Mister Boss Man

by Ryleigh York

  I pull my clothes and shoes on before finding my clutch on the floor. I’m relieved that the lock on this side of the door is a simple latch. I let myself out and creep down the hallway.

  I should have left last time I woke up, but I’d been determined to drag my time with Lucas out as long as possible. Now I was going to pay for it. It was my first day of work and I was going to be late.

  I make it to the elevator, trying my best to remember how I got up here last night. I hit the L button, hoping it means lounge.

  This is officially my first walk of shame ever. At least it’s from Second Circle, a place where walks of shame should be downright expected.

  The elevator takes me down to the back area of the lounge Lucas had walked me through yesterday. It’s a maze of hallways and I have no idea how to get out. I find the staircase that leads up to the fantasy room but not the door out. I bite my lip and feel tears well up in my eyes. I’m so frustrated I could scream.

  “Miss?”

  I whirl around. A security guard steps out of a shadowy corner. He’s wearing a black t-shirt with a Second Circle logo and has a blue tooth ear piece on.

  “I’m not being sneaky,” I say quickly. I flush. “I mean, I’m lost. I can’t find the way out.”

  He looks amused, like this sort of thing happens all the time. “I’ll take you to the door.”

  I follow behind him, feeling both grateful and humiliated. He lets me out the front door and I nod my thanks as I walk out onto the sidewalk. There’s a couple cabs idling out front. I was right, walks of shame are common here.

  I get in a cab and give them directions back to my apartment. The cab starts driving and I shiver in my seat, wrapping my arms around myself.

  Last night was a mistake. It was one of the most fantastic flings of my life, and I’m not sure I can just get over it and move on, even though that’s exactly what I need to do.

  I have a job to get to and a life of secrets and lies to start. I’m dreading going into my job. I’ve never been a great liar, and I’m worried that I won’t be able to pull off the spying I’ve been sent to do.

  Gavin wants me to find a way to bring down the law firm he sent me to work at, or else my family will lose the farm because of some damn provision my father signed when he was too sick to know what was going on. If Gavin had any decency, he would have just released my father from the provision like I’d asked, but instead he’d delighted in holding it over me.

  My parents are barely holding things together as it is. I don’t know what will happen to them if I can’t pull this off.

  I don’t know what will happen to me if I do. I’ve never committed sabotage or been a corporate spy before. My morals protest at the mere idea. I’m terrified that this job is going to tear me into so many pieces that I won’t be able to repair the damage afterward.

  The cab pulls up in front of my apartment. I get out and take the stairs up to my apartment. I don’t want to risk a neighbor seeing me on the elevator. I’m feeling damaged enough as it is without burning down my reputation in the bargain.

  I don’t let myself think of Lucas again until I’m in my apartment. Those hands. Those eyes. I sigh and slump against the door. Thoughts of him are like a shield against my misery.

  I’m glad I made the choice I did last night, now. I will never see Lucas again, but I’ll always have those memories to make myself feel better.

  My phone buzzes with a text message. Lucas. I fight the excitement down and tell myself I’m being silly. I didn’t even give him my phone number. He couldn’t be texting me.

  I pull my phone out and check the message. It’s the head of HR from my new job. We won’t need you in until Monday. See you then!

  I’m both relieved and annoyed. I was prepared to come in on a Saturday for training like they asked. It seems rude of them to cancel. On the other hand, I’m not the least bit eager to start the job.

  Since I’m no longer in a hurry, I decide to draw myself a bubble bath and let myself slide into daydreams of Lucas’ strong arms around my soft body.

  Chapter 11

  Lucas

  I wake up to find her gone. I don’t know why I expected her to stay. Now that she’s disappeared she feels more like a dream than a real woman I spent a fantastic evening with just the night before.

  I rub my face and try to get my brain working. I don’t even have her phone number. I have no idea how to find her again.

  Her friend Alexis is a regular. She could help me out, assuming Tyson didn’t royally screw things up last night.

