Mr. Hired Boss (Alphalicious Billionaires Boss Book 4)

by Lindsey Hart

  “If there’s a crowd, go stand in the back alley. I’ll drive around the back if I see other people waiting out there.”

  “Clandestine. I love it.”

  “Shut up, Dean. All of this is your fault. You’re going to have to figure out how to fix it.”

  “Fix what?”

  “I’ll tell you when I get there!”

  “Alright, alright. I’ll be waiting. Out back or out front. I get it. See you soon.”

  “Okay.” I blow out a long breath, willing myself to calm down. I’m starting to shake a little bit now. Great. “Sorry. It’s not really an emergency. It’s nothing bad. Not really. But I’m confused, and kind of sad, and a little bit mad. And I really need some advice. Not that your advice is good. I already know it’s not good. This whole mess was because of this stupid plan we cooked up together.”

  “Did your parents find out?”

  “No! Do they look like they found out? They’re probably still there having a good time.”

  “Yeah. You’re right. Your dad is doing some pretty awesome breakdance moves out there right now.”

  “Argh! Okay. I’ll be there in five, from now. Please, please, please just be outside. Promise me. I really need help right now.”

  “Okay, yes, I promise. I’m going out right now. You need to calm down. Don’t crash your car or drive into the ditch while going four streets down to get me. That would be epically shitty and embarrassing.”

  “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” I hang up almost violently and set my phone down on the table. Thank god my car keys are on the peg by the door, where I always hang them out of force of habit. I hung them there, along with my parents’ keys, ever since I first learned to drive.

  I’m not sure anything can get me out of this mess, but Dean is my best friend, and maybe what I need now, more than a solution to my problem, is just to vent, blow off steam, and let myself decompress.

  I just hope Gabriel doesn’t wake up while I’m gone and find me missing.

  Although, what? What if he does? He’s not the person I thought he was. This is all a lie. He’s lying to me, and I’m lying to everyone else. How could something possibly be built on a foundation of lies and bullshit? Oh right. Yeah. Usually, that doesn’t work out.

  CHAPTER 19

  Pearl

  Since there is a huge crowd of people surrounding the front of the hall, I take a quick turn and hit the alley before I even drive by the front of the building. Dean is hiding out by a red dumpster, and when he jumps out as I crawl past in the car, he nearly scares the bejesus right out of me.

  I slam the car in park and put a hand up to my pounding heart. “God, Dean, what the hell? I could have run you over!” I shout as Dean gets in the passenger side.

  “Just drive,” he commands. “Before someone comes out. I had to sneak out of there. Drive before someone sees us and tries to flag us down. You’re the one who wanted to keep this all top secret and whatnot.”

  “Yeah, I do! Because I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone right now, other than to the person who started this whole mess, and that’s you!”

  “Christ,” Dean curses as he slips on his seatbelt. “Sorry for living. Sorry for trying to help you. Obviously shit went south with Gabs-what’s-his-name. You can’t blame me for all of it! You went along with it! It might have been my idea, but you took the plunge and committed to it. Everyone liked him. Everything seemed like it was fine, and then you disappeared a few hours ago.”

  “Yeah, I disappeared!”

  “Okay, you need to calm down and pull over and tell me what’s going on. If we end up in a ditch because you’re all distracted, it’s going to be seriously embarrassing, and no one wants to spend the rest of the night trying to push or pull your car out.”

  “Argh!” I swerve to the right, pull over near a house that has a big fence and tons of shrugs and trees around their yard, and kill the lights and ignition, so it just looks like I’m parked, and no one can see into the car since it’s really dark out.

  “What went wrong? I’m sorry, but everything seemed fine. What happened?” Dean is more sincere now that he doesn’t have to worry about me raging us straight off the road.

  It was probably a good call on his part because my heart is beating fast, my hands are a wet, slippery mess, and my breathing is erratic at best. “Nothing went wrong! That’s the thing. It all went too well!”

