Assisting the Bosshole

by Kristin MacQueen

  “What? No, why?”

  “Hmm, that’s good to know.”

  “Why is my dating status being discussed?”

  Owen bites his bottom lip, looking me up and down. Out of nowhere, a football flies at him, hitting him in the stomach... hard. He grunts with pain, leaning forward, clutching his abdomen and falls to the floor.

  “Fuck! You bastard!” He moans.

  Lucas’s jaw falls open for a moment before he completely loses it. Tears stream down his face, his laughter filling the air. Parker stands behind his desk, hands on hips, a glare that would scare small children or the elderly, directed at Owen. Every time Lucas glances at Owen or Parker, he laughs even harder until he too falls off the couch and is rolling around on the floor.

  My eyes dart from one man to the next, I don’t even know how to react. I blink a few times completely lost on what just happened.

  “Okay... I'm just gonna...” I throw my thumb over my shoulder, slowly backing away from the scene in front of me.

  “Don’t you fucking dare. You’re not leaving this office until you sign this.” Parker drops an expensive looking pen on top of the documents, anger radiating off of him.

  I take slow steps, like a child who knows they’re in trouble. I don’t know why this is such a big deal to him, I don’t even know why I'm fighting him so much. He’s so sure of himself, that everyone will follow his command, it makes me want to push back and fight with him. I want to challenge him every second of my day.

  “This doesn’t mean you win,” I grumble under my breath. I lean over the desk, signing my name in the highlighted areas with a sigh of defeat. Parker leans in close, his lips a breath away from my neck.

  “Oh, I won, honey. And I’ll continue to win, because when I want something, I get it.” His warm breath fans over my bare skin, causing a shiver to roll through my body. Please don’t let Parker notice! I beg and pray he didn’t catch my shiver. I knew I shouldn’t have worn my hair up today.

  When I pull back and lock eyes with him, a smirk spreads over his lips. Of course he caught me reacting to him, it was stupid of me to hope he wouldn’t.

  “Tomorrow’s lunch is at the Mexican place with Mr. Barton, next week you can pick the restaurants.”

  “You’re infuriating,” I huff before spinning on my heels and walking out of the office.

  14

  Parker

  “SHE HATES YOU.” LUCAS chuckles when Logan slams my door.

  “That’s not hate, that’s sexual tension. One day we’re gonna walk in to them fucking on the desk.” Owen clamps a hand on my shoulder.

  “Are we ready for tomorrow?” I sigh, trying to push aside my thoughts of Logan. Thinking of her isn't going to solve any of my problems right now.

  “The numbers I have look good but fuck if I know. I thought Smyth’s numbers looked good too, now I'm questioning every decision.” Lucas runs a hand through his normally neat hair, that’s quite messy today. He tugs his glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him like this before.

  “What’s wrong, Luke?”

  “I'm terrified of making the wrong decision. We have so many people who don’t think we can run this company, I don’t want to give them a reason to get others on board with them.”

  “We’ll figure it out. We can't always make the right decision; we’re bound to make a mistake sooner or later. Hell, we would have done it yesterday without Logan. Our dads made several mistakes and the company not only survived but thrived. We can do it too.” Owen reassures Lucas.

  “Can Logan check this one out too? Or do you think she hates us too much right now?” Lucas winces, it kills him when people get mad at him.

  “Hey, Little L, we need you,” Owen says softly into the intercom.

  A few seconds later the office door opens and in walks the gorgeous girl who haunts my dreams. She refuses to meet my gaze, causing an ache in my chest. I wasn’t trying to offend her; I was trying to help. Most people would’ve jumped at the new benefits, but not Logan. No, she gets mad at us for recognizing we need her and wanting to pay her appropriately.

  “What do you need help with?” She asks, her voice void of emotion.

  “Could you research Mr. Barton’s company and give us your thoughts?” I soften my voice. Her eyes meet mine and hold for a moment before she focuses on her tablet.

  “I researched it last night. These are the numbers I found...” She hands the tablet to Lucas, who begins skimming the information quickly.

