One Bossy Proposal: Enemies to Lovers Romance

“I have to if I want that payday. I’ve written copy for everything under the sun, including a pet cemetery—”

“That gig was so sad. But at least the pets were dead.” She shakes her head. “Never a dull moment with you around, is there?”

“I can’t imagine writing for a wedding being tougher than selling doggy plots,” I say miserably.

“Enough! You’re freaking morbid, but you really don’t like weddings. You have good reason not to, I mean, and—”

“I don’t. You’re right,” I agree with a heavy sigh. I abhor them. “If I’d known they were hiring specifically for a wedding line, I wouldn’t have applied. But after I got there and found out the Cinnamon Roll King was interviewing me, I couldn’t do anything but beat the odds or blow myself up spectacularly. Now, I kind of want the job just to prove I can handle it. He needs to know I’m not intimidated and he has no control over me.”

She grins. “You sure he doesn’t? That sounds like a lot of effort for—”

“He doesn’t. Okay?” I’m surprised at the sternness in my own voice.

“Fair enough. But you’re spending a lot of time thinking about this guy,” she says gently.

“Not like I want to. He just keeps popping up in the worst places like a bad rash. I’ve never said anything nice about him.”

She shakes her head slowly, her hair swaying loosely.

“No, but after Jay...do you really want another dude in your life who’s nothing but bad news? Even if he’s not the romantic kind...”

My heart sinks. I ignore her question because we both know the answer.

I grab a vanilla scone and bite it in half.

“It gets worse,” I tell her, chewing loudly.

“Um, what? Your coffee shop arch-rival is about to be your new boss, and apparently he’s as hot as he is arctic-hearted. How does it get worse?” She takes a long pull off her coffee.

I take a deep breath.

“My new job, of course. I’ll be reporting directly to him.”

“Oh! Oh, shit. That should be...fun?” She hesitates.

I glare at her.

“Hardly, but it’s almost triple my current pay. More than a living wage for once in this city. So, hell yes, I’ll do it. I’m signing away my soul on lease if I have to spend the rest of my time there with him riding my ass. I’ll put up with a lot for ninety thou.”

“Big reward, but I’m being serious now. Are you sure you can handle the wedding stuff? Taking the job to make this prick hurt is one thing, but you’ve done that. Mission accomplished. If it’s just going to make you miserable, don’t take it. If the asshat will pay you well, someone else will too. You don’t have to be desperate.”

I smile, genuinely thankful for her insights.

Eliza always has perspective I don’t.

I slurp my coffee and set the cup down before I answer.

“Well, it’s a little awkward, I guess. But I have to move on at some point, right? It’s been over a year. Weddings are a lucrative industry. I can’t avoid all things wedding forever if I want to keep my options open—and this one screams 'get in.'”

“Dakota...”

“I know. I’ll be fine, I promise. People get jilted all the time. Life doesn’t just stop with one awful breakup.” I know I’m saying all the right things. I just wish I could internalize them enough to feel them.

“True. You’re moving on up in the world and you shouldn’t let anything hold you back,” she says warmly. “You’ll get a condo soon and won’t even need me feeding you anymore.”

“If I get a condo, you’ll be my roommate. I can’t make scones.”

She laughs. “Glad to know you keep me around for a reason. So, you’ve got a new job title, new pay grade, and soon you’ll have a new place. You just have to do a little dance with the devil. Hey, if you play your cards right, maybe you’ll come out of this with a new marital status too.”

I choke on my scone, shooting her a dirty look when I stop coughing.

“Don’t. Don’t even joke. There’s no way in hell. I don’t believe in weddings or marriage or fairy-tale love—not anymore—and this guy will never be anything but my boss. The dickhead is my polar opposite. Oh, plus the internet rumors—”

“Rumors? You Googled him?”

Busted.

“No. Yes. I mean, only after he interviewed me and said I’d be reporting directly to him. I just wanted to know who I’m working for...”

Eliza nods, but her smile says she doesn’t fully believe me.

“And what do the rumors say?”

“He’s loaded. Big surprise. He’s also a lot more invisible than most guys with his holdings. The good looks make him a magnet for women who must be sick in the head to overlook his crappy personality—go figure—so he takes a lot of flak for being Mr. Undateable.”