After All - Romancing Manhattan

“Let’s be honest,” I cut in. “We’re here because you’re pissed at me, plain and simple. Like it or not, Carter and I are in a relationship, and I will not apologize for it to you or anyone else. I left my position as his assistant because of the policy. I won’t stop seeing him.”

“I see.” Mary nods once. “Then I see no other choice but to recommend you’re fired.”

I laugh, not intimidated by Mary in the least. Why was I ever truly concerned about this? Behaving in a professional manner is one thing, but being worried about what Mary of all people thinks is another matter altogether.

“Okay,” I say and stand. “Go ahead. Is that all?”

Without waiting for a reply, Sienna and I march out of the conference room, out of HR, and return to our floor. Once we’re in Sienna’s office and I’ve shut the door, we stare at each other and then dissolve into giggles.

It’s either laugh or cry, and I’ve shed all the tears over this particular subject that I’m willing to.

“She has nerve,” Sienna says, wiping a tear from under her eye. “What’s her problem?”

“She has a crush on Carter,” I reply with a deep sigh. “At least, that’s the office gossip, which I hate.”

“She can have a crush all day long. The man only has eyes for you,” Sienna says. “You’d have to be blind not to see it.”

“Yeah, well, she’ll get over it. And if she doesn’t, I’ll recommend she’s the one to be fired. I don’t ever want to have to do that, but I won’t be bullied here. I’ve been at this job for a decade, and I plan to be here for a decade more.”

“I like you,” Sienna says thoughtfully. “I mean, I already knew I liked you, but I just have to say that I respect you as well. You handled her professionally, and then when that wasn’t going to work, the woman in you kicked in and stuck up for your relationship. We should all be so lucky as to have a partner like that.”

“That’s what you have with Quinn,” I remind her.

“Oh yeah. In spades. And it makes me happy that you and Carter have the same.”

Today got crazy.

After my dressing down by Mary, Sienna and I got slammed with a new client and didn’t end up leaving the office for the day until after six. I rushed home to pack some fresh clothes and got cornered in the hallway by Christopher, whom I’ve barely seen in weeks.

I miss him. I promised to have dinner with him one night this week.

Then I hurried over to Carter’s penthouse to get dinner going.

We didn’t eat until after eight, and I felt bad for it because we were all starving. There wasn’t a noodle or a piece of garlic bread left over.

Once Gabby went to bed, I wanted to fall face-first into bed myself.

But Carter had a few things to see to for work, so I tidied the kitchen while he tapped away on his laptop, and now we’re finally getting ready for bed.

“Now that Gabby’s asleep and your work is done, I have to tell you about what happened today,” I say as I spread toothpaste on my brush and start brushing my teeth.

“Okay,” he says, then whips his T-shirt over his head, one-handed, and I stop to stare. “Well?”

“Well what?” I ask with the brush still in my mouth.

“You’re so classy, darling,” he says with a laugh and kisses my temple. “What happened today?”

“Oh!” I hurry to finish brushing, spit in the sink, then rinse my mouth and wipe it on a towel. “So Sienna and I were called into a meeting with Mary in HR.”

I wet my face and scrub it clean, then reach for my moisturizer.

“And?”

“And she’s a first-rate bitch, but that’s neither here nor there.” I’m slathering the lotion into my face, watching Carter in the mirror as he strips out of his slacks and reaches for a pair of pajama bottoms.

He never wears anything on top, God bless him.

“We were in trouble for fraternizing with you and Quinn.”

That brow quirks up, the way it does when he’s annoyed. “Excuse me?”

“I told you this would happen.” I sigh and pump regular lotion in my hand to rub into my feet and sit cross-legged on the bed as Carter joins me, leaning his back against the headboard and watching me with concerned blue eyes. “She called us out for being affectionate at work. It was complete bullshit. I mean, I understand that she thinks it’s part of her job, but I also think she was being a vindictive pain in the ass as well. She’s both.”

Carter nods thoughtfully, and I keep going.

“Anyway, I told her to go fuck herself.”

Carter sputters, coughs, and then says, “What?”

“You heard me. I told her that Sienna and Quinn are married. What they do is none of her business, and that I’m in a relationship with you and if she has a problem with that, she can take it up with you.”