  Thank you. I mouth to her. She shrugs her shoulders but doesn’t break our eye contact.

  There are so many things I want to say to her, so many things I want to do to her. I scan her body, she’s breathtaking today. A dark gray skirt, royal blue blouse and a white cardigan, she looks like a sexy librarian.

  “Where’s the fuck me heels today?” I smirk. She tilts her head to the side, clearly confused.

  “I don’t own fuck me heels...” Her brows draw together as she tries to figure out what I'm talking about. I catch the moment it clicks and her beautiful lips form a perfect ‘O’. “Ugh! I was rushing my first day here and my heel got caught on a grate and broke. I had to stop at a store and buy a new pair. That was all they had, I felt like a stripper.”

  “I liked them.” I bite my bottom lip, scanning her body once again.

  I don’t act like this; this is how Owen acts. I don’t flirt with my employees; I don’t check them out. I growl at them and bark orders. But this woman... this woman has turned my world upside down.

  “Oof!” Air puffs out of me when a football collides with my stomach. I hunch over and fight the surge of bile fighting to come up. “Owen” I moan. “You mother fucker!”

  “Now we’re even! If I can't look at Little L like that, neither can you, asshole.”

  I'm going to kill him, it’s only a matter of time. Logan has turned lifelong friends into enemies over that sexy body and massive brain of hers.

  15

  Logan

  MR. BARTON’S LATE AND Parker isn't happy. He makes us order lunch, refusing to let Mr. Barton waste our time any longer.

  I take the first bite of my fajita, letting out a moan as the flavors wash over my taste buds. When my gaze lifts to the boys, three sets of eyes are on me.

  “What?” I ask as soon as I swallow. “Do I have something on my face?”

  “Oh, honey, you have no idea, do you?” Lucas shakes his head with a chuckle.

  “No idea about what?” My brows draw together, my gaze hopping from one guy to the next.

  “How fucking sexy you are or how hard you’re making Parker right now,” Owen teases, glancing down at Parker’s lap.

  Parker on the other hand, stares directly at me, but doesn’t say a word. At least not until Owen and Lucas start discussing something else.

  “If you moan like that every time you eat, I’m going to revise your contract so you have to eat every meal with me,” Parker whispers, his lips brushing against the shell of my ear. Heat fills my cheeks, butterflies dance in my stomach and my skin burns where he touched me. I wiggle in my seat, trying to get comfortable after what he just did to me.

  A satisfied smirk appears on Parker’s lips, when I glance at Owen, his smile matches his friend’s. Why do they all have to be so attractive?

  “I'm so sorry I'm late, gentlemen.” A tall middle-aged man says as he plops down between Owen and Lucas. “Traffic was a bitch.”

  “It’s fine. We ordered without you.” Parker waves the waitress over to take Mr. Barton’s order.

  This meeting goes much smoother than my first one and soon we’re signing papers and heading back to the office.

  “On Monday, you’re sitting next to me at lunch.” Owen smirks.

  “Okay... Why?”

  “So, I can whisper things in your ear and make you blush like Parker did. What exactly did he say?”

  I roll my eyes but tell him anyway, hoping it will embarrass Parker... it doesn’t.<
br />
  “If I keep moaning when I eat, he’s gonna make me eat every meal with him.”

  “Can we do that?” He glances back and forth between the guys. Parker shrugs a shoulder like Why not? And Lucas shakes his head like What the fuck is wrong with you two? “I think we should. Do you have any single hot friends you can bring?”

  “I don’t think Carrie could handle you.” I giggle thinking about the two of them together.

  “Carrie? That’s not a very sexy name.” Owen strokes his chin in thought. “Let’s see a picture of her.”

  “She’s not gonna like that unless I have a picture of you to show her.”

  A devilish grin appears on his lips, he slides closer to me, throwing his arm around my shoulders. He holds his phone out, taking a selfie of us. Within seconds my phone beeps with the picture.

  “How do you have my number?”

  “For work reasons... and maybe so I could invite you to dinner next week.”