  I check my phone and notice a missed message from Tyson. Shit. That can’t be good.

  I dial the button to call him back. “You called me,” I say after he answers. My voice sounds ragged and tired. I talked more last night than usual. Normally I barely speak with my flings, but Macey was different.

  “I told you I wasn’t ready to talk to her yet,” he says.

  “What did you do?” I scrub my hand through my hair and look around for my clothes.

  “No idea. She gave me a huge speech about male privilege and stormed out.”

  I sigh and start pulling on my clothes from last night. I’ll need to run to my apartment and change before… work. Shit. I overslept. I’m sure the very competent office manager will get my schedule rearranged when she notices I failed to show up, but I don’t like having to put her through that. Usually I’m extremely punctual and committed to my work. Macey threw me through a loop in more ways than one.

  “Everyone wants to give you a speech, Ty. Most people just don’t have the balls to do it.” Tyson is the born with a silver spoon type that is so easy to resent. Even I’ve gotten annoyed at times at how everything in the world just seems to be handed to Tyson. I manage not to hold it against him, mostly. Tyson’s a good guy. He’s working at the law firm to avoid being drawn into his father’s oil company. I’ve never asked him whether he ever intends to go back to his families business or not. He’ll tell me when I need to know.

  “Well, Alexis has balls. I mean, obviously she doesn’t actually have balls, but metaphorical ones…”

  I snort. “Got it. Your girlfriend is not a dude.”

  “She’s also not my girlfriend.” He sounds grumpy about that bit.

  I try to stop being caught up in my own shit for a moment. He’s been chasing this girl for a while and just blew it. I should buy him a drink. “Let’s hit up a bar tonight. You pick the place.” I’m feeling generous because of how fat my wallet is going to be once this deal is closed. Normally, I would never let Tyson choose the place because he always seems to pick the most expensive place in town than acts befuddled when anyone gets upset about the price.

  I should be focusing on the deal, but it’s a Saturday night. My client will understand if I slack off a little. If I’m being honest, I could use a little bar time myself. Losing Macey is like an itch under my skin I’m not allowed to scratch. I only knew the woman for one night. I should not be feeling this way.

  Knowing it’s unreasonable doesn’t make the feeling fade, though. I want to see her again, but it doesn’t look like that’s a possibility.

  Tyson, predictably, names off one of the most expensive bars in town and tells me to meet him there at eight. I hang up. I probably shouldn’t feel this responsible for Tyson. He’s an adult and can get himself through his own problems. All I did was nudge him toward Alexis. He’s the one that blew it.

  Still, I did give him that nudge just so I could get to Macey and I am his friend. I can stand to drop some money at one of his damn expensive bars.

  I head out of the private room and try to avoid any contact with another human being. I don’t feel like explaining myself, and I don’t want to talk about Macey. I have the same crazy urge from last night to keep her to myself. She’s not a conquest to be bragged about. What we shared was something else.

  I wish she’d given me her phone number, but I’m also glad I don’t have it. I’ve never made a fool of myself over a woman
before. I worry about what I’d do if I ever got a shot at Macey again.

  I make it out of Second Circle and walk back to my apartment. I’m glad I live nearby. The doorman doesn’t even raise an eyebrow when he sees I’m wearing last night’s clothes.

  I’m usually in much earlier than this after a night at Second Circle. I overslept this morning. I was so comfortable with Macey I couldn’t imagine leaving early. Strange. But it is what it is.

  “Message for you,” the doorman says. He hands me a slip of paper.

  Missed you last night! One of the women I’d considered taking up to bed before I’d seen Macey. I crumple up the note. I know it’s an invitation for a rescheduled fling, but I can’t even think about a woman other than Macey right now. Besides, I have the case to think about. Once that’s done I’ll work on getting Macey out of my system.

  Chapter 12

  Macey

  My bubble bath reverie is interrupted by my ringing cell phone. I drag myself away from thoughts of Lucas’ hands sliding between my legs and clear my throat before I answer. “Hello?”

