And, Charlie, you have no idea what kind of talents this woman possesses.
A wave of dizziness hits, and I let out a long sigh. Amelia is beside me in seconds, handing me a tall glass of ice water. She doesn’t say anything, but I can tell she’s worried.
Charlie is quiet beside me, and I look over at him, but he’s staring into his soup with a little smile on his face.
Throughout the rest of the meal, Charlie asks Amelia several questions about how I am as a boss. He also offers her a job at a company he hasn’t even started.
It’s nice seeing her laugh. By the time I’ve finished my soup, the dizziness has subsided, but my headache is returning. It’s good to see my brother, but I wish he’d leave. Amelia is right—I need to sleep.
Amelia clears the plates away and heads to the bathroom.
“She’s a firecracker,” Charlie says earnestly. “If you don’t ask her out, I will.”
I grimace at him. “She’s my employee, Charlie. I am not asking her out.”
“Oh, thank God. Can I? I bet she’d say yes.”
I bite my tongue to stop myself from snapping out my response of“over my dead body”.I can’t bear the thought of himspeakingto her, let alone taking her out on a date.
That body is mine.
“What’s the deal between you two, anyway?” Charlie continues. “She’s your EA, but she’s in your apartment and helping you when you’re sick? Is that really in her job description?”
I rise, pick up his plate, and go to the sink. The floor seems to shift beneath my feet as I walk the short distance, the walls spinning. I don’t want him to know how sick I feel, and I turn to face him, leaning heavily onto the kitchen counter.
“You sure you two aren’t sleeping together?” Charlie asks with a smirk. “Because it sure looks like there’s more between you than just employer and employee.”
“She’s here because I pay her to be, Charlie,” I grit out.
The truth of those words is like a slap in the face. My gut clenches. Ameliaisonly here because I pay her. She’d probably get on her knees right now and suck me off if I asked her to.
And I’ll never know if she really wants to, or if she is just doing it for the money.
Worry skitters through me as I think of how good it has felt having her here with me. I shouldn’t feel attached to her, I shouldn’t care that she’s taken care of me. But I do.
“Thanks for stopping by, Charlie,” I say abruptly, “but I don’t want to make you sick, too.”
Charlie laughs. “I knew you’d want to get rid of me as soon as I got here. Mom sent some food for you. It’s in the bag on the counter, but I’m not gonna tell her how good Amelia’s soup is. I think she’d get jealous.”
He hops off the stool and grabs his messenger bag, slinging it over his shoulder and saluting me.
“Call mom and tell her you’re alive, would ya?” he says as he backs out of the kitchen.
“Why can’t you do that?” I ask.
“Because she won’t believe me. She thinks you’re at death's door.”
“It’s just a cold.”
“You look like shit.”
“I thought you were leaving.”
He laughs again as Amelia reappears and waves goodbye, thanking her for the food. She heads into the kitchen as I follow my brother out to make sure he leaves.
My body is thrumming with a weird kind of energy that I can’t get rid of. The anger I feel at the thought of Charlie touching Amelia has morphed into anger at myself. I shouldn’t be having fucked up possessive thoughts about her, but I can’t help it.
I don’t want her to leave, fantasizing about her being in my bed with me later, just tocuddle. My fists clench angrily.
