Assisting the Bosshole

by Kristin MacQueen

  “Ahh, that’s a story for another day. It looks like our time here is done.” He motions to the nurse taking out my IV and placing a bandage over my arm.

  “You’re no fun.” I pout.

  “It’s not a fun story, Little L. It’s actually a very sad story.” His features cloud over with misery and sadness.

  “Owen...” I whisper, grabbing his arm. My brows furrow together, I search his face but he’s giving nothing away.

  “It’s alright, sweetheart. I can’t change the past. I don’t want to tell that story today though.”

  “Some day?” I ask cautiously.

  “One day, just not today. I promise.”

  “Ok.”

  He holds his hand out, when I take it, he threads his fingers through mine, placing a gentle kiss on my forehead before leading me out of the office.

  45

  Parker

  WHEN LOGAN GETS HOME after her chemo, I know there’s no way we’ll be going out on a date. She’s nauseous and doesn’t feel well. I make her some soup, hoping to calm her stomach.

  “I’m fine, really, Parker. I don’t need you to baby me.”

  “I know you don’t, but I want to.”

  “What would I do without you?” She smirks up at me.

  “I wanted to talk to you about that...”

  She rears back, her brows bunching together.

  “You wanted to talk about my life without you? What the fuck?”

  “What? No!”

  “Then what are you talking about?”

  I run a hand through my hair, my nerves are fried, I'm screwing up everything.

  “I don’t want to talk about you living without me... I wanted to talk about us being together... forever.”

  She waves me off, grabbing the bowls off the table, heading to the kitchen to do the dishes.

  “We already discussed this, Parker. We’ve already decided on spending forever together, remember? That’s the only reason I moved in with you.”

  I take a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Frustration is building, making me angrier by the second. I need her to be quiet for a few minutes so I can say what I need to.

  “Logan,” I sigh. “Please stop moving around and listen to me!”

  She gently places the dishes in the sink and moves in front of me, placing a soft hand on my chest. She stares up at me through her lashes and bites into her bottom plump lip, driving me crazy.

  “I can’t imagine life without you by my side-”

  “Me either, that’s why we live and work together.” She gives me a duh look and rolls her eyes.

  I’ve never wanted to strangle and kiss someone at the same time before, yet here we are.

  “Logan...” I growl. “Please just hush for a few minutes.”

  “Hey, Mr. Bossy Pants, this isn’t work, you don’t get to boss me around here.”

  I drop my head back, staring at the ceiling, praying for strength with this woman.

  “Please, I'm begging you, just let me talk.”

  “Ok, but then I want to go swimming. Your amazing homemade soup made me feel a lot better. I guess that home economics teacher taught you something other than how to crack an egg.” She gives me a shit-eating grin.

  “Fucking Owen,” I groan, scrubbing a hand over my face. “Fine! We can go swimming, but can we please talk first.”

  “What are we doing right now? Isn’t this talking?”

  I let out a growl of frustration, turn and march to our bedroom. I tug the box out of my pocket and toss it over my shoulder, not waiting to see if she catches it or not.

  “I wanted to ask you to marry me but since you won’t give me the chance to ask, here’s the damn ring.”

  I slam the bedroom door, dropping onto the bed. Resting my elbows on my knees, I slam my face into my hands. I had it all planned out, this beautiful speech to tell her exactly how I felt and how much I want to be with her for the rest of my life, but nooooo. That spit fire I fell in love with came back full force tonight, reminding me of how frustrating she can be.

  Yet, I couldn’t imagine spending a single day without her by my side. I’d never take another woman to be my wife no matter how much Logan can drive me crazy.

  The door creaks softly as it’s pushed open as quietly as possible. When a small hand lands on my thigh, my frustration from a few minutes ago evaporates almost instantly. She’s the calm to my storm.

  46

  Logan

  “I WANTED TO ASK YOU to marry me but since you won’t give me the chance to ask, here’s the damn ring.”

  A black velvet box sails through the air, I'm barely able to grab it before it falls to the ground. I stare at Parker’s retreating form, my mind going a mile a minute.

  I just ruined whatever he had planned. I ruined my own proposal without even realizing it. I can’t even blame him. I was being smartass, giving him sass each and every time he tried to open his mouth to talk. I knew he was getting frustrated, but sometimes I like to push him a little. Sometimes I miss the man I met my first day of work.

  I open and close my mouth several times, but can’t find the words I'm looking for. When Parker slams our bedroom door shut, it shakes the picture frames on the walls. I don’t think I’ve seen him this upset since we went through the whole What do I call you? phase. Thank God that’s over.

  My attention turns back to the box in my hands. I gently lift the lid; a gasp escapes the second my gaze settles on the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. It’s a gorgeous round solitaire, it has to be almost a two-carat diamond. It’s surrounded by smaller diamonds that go down the split rose gold band. It’s absolutely breathtaking.

  I want to slip it on my finger so badly, but I won’t do it until Parker asks me for real. I take slow steps towards our room. I need to apologize; I shouldn’t have been trying to upset him.

  When I push the door open, the familiar squeak fills the air. I wince when I find Parker seated on the bed, looking utterly defeated. I did this to him. I turned what should have been an amazing night, into frustration and anger all because I was trying to rile him up.

