Free The Proposition by Helen Cooper

Chapter 1
     
    Alice sat still in her chair as she watched Oliver staring at her. It was if she didn’t want to do anything to break his intense gaze. She couldn’t believe that she had just had sex with Oliver Park, one of the most famous actors in Hollywood. Someone she had been fantasizing about forever. She closed her eyes briefly as a stirring of pain enveloped her. This wasn’t how she had imagined it would be. She had always thought that she would one day meet him on the street and that they would glance at each other and fall in love at first sight. She had pictured them in a whirlwind relationship, followed by a quick marriage and a bunch of babies. As she watched him she knew that those fantasies were never going to be reality. Oliver Park was a twisted individual. He had casually taken her and then called someone else for a date as she sat there. He didn’t care about her or her feelings. And yet, she sat there still. She wanted the job as his assistant and screenwriter . But she knew it was about more than that. She wanted to get to know the real Oliver Park.
     
    “Tomorrow, I expect you to wear no underwear. Do you hear me?” Oliver spoke softly but firmly. She looked up at him in surprise and shivered.
     
    “Why?”
     
    “Alice. I won’t say this again. Do not question me or my intentions. Understand?” Oliver looked at her lethally.
     
    “Yes.” She spoke softly but wondered how she was going to provide feedback if he didn’t want to hear her talk.
     
    “No underwear. Bra or panties.”
     
    “Ok.” Alice wanted to tell him to fuck off and run out of the room but she couldn’t move.
     
    “Good.” He smiled at her then. A sweet soft smile, one she recognized from all the romantic comedy movies he had been in.
     
    “Here’s my proposition. Listen to me carefully. I will not repeat myself.” He leaned towards her and she could see the hair in his nostrils. She leaned closer to him to make sure she could hear everything he said.
     
    “You are going to be my assistant in every sense of the word. You will help me write this new screenplay, you will be at my beck and call. Understand?”
     
    She nodded, even though she had some questions for him.
     
    “No matter the time of day or night, if I want something, you shall deliver it.”
     
    “Ok.” She gulped. She didn’t know if she would be able to do everything that he was saying but she figured she would just end the agreement if she felt it was too much. She looked at the clock behind him to see what the time was. She wanted to rush home and tell Jess and Liz exactly what had happened that morning.
     
    “Do you have somewhere to be Alice?” He spoke with a deathly quiet to his voice.
     
    “Not really.” She squeaked out, trying to hide the annoyance from her voice. She wasn’t really a passive kind of girl and she wasn’t sure how long she was going to be able to put up with his pompous personality.
     
    “Do you want me to smack you?”
     
    “What?” She screeched. “I don’t know who…” She was interrupted by his laughter.
     
    “There is the Alice that I came to respect last weekend.” He paused. “I don’t want you to see me as someone who is forcing you into anything Alice. Please speak up if something is not pleasing to you.”
     
    “But you just told me to keep my mouth shut.” She spoke loudly and angrily frustrated at this man that she couldn’t figure out.
     
    “I was pushing you Alice. I need to know you are someone whose will cannot be broken easily.”
     
    “Uh, ok.” Alice wanted to stick her tongue out at him but decided that that wouldn’t help her cause.
     
    “I can’t afford for you to fall under my spell Alice. Everything we do has to be mutual.”
     
    “I didn’t see you asking me when you just took me on the floor earlier.” Alice retorted back at him.
     
    “I didn’t see you saying no.” He gazed at her and licked his lips. She was mesmerized by his tongue and had a