Page 4 of West (The Moral Compass 1)
I check the clock behind his head and realise my train is due at any minute.
“My train is due, so I’ve got to run. Thank you again. Hope to see you around.”
And with that, I turn and walk away.
“Yes, you too,” he says.
I take about ten steps and turn around, you know, as they do in the movies, waiting to see if he is watching. A tall, stunning brunette with legs up to her armpits is standing next to him taking the mentalist coffee from him.
Bummer. Never mind. It’s never meant to be for me. I walk away thinking about the brunette. How do people get their hair so shiny? And why do I feel like someone has just punched me in the chest?
I head for the platform, and my train has just arrived. I check my ticket and find the carriage. I turn and look behind me and see the brunette boarding the train with Mr. Hot Coffee and, yep, you guessed it: they are in first class, whereas poor little downtrodden me is in economy where I belong.
Okay, now you’re on the train. Next stop: PerformanceTime. Let’s show these people how it’s done Sutton Style.
Chapter 2
West
It’sastunningmorning,and since I’ve been up since before dawn and done my daily workout, I’m feeling damn good. It’s not unusual for me to feel good at the moment with the company doing so well, and with the board of directors being happy with the way I’m running things.
It was touch and go for a while. The last CEO, my father, was sixty-one, and he passed away seven months ago, but the board was not too
happy with me stepping in to run things. I had to work extra hard with this bunch as my young age did not do me any favours. However, at thirty-four, I was
full of fresh ideas and had a better understanding of the technologies available to take our company to the top and leave the outdated competition behind.
Needless to say, I have put my balls on the chopping block if we don’t succeed.
What do we do? Well, it’s a bit like a huge online florist but with a personal touch. You order through our website, and a local florist makes up your order and delivers it when you need it. It sounds simple, but there is so much more to be done to take us global.
I’m building an empire, and I want only the best in the business. I’ve been ruthless in chopping away at the deadwood, and it’s starting to show. Profits are up, and customer satisfaction is growing. It’s not where I want it to be, but that’s the next challenge.
I head out for the train station early and decide to walk the long way round through the gardens. It’s so calm here. Although we are close to the city it still feels very country. I usually have a car drive me, but there had been some mix up with the car service, and I offered to take the train instead.
Everyone is rushing around on the platforms, dodging each other and sometimes not dodging each other. It’s so different when you take the time to watch what’s going on. I look across the entrance and see the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life. She is completely oblivious to her surroundings and is walking with her head down.
Oh shit. She hasn’t seen the huge sign in front of her. She’s going to walk right into it at this rate.
I don’t know how but I find myself standing right next to her just before she makes an impact with the huge object.
“Wakey, wakey. You okay?”
She starts to speak but I’m not listening to a word. She has the most amazing chocolate-brown eyes, cherry-coloured lips, and a soft glow to her skin. I feel like I’m having all the breath taken from my lungs.
Erm, wait up. She’s pissed at me for something, so I explain why I stopped her. Her face relaxes and she smiles at me with those soft, gorgeous lips. Again, I don’t hear what she’s saying. I’m stunned and can’t stop looking at her. The next thing I know she’s gone.
What happened? What did she say?
Shit, West, you should have said something. Fuck, now she’s disappeared into the crowd.
I look around and find the coffee shop. I told Alicia to meet me outside and I’d grab the drinks this morning. She hasthemost ridiculous order. Why can’t people just order coffee? I go inside and join the line.
Bang!!!
What the fuck was that?
“Woah, woah, what’s the rush?” Someone just barrelled into me and nearly threw me across the shop. Not an easy feat when I stand at six feet, four inches. I turn to see who they are, and I freeze.