  Parker growls from the other side of the limo, his eyes narrow on Owen’s arm still around me. Owen notices and wraps his other arm around me, tugging me against his hard chest in a bear hug.

  Owen’s more attractive than should be allowed. He’s broad, muscular, covered in tattoos and has a deep gravelly voice I love listening to. He’s the bad boy in a suit, but it’s so much fun to joke around with him.

  Lucas is the sweetheart, the care giver, the sympathetic one of the group. He’s tall, with lean muscle, long shaggy hair and glasses. He always has a smile and is genuinely concerned with how you are. I could talk to him all day and never tire of his company.

  No matter how great Lucas and Owen are, neither one of them hold my attention. No, my attention is solely focused on the broody man pouting in the corner of the limo. He’s a mystery I can't figure out. One second he’s hot and the next he’s cold. I can't decide if he wants to keep me or fire me. I want to peel back the layers, discover what he keeps hidden away from everyone else.

  “You’re under his skin, don’t ruin him,” Owen whispers in my ear before letting go. I eye him for a second before I slide next to Lucas, making him take a selfie with me.

  “Why do I need to take a selfie? I'm not the one wanting to see Carrie.”

  “No, but Carrie’s gonna wanna see you,” I chuckle. “It’s more fun if she knows what you look like if we’re gonna talk about you constantly.”

  “Thank goodness I'm the nice one, I don’t have to worry about what you’ll say about me.”

  I tilt my head back, letting a laugh break free.

  “Oh, but the things I say about Owen and Parker...”

  I’ve been attracted to Parker since I walked into his office, but after he whispered in my ear and Owen saying I'm under his skin, I wonder if something could happen between us.

  I move to the spot next to Parker, leaning in close to take a photo of us.

  “I'm not taking a selfie for your friend,” He hisses.

  I stare up at him, his focus on his phone, trying his best to ignore me.

  “What if I want one for me?” I whisper. His eyes snap to mine, searching for the truth. “Please, Parker,” I beg in a breathy tone.

  He lets out a low groan before he slips his arm around my shoulders, I take advantage of the situation, using the picture as an excuse to melt into his arms. I place a hand on his hard chest and smile at the camera. I snap a few photos before I move mere centimeters away, wanting to stay as close as I can to Parker... Mr. Scott... My boss... Fuck!

  16

  Logan

  THE CHAIR IN THE WAITING room is uncomfortable, my appointment time has come and gone, but I'm still sitting here. I hate the waiting; I hate not knowing if something’s wrong with my own body. If I have something as serious as cancer, shouldn’t I know? But I didn’t last time.

  I take a deep breath and let it out. This is just precautionary, there’s no other reason to be getting another mammogram. It’s a yearly annoyance to make sure we don’t miss it if the cancer returns.

  “Ms. Johnson?” A young tech calls my name. I give her a tight smile and stand. She’s the same tech I had last year.

  “Hey...”

  “You ready to get this over with?”

  I blow out a breath and nod, following her to the room. My hands shake slightly, nerves consuming my body. The same feelings I get every time I have a test, I'm terrified of them finding something, I can't go through it again.

  “Take a breath, Logan. We don’t expect to find anything, but it’s better to check, you know that.”

  “I know. I'm just scared,” I whisper.

  “I know, sweetie. I can't take away your fear, but I’m with you and will do everything I can to make sure this is as painless as possible.”

  “Having my boobs squished between plates while you take the x-ray is anything but painless, Sarah.” I pin her with a glare. She laughs at me.

  “It’s not like I want to cause you pain... Alright strip from the waist up, put the gown on, opening in the front. Let’s get this over with and get you a clean bill of health.”

  “Fine,” I groan. She leaves the room to let me change, coming back a few minutes later.

  Sarah’s good at her job, she’s less painful than other techs I’ve had and I appreciate that. Once the test is over; she leaves to let me get dressed.

  When I exit the room, she pulls me into a big hug.

  “I’m praying for you, girly.”

  “Thanks. I'm hoping they don’t find anything.”

  “Me too.”