  “Macey!” It’s Alexis.

  I relax back into the tub. “Did you get home okay last night?” I ask. “Sorry I left so early.”

  “By left, you mean wandered off with a hot guy.”

  I look around at the white tiles of my bathroom, cheeks burning. “He wanted to give me a tour.”

  “I’m sure he did. A tour of his hot cock.” She chuckles. “Anyway, don’t worry about. I left right after you left for your tour with Mr. Hottie. Just wasn’t feeling it. When do you start your new job?”

  “Not till Monday. You want to do something tonight?”

  “Sure, let’s hit the town. Forget guys. Who needs ‘em, right?”

  “Okay.” I’m a bit bewildered. It isn’t like Alexis to not want anything to do with guys. Usually she’s crazy about members of the opposite sex. What happened last night that made her leave early and so impacted her opinion of men in general? I can smell something’s up with her. Call it women’s intuition. “Are you sure you’re good?”

  “Yep, you know me. One hundred percent good. I’ll call you when I’m on my way over. Bye!” She hangs up.

  I sigh. She’s not telling me something, but I’m not going to push. She’ll babble it out once she gets a drink in her.

  The water in my bath is getting chilly. I push myself up and grab my towel. I pull the plug with my toes and climb out. The reflection in the mirror shocks me. The woman looking back at me is bright eyed and knows things I never could have imagined before last night.

  I reach out a hand and brush a finger across the glass surface. I’m being foolish. No one will be able to tell what I did last night. I only feel like it’s written across my face because I feel it imprinted so strongly in my memory.

  And my heart? No one could fall in love in one night, no matter how fantastic it was.

  I drop my hand to my side and try to focus on the clothes in my closet. I’ll need to decide what to wear for hitting the town with Alexis tonight. I reach for the red dress in the back of my closet, one I bought years ago and never wore. I want to be bold tonight. I want to put everything Lucas unleashed in me on the outside before I have to become a buttoned-up paralegal on Monday morning.

  I pick out a pair of spike heels to go with the dress and a beaded black clutch. They’re buried so far in the back of my closet that I’d forgotten I even owned them.

  It’s too early to get dressed yet, but I’m beginning to bubble with excitement. A night out is exactly what I need to get over Lucas. Not that I have feelings for him. Not at all. It’s just…

  Okay, I felt something. A spark, chemistry, call it what you will, but it was there. I felt like if I let myself, I could easily fall in love with him.

  Of course, it was all moot anyway. I can’t deal with a relationship right now on top of everything else. I need to focus on surviving my new spying job and making sure my parents don’t lose the farm. That’s all I can worry about right now. I can’t spend my nights moping around Second Circle hoping to spot Lucas again.

  My phone buzzes and I pick it up. It’s a text from Gavin. My stomach drops.

  You ready for tomorrow? he wrote.

  Yes, I send back, I think so.

  I fucking hate how I feel right now. It’s like I’m his puppet to jerk around as he wants. I’ve never let anyone treat me like this in my life. I’ve always been headstrong and set on what I wanted in life. I want quiet, simple, and good. I decided to become a paralegal instead of a lawyer because I didn’t need the extra money that being a lawyer would have gotten me. I like my job as a paralegal. I’m smart enough to pass the bar, but I chose not to take it. Plenty of people have been snide with me about my choice, assuming I chose what I did because I couldn’t cut it as a lawyer, but I’ve learned to ignore them.

  My choices are mine. Except now they’re not. Gavin has me playing a part he’s decided for me. Every time I think about it I want to vomit.

  You should have demanded to come in sooner, he texts. I think there’s something going on over there.

  I’m brand new, I can’t make demands. They’d fire me and I’d be useless to you. Well, not completely useless. I remember his other offer with a shudder. Instead of spying, I can sleep with him. No way in hell am I doing that.

  The next text message he sends me is little more than a crude insult. I turn my phone off vibrate and hide it in my purse. It makes me feel foolish, but I can’t look at one more text from Gavin. I need to pretend he doesn’t exist for a little while.