  “Oh.” Dean’s eyes sweep over me. He knows me too well, and his face lights up with the spark of understanding. “Right, I see. So you fell for him?”

  “I didn’t fall for him! I…I don’t know. We agreed to a night of no strings attached attachment, okay? If you have to know.”

  “So, you did it. You got laid with him. And that’s why you’re freaking out. Because you enjoyed it, and you don’t think you should have.”

  “No! I…yes! I don’t know. That’s not why I’m freaking out. I will not say if I did or did not enjoy it, but I will say I went downstairs while he was sleeping for a cup of tea and to think, because no, I didn’t actually expect to have anything to think about, and I got this horrible idea to look him up online.”

  “Shit. Never look people up.”

  “Always look people up!”

  “You should have done that before. Just saying.”

  I resist the urge to grab my seatbelt and see how far it will stretch across the car. Probably not far enough to strangle Dean with it. “Stop it! You picked him out at the club. But whatever. We’re not talking about that, not really. I’m not blaming you. I’m just…I’m not blaming anyone. He hasn’t done anything bad. He’s not an ax murderer or anything.”

  “Of course not. If he were, he’d be in jail. So, what was it? Petty crimes? Tax evasion? Fraud? A small-time robbery that just got him a couple of years?”

  “No! He doesn’t have a criminal record. At least, not that I could find. It’s worse than that.”

  “What could be worse than having a criminal record? Or not having one, as it were?”

  “He’s…he freaking…it’s so weird. I don’t even know how to say this. It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Just spit it out.” Dean leans in toward me, sensing that something big is coming. I know I’m probably driving him nuts.

  “He’s a billionaire. He sold his software or something for a huge dang pile of money. So, obviously, he didn’t need two grand. So why did he agree to this? Because he thought it would be funny? Because he wanted to be the one to use me? Because he secretly wanted to seduce me because he thought it would be funny? Because this is how he gets his rocks off? What? Why? I don’t get it.”

  “Geez.” Dean leans back, and his head hits the headrest with a dull thump. “That’s pretty crazy. I don’t know. Why does anyone do anything? Maybe he thought it would be fun. We approached him, remember? Maybe guys like him don’t have a ton of fun. Maybe it’s hard for him when people know who he is. You can’t have that much money and have everyone not want something from you. Maybe he thought this would be a way to escape it all and just have a laid back good time for a weekend. Maybe he hadn’t done anything crazy in a while. Maybe he thought you were hot. But no, he’s gay. I don’t know. Wait a minute. You slept with him? So, he’s bisexual, then?”

  “No! He’s not gay. Sorry, I didn’t keep you up to speed. He wasn’t at the club because he was gay. He was there with his brother. The guy who went to the bar? He wasn’t a friend. He was Gabriel’s brother. He’s gay, and Gabriel was there for him because he dragged him out. Or to support him. I don’t know, but yeah. He’s not gay. I found out last night. I…err…there were some signs before that. Before I finally decided to ask. But that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the money. Why wouldn’t he say anything about it? What do I do now? Do I tell him I know? Is there any point?”

  “So, let me get this straight before I answer you. You want the no-strings-attached deal, or you don’t? Because if you do, then it doesn’t matter. So what if he didn
’t tell you? The guy probably just wanted some privacy. It must be crazy being that rich. He probably just wanted to be treated like everyone else for a change. Have a good time, like I said, with a gorgeous woman. I don’t know. I really don’t. You’d have to ask him.”

  “Why would he tell me the truth?”

  “I don’t know that either. I have no answers for you.” Dean throws his hands up in the air. Literally. “I’m not the right person to ask about this. Clearly, I think you’re going for the option that you don’t want the no strings attached, and you don’t know what to do about it. In that case, you just have to talk to him too. I guess. You probably decided that together and now, if you want it to change, you’d have to make sure he does too. If he doesn’t, then I’m sorry, I guess you’re screwed. Or not. Maybe he’ll change his mind if you’re patient. Or maybe he secretly doesn’t want the no strings attached deal either. I don’t know. I don’t know anything. I’m sorry I convinced you to do this. It wasn’t supposed to go this way with you getting hurt. Or dealing with this bullshit. It was just supposed to be fun. Innocent. Just a way to get your parents off your back and give your sister her day. Although Chase did a good job of trying to ruin that. Morons. I can’t believe they took him out last night.”