  I'm only feet out the door when my phone rings. Carrie.

  “Hey...”

  “Shit. You sound miserable, what happened? Did they find something?”

  “No... not yet at least. The x-rays won't be read until Monday. I just... I hate doing this. I hate the fear and unknown. I don’t wanna worry for the rest of my life about the cancer coming back.”

  “I know, I wish I could help. How about we go out tonight?”

  “I just want to stay home and watch TV. I'm exhausted from work.”

  “Ok... Well then I’ll be over in fifteen minutes.” I chuckle, Carrie doesn’t take no for an answer.

  “Bring me food if you’re gonna crash my peaceful night.”

  “Deal! Be there in thirty minutes with pizza!” She hangs up without saying bye.

  When I get home, I toss my purse on the table, slip into yoga pants and an oversized sweatshirt before collapsing on the couch. Carrie doesn’t knock when she gets here, just walks in like she owns the place.

  “So... Tell me about these boys you work with.” She drops down next to me, snuggling close.

  “Oh! I have pictures for you!” I grab my phone off the coffee table and scroll to the photo of Owen and I. “This is-”

  “No! Don’t tell me! I wanna guess!... Damn he’s hot. Do you have photos of all of them?”

  “Yeah, scroll further.”

  She flips through one picture then another of Lucas with me. There’s several of me with each of the guys.

  “This one has to be Lucas; he seems too nice to be Owen or Parker.”

  I smirk when I see the photo she stopped on. Lucas is smiling sweetly at the camera, his arm wrapped gently around my shoulders.

  “Yup, that’s Lucas.”

  “He’s sexy as fuck with those glasses.” She scrolls to a picture of Owen and I. “This has to be Owen; he seems too flirty to be Parker... What I wouldn’t give to work with these men.” She shakes her head smiling. “Which means the one I haven’t seen yet has to be Parker.” She scrolls until she finds him. “Did you look at these photos?”

  “Briefly, why?”

  “This man is in love with you.” Her wide eyes find mine. I snort with laughter.

  “What the hell are you talking about? Parker doesn’t love me.”

  I grab my phone out of her hand, chuckling until my gaze falls on the photo. Where Lucas gently laid his arm over my shoulder and Owen pulled me playfully into him, Parker holds onto
my hip, a possessiveness in his pose. He isn’t looking at the camera, instead he’s staring down at me. Carrie’s right, his gaze holds something more. But it can't be love and affection. There’s no way Parker feels like that, but the way he’s looking at me... How did I not notice before?

  My focus goes to my hand on his chest, my thoughts drift to the hard muscles I felt beneath my palm, the rapid beating of his heart, the warmth of his skin seeping through the fabric of his shirt. I smile thinking how perfect it felt to be snuggled into his side, his arm wrapped around me, his thumb stroking my hip. I’d give anything to be back there right now.

  “Oh, my Lanta! You’re in love with Parker!” Carrie squeals.

  “What! No! No, no, no. I’m not in love with Parker!”

  “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”

  I level her with a scowl, which only makes her laugh.

  “You know I hate when you quote Shakespeare!” I moan.

  “Only because you don’t understand it.” She laughs even harder.

  “I’m not in love with Parker,” I mumble, shoving a piece of pizza in my mouth.

  “You can say it as much as you want, but a picture speaks a million words.”

  “It’s a thousand words, Carrie.” I let out a loud sigh. She waves me off with a smirk.

  “Whatever. Either way, a thousand or a million words, they all scream the same thing. You love Parker and Parker loves you.”

  “I can’t love someone I just met a few days ago!”

  “Sure you can, it’s called instalove.”

  I roll my eyes so hard it hurts. Carrie honestly believes people can fall in love at first sight... I don’t.

  “It wasn’t instalove, more like instahate.”

  “But now?”

  “I don’t love him! I like him, but love is a little strong.”

  She munches on her pizza, deep in thought for a few minutes. I turn my attention back to the photo of Parker and me. We look happy together, like the perfect little couple.

  “My suggestion? Take a chance on him, don’t push him away just because he’s your boss.”