Boss On A Leash: A Single Dad Billionaire Romance, Kara Hart [free ebook reader for iphone .TXT] 📗

can feel Brian’s eyes weighing on me. “Shamed,” he says.

“Come again?”

“We were shamed,” he repeats.

I shrug. He squeezes my shoulder and pats me hard enough to push me against the glass wall. “What was that for?” I ask.

Leaning forward, he presses a button. The elevator stops, loudly screeching and moving inches in both directions.

“Sandra’s right, man. You’re not acting like yourself. So, let’s talk.”

“I’ll pay you to forget about this,” I say.

He shakes his head. “No can do.”

I look out at the vast expanse of Seattle. Mount Ranier sits in the distance, laughing in my face. I feel myself lower against the glass barrier, sighing. “I’m so screwed.”

He leans against the other side, a bit too smug for his own good. “We tried to warn you.”

“You told me you’d help me. Some help you were,” I mutter.

“I’ve still got time,” he says. “I might have to save your ass tomorrow.”

“What’s your grand plan?” I ask.

He doesn’t answer because there is no grand plan. In most cases, I was the idea maker. I’m not relying on Brian to get me out of a bind.

After a few seconds of hanging in silence, he slumps down and sits with me. We’re two thirty-five year old guys, pathetically groveling into their forties. It’s not the best sight in the world, but you have to admire our tenacity.

“I’m sorry, bro,” he says. “This shit… this shit’s hard. You were there when Karen tore my heart out.”

Karen, his ex-girlfriend. They were together for nine years.

“We broke up a week before our tenth anniversary.” He laughs, a little angry. A little embarrassed. “Shit is really hard sometimes.”

With the stress of tomorrow’s party coming to a climax, I rub my palms across my face and groan. “I should have told her,” I mutter. “Why’d I lie?”

“Because you’re an idiot. All of us guys are idiots,” he says.

“Does it get any better?”

He shakes his head. “No,” he says. “But there comes a time when all idiots learn how to act with grace.”

I laugh. “I’m just going to have to suck it up and bring that grace to the table tomorrow, aren’t I?”

Standing, he hits the button to get the elevator moving again. Then, he offers a hand. “You don’t have anything better planned?”

As the elevator reaches the lobby, I pull two tickets out of my jacket pocket. “I may be a certifiably insane idiot, but it’s Valentine’s Day, and I do still know how to show a lady a good time.”

The golden doors open, and Brian tries to snatch the tickets from my hand. I pull them back just in time. “What are they?”

“Swan Lake,” I say.

“Movie was decent,” he says.

“That’s Black Swan,” I correct him.

“What’s the difference?”

I step out into the lobby, headed for the front doors. “Look, the story doesn’t matter. What matters is she’s going to the ballet with me, and we have the best seats in the house.”

Rowdy’s excited to be outside. His tail is slapping the doormat.

“See? You didn’t need my help, after all,” he says.

“Yeah. I’ll take a rain check, though.”

“I got you, bro,” he says. “Got anything else planned for the evening?”

“I thought I could take her over to Candy Cane Lane,” I say. It’s a fun motel couples use for sex. It’s a little forward, but I’ve opened up to Ali. There’s no other barriers to burn down. I want her so fucking bad.

He nods, smiling. “A jaunt in the city of Seattle filled with romance, sophistication, and… shit, I’m having trouble thinking of a third word.”

“Romance?”

He claps his hands and skips forward. “More romance!”

Without Sandra bossing me around, I can think a little clearer. The air is smoggy, but that even feels cleaner than pacing around my office all day. I look up at my window and groan.

I begin to walk with Rowdy and Brian to a busy intersection. Hailing a cab, I wait with them as the driver argues with another guy, presumably about a fare.

As we wait, I anxiously look back at the building one last time. I’ve got a new idea. I’m going to do everything I can to distract her attention away from the party. No matter what.

We are not going.

Now that I’m out of the office and I’ve dealt with Sandra, I’m going to finally give Brian a job. Then, I’m going to get the Hell out of here.

As he gets into the cab, I lean into the door and hand him the list of party supplies to buy. “Well, thanks for the talk. I look forward to your help,” I say, tapping the top of the car three times.

He tries to break out of the cab, but I shut the door on him. I watch him roll the window down with sad, puppy-dog eyes. “You’re leaving?”

“You said you needed extra work,” I say. “Well, I need to get ready for my date.”

“You bastard,” he mutters.

I chuckle and signal to the driver to take off. “I’ll see you at the party, Brian.”

Ali

I replay the last twenty-four hours over and over in my head, coming up with more and more reasons not to check my phone. Of course, when I do, the first words on the screen say:

I miss you.

But you need to stop staring at your phone during class.

P.S. After you take Sammy home, head over to Westlake Center. On the way home, pick up something nice to wear at Saks fifth Avenue. Send me the bill. My treat.

My throat tightens, and my pulse sends a rush of happiness through my heart. Something nice? I haven’t bought anything nice in years. Just being honest – I’m not sure I even have any savings in my bank account.

Going against his advice, I check my account. I’ve got five hundred dollars. My credit has a line for three hundred. I think it should be enough, and then he’ll pay me back.

Then again, that puts me in a little bind. I don’t want to lean on him for money, even if he has it readily available.