“Fuck, I owe Halo a bonus if she makes that happen,” he replies, sitting back in his chair behind the desk.
“I’m thinking some vacation time wouldn’t hurt. She wants to see her family in Utah after the holidays.” I could easily approve it, but one thing we talked about last night was that she was okay with me being her boss, as long as I didn’t sway things in her favor. She didn’t say anything about me using Ash, though.
“Like I give a fuck. We can’t afford to lose her. Have you seen the sales report with the new pitch we’ve been using?” Ash arches an eyebrow, dollar signs in his eyes.
“Nope, that’s not my area of expertise. Speaking of, is there a reason you brought me in here?”
“I’m going to need you in the next couple of months. Dad was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He’s on medicine for it. That doesn’t mean Mother isn’t in a tizzy and making everyone’s life hell, including mine. I figure I’d go home, break Dad out of the jail cell that’s become his house if you could help a day or so a week. I’ll do as much as I can from England.”
“Fuck. Sorry, man.” I’m sitting down, my own thoughts going to his dad, a man who is solid gold.
“Like I said, he’s okay, apart from Mom wreaking havoc on everyone around her.” Ash shrugs his shoulders. I can see that he’s worried, though.
“You owe me, big time.” Halo walks into Ash’s office, breaking up the heaviness that’s cloaking the room. I watch as a smile appears, her hands held out showing Ash that it must have taken Halo a lot to get Rita on the Ash train.
“It couldn’t have been that hard. You’ve only been at work an hour,” I interject.
“What Warren said,” Ash replies.
“Whatever. You men know nothing. You didn’t say you brought a woman to the party with you, Ash. What you also didn’t know is that said woman saw you making eyes at Rita, Rita giving them back, and her cornering her in the bathroom with all kinds of hatred. So, yeah, I’ve yet to work because Rita was and still is upset. I’ve also realized I suck as a friend. She called me over the weekend. Since my phone was on silent and I was in a Warren-induced sex haze, I locked out the world.” Halo walks to me and places her ass on my lap without me asking her to. I squeeze her hip.
“That fucking cunt.” Ash pissed is not a good thing on a normal day. If he has his sights set on Rita, maybe this will wake him up.
“You can say that again. I did manage to slip her your business card and got that a-okay to give you her phone number. You’re going to have to work it, which I know you can do,” Halo states, her ass wiggling, causing my dick to go rock fucking hard again.
“Ash, I’d suggest you make it clear to the other lady that shit does not fly. That’s our employee she laid into, and before you go after Rita, make that crystal fucking clear.” If some bitch said something to hurt Halo, I’d break the woman in two, not figuratively, but I’d make it hard for her to breathe easy by any means necessary.
“You okay, sweetness?” I ask because I can see she’s hurting for Rita.
“No, but I will be.” She kisses my lips, too fast for my liking, and then says, “Now I’ve got to get to work. Will you be here all day, or do I need to find a way home?”
“I’ll be here. Tonight, you’re packing a bag. We’re staying at my place.” I want to hear my woman unleash her moans without worrying about neighbors.
“Okay. Later, honey. Bye, Ash.” She stands up, and I watch her ass the entire fucking way until she’s gone and the door is closed between us.
“You’re a lucky son of a bitch, but that’s okay. I’m going to be luckier.” Ash’s fingers steeple across his lips, and I know he’s forming a plan. Rita has no idea the can of worms she’s opened. It sure will be fun to watch this unfold.
CHAPTER 21
Halo
It’s been two weeks since I first landed in Warren’s arms, literally, not figuratively. From then on, it’s been a whirlwind romance. If we weren’t at his place at night, we were at mine. He even helped me decorate my place with a small Christmas tree and a few other things I kept in the closet. It also spurred him into action because with the way we alternated nights at each other’s house, he wanted to make sure we had a tree at his place, too. Warren didn’t half-ass it either. One night after work, he picked me up from work, his vehicle idling when I walked out, and him standing at the passenger door, looking every bit as handsome as he always is in a button-up flannel shirt, jeans, and boots. He opened the door, and we were off to search for a Christmas tree. We’d have a live one at his place since Warren didn’t have all the trimmings, a bone of contention between his sister and mother, but most of the time, he’d just wake up early and go to whoever was hosting Christmas morning. This year was different, he said. He’ll still be over there, but I’ll be with him, it will just be around brunch instead of before the sun rises.