Page 49 of Hating the Boss

It wasn’t like my life was much better. I was alone too. Too scared to try again after being burned by my ex-boyfriend…or whatever he was. Still, I didn’t have people forcing me to find love and settle down.

As much of a dick as Brad was, coming up with demands that would push any normal person to the edge, I still felt bad for him. When he explained his situation to me this morning, I had a feeling that he hadn’t been that vulnerable or open with anyone in a while. Sharing his fears and insecurities didn’t seem like a normal thing for him, yet he did with me.

He must be desperate.

That was why I wanted to help him.

Plus, a million dollars didn’t hurt.

Or maybe it was the idea of possibly holding his hand, feeling the roughness of his callouses against my palm. The idea of feeling his breath against my ear, his whispers taking every bit of my concentration. The idea of his lips grazing mine, brief, yet captivating.

I had fantasized about this. Except…my fantasies had been real. What he was asking of me was just for show. Still, the idea excited me. And the suggestive words he said to me made me think he had my same anticipation.

On my walk home, I stopped by the bank to deposit my check that seemed to be burning a hole through my purse. I needed to get it off me and safely into my account. The anxiety I was feeling holding a million-dollar check was starting to get the better of me with each minute that passed.

Walking up to the teller, my legs felt weak. What if she turned me away? What if she thought I was laundering money? How many people actually walked in and deposited a check for a million dollars?

She greeted me with a warm smile and asked how she could help me.

“I have a check I need to deposit. It’s for a large sum,” I said as confidently as I could. I slid the check over to her, under the plexiglass window. I watched as her eyes widened ever so slightly as she picked it up and looked it over.

“With large amounts such as this, it will most likely be on hold for at least one business day,” she said, looking me over carefully.

“Of course.” I nodded, as if I did this all the time.

“And we may need to verify with the account holder…” she added.

“As you should,” I said.

“If you could please sign the back, I can get this deposit started, Ms. Atkinson.” She slid the check back.

“Of course,” I said, plucking a pen from the black wire cup on the counter. I quickly signed my name on the back of the check and slid it back to her, along with my ID and credit card that she requested.

Five minutes later, I walked out of the bank and felt like I was walking on a cloud. If all went well, I would be a million dollars richer by the morning. It was a surreal feeling. I tried not to get ahead of myself, thinking about all of the uses for the money. All practical, and probably boring to anyone else who would come into that amount of money.

That night, I went to bed holding my breath. This could all just be a big joke. Another test. I wouldn’t know until the morning, so I willed myself to sleep at 8:30 p.m., eager for the morning to come.

As soon as the sun began peeking through the curtains of my bedroom window, I grabbed my phone from my nightstand. It was barely 5:30 a.m. I opened my banking app and quickly typed in my username and password. As the circle on the screen went round and round, I sucked in a breath and held it. I gasped when I saw that there in my checking account was one million dollars.

It wasn’t a joke. Wasn’t a test. This was real.

I felt my eyes prickle with tears as I raised a shaky hand to my mouth. Instead of crying, I giggled. Then broke out into loud laughter as I kicked my feet excitedly under the covers. Remembering Jessica was sleeping in the next room, I snapped my mouth shut and closed my eyes, trying to contain the excitement pulsing through me.

I pulled the covers over my head and did the most responsible thing I could think of with my fortune. I paid my rent. I paid some overdue hospital bills. I paid my monthly student loan payment. Then I did something I had been wanting to do for a while. I ordered my sister a new mechanized chair. That was a pinch-me moment.

Brad had made this all possible. The deal he had proposed was absolutely ridiculous, but I couldn’t regret accepting it. Not knowing how much it was going to turn my life around. Turn my sister’s life around.

I rolled out of bed and padded toward my bathroom. Turning on the shower, I waited until steam rose, filling my small bathroom and fogging up the mirror over the counter. Once the water was hot, I stepped into the shower and took my time with a hair mask and a body scrub. The whole time I was smiling, an eagerness growing in the pit of my stomach thinking about going into the office. I had to physically restrain myself from touching myself over the idea of my deal with Brad starting today.

I arrived at the office around 5 PM, per Brad’s instructions. He had texted me that morning with a list of things I could do remotely in the meantime. I wore the sapphire dress and the heels from hell, knowing they made my legs look longer. My nerves began to kick in as I walked into his office and saw that he wasn’t alone. He and his father were having a discussion at his desk. My heart leapt to my throat.

The show started now.

Brad saw me walk in and smiled easily.

“Hey, babe,” he said, standing from his desk. I watched his father’s gaze follow him as he strode toward me. He had said it with such ease, like he had called me that a thousand times. It sounded good. Too good.

“Hi, honey,” I said, smiling up at him as he pulled me in for a hug. He kissed the top of my head. “I thought I would surprise you for a little afternoon pick-me-up.”