  I kneel in front of him, place a hand on his thigh. I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding, lifting his chin until he’s forced to meet my gaze.

  “I'm so sorry, Parker. I was trying to rile you up, but I didn’t realize what you were trying to do. Sometimes I like to see the man I met the first day I came into work. I like to see the stubborn bosshole I fell for from day one...”

  “You’re not wearing your ring.” His soft voice surprises me, I expected him to be angrier.

  “You didn’t ask me.” I shrug.

  “Yes, I did.”

  “No... you said you were gonna ask, then tossed a ring box at me. It’s not the same.”

  A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips, but he doesn’t say a word.

  “Did you open it?”

  I nod once, in a way I regret opening it. I should have waited until he proposed for real.

  Parker cups my cheek, staring into my eyes. He’s searching for something but I'm not sure what.

  “Ask me,” I barely whisper. I bite my bottom lip, tears filling my eyes.

  His thumb traces over my lip, tugging it from between my teeth.

  “Logan...” His brows scrunch together. A half sob, half laugh burst free from me.

  “Elizabeth,” I choke out. He nods, a small grin making an appearance.

  “Logan Elizabeth Johnson, will you please do me the honor of being my wife?”

  “Yes!”

  I practically throw the ring box at him. His deep, rich laughter fills the air. I hold out my hand, impatiently waiting for him to slide my ring on. The second it’s on, I launch myself into his arms, kissing him like he’s my dying breath.

  I don’t think I’ve ever been happier in my entire life. Screw the pool, I want to enjoy my future husband tonight.

  47

  Logan

  BY THE TIME WE FINISH eating dinner, I�
��m feeling much better. I’m so tired of being at home or work. I just want to get out of the condo and do something fun.

  “Can we do something?”

  “It’s almost ten... What do you wanna do? I’ll make it happen.”

  “Can we go swimming? Owen keeps talking about it, I have no clue where he planned on taking me but that sounds nice right about now.”

  A sly smile spreads over Parker’s kissable lips. Every feature lights up like he’s barely able to contain his excitement.

  “What?”

  “Go get changed. We leave in five.”

  It takes me almost ten minutes to get ready. Not because I'm high maintenance, but because I couldn’t remember where I put my bathing suit. I feel a little funny wearing a bikini for the first time since my surgery. My body is on full display, but it’s odd, I know not all of this is me. It’s fake.

  I let out a deep breath, taking one last glance at my new body. Whether I love it or hate it, I can’t change it. This is my new reality.

  “Holy shit, Little L,” Owen practically moans when I enter the room. His eyes take in every inch of my exposed skin until Lucas smacks him on the back of the head.

  “Stop ogling Parker’s girlfriend.”

  “Uhh...” My gaze snaps to Parker, I'm not sure if he wants them to know or if this is supposed to be kept between the two of us. I assumed he would have told them he was going to propose, but now I'm not so sure.

  “She’s not my girlfriend.” Parker says over the rim of his mug. This man is addicted to drinking hot tea, never coffee.

  The boys’ eyes snap over to Parker, they widen to a comical level before they glance over at me.

  “What the fuck do you mean she’s not your girlfriend? You up for grabs, sweetheart?” Owen wraps an arm around my bare waist, kissing my shoulder softly with a smirk playing on his lips.

  “Not exactly.”

  Thrusting my left hand in his face, waiting for what I'm showing him to register.

  “Fuck! You’re engaged?” His eyebrows kiss his hairline, shock evident in every move he makes. His gaze locks on Parker. “Really? This isn’t a joke?”

  “Why the hell would I joke about wanting to spend the rest of my life with Logan? She’s my person.”

  “She is... I just never thought I’d see the day you’d find someone to spend the rest of your life with. I'm happy for you, Park, really.”

  They wrap each other in a bro hug, complete with back slapping. Lucas envelopes me in his arms, kissing my temple lightly.

  “Congratulations, darling. You two are perfect for each other.”

  “Thanks, Lucas.”

  Owen palms Lucas’ face, pushing him away, wrapping me in his own embrace. I swear if the grin on his face gets any larger it’s going to split his face in two.

  “Alright, let’s get to the pool!” Owen tugs me with him towards the door.

  “Wait! I don’t have shoes or a towel. Hell, I don’t even have clothes on! I can’t go out like this!”

  “Sure you can. We’re only going down the hall.”

  “What?” I stop in my tracks, forcing Owen to stop too.

  “He didn’t tell you where the pool is?” He chuckles softly. “Makes sense, Parker hates the pool.”

  Owen leads me to a fourth door in the hall, pushing it open to reveal the most beautiful pool I’ve ever seen. There are three hot tubs spread out around it, a dry and wet sauna and an area with gym equipment.

  “Why is no one else here?”

  “Because this is ours. We bought the condo that used to be here and transformed it into our little oasis. Only the three of us have access to it.”

  I walk further in, taking in everything around me.

  “Wow... it must be nice being rich.” I glance over my shoulder, finding a cocky grin on all three of the guys faces.

