Page 3 of My Sexy Boss
I tightened my hands into fists at my sides. “Don’t pretend you didn’t see Kelsey inside.”What a jerk!
He ran his hand through his hair. “Kelsey. I should’ve known. She was into drama, so it figures you’d be her friend.”
“You’re not even sorry about what you did to her, are you?”
“What am I supposed to have done to her?” He smiled broadly and I had to clench my right hand with my left to keep myself from slapping the smugness off his face. I didn’t need an assault charge, but he was making jail look extremely tempting.
“Amazing. You’re a real gem. Not.” I took a couple steps backward.
“You’re assuming a lot of things about me,” he said, his deep voice pricking at my skin.
“I don’t assume. I know.”
“Do you?”
“You’re so full of it.” I barged past him, and for the split second that our shoulders touched, it felt like a jolt of electricity passed from my shoulder to his. I flung open the door and marched over to our table, totally forgetting about getting the drinks or flirting with Dane.
When I arrived at the table, I saw a decent-looking guy sitting next to Kelsey. He had his chair pulled so close to her that there wasn’t any space between them, his arm draped around her shoulders. Leaning close to her, he was saying something in her ear when I approached.
“Hey, Cierra,” Kelsey greeted me while she shuffled closer to her new male companion. “This is Charlie.”
“Chandler,” he corrected, but she waved her hand, dismissing him.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, taking his hand. I was still steaming over the confrontation I’d had with Kels’s ex. All I wanted to do was go home.
Running her fingers up his arm, Kelsey put on her pouty little girl face, the one men loved and I hated. “Charlie’s been buying me drinks and saying so many nice things to me.” He grinned and squeezed her tighter.
I was glad she’d hooked up with someone, especially since Mr. Asshole was in the club and I knew it bothered her. Kelsey always seemed to spring back after a breakup; she had a knack for quickly finding another man to replace the previous one.
“I’m kind of tired. When do you think you want to take off?” I asked.
She pulled her cheek away from Chandler’s mouth and frowned. “What did you say?”
“I’m asking how much longer you want to stay. I have to work tomorrow.”
She turned to Chandler and whispered something in his ear, and he nodded eagerly. She smiled. “I’m good if you want to leave. Charlie’s going to take me home.”
I stood up and leaned over to grab my cardigan and purse. “I’d get his name right first,” I said as I picked up my things. I know it was petty, but Kels was getting on my nerves big-time. I mean, I’d just gone to bat for her with her jerk ex, and she acted like I was in the way. Sometimes she was so self-absorbed and clueless.
Before she could say anything, I waved at her and walked away. As I was leaving, I saw the jerk leaning against a pillar, staring at me. When I made eye contact, he lifted his drink and winked at me.Unbelievable!I tossed my long hair, raised my chin, and walked out the door without a backward glance, happy that I’d never have to lay eyes on Mr. Asshole again.
The rays ofthe early morning sun filtered through my eyelids and woke me up. The sunlight flooded in, and I cursed for having forgotten to close the shutters the night before. I pulled myself up and wished I could cut off my throbbing hungover head. Glancing at the clock radio on my nightstand, I resisted the urge to snuggle under the comfy blanket and close my eyes.
I couldn’t afford to be late, especially with a new boss taking over the helm at Velocity, the prestigious advertising and marketing firm I’d worked at for the past five years since I got out of college. Mr. Linder, the CEO, was stepping down on doctor’s orders, and a new CEO was taking the helm.
Gulping a cup of black coffee, I hoped it’d give me the energy surge I needed to get through the day. I had to be on my toes today since the new CEO would want to meet with all the department heads. Normally, I was one of the team players, not the head honcho, but since Lindsey had to take medical leave, I’d been put in charge of the department. At first it’d freaked me out, but after I proved that I knew what I was doing, I began to relax and enjoy myself. The project we’d been working on was a new cell phone, and we were gearing up to launch it in the next few weeks.
I didn’t have time to walk the three blocks to the parking garage to get my car, so I hopped on the trolleybus and leaned my head against the cool glass window, watching commuters, storefronts, and buildings blur by. I’d definitely be mainlining coffee and water just to stay awake. I checked my tote to make sure I had enough aspirin to get me through the day.
Velocity was in the financial district, so the bus ride wasn’t that far from my apartment. I totally lucked out with my one-bedroom. Once I graduated from college, I swore I wouldn’t have any roommates, but living in a city that has the highest rent prices in the world, I ended up sharing a two-bedroom with five women for the first three years of working at Velocity. Thanks to my pay increases and rent control, I snagged a sweet deal on a one-bedroom in lower Nob Hill. My building didn’t have a doorman, the laundry room was in the basement and looked like it belonged in a horror movie, and my place was a little bigger than a postage stamp, but I loved it. And it was all mine.
The trolleybus jerked to a stop, and I jumped off and walked the short block to the tall building whose floor-to-ceiling windows glistened in the sun. Velocity occupied the top five floors of the skyscraper. Glancing at the enormous brass wall clock in the lobby, I noticed I had a few minutes to spare. I was dying for a double espresso, so I rushed over to the Brewing Cup kiosk and placed my order.
The first sip was pure heaven. I slung my tote on my shoulder, spun around, andbam!I slammed into someone, and hot espresso spilled over both of us.
“Crap! Why the hell were you standing so close behind me?” I was beyond mad, and I had not only burned my hand and chest but also ruined a beautiful silk blouse that cost me way too much money even on sale.
“Why the hell don’t you look before you dash?” a deep voice laced with irritation said.
