“What are you doing here?” My question comes out louder than I intend, but this has to be some kind of sick joke. I haven’t been able to get the leggy blonde out of my head since the night we fucked in my penthouse. I felt like the worlds biggest dick for kicking her out the way I did, but that’s what I do. It keeps things simple and gives me exactly what I need. But the wounded look on her face has been etched on my mind since that night. I don’t know why I cared that I had hurt her. I never let women get to me like that. Why this one? But it doesn’t matter now. She’s sitting in front of me, wanting a job, but she sure as shit isn’t getting one from me.
She’s clearly flustered with my attitude. Good. That’ll get her out of here faster.
“Interviewing,” is her short and to the point answer. It comes out clipped. She’s a feisty thing… I’ll give her that.
“You must have the wrong place.” I stand from my desk and open the door. “I’ll have Nellie see you out.”
She stays seated, defiance rolling off her in waves. It’s a damn turn-on, but I can’t let her know that. Even if she doesn’t work for me, I refuse to let my guard down. I only fuck a woman once. It’s been my rule over the last couple years. It keeps things from getting sticky. Chicks get clingy and I don’t do clingy. I just want to quench my thirst and then move on. Am I an ass? Most definitely.
“What are you doing?” If Nellie hears the way I’m talking to her, she’ll have my head, but right now, my only concern is getting her out of my office and as far away from me as possible. I should bend her over my desk and screw her brains out first, for not listening. If she wants to be disobedient, I can punish her.
She finally stands from the chair and relief and disappointment fills me. A part of me wants her to argue for what she wants. I’m used to women rolling over every time I say so, but the fight in this woman is a pleasant change.
“Mr. Wright,” she starts, and my balls hurt just hearing her voice. There’s no way in hell I could work with this woman every day. I don’t think she has a goddamn clue how sexy she is. “I understand that we have…” she pauses, “history. But I need a job, and I think I would be a great asset to your company.”
I inwardly groan.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Monroe, but I found someone who’s better suited for the position.”
She lets out a heavy sigh. “Is this because we slept together?”
I slam the door closed as soon as the question is out of her mouth.
“Keep it down, would you?”
I can tell she’s pleased with herself.
“Oh, come on. It’s not like you were my boss when you bent me over your couch.”
I turn toward the door, taking deep breaths. She has no idea what her words are doing to me, or maybe she does.
“And I’m not your boss now,” I say, my back still toward her. There’s no telling what I may do to this woman if I have to look at her again. I’ve never felt so out of control in all my life.
I hear the distinct sound of her pricey looking shoes hitting the tile. I’m trying to figure out if she’s from money. Her wardrobe appears expensive, but she doesn’t act like the other wealthy women I’ve been around. In any case, she’s about to get a rude awakening with me. Ian Wright always wins. Always. Work, play, and in bed. I call the shots.
I spin around and she’s now mere inches from me; her anger is thick enough to slice the air.
“Listen here.” She points a finger at me, and I feel like a child being reprimanded. “If you don’t want to hire me, that’s all right. I’ll go elsewhere, but I promise you, Mr. Wright, you won’t find better than me.”
Her confidence is like nothing I’ve ever witnessed, but frankly, she’s scaring the shit out of me.
Without another word, she’s out the door, seeming to not be able to get away from me fast enough.
I shut the door behind her and drop down into my chair. I scrub a hand over my face, and in the next second, the door flies open. I changed my mind. I want my nosy assistant out of here. She’s apparently never heard of knocking before.
“What the hell did you do?” Nellie hisses as soon as she closes the door behind her.
“What makes you think I did anything?” I arch an eyebrow at her and the look on her face tells me she’s seconds away from slapping me. If she had it her way, I’m sure she’d have done that a long time ago.
She glares at me.
“That woman is very qualified for this job, Ian. Did you even look at her résumé?”
I didn’t, and I decide against telling her that.
“That’s what I thought.” She huffs and pulls the door open. “I’m calling her now, and if you’re lucky, she’ll come back and give your sorry ass a chance.”
There’s no arguing with this woman. Plus, if she’s as good as Nellie says, I’d be stupid to pass her up. But how the hell am I supposed to work with her every day? But I’ve worked around beautiful women before; surely, I can figure something out.
Ten minutes later there’s a light tap on my door.
“Come in.”
I look up from the paperwork on my desk as Maddison Monroe strolls back in. She doesn’t look pissed one bit. I have a feeling she’s a good actress after the way I just treated her.
“Mr. Wright has something he wanted to say to you.” I shoot Nellie a look telling her to get back to work. She doesn’t take the hint.
I sigh heavily before looking at Maddison, who is now seated across from me.
“Ms. Monroe, I apologize for my behavior. If you’re still interested, the job is yours.”
She slightly nods, not giving too much away.
“Thank you. When do I start?”
I look up at Nellie. “Can you call my twelve o’clock interview and cancel, please?”
She smirks before walking away. I’m sure I’ll be getting an earful from her later.
“Tomorrow at eight sharp.”
“Thank you.” She stands from her chair. “Do you need anything else from me?” I can tell she’s anxious to get out of here. I can’t blame her, but there is something else I need to discuss with her first.