  I grasp the wheel with my left hand for no reason at all other than just to have something to do with it. I’m actually glad for the change of subject. “I know. That was bad. It could have been so much worse, though.”

  “Like Susan refusing to marry him because he just about yakked all over her?”

  “Yeah. Like that. Or like him not making it at all, or passing out. Not being able to say his vows. God, it could have been so much worse.”

  “It could have ended in no wedding at all, and then you bringing Gabriel would have been for nothing because all the attention would have been on Susan anyway.”

  “Stop. That’s not helping.”

  Dean folds his arms behind his head. “While you’re here, you want to drive me back to my parents’ house? I think I’m drunk enough for the night and completely danced out. And, as I thought, there are no single gay guys there to hit on.”

  “Because there aren’t any gay guys at all.”

  “That’s right.”

  I sigh. “You and me, Dean. We’re so unlucky in love.”

  “You could change things. You have the power. Right now. You could ask you know who—who you’re obviously into even if you weren’t supposed to be—if he’d stick around, or if he’d like to go out at least, or if you could be friends that turn into friends with benefits that turns into something else when you’re both ready.”

  “Dean…”

  “The point is, who cares that he has like, a shit pile of money. Whatever. So, he’s rich. So, he didn’t tell you. Does it really matter to you?”

  “Money is nice—”

  Dean rolls his eyes. “I know it doesn’t matter to you. You’re not like that. You don’t even know the meaning of the term gold digger.”

  “I do know what it means.”

  “That was an expression,” Dean says in exasperation. “I know that you know what it means. Who doesn’t? I’m trying to say that you would never use him for his cash.”

  “Yeah, but he doesn’t know that. And obviously, people have tried it, and probably not just women he’s dated. Other people too. You’re right. Everyone always wants something from someone who has everything. He told me he got used. That’s why he wants to stay single. He’s like me. He doesn’t want to take a chance on it happening again.”

  “I’m not going to accept that. If you’re into each other, then take a chance. Maybe he’s just waiting for someone to change his mind.”

  “Or maybe he means what he says.”

  “Doubtful. He came here with you, didn’t he? Obviously, he was attracted to something about you. And he seemed like he was having a good time. Maybe this is the most memorable thing he’s ever done. And he…you know, boinked you, so that says something.”

  “Do not say boinked!”

  “I’m just saying…”

  “Don’t just say.” I turn the key in the ignition and slowly edge away from the sidewalk, all while reaching for my seatbelt and clicking it into place. “That’s it. I’m taking you home.”

  “Thank you for the ride. I thought I was going to have to walk.”

  “Shit! I forgot! My dad is ferrying people back to their hotels tonight. Gabriel promised he’d help. Shit. Fuck. I’m going to have to wake him up. Should I ask him if I should go along? Should I pretend like I don’t know anything? Oh my god, I have no idea what to do. How did this turn into such a mess? And now, if he doesn’t stick around, it’s going to suck. Seriously. And when I tell my parents that we fake broke up because we were never really together, I’ll feel even worse. It will be like getting dumped-not-dumped since this wasn’t real, all over again. Even the plans for the fake boyfriend don’t work out.”

  Dean turns to me and winks. “Aren’t those the best kind?”

  “What do you mean?” I growl threateningly under my breath. “Dean! You tell me what you mean right now!”

  Even in the dark, I can see panic flash across Dean’s face. Now he’s back peddling. Big time. “Oh, I…nothing…”

  “You! Dean! You knew he wasn’t gay? How did you know?! Did you know who he was?”

