Brianna snorts, but Cara shoots me a glare. “Heardor know from experience?” she asks.
“Heard from a friend. I don’t mess around with spoiled brats.”
Cara quirks an eyebrow and looks at her friend. “Right, then you won’t mind if I ask him out?”
“Be my guest,” I turn the sink on and lather my hands with soap. “If you don’t mind being disappointed.”
“I’ll take my chances,” she says as she fixes her lipstick in the mirror.
“You can’t date our boss,” Brianna chides.
“Watch me,” Cara says, giving me a poised once-over before striding out of the bathroom.
Brianna looks apologetic, but follows her friend out all the same.
She can’t mean—is she going to ask him outnow?
My phone buzzes as I check my eyes in the mirror for new stress lines. I pull it out and, of course, it’s him.
Ashton: Why are you not at your desk? I’ve been messaging you for the past ten minutes.
I guess Space Buns hasn’t gotten to him yet. I hold in a scream and type out my reply.
It’s after five, so that’s none of your damn business.
Ashton: That’s cute, but as my assistant, your day ends when mine does, and I’m still working.
My day ends at five, as per my employee contract that you hold in such high regard.
Ashton: Office.
No.
Ashton: Alexandra.
Fuck off.
I’m sure I’m going to pay for that in the morning, but I don’t give a shit. There’s nothing he can do. It’s in the contract. My day ends at five. His one-word demands are really starting to grate on my nerves. Like he can’t even be bothered to form a complete sentence when speaking to me. I walk out of the restroom and down the hall feeling lighter than I have all day. I’ve wanted to tell Ashton Tyler to fuck off since I saw his smug-ass smile in the conference room yesterday, and it feels damn good.
My good mood doesn’t last long. My stomach drops as I round the corner, and I see him leaning against the door to his office, his legs crossed at the ankles. His eyes flick to mine, and he’s not just angry—he’s downright furious.
6
ASHTON
My eyes dartto the clock on the wall above the framed picture of Theo shaking hands with the mayor of Emberfield like it’s magically going to change. It’s thirty-seven minutes past nine o’clock. It’s the middle of January—too early for daylight saving. It’s not wrong. My phone and computer have the same time. I tap my fingers on my desk in a steady rhythm. She’s thirty-seven—now thirty-eight minutes late for work, and she’s ignored every single text I’ve sent her for the last half hour.
I’ve never had anger issues. I’m pretty much the only carefree person in my family and among my friends. My parents are always worried about the image of the company. My brother’s too serious. My sister was forced to grow up too fast. Skylar is in her own head. So is Emory for that matter. Nate’s a control freak and Declan…I’m not even sure how to describe whatever my best friend has going on, but it certainly isn’t lighthearted. I’m the one who cracks jokes and keeps everyone from going off the deep end. The world has too much darkness to not at least try to be the light for the people I care about. But Allie Montgomery? She takes that light and twists it until it’s pure fire. She doesn’t just make my blood boil; she makes it explode in random eruptions like the fucking sun. I clench my fist as I watch the minutes continue to tick by.
She has the nerve to be late after that little stunt she pulled last night? I was so pissed standing there at the door as she flipped her hair over her shoulder, gathering her belongings, unfazed as if she didn’t just tell me to go fuck myself. I had to turn around and lock myself in my office before I could say something I would really regret.
“You know we’re pretty casual here,” a voice breaks through my furious thoughts. “You don’t have to wear a suit every day. Especially Fridays”
Skylar.
I throw up a wall of casual indifference. It’s not that I don’t trust Skylar enough to be vulnerable with her, but I’m not in the mood to get into it right now. She’s been the picture of a supportive friend, leaving the door open to talk when I’m ready but not pushing. I chose my words carefully when I told her as much of the truth as I could muster without getting into the gritty details.I thought there might have been something there with Allie, but I was wrong.She let me leave it at that.
“You know I love suits,” I pout. “Don’t ruin this boss persona for me.”
