Page 57 of Bridesmaid Undercover
“I’m not. I’m just…I’m flustered.”
“That much is obvious,” he says with an eye roll.
“Can you at least try not to point shit out?” I say. “It’s not helping.”
“I think I’m helping just fine?—”
“Hey, can you two pay attention?” Everly asks. “Why be here if you’re not going to help?”
Brody points his finger at me. “We are, but he keeps second-guessing everything he’s saying to Maple.”
Oh my fucking God.
What did I just say? Is the man not listening?
“No, I’m not,” I say. “I’m not second-guessing.” I look at Maple. “I’m not.”
“Then what were we just talking about?” Brody asks, actually looking confused.
Has he lost his mind?
“We were talking about how you should probably leave, since you offer zero value to this meeting,” I say.
“I offer value. Look,” Brody says pointing to the ceiling. “I helped paint that.”
“How is that value?” I ask.
“Shows Maple that you know how to hire people who care about the work they do. Helps impress her. Aren’t you impressed, Maple?”
Yup, I’m going to kill him. Actually murder one of our employees.
What the hell has gotten into him?
“Uh, sure,” Maple says, looking so clearly uncomfortable that I can actually feel the sweat forming on my upper lip. It wasn’t there before, but it sure as hell is there now.
“See, she’s impressed.” Brody elbows me. “Told you I was offering value. You’re welcome.”
“I think she’s being polite.”
Brody leans in and whispers, “Dude, telling her what she thinks? Not a great way to win her back.”
Actual steam pours out of my ears as I stare down Brody with murder on my mind.
What the actual fuck?
The tension in the room grows so thick, so ghastly dense with humiliation, that I almost find it hard to breathe.
Thankfully, once again, Everly steps up. “You know what, Brody, I think you should show Maple the loft space while I speak to Hardy by myself.”
Ehhh, on the other hand…
“No, I don’t think that’s a great idea,” I say, worried immediately that Brody is going to say something offhand to Maple. “Maybe we just go to the courtyard.”
“It’ll be fine, right, Brody? Because you’re just going to talk about the loft and nothing else, right?” Everly urges him. Maple glances between all three of us, a question in her look. Fuck, what must be going through her head at the moment?
“I could talk about the loft for hours. Did you know, I painted up there as well. I can show you my brush strokes,” Brody says and then offers his arm to Maple to guide her up toward the loft.When she doesn’t take it, he gestures toward the stairs instead. “Okay…right this way, milady.” He pauses and then adds, “No, not milady. Milady is Maggie, and I doubt she’d like me calling anyone else that. Forget the wholemiladything. Right this way, Maple. Not milady, just to be clear, if you’re anyone’s lady, you’re Hardy’s lady.” My eyes nearly pop out of my head, but before I can correct him, he corrects himself. “I mean, no, you’re no one’s lady, you’re your own lady. No one owns you. Woman, yay!” He fist-pumps the air while I pinch the bridge of my nose.
He is unhinged, and I don’t like him going up there with Maple because who the fuck knows what he’s going to say.
