The redhead was laughing and chatting with several of my employees. She somehow knew the name of and a personal fact about everyone she talked to. Hugging several employees like they were long-lost sisters, she asked one young woman how her knitting project was going, inquired after the baby niece of a new hire, and gave another woman a hand-painted mug that read “Happy Dog Mom-iversery.”
She excused herself and came over to me.
“You did great today!”
Why can’t she button her top?
“Someone is super grumpy though.” She whisked a plate in front of me. “I saved you some pretzels before the free food horde cleaned out the rest.”
She bounced up and down in those death-trap high heels, her still-unbuttoned top giving me an up-close-and-personal view to count the freckles on her chest.
Don’t look down.
I took the plate from her just for an excuse as to why I might have been looking in the direction of her cleavage.
She looked down. “Crap-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.”
I couldn’t help but follow the motion as she buttoned the top back up.
You need sleep. There’s no way you would be with her if you were in your right mind. She’s a mess and has no boundaries.
“Almost forgot.” Lexi beamed up at me and pulled out a small paper square from the pocket on her top.
“You get a sticker. Good job!” She stuck it on my suit.
I looked down with a frown at the sparkly smiling fairy that graced the charcoal lapel of my bespoke suit.
Before I could open my mouth to reprimand her, Anthym’s voice rang out.
“Don’t touch Mr. Richmond!”
11
LEXI
Being chewed out by Anthym in a normal scenario was demoralizing. Being scolded like a dumb little puppy in front of Grayson Richmond while he watched there, smug in his superiority?
Utterly humiliating.
And I just had to stand there and take it.
“You are not allowed to touch him.” Anthym reached out to snatch the glittery sticker off his lapel. It was not a cheap sticker. Mr. Richmond should be honored I gave him such a premium sticker.
“I thoughtweweren’t allowed to touch him,” I said dryly.
The secretary snatched her hand back and turned on me.
“Where is McKenna? Why did she order all this food? This is not how we do things at Richmond Electric. We do not serve food at meetings.”
At her desk, McKenna was frozen, the color drained from her face. If I couldn’t afford to get fired, McKenna really couldn’t afford to get fired. Her paycheck supported her and her grandmother.
How to break this news gently so that neither of us got fired?
“First of all, Anthym, let me just say your skin looks wonderful today. I wish I could get such a nice, even tone. And congrats on your new place. You’ve worked so hard for it, and I’m so proud of you.”
Anthym softened.
“The food was Ms. Collins’s idea,” Mr. Richmond said.
