Page 32 of Maid for My Billionaire Boss
“Sure, you can. If you think about it, you risked your life to help me this weekend and you barely know me.”
Why, like seriously WHY? Why did I remind her she’s risking her life again?I gritted my teeth while I screamed at myself.She was mute. Clearly, I had stuck my foot in my mouth again. And not a little like the toe. It was way up to my knee in there and I wanted to smack myself. She had finally started to talk again, and I ruined it. Surprisingly, she spoke again but in a dreamy tone, “It’s a beautiful love story, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” I agreed, thankful I hadn’t made her shut down again. “I hope it works out for them and they find a way to stay connected to her family, so it doesn’t end in tragedy.”
Without wasting a breath, she added, “From my experience, most beautiful love stories do.”
Seventeen
Trey
Astonishingly,Ataliedidn’tresignthe moment we got on US soil. She did, however, make sure to get my lawyers’ info and eagerly accepted a week off. It was oddly quiet in the house, and every time I set down to get some work done, I found myself missing seeing her crazy headbands and old-lady sneakers running past my office. Topped with the immense guilt I had for dragging her through last weekend, I couldn’t get her out of my brain.
Okay, I admit it.
It wasn’t so much the guilt as it was this new crush I had.
I just wanted to see her.
Although it was her week off, I texted her.
Me:Do you think you can swing by the house for a minute? I have something I need to show you.
Atalie:Is everything okay?
Me:I hope so. If you’re busy it can wait, but I hope you don’t.
Atalie:Be over in thirty.
Me:Bring Josiah.
Atalie:Okay.
It was exactly thirty minutes later, and I heard chatter coming from the entryway. They were the same voices I had gotten used to hearing over the last few weeks, so it shouldn’t have felt any different, but it did. Nervous energy budded in my extremities. I had the urge to fidget, pace, or do anything to be busy. Unable to wait for them to get to my office, I met them halfway down the hall—all my enthusiasm displayed in the awkward curl of my lips as if my grin alone was responsible for keeping a secret only I had privilege too.
“What’s the surprise?” Atalie’s eyes flickered with interest, locking on mine when she saw me. The way she looked at me said it was all going to be worth it.
“Well, it’s a two-part surprise. One part is for you”—I shifted my gaze to meet Josiah’s— “and the second part is for you.”
“Me?” Josiah’s head sprang back like it was a trigger that set off the sparkle in his eyes. “What did you get me?”
“Remember, that’s the second surprise, and we need to take a short trip to get there.” I latched my eyes back on Atalie’s, feeling a cocktail of emotions—excited to see her, relieved I didn’t have to miss her anymore, more excited to see her get surprised, overwhelmed by my nerves which seemed to show up at the most inconvenient times and something else. Something I couldn’t define, but it made me bite down on my lip—hard. I blurted out, “Let’s take your car.”
“Ha ha.” Atalie rolled her eyes, but not in the exaggerated way a teenager would. It was cute way and seemed flirtatious. “You know I don’t have a car.”
“Now you do.” I held up my hand, letting a key fob hang down. It was a simple action, but somehow my whole heart felt on display. It immediately caught Atalie’s eye, and I adored the way her jaw fell. Her animation showed me everything she was feeling. “I couldn’t get purple,” I managed to tease as I struggled to get words out because my chest felt like someone had rammed a truck into it. I wasn’t prepared to feel so terrified of rejection, and I was stuttering, “I . . . I hope it’s okay that I got red.”
“What . . .” Her eyes clung to mine like she was afraid to look directly at the fob, but the exclamation on her lips hinted she understood exactly what it was without looking.
I pushed the key fob forward, but she still didn’t take it. I grabbed her hand—prayed she didn’t notice how suddenly clammy my hand felt— and placed the fob centered in her palm, closing her fingers around it so it wouldn’t fall out. “It’s a gift.”
“Why would you get me a car?” Her voice was a little stronger now, but it still wasn’t close to her typical inflections.
Instead of answering her question—talking was not working because my chest was so tight, I’d sound like Mickey Mouse if I tried—I motioned to the garage door on the other end of the hall, and somehow managed to say, “Go check it out.”
She and Josiah both scurried down the hall and pushed through the door at the same time, reminiscent of excited kids on Christmas. “Tell me that’s not a Mercedes logo.” The excitement was escalating in her voice, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.
“I got you the SUV because I thought it would be nice and roomy for you and Josiah.”