  “No! Jesus, no, I didn’t. I swear.” Dean tries to put up a hand like he’s giving me the stop getting pissed off and let me talk signal. “I just…I wasn’t completely sure but I kind of sensed it. I figured he was with the guy who went to the bar, and that they were friends, but it’s like when you and I go out. We’re friends. You’re straight. I’m not. But we still go together.”

  “So, you…you purposely chose someone who wasn’t gay and then just bluntly said he was so I’d…what? Go along with it?”

  “You were already in. I was just trying to be doubly safe. I thought maybe if he agreed, something would happen. You needed something to shake you up. You’re not even willing to take a chance on anyone or anything, Pearl. Not living your life and not experiencing things because of those assholes who cheated on you and acted like shitheads, it just lets them win. I hate seeing you do that. It’s been two years. I thought maybe you were ready to move on, but you just needed a shove in that very obvious direction.”

  “Thank you very much for deciding that for me,” I huff. I want to be mad. I want to strangle the steering wheel so that I don’t strangle Dean, but it was all half-hearted. Dean is my best friend, and I had no idea he thought that about me. That I wasn’t living my life. That I was just going through the motions.

  Is that really what I was doing?

  “Sorry,” Dean says quietly. “I’ll just shut up and let you take me home now.”

  I wait a few minutes until I’m parked in front of Dean’s parent’s bungalow. It’s only a few blocks from my parents’ house. “Don’t be sorry,” I blurt as Dean reaches for the door handle. “You were right. That’s what I was doing. I was scared to take a chance on anyone, even myself. I was scared I’d get hurt again, but I was doing this zombie thing where I was trying to feel nothing. I get where my parents were coming from now that you pointed it out. And maybe it is letting those assholes win. God. If there’s one thing in the world I want to do, it’s to not let them get the better of me.”

  Dean’s grin is back in place. He shoots me a thumbs-up as he gets out of the car. “Then do me a favor and get Gabriel to agree to a date or something. He’s hot, Pearl. Seriously hot. And nice. And rich. He’s the whole package. Don’t just let him go because you think it’s what’s best. I mean, you can always ask. If he says no, then whatever. Ask again. If he really says no, then I guess just drop it. I’ll find you someone better.”

  “I doubt I could do better. I don’t want to do better,” I whine. “Not at the moment.”

  Dean blinks at me. “Wow. It’s only been a couple of days, and you’re pretty serious about him, aren’t you? I pick
ed a winner, I guess.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Dean gives me another thumbs-up, just to be positive. He leans down and talks through the window that I unwind with the driver’s side controls. “Go get ‘em, tiger.”

  I slowly and dramatically roll the window up and give Dean the eye roll to end all eye rolls. “I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.”

  Dean, though, has already turned around and is walking up to the front door. I guess that leaves me free to drive away, back to my parent’s house. Back to ask, as Dean says. Just ask.

  I’m not sure I’ve ever contemplated asking a set of more difficult questions in my life.

  CHAPTER 20

  Pearl

  When I get back to the house, I’m so worried about rehearsing what I’m going to say so that it comes out right, I just about miss Gabriel completely. My parents always leave a floor lamp on in the living room. It’s one I hate. It’s old and ugly and just this plain black thing that probably cost them five bucks back in the day. I keep trying to get them to get a new one. I even bought them a really nice lamp a few years ago for Christmas, but they ended up returning it because their ‘tried and trusty,’ ugly as swamp farts lamp just keeps trucking, and they didn’t feel they needed a new one. Anyway, the bastard casts a golden glow over the room, so as I’m walking past, I catch sight of a shadow and abruptly back up a couple of steps.

  Gabriel’s sitting in there, in the chair my dad usually takes. He’s staring out the window, which is kind of weird because the blinds are actually closed. Correction, he’s staring at nothing, I guess.

  “Hey.” My voice is breathless, and not just because I was hustling from the car into the house.

  “Hey,” he responds. His eyes finally track to me.

  “Is this, you know…” I gesture between us. “Is this going to be weird? Because of what happened upstairs?”

  “No.” Gabriel shakes his head, but he doesn’t sound confident.