Page 23 of The Boss

"Okay, sure. Whatever you say."

I've barely taken a bite when the front door opens.

Vivian freezes, fork halfway to her mouth. We both turn toward the sound of voices in the entryway—familiar voices that shouldn't be here for three more days.

"—told you we should have called first," Angela says.

"It's my apartment," Levi responds. "And Matthew's staying here. He's probably not even awake yet."

Footsteps in the hallway getting closer.

Vivian looks down at herself—my shirt, bare legs, obvious bedhead—and then at me. Her eyes go wide with the kind of horror usually reserved for natural disasters.

"Oh God," she whispers.

The kitchen door swings open, and Levi walks in with Angela right behind him. He's got a tan from the honeymoon and is carrying what looks like a bag of souvenirs. He opens his mouth to say something, sees us, and stops.

His gaze moves between Vivian and me, taking in the scene—two plates of breakfast, two coffee mugs, her outfit, the general domestic tableau we've apparently created in his kitchen.

"Well," he says. "This is unexpected."

Angela appears beside him, surveys the situation, and grins. "Is it, though?"

Levi's expression shifts from surprise to something approaching panic. "Matthew, please tell me you're not sleeping with my executive assistant."

"Good morning to you too, Levi."

"That's not an answer."

"It wasn't really a question."

Vivian sets down her fork with exaggerated care. "I should probably go put on actual clothes."

"No," Levi says, pointing at her. "You stay right there. I need to understand what's happening to my office while I'm gone."

"Your office is fine," she says. "Everything's running smoothly. All your projects are on track. Mika Wells signed the contract yesterday."

"That's not what I'm worried about." He looks at me and points an accusing finger. "If you poach her, Matthew, I swear to God⁠—"

"Poach her?"

"Don't play dumb. You steal my EA, my entire operation falls apart. She's the only reason I don't get fired."

"You can't get fired. We own the company."

"That's not the point!"

Angela steps between us, still smiling. "Maybe everyone should sit down and have some coffee."

"I'm not sitting down," Levi says. "Do you know how long it took me to find someone who could actually do this job? Do you know what my life was like before Vivian started working for me?"

"Marginally less organized?" I suggest.

"Chaos. Pure chaos. And now you're" —he continues jabbing a finger at me— "whatever this is."

"This is breakfast, Levi."

"This is breakfast between my brother and my employee, which means I'm about to lose the most competent person I've ever hired."