Page 86 of The Art of Almost Losing It
“No. I want to eat chicken nuggets in bed.”
Graham:Stop ignoring me.
“I need this room for a meeting—you’ll have to meet elsewhere.” The VP of Client Relations strides in, followed by Colette and the Girl Squad.
“Sorry, Dani,” Colette says with her fake smile. “We justhaveto have this conference room. You can go work at your desk. It’s not like you two are doing anything important, right?” Colette laughs like it’s a joke and she didn’t just insult me.
The VP ignores me as I gather my things.
Lulu whines at her former owner. Her husband gave her the dog for Christmas last year. She gave him divorce papers, and the dog was dumped on me.
Back at my desk, I wonder what I should order for lunch. I’m going to be working at my desk, obviously. I need something close by. They have salads in the restaurant downstairs. That’s what Colette and the VP are eating.
Too bad it wasn’t catered.
I stare at the conference room. Wow, that must be an important meeting. Even Carl Svensson is attending.
I check the calendar to see if anyone in the office has a catered client lunch that I can scrounge leftovers from later.
You’re going to work late,I remind my growling stomach.Try to make it to one p.m. at least.
I’m trying to get back into my spreadsheet when there’s murmuring in the office. I look up in time to see Graham storm in, his head on a swivel.
He sees me.
His green eyes narrow, and he stalks over to me, grabs the back of my chair, and spins me around.
“Why aren’t you answering my texts?”
“I don’t have to answer your texts. Besides, I’m working.”
Lulu freaks out because apparently Graham is her favorite person, and it’s such a hardship to be here in a posh office with me.
“You’re my fucking girlfriend, and I expect you to respond to me immediately.”
“You’re supposed to be myfakeboyfriend. I’m not supposed to be your fake girlfriend,” I whisper at him.
My seatmate doesn’t even give me a dirty look at the commotion. She and all the other analysts are blatantly watching.
“Fuck off and stop rattling the collection plate for your stupid charity, Graham.” Now Carl is here.
Graham turns on him with a flash of teeth.
“I am bringing my girlfriend lunch. Is that a problem, Carl?”
“It’s like a nature documentary,” the analyst who sits across from me breathes. “Two alphas vying for territory.”
“You better pay me for the lost hours when you’re distracting her,” Carl snaps.
“You’re lucky I let her work here at all.” Graham rolls his shoulders. “I could make her quit today to stay home and take care of me. Then where would you be?”
The VP and the Girl Squad are all staring and whispering to each other in the conference room.
My face is hot.
I flap my arms at Graham. “Let’s go talk on the deck.”
“Five minutes,” Carl spits.
