Bossy (17 page)

Carl rushes over. “You certainly go all out, don’t you, sweetheart?” My throat closes up as he takes one of the leis from around my neck and puts it over his head. “See, now we match. No big deal.”

He’s a little more dressed up than the rest. Somehow he's managed to find a horribly gaudy Hawaiian shirt covered in what looks like lawyers on surfboards. He's probably the craziest dressed person in here.

Until I showed up.

I grab his hand and squeeze it so tight I’m sure it hurts, but he doesn’t complain. “I have to go,” I whisper. “Get me out of here.”

Declan’s mouth opens, and I think he’s going to do something, but then he changes his mind and looks away. Coward.

Carl takes my arm and leads me briskly back out the doors, then off to the side, out of sight through the swinging doors. As soon as he lets go, I lean against the wall in the hall and slide slowly to the floor. Back inside the room, Garrett lets people laugh for a bit before telling them the fun is over. That’s enough. I don’t stick around to hear the rest.

“Aw, come on. It’s not
that
bad.”

I know Carl’s trying to make me feel better, but right now I just want to get my normal clothes on and crawl into a hole. Declan went way too far this time.

He humiliated me in front of the entire office, including his father.

And for what?

“My coat.” I can’t even make complete sentences, so I point to the bench. Carl gets it right away, wrapping it around my shoulders so I can have a little modesty. At least someone around here’s a gentleman. Too bad it’s not Declan.

When we get back to my desk, I grab my clothes and turn to Carl. “Thanks for trying to help. I’m just going to go get changed before everyone comes back. Go back to the party. I’ll be okay.” Eventually.

“Was it Declan?”

I nod.

“I figured. So what’s the payback?”

“Huh?” I pause with my hand on the door to Declan’s office.

“The payback. You can’t tell me that the Mistress of the Office Pranks is going to let something like this go unchallenged.”

I’m not ready to think about that. If Carl wasn’t standing here, I’d be crying over my desk right now. And he wants to talk payback? “I’m going to have to think about it. I’m a little... well, you know.”

He nods, but he looks a little disappointed. “You owe him for this.” His voice is teasing, but there’s a seriousness there that surprises me. “Declan is a better guy than you probably think, but this is way over the line, even for him. Someone needs to put him in his place.”

“And you think that I—”

He nods again. “Who better? You’re not going to take this lying down, are you?”

A tiny glimmer of something strangely like hope flares to life. “I do owe him. Don’t I?”

Carl nods. “Bigtime, and I better be there to see it.”

I look down at my hand holding the knob and inspiration strikes.

That asshole Cooper is coming for a meeting first thing on Monday. All the meeting rooms are taken, so we’re seeing him in Declan’s office. An office that’s in desperate need of brightening up.

Wheels turn quickly. There isn’t a lot of time for what I have in mind, so I’m going to have to act fast. Maybe even get help.

And I know just the guy. “Carl?” He perks up at my voice, his eyes bright with mischief. “How are you at painting?”

“Painting? I’m no Picasso but I can man a roller as well as anyone. What do you need?”

“I’ve got a weekend project that I need a hand with.” I giggle at the sight of his bushy eyebrows arching high up into his hairline. “You’ll love this, I swear.”

“Technically, I’m going bowling with some friends tomorrow, but this sounds worth canceling for.” He rubs his chin while coming to a decision. “I’m in. What’s the plan?”

Soon after, we’re rushing out to gather supplies. Who cares about a party when we have work to do?

I
pull off the very last strip of masking tape and crumple it into a ball. “That’s it. All we have left is to lock the door and wait for Monday.”

It’s taken all weekend, but we’re done. It was way more work than I’d anticipated, but fueled by pizza, donuts and coffee, Carl and I have transformed Declan’s office. Outside, the sun is almost below the skyline, the warm colors of the sunset giving way to the harsh fluorescent bulbs in the ceiling fixtures.

All in all, we did a magnificent job. Almost professional, if you don’t look too closely at the carpet in the corner.

“He’s going to flip.” Carl turns slowly, surveying the results of all our hard work. “Absolutely flip.”

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” I tell him honestly. “There’s no way I would’ve been able to do all the painting and the decorating on my own. Not nearly this much at least.”

