Page 36 of Hating the Boss

Me: You’re okay, right?

I just wanted to be sure.

Jessica: If you count starving to death okay, then sure.

Me: You’re so dramatic.

Jessica: I think I see the light…

Me: Goodbyeee

I smiled as I closed out of our texts. I knew I could be overbearing sometimes. Jessica liked to give me a hard time about it. Her sarcasm had never wavered, not even during the hardest of days. It was something I loved about her. Her sense of humor was unmatched.

I looked for any new notifications on my phone’s screen, but Brad hadn’t texted me back, which meant I had to stay in this damn line. At least I was at the threshold of the door. The place was packed. Its white marble tabletops filled with flaky pastries, foamy lattes, and hand-painted mugs of black coffee. Maybe I could bring home a chocolate chip cookie, Jessica’s favorite, to make up for my lateness.

“Sarah!” someone called out. I looked around the café for any sign of who the voice belonged to. I knew that voice.

“Sarah!” they called out again. I followed the sound and spotted Juliet up ahead to my right. She was standing at the counter, waving at me. I waved back, watching as she popped a straw into her clear cup that was filled with a creamy caramel latte. She weaved through the tables toward me. She looked laidback in a pair of cutoff shorts and an oversized tee, a pair of strappy sandals on her feet. Her long blonde hair hung over her shoulders in mermaid waves.

“Well, this is a surprise,” I said, pulling her in for a hug, careful not to spill her coffee.

“I know!” She squeezed me tightly before letting go and taking a step back.

She looked me up and down and raised her brows. “Wow! You look fantastic. Where did you get this dress?”

“Bloomingdales,” I said, doing a little shimmy, even though I felt like a sweaty mess.

“It was made for you,” she said. “Are you just getting off work?”

“Not quite,” I said tiredly. “I’m picking up a coffee for my boss.”

“Ahhh. The infamous Brad Ashcroft, right?” She arched a brow as she studied my face.

“You know him?” I asked.

“I know of him.” She nodded, taking another sip of her coffee. “Stellar Industries is a tech giant. Chester is a big fan of what they’re doing. He’s met Brad a handful of times. Says he’s a real shark. I guess it takes one to know one, huh?” She winked at me.

“What else can you tell me about him?” I asked, as the line moved forward.

“Hmm…I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I’ve heard he’s a workaholic. Worse than Chester used to be. If he’s anything like the old Chester, then good luck.”

I felt my lips tugging downward into a frown. They weren’t really the words of encouragement I wanted to hear after an exhausting day.

“Awww, honey. I’m sorry. What’s wrong?” she asked, touching my arm gently.

“Just tired. I feel like he’s testing me or something.”

“Is that why you are carrying all those bags?” she asked, pointing to my arm that was turning red under the handles of bags.

“I’ve been running around all day,” I groaned.

“He could be testing you. These CEOs are demanding. They have so many things going on. There are so many moving parts. They need a particular person to work for them. He must have chosen you for a reason,” she reassured me.

Although, I wasn’t sure what that reason was.

I nodded, remembering she had once been a personal assistant too, until she fell in love and had her happily ever after.

“Is he nice, at least?” she asked curiously.