she sighs. “Fine; send her in.”

“Thanks,” I smile at her. “I owe you one.”

“Just leave me alone.”

I turn when I reach the door, “never.” I wink at her because I can resist.

CHAPTER Three: Clara

“You don’t like my brother,” Maya Contius says to me as soon as she enters my office. It’s clear it’s not a question. I hadn’t realised my dislike for Andrew was that obvious. “I recognise you... you went to school with Rew.”

“Rew?” I ask. I’m sat behind my desk, drinking my morning coffee. It’s too sweet. Katie hasn’t quite learnt to make it the way I like it yet. I wince at the taste.

“Andrew,” she clarifies.

“You call him Rew?” That tickles me. I’ve never imagined Andrew with a nickname. The fact that it reminds me of one of the characters from Winnie The Pooh only makes it more funny to me.

“Since I was a little girl. I couldn’t say Andrew as a baby.” It’s strange having an insight into Andrew’s childhood like this. It’s not something I’d ever imagined.

I nod. “So you did go to school with him?” she presses.

“Yeah,” I don’t want to give too much away, in case he’s sent her in as some sort of spy. I wouldn’t put it passed him. He always was a devious bastard.

“What’s your name?” she asks me and it makes me wonder just how quickly this internship has been put together. Since when does anyone get a job before learning their boss’s name? It’s not something I’ve ever done. Nor can I imagine myself having the confidence to pull it off. I almost respect that about Maya; she’s not insecure. She’s definitely headstrong.

“Clara... Clara Delos.” She’s quiet and I can’t decide if I’m disappointed or not. A small part of me would like to imagine that Andrew used to go home and talk to his family about me but that’s just ridiculous. Andrew’s teasing may have always been a large part of my school days but I doubt it ever held any significance to Andrew.

“Were you friends?” She’s very talkative like a young child with a new best friend.

“Friends?” I ask. She’s completely lost me. Friends? Friends with Andrew? Why is she asking me if I was friends with Andrew?

“Friends in school?”

“No.”

“Oh. That’s a shame. I’m sure that Andrew had a friend called Clara or Claire... Ara... Lara... who knows...” She shrugs as if it doesn’t matter; it matters to me though, “he used to talk about her a lot. My brother Jacob used to tease him about her all the time.” I wait for her to continue but she just stays there looking thoughtfully right at me with an ease that is clearly inherited. She’s more like Andrew than she realises.

I want to ask her about  what she has just told me but I’m scared that anything I say to her or any questions I ask her will get back to her brother. I don’t know her and I can’t trust her. Instead I get straight to work. “As my intern you will need to be here each week day at nine am.”

“Yes Ms Delos,” She’s polite unlike her brother. Perhaps we will get on after all.

“You can call me Clara,” My tone is kind yet professional; slightly clipped.

“Thank you Clara.”

“You are welcome,” I smile, “I think we’ll work well together... so long as you aren’t too much like your brother...” I say it almost as an afterthought and I blush when I realise she has heard me.

“Nothing a like at all,” her smile isn’t mocking or teasing but bright. She’s genuinely happy about being different, and she’s not angry with me for my rudeness, “I’m nothing like either of my brothers.”

“Good. Then I imagine we’ll do just fine,” might as well be honest. She’s going to realise soon enough that me and her brother do not get on. “Why did you get this job? Do you have an interest in advertising?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Then why?” I’m frustrated that it’s beginning to look like Andrew is just trying to get me to babysit his little sister. As nice as she is, I don’t have time for babysitting and perhaps more importantly I want him to take me seriously. I’m not Clara the girl he knew in school any more. I’m Clara Delos, an accounts director for one of the largest advertising companies in the United Kingdom.

“My brothers... they are a little overprotective. I’m twenty one. I’ve just finished university. They think that my choices aren’t...” She seems to struggle for words. I don’t think I’m the only one who is cross. “I want to be a singer but they don’t think it’s a financially viable means of supporting myself.”

“Your brothers sound very heavy handed.” I don’t know why I’m commenting. I know I shouldn’t. The last thing I should do is get involved in their family disputes. To be frank; it’s none of my business and I quite like it that way. I need to stay detached from Andrew and now Maya too.

“You have no idea.” She has no idea; I know her brother of old. I know just how heavy handed he can be. Except in the physical sense. He’s never once hit me.

I stand up and grab a file off of my desk, “I’ll introduce you to Katie. She’s my assistant. You’ll have the cubicle next to hers. If there is anything you need don’t hesitate to ask her and of course if I’m around, feel free to ask me for help.” Please don’t. I’m going to be making it my life’s ambition to avoid you and your family like the plague.

She’s nodding her head and following me out of the office. “I’ll leave you to sort out your paperwork... there’s so much of it. I’m pretty new here too... Katie,” I turn to my assistant, “this is Maya. She’ll be interning with us for the foreseeable future. Could you show her around, help her with her paperwork and perhaps show her where the coffee machine is. I’m going into the directors meeting now, so hold my calls.”

“Yes Miss Delos,” Katie nods.

“Katie,” I chastise her, “Call me Clara, please.”

“Sorry Clara...”

I nod to them both before turning on my heels towards the lift. Andrew is waiting for the lift when I arrive. The last thing I want to do is make small talk with him.

“How is Maya doing?” he asks calmly.

“Good... she’s cracking on with her HR paperwork.”

“Thank you,” he seems almost sincere, “if she becomes a pain, let me know.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” I smile at him bitterly. “I always was good at babysitting.” One thing I definitely will not be doing is being some sort of intermediary between them. That is not happening.

“Clara,” Andrew looks surprised, “that’s not what I had in mind.”

“What did you think we’d become friends and braid each other’s hair?” I throw his own words back at him. I’m more pissed than I’d realised.

