Holding a grudge over that for fourteen years seems petty and mean. But then, only a petty asshole would have made a bet like that in the first place. I won’t excuse his behavior or even imagine he had a good explanation. My first time should’ve been special, but instead it’s been tainted forever. Because ofhim.
By the time I trot—or limp quickly—into GrantEm, I’m ten minutes late. Crap. I brace myself for some nasty comments.
But thankfully, Grant doesn’t seem to notice. He’s at his desk, looking cool and collected as he goes over some files on his laptop.
Life really isn’t fair. Grant’s gorgeous, his dark hair perfectly styled and the expensive clothes fitting his lean, muscular body like the proverbial glove. It’s perverse that, even knowing how toxic he is, butterflies flutter in my belly anyway. My sense of self-preservation seems to fail every time I’m around him.
Maybe he’s like a predator that releases some airborne toxin to confuse and mesmerize its pray. I remember seeing on a documentary that some toads can do that. It’s the only explanation for my thinking he looks this hot.
Don’t let him know you still feel that old attraction.
I jerk my gaze from him and turn on my laptop. While it’s booting, I go to the breakroom to grab some coffee. I’m going to need lots of it to stay awake.
“Late start?”
I turn at Amy’s friendly voice. She’s grinning as she grabs a coffee. Unlike me, she looks well put together in a blue dress that’s perfect for the office, and her long golden hair is cascading down her slim back.
“How did you know?” I ask with an embarrassed smile.
“Your hair. It’s wet.”
“Oh.” I tell her what happened this morning, sticking just to the facts.
“Oh my God,what?” She shakes her head. “That’s so unlike Grant.”
I give her a vague smile. She obviously doesn’t know what a snake he really is.
“I mean, he likes to exercise, but he’s never asked anybody to join him,” she says.
Of course, I’m thespecialone. “He said it was work.”
“Super weird. Anyway, he should’ve told you that you didn’t have to go back home. We have showers here.”
I grind my teeth. He never told me because he’s a dick. Thank God for Amy.
She continues, “And a few rooms with small beds to snooze on. Some of us use them when the hours get too crazy.”
“Do you work crazy hours all the time?” I ask, despairing that I might be stuck working until midnight every day. Thank God I only have the part-time gig at the bar now, but I’d likesomesleep.
“Not all the time, but a lot. If you’re looking for nine-to-five, you’re in the wrong industry.”
I swallow a sigh. I should’ve known this job as Emmett described it was too good to be true.At least I get overtime,although it’s a small, sad consolation. I always try to get at least six hours of sleep. Grant cut that by nearly half. Maybe he’s a vampire who doesn’t need to sleep.
When I return to my desk, Grant is looking for me. I grab a legal pad and walk into his office.
“If you’re going to be late, at least be at your desk so I don’t have to waste time searching for you,” he says, leaning back in his seat.
Guess he noticed after all. “If you’d told me I could shower here, I wouldn’t have been late,” I point out.
“I thought you’d read about it in the employee manual you love so much.” His gaze rakes over me. “By the way, you’re still dressed in Salvation Army rejects.”
“Actually, they’re from Macy’s,” I lie. They’re from a thrift store.
His face twists derisively, then he fires out instructions. He wants me to make twenty photocopies of the documents on the table next to me and send faxes to some people in Japan. Then he asks me to work on a PowerPoint presentation from Bradley, one of the associates. Grant doesn’t care for the color scheme, font or anything else, but he says Bradley has more important things to do than mess with the details. And he makes sure to use a tone that lets me know it’s my job to do inconsequential and idiotic tasks for the people who matter.
If he thinks that’s going to make me break down and cry, he has another think coming. I’m never shedding a tear over him.
“Do you have any specific template in mind I should reference?” I ask, all professional.