  Parker’s hands are in the pockets of his bathing suit, looking slightly uncomfortable. Lucas is busy grabbing towels for everyone and Owen is stripping his shirt off.

  “Hot tub or pool?” Parker asks.

  “How about hot tub first? My neck is tight, I’d love the hot water to soothe it.”

  He nods, taking off his own shirt, then leading me to the hot tub furthest from us.

  “Why are there three?”

  “Well... initially it was so we could each have people here but still have our privacy. Now, we keep each one set at a different temperature. This one is mine, it’s the hottest one.”

  “Seems fitting.” I wiggle my eyebrows, earning myself a deep chuckle.

  Parker gets in, holding out a hand to help me. He plops down on one of the seats, but when I try to sit next to him, he tugs me until I'm between his legs. His large hands instantly go to massaging the kinks out of my neck. I'm moaning in ecstasy within seconds.

  Water laps at the edge, signaling Lucas and Owen’s arrival. They’re quiet for a few minutes, but I can feel their eyes on me.

  “Stop looking at me,” I mutter without opening my eyes.

  “I can’t. I'm trying to figure something out.” Owen’s gravelly voice soothes me even more.

  “What are you trying to figure out?”

  “Which one is fake?”

  My eyes snap open instantly, narrowing on Owen. But then I realize Lucas is staring too.

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now! You’re both staring at my tits trying to figure out which one is real and which is fake.”

  Lucas has the decency to look embarrassed for checking out my chest, but Owen has no shame.

  Parker’s lips tickle the shell of my ear, his warm breath fanning over my skin.

  “I couldn’t tell until I got you naked, baby. You’re gorgeous, absolutely breathtaking. You can’t blame them for wondering.”

  I groan, throwing my head back to rest on Parker’s chest.

  “Left side is fake.”

  “Huh... really? I seriously can’t tell the difference... Do they feel different?”

  I peel my eyes open, finding Owen closer to me, examining my boobs like it’s his job.

  “You’re not touching my boobs, Big Man.”

  “There’s a slight difference in feel but they look the same.” Parker shrugs his shoulder. My eyes widen, I stare up at him with my jaw hanging open.

  “Parker!”

  “What? It’s true! I think it looks natural and only feels slightly different.”

  “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation,” I groan into my hands, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole. “I hate all of you.”

  “I didn’t even say anything!” Lucas protests, but it’s weak and he knows it.

  “You were staring just as hard as Owen!”

  “I'm just curious.” He huffs, crossing his arms over his chest in a pout.

  “I have one more question... then I’ll leave you alone about your gorgeous tits.”

  “What?”

  “Do you still have your nipples?”

  “Oh, my Lanta! Why me?”

  “Yup! It’s why she was able to get implants right away; they didn’t take away any skin.” Parker sounds way too chipper for this conversation.

  “How do you know this much?”

  “Well, I’ve seen you naked... many times. But I also researched everything I could once I found out your cancer was back. I wanted to be able to support you any way I could.”

  My gaze bounces between his eyes, the love and support I find staring back at me takes my breath away. I press my lips against his, mumbling the words I’ll say for the rest of my life.

  “I love you so damn much.”

  48

  Parker

  “PARKER... I DON’T FEEL good,” Logan moans from the door to my office. I’m out of my chair and to her side in a flash. She’s pale as can be and doesn’t look good at all.

  “What’s wrong, baby?”

  “I’m really nauseous and tired.”

  “Alright, let’s get you on the couch.”

  Liftin
g her into my arms, I close the distance to the couch and carefully set her down. I squat in front of her, draping a blanket over her.

  “What can I do for you? Do you need anything?” I brush a few strands of hair out of her face, then cup her cheek.

  “I don’t think so... I'm such a horrible employee. You should fire me.” She gives me a pitiful pout.

  “Oh shush. You know there’s no way in hell I'm firing you. Plus, Owen and Lucas are already arguing over who gets you if you ever don’t want to work for me. There’s no getting away from us.” I smirk down at her, my smile widening even more then she flashes me an adorable grin.

  “I hear there’s some good muffins in the lunch room.”

  I let out a groan, making Logan giggle.

  “I don’t even know where the lunch room is!”

  Lucas struts into my office, his brows furrow together when he sees Logan on the couch.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “She doesn’t feel good. Do you think you can sit with her while I try to figure out where the lunch room is?”

  “I swear, if this company was left in yours and Owen’s hands it would crumble in a matter of hours.”

  “Alright, asshole. Do you know where the lunch room is?”

  “Yup. But I'm not gonna tell you. Go figure it out all by yourself and I’ll stay with my girl.”

  “She’s my girl, fucker.”

  “Better get going, this might take you all day! And no asking Jerry, that’s cheating.”

  “Who the fuck is Jerry?”

  “You’re beyond saving,” Lucas mutters under his breath shaking his head. He shoves me out of his way to pull a chair over to Logan’s side.

  “I’ll be back soon, baby.”

  “Thank you.” She blows me a kiss and I’m off. I’d do just about anything for that woman.

  It takes me a solid ten minutes to find an employee willing to point me in the right direction. The rest think I'm joking around and offer no help whatsoever.