“It wasn’t my idea,” he looks uncertain for what I can only presume is the first time in his life.

“Perhaps not,” I’m angry and I’m not completely sure why, “but I’m still going to have to baby sit your sister. Do you know what I think?”

“No. But you wouldn’t be you if you didn’t tell me.” He’s so frustrating. He’s entertained by the situation we’ve found ourselves in; no that’s not right, he’s entertained by the situation he has put me in.

“I think you are looking for ways to irritate me further... this is all part of some plot.” I’m in for the long haul when I take a deep breath before opening my mouth again to rant, “either she’s spying on me or you are just some sort of pigheaded man that thinks he can do whatever he wants. You’ll never take me seriously, will you? I’m here to work, not babysit your sister! If you want to know how she’s doing, ask her your fucking self.”

“If that’s what you want, princess...” his teasing tone is back and the lift is full of static charge. I can feel it in my bones, for fuck sake. I don’t understand the effect he has upon me. He’s staring at me, almost challengingly and he’s definitely standing too close. His face is inches from mine and I can feel his breathe on my cheeks. I feel almost tempted to inch forward and lean up so that I can kiss him but that is completely absurd. “Are you ready for this meeting?”

“Of course I’m ready,” It angers me slightly that he doubts me.

“I only mean, you’ve had a lot to catch up on.”

“I catch up quick.”

“I know you do,” he’s smiling at me, “I remember when we used to have to do cross country and no matter how much I might be beating you for 97% of the race, you always caught up and beat me in the end.” His eyes are twinkling with humour. I don’t understand why he can’t take anything seriously.

“Yeah...” I don’t really know what to say. Truth is, if I didn’t beat him, teenage me had considered it a failure. He was the ruler by which I measured my growth. He was the stick by which I measured my tears. He was the tape by which I measured my success and he was the string by which I measured the size of my heart.

“Every time I tried harder to beat you and every time you still managed to win.” He’s pouting now and it’s quite funny. It’s cute.

“I never won at tennis.” I don’t know why I’m reminding him of all the times he’d beaten me. I’d begged my father for tennis lessons so that I might finally beat him but he’d refused. Hadn’t stopped me learning though. Eventually, I paid for my own lessons.

“No... and hockey... I always won at hockey.”

“Yeah.”

“And maths. I was better at maths.”

I need to stop him before he lists all the things he was better at than me. We’d be here all day otherwise. “But I was better at English.”

“Barely...” his eyes are twinkling. He’s so naturally competitive.

“This isn’t the career I’d pictured you in.”

“Really? What did you think I would do?” He seems genuinely interested in my response. He’s leaning towards me, an eyebrow raised, waiting.

“I don’t know... perhaps the police or something sporty,” I consider my words carefully, “you never seemed particularly creative.”

“I’m not very creative,” He’s laughing now, “to be honest; this isn’t where I thought I’d be either...”

“How did you end up here?”  I ask because I’m genuinely intrigued.

“You.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Explain... please.” I have no idea how I could possibly have influenced his decision to go into advertising and marketing but I’m desperate to know. I haven’t seen him since school; I would have thought I’d been long since forgotten by Andrew Contius, popular kid.

“No. Not today.” He smirks before opening the door to the conference room where I’d been interviewed for this job. I hadn’t even realised we’d left the lift; I was so focused on Andrew and our conversation.

“Maya calls you Rew...” I raise an eyebrow at him.

“What of it?” He’s so unaffected. I could tease him to high heaven and he wouldn’t care; the arrogant pillock.

“It’s just so cute,” I tease.

“You’re cute...” he smirks, “but I promise you, no matter what you call me, Andrew, Rew, Contius, bloody arse, arsehole, fuckwit... no matter what you call me, I am anything but cute.” His eyes are dark and they seem to be calling to me like a siren, begging me to fall into their depth to find my drowning death. I need to pull back. I need to restore the balance. I need to avoid him.

“I think you and your sister are cute,” I’m definitely teasing him now and it pleases me to finally have the shoe on the other foot. Perhaps if I tease him, I can get us back into safe territory where sexual tension doesn’t exist and he doesn’t have any effect upon me whatsoever.

“I’ll prove you wrong,” He whispers to me as he pulls out a chair for me at the conference room table. Glancing around the room I spot that several of the other directors have already arrived and are sat gossiping amongst themselves. They are completely ignoring us, thankfully. I do not want to be the cause of office gossip.

“Maya seems almost as irritated with you as I am.”

“I doubt anyone could be as irritated with me as you are,” he laughs gently as he takes the seat next to me at the table. I glance at the file that I’ve brought with me, hoping that if I look focused on work Andrew might leave me alone. It’s unlikely but anything is worth a go.

After the meeting with the other directors, Landon Peters, the managing director of TRW Advertising calls me into his office, “how are you settling in?”

“Very well, Mr Peters,” I smile at him. He’s got dark unruly hair and grey eyes. He’s wearing a black suit and a white shirt. His every action seems full of purpose. He takes a seat behind his desk and pulls out his phone.

“Good and Contius is looking after you?” Landon asks me without looking up. He seems distracted by whatever he is looking for on his phone.

“Yes sir,” I try to keep my temper in check, even inside my head. I don’t like feeling ignored and my boss is doing a fantastic job of ignoring me.

“Good,” Landon Peters, “and your new intern; is she settling in well?”

“I left her with a mountain of HR paperwork.” My words possibly come out stronger than I intend but Landon doesn’t seem to notice.

“Ah...” Landon chuckles, “the joys of a new job. Let me know if there is anything you need.”

“Yes sir,” I nod before turning towards the door.

“Call me Landon, Clara,” and finally he glances up from his phone, “you changed your hair. It’s darker now.”

“Yes,” I run a hand through it, “I fancied a change.” I needed a change. I needed to change.