Boss of Me

I want to say ‘because of you,’ but that would be a lie. She left because of me, and I know it. “She has her reasons. What it amounts to is I’m short-handed, and you need to get out of this condo. Work will do you good, give you something to occupy your mind.”

He shakes his head, exhaling a cloud of smoke. “Bring Jerry back from LA.”

“I fired Jerry.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Good.”

I’m surprised. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I hated that guy. He was a conniving backstabber willing to step on anybody to get to the top.”

“That would’ve been fucking good information to share with me.” I still haven’t figured out how he knew what happened with Renée. I didn’t even tell Taron why she resigned.

A bitter chuckle scrapes from his throat. “You’re so focused on conquering the world, you can’t see what’s in front of your face.”

My jaw tightens, and my patience is done. “I’m focused on taking care of my men. Everything I’ve done has been for all of us, to make us comfortable and secure.”

“Did it ever occur to you we might not want it?”

“No.” My voice is flat. “I expect you to be in the office in the morning. On time, in a suit, and ready to take over Taron’s job.”

Grinding out my cigarette, I scoop up my phone and my keys and head out the door. I’m back in my office by noon, and Sandra’s at her desk, typing away. Our eyes meet, and she shakes her head.

“She hasn’t been in all morning.”

Glancing toward Rocky’s office, I see her lights are off, but the books and photos she brought in are still on her desk. She wouldn’t leave those behind.

“Any hits on LA?”

“I only put the posting on the job boards an hour ago. Give it some time.”

“Tell me if Rock… Raquel comes in. I’d like to see her before she leaves.”

Sandra shakes her head. “It doesn’t make any sense to me. She seemed like she really liked it here.” Hazel eyes cut up to me in accusation, but I turn and go into my office.

Dropping into my chair, I want another cigarette. Instead, I pull up the office flowchart. I’ve lost three people in as many days. Marley is more than capable of taking over Taron’s accounts, especially with the way Taron left them.

We could hire an intern to keep our social media presence going. Hell, it might be a better use of resources, considering how adept college kids are with that shit. Los Angeles is another story.

Rocking back in my chair, I reflect on my solo plane trip home from the West Coast. Despite what she said, Rocky is still a smart business person.

My mind trips further back in time, four years ago, Marley was in my office sitting on the couch confused. He told me how sweet Renée was. He told me how she liked helping little animals and she was always telling him about some cause or the other she wanted to support.

He told me how beautiful he thought she was. He told me he couldn’t stop thinking about her. I’d never seen him act that way about any woman

. Usually he treated them like they were disposable, use them and lose them. I told him to leave her alone.

As usual, he didn’t listen.

Not that I’m any better. I was stupid to let myself pursue Rocky the way I did. I got greedy. I was lonely, and I let my guard down. Admitting this weakness makes me angry. It makes my throat tight. I should’ve known better. Love isn’t what I do. I don’t give anyone that level of power over me…

My phone buzzes, and I snatch up the receiver.

“She just walked in, boss.” Sandra’s on the other end. “She’s moving fast, so don’t waste time.”

I hang up as the last word comes out of her mouth. Straightening my coat, I take a beat before opening the door. Seeing her is like a kick in the stomach. It’s been three days since she left me in LA, and I think she’s even prettier.

She’s wearing ripped jeans and a khaki top with beige heels, and Sandra’s right. She’s moving around her desk like the building’s on fire. I close the space between us quickly and tap lightly on her open door.