Page 184 of Bridesmaid for Hire
CHAPTER NINETEEN
BRODY
“AND HERE IS A CHECKfor vacation time you never took,” Beatrice says as she gleefully slides an envelope across the table to me.
“Thank you,” I say, feeling like an utter fool.
If you think that Reginald went through with firing me, you would be correct.
I showed up at eight this morning, was greeted by security, and escorted to a conference room where Beatrice gave me the ins and outs of my termination: what to expect, what not to expect, and now that we’re wrapping things up, my final pay.
Feels fucking great.
Not to mention, when I walked into the conference room, I got a sniff of Deanna’s stank perfume, which means she’s lurking around these halls, ready to point her finger and laugh.
Well, laugh all you want, you fucking turkey leg, because I don’t want to work for Reginald Hopper, anyway—and I’m not saying that petulantly.
I mean it.
I had a long-ass flight home and despite trying to drug myself to sleep, my brain wouldn’t stop working and thinking, and questioning every little fucking thing I did during the entire week I spent in Bora-Bora. And do you know what I came up with?
I’m an idiot.
I’m terrible at climbing the corporate ladder.
I might never be able to have children after the brutal beating my nuts took.
Making a trip to Bora-Bora to get the leg up on the competition was a massive mistake, because I’m not a cutthroat asshole who can make business deals behind closed doors. I no longer see my dad’s words as criticism. He brought me up to be a good man. A humble man who won’t stab another in the back.
“People will always appreciate you because you’re humble but get the job done.”
Bora-Bora was…well, it was fucked. But I would do it all over again in a heartbeat, because despite the tragedy of suffering a huge blow to my ego, day after day, I gained the courage I needed to finally make the move I’ve wanted to make for years now. I finally gave in to the pressure I’ve been carrying on my chest to let Maggie Mitchell know just how much I like her.
Yup. I went on a business trip looking to advance my career, but, in reality, I advanced nothing of the sort. Instead, I fell for the girl I’ve been crushing on, and that was so much more important than any proposal.
She’s the reason I’m still holding my head high in this office.
She’s the reason I know what I’m about to do is insane.
But she’s also the reason I don’t give a shit.
Because she deserves the goddamn world.
And yeah, I might have been the one that fucked this all up, and I might never get to hold her in my arms again, but I’ll make damn sure the wrong I made is righted.
“Thank you, Beatrice,” I say as I pocket the envelope. “You have been nothing but a rotten wench since I started here, and you haven’t changed a bit. Keep true to you.”
I wink, loving her offended expression—truly not here to win any fans—and I move past her and stride out the door.
Nope, I’m here to do the right thing.
If I happen to insult a few people on the way out, then at least I know I left with my honesty intact.
“Mr. McFadden, the exit is to the left,” Beatrice calls after me.
“Well aware. I just need to make one quick stop.”
Knowing I’m on borrowed time—like, security is going to start trailing me in seconds—I power walk through the halls of the office.
