Page 5 of The Boss
“She’s always here half an hour before Stu, going through email and voicemail to weed out the stuff he doesn’t need to bother himself with.” Finley sent a pointed look at the stack of unopened mail next to my computer. “It’s why I suggested you get an assistant yourself.”
“And I told you that it wouldn’t be worth it since I’d have to waste my time showing him or her how I liked things done, only to have them quit in a couple weeks either because I was too mean or because I wouldn’t fuck them. Possibly both.”
He didn’t even blink. “Your humility never ceases to amaze me.”
I tipped him a sarcastic salute. “I’ve never claimed to lack confidence.”
“No, you have not,” he admitted. “On a different note, have you decided if you want Ollie Chandler sitting next to you or Roma during the dinner? Apparently, it’ll make a difference in the optics.”
“Shit.”
Finley sighed. “What did you do?”
I tapped my pen on the desk. “I forgot that I’d included her on the guest list.”
“And you’ve dumped her.”
“She was getting too clingy,” I said. “And I was bored.”
Finley leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Have you ever met anyone who hasn’t bored you?”
“Only you,” I answered with a grin. When he didn’t smile back, I cleared my throat. “Look, we both know Roma was only with me to meet people who could further her career. She knew that I was only with her for the sex. We both got what we wanted until it wasn’t working anymore.”
“And did she feel the same when you informed her that you didn’t want her anymore?”
I narrowed my eyes. “It’s not my fault she wanted more than I’m willing to give.”
“Do you really think it’s unusual for a woman to believe that a man may wish to spend time with her for reasons other than sex?”
“If she’s with me, it should be unusual. I don’t lead these women on, Finley, you know that.”
“I know, but I’m a little tired of ending up your plus one because you keep breaking up with your women before events.”
I grinned at him. “Come on, Finley. We make a cute couple.”
He laughed, and I knew his annoyance at me would fade. He’d never hidden the fact that he was gay, but it wasn’t something he advertised either. He was a discreet man about all aspects of his life, personal and professional. It was why we worked so well together. He liked doing the behind-the-scenes things, and I liked being the public face of the company. I might not always like socializing, but I liked the prestige and attention that came with running a company like Manhattan Records.
There were always the assholes who liked to make inferences – or flat-out statements – that Finley and I were lovers, but neither one of us let those sorts of things get to us. Once Finley realized that he wouldn’t lose my friendship because some homophobic jackoffs liked to run their mouths, it’d become a joke between us.
“I mean it this time, Nate. I’ve got plans this weekend, so unless you want the table number to be uneven, you better figure out someone to take.” He leaned back again and crossed his legs. “Now, what are we going to do about our star asshole?”
Five
Ashlee
When I got backfrom lunch, Mr. Hancock was still out at his business meeting slash lunch, so I headed over to Ms. Lamas’s office to ask if there was anything I could do for her. I liked her as much as I liked Mr. Hancock, but she definitely wasn’t as easy-going about things. It was a completely different learning experience. One I appreciated, but sometimes, she scared the shit out of me.
“Anything I can help you with?” I asked after she called me into her office.
“Stu still at lunch?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I told Nate if he put Stu in charge of wining and dining, he’d lose an entire afternoon.” Despite the words, her tone was affectionate. She and Stu had a strange sort of relationship, something like I’d always imagined a sibling would be. She sighed. “But he’s good at what he does. I’d be too busy looking at my phone and thinking about getting back to the office. He enjoys his role, and I enjoy mine.”
That was probably the longest speech I’d ever heard her give. Generally, she was more of an action person than a talking person.
“Do you need his approval for any of the tasks you’ve completed?” she asked briskly. “Anything you’re waiting on?”
