Grumpy Boss

“I’ll send over the documents,” Rees said. “Take a look at them. Millie helped draw some up, as it happens. She went to law school at Penn.”

“Did she?” He chuckled and shook his head. “Pretty lawyer for an assistant. That’s one of the wildest things I’ve ever seen.” He sighed then downed his coffee again and I grimaced a little, wondering how he drank that stuff so hot without burning his throat. He pushed back from the table, and stood up, lumbering to his feet like a giant waking from a thousand years of sleep. “Alright then, Rees. If Millie says you’re worth investing with, I’ll give it a try, but only if you give me some say in the final company choice.”

“I promise,” Rees said. “Whatever you want.”

“Good.” He grinned, like a viper mixed with a bear. Rees stood and the shook on it. “I’ve got some friends that might be looking for a break. I don’t know if they’ll bring in much, but it’s a start.”

“Maybe it’ll start the flood,” Rees said.

Alec waved to me then turned and walked off, his huge strides eating up the carpet, and everyone watched him go.

“What a strange man,” I said.

“Told you. The last name really isn’t a joke. Biggin.” Rees sat back down and kicked out his legs, stretching slightly.

“That was good though, right?” I sipped my coffee, trying not to hide my excitement. “I mean, we haven’t gotten a single straightforward investment like that since that weird bond guy.”

“It’s good,” he said, nodding, but he didn’t seem excited. I tried to think about why—and remembered what Alec had said about me. The one from the news.

So word was finally out, and not just among the rich and elite, but everyone. My grandmother would hear eventually, and I’d have to explain—what, I wasn’t sure. I’d tell her the truth if I had to, that I got involved with Rees for money, but we weren’t really dating, it was all for show.

Then again, that wasn’t true, either.

Because we were doing something. Dating wasn’t the right word, but sleeping together at least. That was real, and though it made the lines incredibly murky, I couldn’t deny that I felt like we were moving toward something more substantial, something that would change whatever relationship we’d had until now. I had the sudden urge to understand what he was thinking, and what we were going to do from here.

But he stood and tapped on the table with his index finger. “Hang out here for a while,” he said.

“Where are you going?” I asked, frowning a little. I didn’t want more breakfast, I was stuffed from the pancakes. And all the sex.

“I’m going to call up Jack and have him send everything over to Alec.” He looked down at me, head tilted to the side. “And I’m going to have him register you for the bar.”

I blinked at him rapidly and nearly choked out my coffee. “What are you talking about?” I asked.

“You can’t stay my assistant forever,” he said, smiling a little bit. “We’ll pick a date far enough out that you’ll have time to prepare. But you’re doing it.”

“Rees—“ I started, then stopped myself, and thought back to that morning, and the night before, and how being with him made me feel like I could do anything, if he could want me, then I could want myself, and finally live up to al that potential I felt I had inside.

The bar was nothing. I was another test, and I could prepare for another test. I knew I’d pass and I’d be completely fine, but what came after that scared me.

Life and everything else waited on the other side.

But maybe that wasn’t so bad, with Rees here.

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. “You’re right. I’m ready.”

“Good.” He stooped down and kissed me. I was surprised—I didn’t know we were doing that in public. “I’ll make the call. Hang out.”

And he swept away from the room, practically whistling to himself.

I watched him go, confused about what just happened, but strangely beaming with pride.

I was going to take the bar, and I was going to see this through with Rees. That was all that mattered to me anymore—finally getting to the end of this, and seeing if there was still something between us on the other side. I wanted to kiss him and find out, and yet I knew we had one thing still coming, one final moment that would define everything.

Desmond, in that house.

I sipped my coffee and stared at the table cloth, and hoped people weren’t staring at me.

22

Rees

We parked outside of the peeling light blue house and killed the engine. It was midday, around one in the afternoon, and the sun cast long shadows across the sidewalk. It was a nice busier than it had been the night before: a group of old women sat on a nearby stoop playing cards, a young couple in tight jeans walked a little fluffy white dog, and the branches swayed slightly in the soft breeze.