“Yes.” I clear my throat. “There is a no fraternizing rule here at Wright Enterprises.”
“No worries.” She slides her purse over her shoulder. “I’m not interested in anyone in your company, Mr. Wright. See you in the morning.”
In the next moment, she’s out the door, without another word. She can pretend all she wants that I don’t affect her, but I’m sure I could have her screaming my name in seconds, if I wanted to. I don’t, but if I did.
Three
Maddison
What the hell have I gotten myself into? When Nellie called to have me come back to the office, I immediately caved at her kindness. I wish I were working for her, not the broody asshole who thinks he’s God’s chosen one. I put on a farce because more than the fact that I can’t stand him… I need money so I can afford to live on my own in this city. And Mr. Wright is giving me more than a generous income.
I could tell that I flustered him when I reminded him of our night together. He likes to act like he has control, but I know better. I’ve met other men like him. The kind who try to act like hotshots, but as soon as a beautiful woman walks in the door, they crumble to the floor. That’s exactly how Ian Wright is. But I’ll be professional. Even if he wasn’t my boss, I have no desire to have any kind of relationship with him.
My ears are immediately assaulted by the blaring tunes that rumble through The Shaker when I pull the heavy door open. Greta and I grew up coming here on the weekends with our friends, and not much has changed over the years since the last time I was here. Each table is adorned with black-and-white checkered tablecloths, and metal chairs with ratty, old, red cushions sit under each.
“Sorry I’m late.” I pull the chair out across from my best friend.
She looks up from her menu. “It’s cool. I ordered you the number three and a sweet tea.”
“Yo
u remember my order?” I look around the small, crowded space. “We haven’t been here together in at least five years.”
She shrugs. “How was your interview?”
I groan, not ready to talk about this yet.
“That bad?”
“You won’t believe who my boss is.” I lean over the table so she can hear me over the obnoxious nineties tune that just came on.
“Who?”
Our waitress brings our drinks, temporarily putting our conversation on hold.
“Remember the guy I went home with the night I got in town?” I unwrap my straw and pop it into my tea, taking a long swig.
“No way!” She gasps. “Mr. Sex-on-a-stick is your boss?”
I throw my head back in exasperation.
“Greta! This isn’t funny. He’s the biggest asshole I’ve ever met. He actually told me I couldn’t have the job when he recognized me from that night, but his current assistant made him give me another chance.”
“Are you going to bone him again?” She ignores my previous comment. I love her, but her taste in men is vastly different from mine.
I rub my hands over my face. Why am I friends with her?
“No,” I say simply. “I’ll work at Wright Enterprises five days a week, but once five in the evening rolls around, I will have nothing to do with him.”
“You need to start living a little.”
“I live plenty.”
“Right…” she mocks. “Before this guy, when was the last time you got laid?”
I think back, and I guess she has a point.
“Just because I don’t have a new flavor every week, like someone else,” I grin at her, “doesn’t mean I don’t have a life. I’m just busy trying to be a responsible adult.”
“I’m responsible.” She huffs. “I only bought one new outfit last week.”
“How have you survived?” I roll my eyes at her. “Seriously, G. I came back here to start fresh. I had one night of hot, steamy sex, but now it’s time I get back on track.”
“So you don’t want to go out with me tonight? I’m meeting some coworkers at Eddy’s. I’m sure we can find you someone to take your mind off your boss.”
“Uh, no. I don’t need anyone to take my mind off him. I hadn’t thought of him once since that night.”
I’m the biggest liar and she knows it.
When we’re finished eating, we head to Marshalls because I’m in desperate need of more clothes for work. I couldn’t bring all my things from Mom and Hank’s because I could only bring what would fit in my small suitcase on the train. Greta was appalled at my lack of attire when I got here. She’s such a snob.
“How ’bout this?” She pulls a black and gray one-piece pant suit off a rack. It screams money, way more money than I can be spending right now.
“G, put that back.” I snatch it out of her hand, but take a quick peek at the tag. It reads that it’s on sale for four hundred dollars. Back in Detroit, I wouldn’t have batted an eye before I splurged on something like that. But now, I have to put more thought into what I charge.
“Come on. Look at how it dips in the front. Your boobs will give that man a permanent hard-on.”
I turn at the sound of a woman behind us clearing her throat, and I give her a tight smile. Over the years, I’ve gotten used to apologizing for my best friend. She’s notorious for offending people.
I pick through the clearance racks and manage to find some items that I like. Two dress shirts to go under a suit jacket I picked up, that’ll pair nicely with some slacks I already have. I also get a couple bra and panty sets, because, well, a girl can’t have enough of those.
The cashier rings me up, and I still manage to cringe at the total. Luckily, right now, I don’t have rent to pay, but I don’t want to bum off my sister forever.
We stop at the smoothie bar outside the store. People bustling through the sidewalks, always in a rush. I don’t know what I’d do if I were ever forced to live in a small town. The madness of the city gives me a rush, and falling asleep to the sounds of chaos outside my window each night is something I could never live without. You definitely never feel lonely in a place like this. At least, not for lack of people.