Carl laughs. “Yeeeaah... you can leave that part out of it when Declan comes in.”

“My lips are sealed, promise. But just so it’s clear, you’re so getting the first pick of donuts for as long as I’m still allowed in the building. Which, let’s be honest, might end tomorrow.”

“After what he pulled on Friday? Declan has a lot more to lose than you do. This is just your internship. For him, it’s his career.”

“True.”

Declan’s called my phone twice since I left work early on Friday. I didn’t pick up, and he didn’t leave messages. As far as I’m concerned, we have nothing to say to each other until after he comes into work tomorrow and gets a taste of his own medicine.

I look again, just to check.

Still nothing. I’m not sure I’m relieved or disappointed. A part of me wants him to force the issue, to come crawling on his hands and knees begging forgiveness. Another part of me is worried that he’s just calling to gloat and rub it in.

“Can I ask you a question? One troublemaker to another.” Carl’s hand settles on my shoulder.

“Sure, I suppose you’ve earned it.”

“Did he break your heart?”

“What? I... That’s not what this is about.” I shake my head and pull the elastic band out of my hair, pulling it back and re-doing my ponytail.

“No?”

“No. I’m
not
in love with Declan if that’s what you’re getting at.” I like quirky Carl. I’m not sure I like strangely perceptive Carl. “Is there some sort of weird chemistry or voodoo or,” I wave my hands around helplessly, “Allergic reaction between us? Yeah, I guess. But it’s definitely not love.”

He smirks, like I just confirmed whatever he was thinking. “I never said Declan. You two are
obviously
complete opposites.”

“Obviously, and for the record, opposites only attract in movies and books.”

“Mmmhmm,” he hums, not buying a word of it.

“It’s true! In reality it’s just a recipe for disaster. Oil and water. Donuts and... kale juice.”

“Look, kiddo. I’m not your father, so take what I’m saying with a grain of salt, okay? I know I’m the crazy office uncle.” He shakes his head and smiles when I try to deny it. “It’s fine, it’s who I am, but what you have to understand, is that I’ve been here since Mr. Riordan’s wife died. I saw the way it shut off something in both him and his son. Garrett had the benefit of age, and of having experienced love before, so when your mother came along, he was finally healed enough to want to find that again. Declan... he never has.”

“And that gives him some sort of free ticket to be a total asshole? Poor little Declan.” As someone who has experienced a lot of grief in her life, it pisses me off when people are given free passes to be dicks just because they got hurt.

Carl snorts a laugh. “No, but what I’m getting at is that I see in you some of that same thing that’s broken in Declan. You don’t have to tell me what it is, but I like you, kid, and I want to see you happy. If you ask me, Declan isn’t ready to make anybody happy. Not even himself. You on the other hand, think about it.”

“I’m docking you a donut for this.”

“I can live with that.”

My relationship with Carl isn’t at all like a parent to a child. We’ve been partners in crime. Strangers stranded together in a strange land full of suits and ties. But right now, this is the closest thing to a father daughter chat I’ve had in years, and I’m not ready to be done.

“Carl?”

“Yup yup, buttercup?”

I roll my eyes and pretend my chest isn’t tight. “Can I buy you dinner? If you’ve got somewhere to be I’ll understand, but I just wanted to—”

“I’ll admit to having a hankering for something other than pizza.” He looks around the room. “So long as you’ll buy me rainbow sherbet for dessert. I’m in the mood for something colorful. I have no idea why.”

I snicker. “No idea at all.”

T
he box of donuts in my hands feels like it weighs  a hundred pounds. I spent the whole weekend trying to figure out how I should apologize to Claire for Friday, and I’m no closer now than I was when I watched her walk out of the cafeteria humiliated.

Now I’m late because of these stupid donuts, and on the slowest elevator in existence. I won’t have time to try to talk to her before our meeting with Cooper. Shit. I look up. If this was a movie, I’d punch open the hatch, climb up the shaft and win back the girl, somehow managing to get rid of Cooper for good at the same time. Something would probably explode.

My life needs better writers.

Guess I wait.

The costume thing was never supposed to go that far. She wasn’t supposed to look that excited, and then so hurt. I figured Carl would get an eyeful, maybe a few others before she figured out something was up. I was going to catch her at the door, tease her and then she’d get pissed at me like usual. It was going to be funny.

