Want Me (Mess with Me 4)

We all share a chuckle. Andre is notoriously difficult when he doesn’t like something. It’s so weird to think he’s now married to one of my best friends. Law has spent many evenings raging about how many man-hours have been spent on his campaigns.

I pinch my arm. No thinking about Law.

“Is he coming here today? Wait, that’s a dumb question. They’re probably still on their honeymoon.”

“Yes, they are. But apparently that doesn’t mean he’s not working. So we’re going forward with the focus groups we talked about last night.” At my blank look, she frowns. “The focus groups that James suggested. Didn’t he tell you?”

“Right. Of course. Let me just grab my tablet with all my notes on it. I’ll be right back.”

Mya’s eyes follow me as I leave the conference room. I press the backs of my hands to my cheeks, hoping I’m not as red in the face as I feel. It’s day one and I’m already hitting a roadblock in my plan.

Get it together.

Luckily I don’t encounter anyone else on my way back to my office. Glancing around quickly to confirm I’m alone, I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Ariana. If I’m going along with this plan of hers, then the least she can do is talk me down when I’m flailing.

ANYA: I’m already falling off the wagon on this plan.

Immediately I see the blinking cursor indicating that she’s typing something.

ARIANA: What? It’s only been a day!

ANYA: How am I supposed to avoid him when he’s my boss?

ARIANA: Fair point. Okay maybe you can’t avoid him but that doesn’t mean you have to kiss his ass either. Be professional. No chit chat. Work and then go home.

ANYA: Easy for you to say. This love shit is hard.

ARIANA: Nothing about love has been easy for me.

Normally I would have been all over that cryptic statement but when Milo walks past my open door, I hastily stuff my phone back in my bag. I don’t have time for a quarter-life crisis right now.

Work ethic is one of the things I’ve always prided myself on. This past year in particular, I’ve gotten to be a part of some really cool things. I love my job and I refuse to let a man take that away from me.

I take a deep breath and then pull out my tablet to find the notes I made during the last Lavin campaign meeting. When I look up, Law is standing on the other side of the desk watching me with a wary expression. My heart tumbles a little at the sight of him.

He looks tired. The faint lines on the outside of his eyes that I’ve always thought were cute are more pronounced than usual. My first instinct is to ask if he’s okay or if he needs some of the Tylenol I keep stashed in my desk for when he gets a headache.

Then Ariana’s words flash in my mind.

Be professional. No chit chat.

“Good morning, Mr. Lawson.”

His jaw drops and then he glances behind him as if looking for who I’m talking to. My lips want to curl into a smile but I keep the same bland, disinterested expression when he turns around.

“Seriously, Anya? You didn’t call me back yesterday and now you’re acting like we don’t even know each other.”

“I’m acting like you’re my boss.”

He’s about to say something else when Mya walks up. Seeing her arrival as the opportunity it is, I hold up my tablet.

“I’ve got my notes. Sorry for the delay.”

Mya glances between us as if she can feel the tension but then nods. “Great. Let’s get started. I want to get this completed before lunchtime since I have another meeting.”

“Excellent.”

I gather my things, avoiding Sharon’s curious gaze as Law follows us down the hallway past the reception desk. Keeping our personal problems out of the office is going to be a real challenge, yet another reminder of why banging your boss is a monumentally bad idea. Not only is it weird for everyone around you since they can feel the tension but also it’s just plain torture having to see your ex throughout the day.