  Chapter 13

  Lucas

  Swagger is a small bar in a high-end part of town. I see Tyson sitting at the bar as soon as I walk through the door.

  The interior of the bar is entirely black. Black floors, walls, ceiling, and bar. The bar stools are in a contrasting bright white. I don’t like the look of the place very much. It’s like it’s trying to come across as hip but looking shallowly pretentious instead.

  I lean on the bar next to Tyson and realize it’s made out of painted concrete. I’m not impressed.

  “Nice place,” I say, trying not to sound sarcastic.

  Tyson is already nursing a scotch. There’s a half empty bottle beside him, which is never a good sign.

  I grab the bottle and pour myself two fingers in a glass. Might as well make this night on Tyson.

  “You don’t look so good,” I say.

  Tyson grunts and takes another sip of his drink. His face is flushed red from the alcohol and his body is sagging, but he doesn’t look like he’s about to vomit or be wheeled off on a stretcher for alcohol poisoning. Maybe he shared some of the bottle with someone else. A pretty woman to get his mind off Alexis, hopefully.

  “No one likes me,” Tyson says. “They all hate me because of how rich and privileged I am.” This doesn’t sound like Tyson. He must have gotten it from Alexis.

  “Fuck ‘em,” I say. “Besides, you have friends. I’m here, aren’t I? And everyone at the law firm likes you. You don’t need to pay attention to some blond snob turning her nose up at you based on petty assumptions. Forget her. You’ll find a better woman.”

  “What if there aren’t any better ones?”

  I can’t believe he’s being this mopey over a woman he’s hardly exchanged two words with. Then again, I’m a mess over a woman I’ve known for one whole night. At least he’s been watching Alexis for a while. I shake my head. I’m not messed up over Macey. No way. I’ll get over her fast enough.

  But Alexis really seems to have done a number on my friend.

  The door to the bar clatters open. I look over my shoulder and freeze. Macey is standing in the doorway wearing a stunning red dress. Her hair is done up and curled around her face and she has on shimmering lipstick that makes me want to grab her and kiss her until she falls to pieces in my arms.

  Macey sees me. She stops walking and her eyes lock with mine. Heat crackles between us. I want her again. It doesn’t have
to mean anything besides sheer, unrepentant lust. I push to my feet.

  Macey’s friend Alexis moves past Macey and pauses to see what she’s looking at. She whispers in Macey’s ear and tugs on her arm.

  Tyson. Fuck. Alexis saw Tyson and is taking Macey away. I could punch Tyson for this. I try to move quickly but by the time I reach the door they’ve disappeared back out into the night. I swear under my breath and go back to the bar.

  “See someone you know?” Tyson asks.

  He didn’t see them. I consider telling him, then dismiss the idea. “Thought I did. Turns out I was wrong.” It takes everything I have to say this. I want to run after her. But I don’t. Instead, I pull deep, even breaths into my lungs.

  “Hate when that happens.” Tyson takes another drink. I wonder if I should wrestle the bottle away from him. He’s had enough, but if I move it to my side I’m likely to end up downing it myself.

  But one dark, somber thought invades my brain.

  Macey.

  How am I ever going to find her again?

  Chapter 14

  Macey

  My heart is still pounding from seeing Lucas. I don’t know why I thought he only existed inside the confines of Second Circle. Of course, he goes out to other bars. He probably goes all sorts of places. To his apartment, wherever that is. To his job. Maybe even back to that childhood ranch he talked about. But two times in two days? What are the chances of that? Unless it’s fate …

  I shiver.

  “Thanks for trying to spare my feelings back there,” Alexis says. She thinks I stopped in front of her because I saw Tyson and was trying to get her out. She didn’t catch more than a glimpse of Lucas when he was with me at Second Circle, so I don’t think she recognized him. Besides, I haven’t told her about my feelings on the subject, or to be more accurate, how mixed up my feelings on the subject are.