Possessive Boss

“They hired me.”

He’s quiet for a beat then laughs. There’s real, genuine warmth in his laugh. “That’s fantastic.”

“I know. I didn’t expect it. I mean, I thought I did well, I thought I had a good chance, but…”

“This is good news, Valerie. And please, call me Charles. We’re going to be working closely from now on.”

“Right. Of course.”

“So, you do what you have to do. Get ready, go to work, and touch base with me as soon as you can. And congratulations. This is huge news. We’re very proud of you.”

“Thank you, sir— Charles, I mean.”

“Bye, Valerie.”

I hang up. That was short and sweet, but I could hear the excitement in his voice.

The first agent to get hired at this firm in years.

The first one to get inside.

And now I’m about to have lunch with one of the founders. Although it’s not the one we’re investigating, I still feel like a fraud.

I have to push that from my mind. I can’t do any of this if I’m thinking about my real job while trying to do my… fake job? I’m not even sure what to think about it.

Eventually I settle for something simple. Dark slacks that are nice and tight and an off-white blouse with little navy buttons. I put my hair up in a bun again and ditch the glasses, opting to put in contacts. I look at myself and pout a little bit, unhappy with my appearance, but it doesn’t matter.

I’m out of time. Someone buzzes my apartment.

I walk over and answer it. “Hi, Valerie.”

“It’s Jacob. Ready?”

“Ready. I’m coming down.”

I turn off the intercom and take a deep breath before hurrying out.

He’s waiting for me outside of a black sedan. He opens the door. “Right this way,” he says.

I smile and slip inside. There’s a driver behind the wheel that doesn’t even glance back. He gets in beside me and the driver heads off.

“I’m happy you could join me,” he says. “I’ve been eating alone since coming to Philly. Turns out, I don’t know anyone here.”

“Oh, that can’t be true.”

“Yeah, it’s not. But everyone I know here is either a rich snob or a business friend. I’m sick of being on all the time.”

“I can understand that.”

He smiles at me, almost dazzling. He’s so muscular and fit, and the suit he’s wearing somehow perfectly accentuates his features. He tilts his head and grins. “I hope you like Italian.”

“Can’t live in this city if you don’t like Italian.”

“That’s a good point.” He shifts a little. “How long have you been here?”

“I grew up around here. I moved back not too long ago, actually. I heard you were opening a branch of FLFM in the city and I thought I’d apply.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“How’s the hiring going?”

“Oh, slow. But Darin wants me to speed things up.” He hesitates. “Darin is my partner, Darin Ficino.”

“Oh, right.”

“This office was his idea. I mean, he’s right that we need to expand, but he chose Philly. I’m glad he did though, I like the city.”

“It’s a good place. Small and you can walk places, if you want.”

“Right, it feels like a big city without being overwhelming.”

“And the history is cool.”

“Museums are nice.”

I laugh a little. “You go to museums?”

“Not yet. Just acting sophisticated.”

“Trying to impress me?”

He leans closer. “Do I need to try?”

I blush. “Not at all.”

“Didn’t think so.”

The car pulls up outside of a small, nondescript little cafe called Mama Travino’s. Jacob gets out then helps me, taking my hand as I step onto the curb. I stumble a little and he catches me, hand on my lower back. “You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. Turned my ankle a little.”

“Hurts?”

“No, no, it’s fine.”

He nods then shuts the door. “Right this way. Try not to trip on any cracks on the sidewalk.”

I give him a look and resist swatting at his arm. He grins and leads me into the cafe. We’re seated right away at a small, private table toward the back. The waitress brings bread, water, menus, and then leaves us alone.

“What do you think of the city so far?” I ask him.

“Not too bad. I mean, I like it, but I’m living in a hotel room. You know what I mean?”

“Sort of. I’ve never lived in a hotel before.”

He smiles a little. “It’s fun at first. Room service, all new things, whatever. But it gets really old, really fast.”

“Aren’t you staying somewhere nice, though?”

He looks insulted. “What, just because I’m rich?”

“Yeah. Pretty much.” I grin and he laughs.

“I’m staying somewhere very nice, but no matter how nice of a room it is, it’s still a hotel.”

“Well, we can switch places, if you want. You can come stay in my little apartment sometime.”

“Sounds good. Except for the place switching.” He cocks his head. “It’d be more fun if you were in that little apartment with me.”

I smile a little bit. “What are you suggesting, Mr. Lofthouse?”