Page 87 of The Art of Almost Losing It
“Fuck you, Carl. I know how much unpaid overtime she works.”
“Graham. Out.” I grab his arm. “What is wrong with you? You can’t just show up here.”
“Yes, I can,” he insists. “Fuck the Svenssons. They don’t own you. You’re mine first. Don’t forget that.”
Suddenly everyone in the office needs to go to the break room for coffee. We’re watched from a crowd on the other side of the window.
“You need to come to the charity ball with me for the Haven Foundation,” Graham states.
“I—what?”
“It’s this Friday, so you need to buy a dress.”
“I don’t really go to fancy black-tie events like that…”
He pulls out his wallet and hands me a black credit card. “That’s yours. You need to wear something nice.”
“Why are you doing this, being nice to me?”
“Nice?” He turns back to me. “Don’t get your hopes up.” He pauses. “You’re making things very… difficult for me right now with your little fake-relationship fantasy. The offer is, of course, still on the table. We can stage a big breakup right now.”
I glance back to the office where Colette and the Girl Squad are staring. Colette isn’t smiling.
Is it worth the humiliation to take the millions and the condo?
“No way.”
“Fine. Then I’ll pick you up at six sharp. We need to be there early.”
He holds the door for me back inside.
“Next time you need to text first.” I have to get the last word.
“I don’t put details in text messages. That’s a bad habit. Next time you need to pick up when I call you. I should be your highest priority.Darling.” He sets a paper bag on my desk. “I brought you lunch.”
It’s a cheesesteak from Chop Shop.
“Oh, that’s my favorite cheesesteak place.”
He tilts his head. “I know.” He bends down. “I was calling to see if I needed to bring Lulu anything to eat, but you didn’t answer, so I’m just taking her with me.”
“You can’t take my dog.”
“I think you meanmydog.”
Lulu freaks out, her tail wagging in his arms when he picks her up.
“Traitor.”
“A ball!”my mother exclaims that evening when I walk out of the office with Piper while texting Graham, trying to figure out how to get my dog back.
Should I just show up at his penthouse? He brought me lunch. Are we close like that, where I can just show up to his house?
“Mom? Gran? What are you doing here?” I pull my coat closed against the snow flurries blowing around. “Why is everyone showing up unannounced at my office?”
“I’m your mother. I can’t come visit my daughter? Also, where is the new hat I bought you?”
“This one’s warmer.”
