Page 31 of Ravaged For You

I let out a sigh of relief once they’ve gone.

That was not easy, putting it mildly.

It was the scariest meeting I’ve ever had, and I can’t make a guess at what the outcome of it even was. I blindly insulted Axel – well, because he was being a total dick – and then he stormed out, closely followed by his manager. Did they even like the report I gave? Were they even listening?

Am I… fired?

I don’t know what came over me. That snarky attitude I exhibited in front of the band. I’m usually such a reserved person, always so frightened of conflict and causing a storm, and yet Axel somehow makes my inner… bad girl come out. He’s so infuriating and annoying and rude and… and… so freaking gorgeous. I just couldn’t help but stand up to the bassist.

And things weren’t helped by the fact that his little randy sojourn in the early hours of this morning completely ruined the presentation I had spent all night carefully crafting. If there’s one thing to rile perfectionist me up, it’s to ruin my work.

Axel certainly knows how to ruin things.

And now I’ve done the same.

Maybe this is the end of my career. Gone before it even practically started.

Winston was in the room the entire time, silently observing my presentation. When Ravaged finally leaves, he turns to me.

But he doesn’t say a word. I think he might be as equally confused as I am.

“Can I go on lunch early?” I ask him, my voice squeaking from all the tension inside of me.

I need a break. I need to get out of this cramped office. I need to be on my own.

Yep, I’ve probably lost my job.

“That was a big meeting,” Winston says slowly, his tone indecipherable. I can’t tell if he’s angry or shocked. Probably both. “You deserve a coffee.”

“Um. Right. Thanks.”

“Good.”

“How do you think that… went?” I nervously ask my boss.

He shrugs. “We’ll wait until we hear back from the band’s team.”

“Okay.”

That doesn’t help me in the slightest.

* * *

Marie stops me in the hallway before I get the chance to escape the office.

“What were they like?” she asks me, gripping my arm. Her voice is barely a whisper.

“Exactly how you’d think.”

My curt reply doesn’t deter my co-worker.

“Please elaborate. I want to hear all the juicy details.”

“Well,” I start. There’s no need to get deep into what the hell just happened in there, especially not to Marie. “They all seem nice. In their own way. All of them except for that Axel. He’s on another level entirely.”

Marie nods in agreement. “Oh, I saw the footage of him and that girl. Everyone has. What was it like being in the same room as him? Did he say anything about it? What does he think?”

“He had a lot to say.”