Page 46 of The Boss
I had enough money. I’d buy a new fucking phone.
Twenty-Seven
Ashlee
I’d finally had enoughof his mouth, and the fact that I didn’t think anything dirty about his mouth was evidence of just how fed up I was. Taking personality into consideration was one thing. Being verbally attacked when all I’d done was give him a safe place to sleep off a hangover after he’d gone to some sex club…? I ground my teeth together just thinking about it.
I’d dealt with assholes like him before. People who felt like they could treat me like shit because there was something about themselves they didn’t like, so they made it about me, tried to make me feel bad about who I was. Fortunately for me, I’d learned how to deal with that sort of bullshit.
By proving that I was above it all. That I was a stronger person than they were.
I told myself all of that when I was in the shower. It was easier to give myself a pep talk when the only other sound was the white noise of falling water. I just hoped he’d be gone when I got out. I had a hell of a time saying no to him, and I refused to become one of those women who let assholes walk all over them because they didn’t want to ‘lose’ him.
I’d lived just fine without him, and I’d do it again. I’d only spent a single weekend with him, after all.
I breathed a sigh of relief when I came out of the bathroom, and my apartment was my own again. I emptied his cup and washed it quickly. I hated taking the extra time, but I didn’t want to leave behind any reminders of the stupid things I’d done the last couple days.
I’d have enough of those when I got to work.
* * *
Thanksto my late-night visitor and the overly awkward morning after, I was late for work. Not actually late, thanks to my intention to be here early, but arriving on time, which was later than I’d wanted.
I passed Clara and knew today was going to be as bad as I’d feared. She hadn’t been at the event on Friday, but someone who had been there had let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. I supposed I was grateful that the only thing anyone had any evidence about was us attending a work event together. Some of them might guess at the rest, but as long as Nate and I kept our mouths shut, no one could claim anything but rumor.
“Damn cold out, isn’t it?” An intern from the PR department got onto the elevator with me. He leered at me. “Must’ve been nice to have someone drive you in this morning.”
I plastered on my best fake smile and pretended to not understand what he was saying. “I wouldn’t know. I took the subway. Wasn’t too bad that way.”
“He made you take the subway after spending a weekend with him? That’s harsh. Or maybe sex with you wasn’t good enough for a private car ride. What do you think?”
I liked to think of myself as fairly laid-back, but there was only so far I could be pushed. He’d just reached my limit.
I turned toward him and gave him the most patronizing once over I could muster. “I think you must be under the impression that it’s acceptable to speak to people the way you just spoke to me, but let me educate you on something. It’s not. Particularly in a work environment. I’m going to assume that you’re an immature boy who doesn’t know any better because if you were anything else, I’d be stopping at HR and filing an official complaint.”
The elevator dinged, and I stepped off, ignoring him as he followed me off. I walked at my normal pace, waiting to see if he’d say anything else, but he didn’t. Still, I felt his eyes on me along with everyone else’s as I made my way to my own department. I might’ve been able to tone things down a bit, but it had felt good to defy expectation and speak up.
And it’d felt damn good to not stand there in silence when someone was being blatantly disrespectful. I wondered if I’d feel the same at the end of the day. Judging by the whispers I could hear behind me, I had a feeling my little outburst was going to be as much a part of the rumor mill as everything else. It would most likely end up twisted and hardly even close to what I’d actually said, but at least I wouldn’t need to deflect the truth. I had, after all, had sex with Nate, even if it hadn’t been planned or part of an agreement to keep my job.
How many people would believe that, though?
What a mess.
Twenty-Eight
Nate
I drainedmy second bottle of water along with another few aspirin. My head hadn’t stopped pounding since I’d woken up, and I wanted to blame it on the fact that I’d slept on the most uncomfortable couch in history, but I couldn’t do that. I’d been hungover enough times to know that, by now, I should’ve been fine. I’d gone home and went through my usual post-hangover routine of food, water, sports drinks, and aspirin, but nothing had helped. Sure, it’d taken the edge off, but that was it.
I didn’t want to be here, and that just pissed me off even more. Work was my refuge. I always wanted to be here. This took my mind off things, let me focus my attention somewhere other than the shit going on in my life. I’d been hungover at work before. Hell, I was pretty sure I’d founded the company when I was hungover.
Except, right now, the pain in my head was sort of taking over everything else. I hadn’t been able to think straight, concentrate on anything. All I could think about was how much I wished I was in a dark room, passed out until my headache went away, and I could function again.
At least, that was what I’d been trying to convince myself of all morning. That the fact that I felt restless and uncomfortable in my own skin was because I’d gotten shit-faced at Club Privé last night. That it wasn’t about where I’d ended upafterthe club.
While a lot of last night was hazy, including what I’d said when I’d gotten to Ashlee’s place last night, my conversation with her a couple hours ago was crystal clear. No matter how much I wished it wasn’t.
Why the hell was I in knots over a woman I’d only fucked twice? It’d been easy to walk away from every other woman I’d ever had. This one got under my skin like no one else, and it didn’t make any sense.
