rxdxine

[rxdxine]

Touchstarved

Cos I believe they are

[rxdxine]

Dear Secretary

A fic i'm writing on AO3 :3 @rxdxine

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Since that day she'd been hired, she seldom saw the Lord.

She would receive instructions as notes, either left on her desk or passed to her by busy, overworked servants. Her job (and by the gods was she good at it) was to manage the financial side of his business, 'him' being Lord Enver Gortash. Baldurs gates Military Advisor whom she had the displeasure of working for. Not that he was a particularly bad employer; the pay was average, and he'd even given her her own personal office. He just got on her nerves.

For the months she had worked at his estate, she would have meetings with contenders, who he deemed to be, in his own words, 'not worthy enough' to take up his own time. She was perfectly content with looking after his more tedious affairs, and the fact that she rarely had to see him was only a bonus to her.

However, this morning, as she had made her way into her cramped office, similar to any other morning, a small note was left at the centre of her desk. This wasn't unusual in itself, but as she took a closer look at its contents, she began to grow worried.

Gortash wanted to see her personally? Had she made a mistake in one of her meetings? No, she was always cautious and meticulous with her work; she didn't make mistakes; she couldn't have.

And there she was, standing at the door to his office.

She admired the intricate carvings ingrained into the mahogany, tracing a finger up them before coming to her senses. She needed to be prepared for every outcome of what Gortash might say. He notoriously was not lenient on servants who made mistakes; Eya hoped she hadn't become one of them.

"Enter,"

She sighed against the door and took a step inside.

"I received your note, sir." The young woman entered his office, letting her eyes wander in awe at the bombastic embellishments and costly furniture that had been positioned in a very deliberate way—the lord must have arranged it himself; she had always admired his taste in decor. She felt a rush of warm air hit her skin. The smell of herbs—was that rosemary? Perhaps she had underestimated Gortash's appreciation for the finer things in life.

And there he was, long fingers tapping against the table, his gaze averted towards the plethora of documents adorning his desk. Taking a closer look at his face showed the signs of sleepless nights expressed through his dark, tired eyes.

"Ah yes, Eya, good evening." Gortash's gaze finally met hers. He shot her a sly but welcoming smile. Perhaps this was going to go smoother than she had anticipated...

The lord gestured towards a seat on the opposite side of his desk, just as oppulent as his own; she almost questioned her worthiness to sit on it. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

Eya sat down, her eyes lingering on the many books and letters. Was he always so unorganised? Surely he could've gotten one of the many servants to clean up this place—or perhaps he preferred it this way. There were splotches of dark ink on his desk, his fingers, his...lips? What in the hells had he been doing?

"The reason I called you in tonight... let me elaborate..." He flicked through some papers nonchalantly before his full attention was once again focused on her, his secretary.

Her mind thought again about the letter she had received a few hours earlier. It was oddly direct and short. Usually, the daily missives he wrote her were much longer. They were instructions, lists, and messages to pass onto investors; he addressed her as nothing more than an employee, something she didn't mind. It was her job, after all.

"I have an important meeting with a few high-profile donors later tonight; I'd like you to be present." She watched him as he stood and walked over to a side table, pouring himself a generous glass of wine.

This made sense; out of all the outcomes she was expecting, this was by far the best one. She had almost sighed in relief.

"I understand that you're still quite new to this job, but as my secretary, I expect you to be intimately familiar with my business dealings." He took a sip.

"I'd be honoured to, my lord."

Enver smirked, noticing her devotion; she possessed a certain fire in her eyes, a passion in her that he couldn't yet decipher. He was intrigued. "Good, good." He said, leaning back in his seat. "To begin, as I mentioned, we're meeting a group of investors to discuss a mutual trade agreement. I expect it to be..." He ran his fingers along the rim of his glass, his eyes shifting between the red and... Eya. "A lengthy and contentious meeting, ultimately though, it should result in increased profits for all parties involved, including you, my dear."

Eya blinked. Yes, she had heard that right. The way he was looking at her... it was strangely trustworthy. She couldn't see any signs of deception; what would he have to gain from that anyway?

"Oh my, It's generous of you to let me take part in... something of this calibre; I do thank you." Gortash was still watching her, intently analysing her; it sometimes felt as though he was trying to crawl into her mind. "I assume I would be taking notes?"

"Naturally." He licked the wine off his lips. "Your main objective will be to transcribe. I'd like an accurate report I can review at a later date; unfortunately, this means you won't be able to indulge in any amount of alcohol tonight." He frowned in mock sadness, taking a deep sip of the wine.

Eya scoffed. He took her for the type to get inebriated at such a crucial point in her career? Maybe he wasn't taking her as seriously as she expected; did he think that she was just some other ditsy brunette who just happened to one day wonder into his estate looking for a job? She couldn't lie; it struck a nerve. "I wouldn't."

"Excellent, well, that wraps it up then." He pressed his hands together and rose once again from his seat; she followed. "I expect you to meet me in the main hall by midnight." Midnight? Eya furrowed a brow.

Gortash let out a laugh; like most things about him, it had a cruel edge to it. "Don't fret, my dear. You will have tomorrow off; however, tonight's meeting is crucial, and I admit, I value your participation. Is that quite alright?"

Of course it wasn't. "Yes, it is."

"Don't disappoint me, Eya."