More importantly, it would put more space between us, so that fuckhead Michael doesn’t come down on her just because his shit-for-brains can't tell the difference between a relationship and... well, whatever the fuck we have.

Well, it got some laughs, but not from me, and not from Dad.

I’ll clear it all up after the meeting.

The elevator dings and the door opens. Carl looks up from his desk and gives me a glare. I’m not surprised. He seems to have taken Claire under his wing. I hurry back to my office. Claire and Cooper are waiting with some flunky Cooper must have brought with him. I guess he wants backup after last time.

As always, Claire takes my breath away. She keeps wearing these conservative business suits, but if you know what to look for, they don’t hide a thing. My fingers have traced every inch of that body, and she could be wearing a muumuu over a snow suit. I’d still be aching to tear it off her.

The last thing I look at is her face. Not because I don’t want to, but after Friday, she’s going to be fucking furious. She might just incinerate me where I stand. So no one’s more surprised than me when she’s wearing a little smile.
I know something you don’t
, is what it says, and it’s more terrifying than any withering stare. I can’t worry about it right now, but something tells me that I’m going to get it later.

At least Claire and Cooper haven’t set anything on fire or killed each other yet. I drop the donuts on her desk and crank the charm to eleven. It’s show time.

“Harry, good to see you. I’m so sorry about my delay. A trailer spilled on the highway, backing traffic up for miles. And here I thought I’d taken extra good time.” I put my hand out, dreading his clammy, limp dick handshake.

Cooper grins and waves a hand. “No worries. I just got here too.” He slides a finger through the tape holding the donut box closed, and fingers through the selection, grabbing a chocolate glazed. “I got your email last week, so I’m expecting some progress. Are we going to win this thing?”

His presumption pisses me off, but it’s a bit of a wakeup call too. Is that what I’m like?

Watching him drop crumbs all over the floor, I wince. Every time I meet this guy I have a harder time shaking off the feeling that Claire’s right, much as I hate to fucking admit it. This guy’s a dirt bag.

And she doesn’t even know the worst of it. I hid the medical reports from her, because she’ll go off the hook if she sees them. Especially with the way her dad went. Cooper’s insane if he thinks anyone can get any sort of win out of this, but I’ll do my job and at least make sure his settlement is a shit-ton better than he deserves.

Right before I take a few days off to scrub the feeling of slime off my skin. With a little luck, maybe Claire will hold the sponge.

Years of experience keep my smile in place so my personal feelings don’t show. “We’ll do our best, but it’s going to be an uphill battle.”

His face goes tight and the grin fades, but he nods. It pays to stay on good terms with the guy whose job it is to keep your balls out of the fire. “Of course. All of those damn leaks are out there poisoning the public against us.”

More like all of his damn leaks poisoning his workers. I let it go, opening the door and gesturing to let him and his buddy go first. “Right this way, Harry. We’ll discuss the details in my office.”

Cooper starts to move, then stops suddenly, turning back to me. “By the way, did you ever contact Lloyd? Peterson? He’s really eager to testify. I told him there’d be a promotion in it for him.”

Yeah, I don’t think so. “I did, but honestly, I’m not sure he’s the right man to have up there. He seems a little—I’m not sure how to say this right, but—unpredictable. If I’m putting a man on the witness stand, I want to be one hundred percent sure he’s going to say the right things.” I grimace. “Especially in a case as delicate as yours.”

He shrugs. “Yeah, alright. I guess you know best. Just saying.”

“Of course. Thanks.” I hold my hand out. “Anyway, right in here, and we can get comfortable.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Carl walking by and giving Claire a thumbs up. She winks and my stomach drops. Something is off, I can feel it, but there’s no time to stop and figure out what.

My trouble sense is tingling off the charts.

“What in the ever-loving...” Cooper trails off, and I know the trap has been sprung. Shit.

As soon as I enter, I groan. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

My walls are sky blue. With clouds. And a fucking rainbow. Shooting stars and a big old sun in one corner spill up onto the ceiling. A goddamn flying cat with a unicorn horn is standing on one of the clouds, smiling like it just won the lottery. My walls used to be dark red and dignified, like a lawyer’s office. Now it looks like Hello Kitty’s playroom.