We hug and promise to meet up again soon before I make my way back to Chloe’s. A day with my bestie was exactly what I needed to calm my nerves after the morning I had. I can’t believe I got the job. I know Mr. Wright… or Ian… didn’t really have a say, but I wasn’t expecting for everything to fall into place so quickly. Let’s just hope that he keeps me around before my first paycheck hits the bank. If this works out, I’ll be living very comfortably in the near future.
“Hey,” I say to my brother-in-law when I slide through the apartment door. Toys clutter their living room, and I can hardly manage to push through the mess. I love my niece, but I don’t think I could live like this every day. Sure, I’ve thought about one day having my own family, but having kids would damper things. I’d rather work a high-end job and not have to worry about a snot-nosed little human. Plus, I’ve never been serious enough about anyone to settle down with them. My sister and Dallas did things in the right order… or I guess the right order, according to the world. But it’s the twenty-first century. Who’s to say what’s right or wrong anymore?
“How was your interview?” Dallas asks as I plop down on a stuffed animal covered couch.
“Where’s Chloe? I might as well wait for her, so I don’t have to tell this story more times than needed.”
“What story?” my sister asks as she strolls down the hallway, Taylor hot on her heels.
“Remember the guy I went home with, the night I got here?” I ask, looking between the two of them. I should feel awkward having this discussion in front of my sister’s husband, but he’s used to me and Chloe.
“Not really,” Chloe says. “You refused to talk about that night. What happened?”
I sigh as I pick at the fuzz on Taylors stuffed rabbit.
“There’s not much to say, other than the fact that he sent me packing without a word. He was an a… jerk,” I catch myself so I don’t get scolded by my niece, “and I never heard from him again. I guess there was no way to hear from him when we never exchanged names.”
“So, what does this have to do with your interview?” Dallas asks and my sister gasps.
“Please, tell me he’s not your boss!” Chloe shrieks, “Oh, my God, he is, isn’t he?”
“Would this be my life if he wasn’t?”
She covers her mouth, stifling her laughter. “No, I guess it wouldn’t be. He hired you after sleeping with you?”
“Aunt Maddie, you slept at a man’s house?”
The three of us hold back our laughter and Dallas is quick to stand from his chair, gathering his daughter in his arms.
“Come on, princess. Let’s let Momma and Aunt Maddie talk.”
I tell my sister about my morning, my nerves getting the better of me the more I think about my new boss.
“What are you going to do?” Chloe asks.
“Easy. I’ll suck it up and work for the bastard until I have enough money to find something else. It should be pretty easy since I have experience, but I’m sure I can find another real estate agency to work for nearby.”
I sound a lot more confident than I feel. I’m sure that Ian Wright will make this job anything but easy for me.
Four
Maddison
I run a hand through my short, blonde hair as I watch the numbers light up in the elevator, taking me to Wright Enterprises. I’m proud of myself for not backing out of this job, just because of the asshole who is now my new boss. I’ll maintain my professionalism and let him continue to think that I want him. He forgets that he’s the one who treated me like shit, not the other way around. He was nice enough when we first met at the bar, and his voice nearly melted my panties right in front of a bunch of strangers.
“Maddie! I’m so glad you came back.” Nellie flashes me a genuine smile as I walk toward
the front desk.
“Well, I need a job,” I say quietly. I don’t need Mr. Wright to know how desperate I am to be here. He also doesn’t need to know that I’m currently sleeping on my sister’s couch in her two-bedroom apartment. We’re from money, but unlike him, we don’t have mommy and daddy spoon feeding us.
In Detroit, I was employed by my stepfather, but I had to work for everything I had. They took good care of me, but only when I earned it.
“I do apologize for the way Mr. Wright treated you yesterday. I promise he’s not always like that.”
I’m sure she’s lying to me right now, but I keep that to myself.
I give her a small smile. “You don’t need to apologize for anything. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.”
She spends the next hour showing me around the office and running me through the computer program that I’ll be expected to use. It’s the same one I used in Michigan, so that part of the job will be a breeze for me.
Not once does my boss come out to see me. It’s no wonder this woman has been stuck working for him. No one else in their right mind would want to deal with the man, although I don’t know why Nellie puts up with him. He’s possibly the least friendly person I have ever met, much less worked for. I’d rather work under Hank than deal with him every day, but that isn’t an option anymore.
“Ms. Monroe, a word?” Nellie and I both startle at the sound of his voice. He snuck into the room like a thief in the night.
A tingling erupts in my belly, a feeling I don’t appreciate having. Never mind the fact that he’s my boss, but I shouldn’t find the man the least bit attractive after the way he’s treated me… on more than one occasion.
“Sure.” I set the file I’m working on, down on my new desk and look over at Nellie, who gives me a reassuring smile. She’ll spend the next two weeks training me, but then I’ll be on my own. I’m not sure how I’ll survive without her.
I follow Mr. Wright down the long hallway, the silence nearly deafening.
Her Arrogant Boss (The Wright Kind of Wrong Book 1) Page 2