Double Bossed

“You’re right,” I told her. “I shouldn’t work tomorrow. I need some time to think.”

“Alright. Now, you can sleep in the guest room. I’ll make up the bed and there’s towels in the closet. You know, if you want, you can stay here tomorrow all day.”

“Thank you, grumpy. This means a lot to me.”

“Don’t mention it.” She hugged me tightly. “Look, I really hope I’m wrong about your boss. I mean, maybe he wasn’t involved in it. I don’t know, but there is definitely something fishy about the company, so I would reconsider working there if I was you.”

“I will think about it.”

“Okay, then. I’ll be right back.”

She got up and went out of the living room, and I took my glass, drinking my wine until the last drop. I would call the company in the morning and tell them that I was sick.

Hopefully, everything would be alright.

17

Grant

I paced back and forth. I fucking hated being nervous. The meeting with the client was finally here. I gave my best to focus on the important points and how I would present our project and company to the client, but all I felt was panic, because Madison skipped work yesterday and she didn’t appear today either. She claimed she was sick, but somehow I wasn’t convinced that was true, and she made me confused as hell.

Why the fuck didn’t she come? Was there a problem? Even worse—did I do something wrong?

I was in the lobby, looking at my watch every few minutes. The clients were about to be here any moment, but Madison still hadn’t shown up.

I began pacing again, cursing myself for feeling this nervous when I was supposed to be calm and ready for the meeting, when I saw Madison entering the building in hurry.

She noticed me and rushed toward me.

Thank fuck.

“Where were you?” I asked her, feeling some of the tension release.

“I’m so sorry, Grant. I-I didn’t really feel well, but I knew I had to show up for the meeting. I apologize for leaving you all alone until now.”

She looked sincerely sorry, and I let a shaky breath out, relieved that she was here. It didn’t matter that she skipped work yesterday or almost missed this meeting. All that mattered was that she was here.

Something warm filled my chest and I wanted to hug her right here, but I had to hold it in.

The clients came soon after, and we took them out to one of the fancy restaurants I visited whenever I made some important business deals. It was a part of a famous hotel, and I considered it my lucky place, because I always managed to close the deals here.

We sat at one of the tables in the middle of the restaurant. This place was huge and screamed money—decorated with the gold chandeliers, marble floors and walls, and the breath-taking paintings that had probably cost a fortune. The classic music came from the speakers, fitting the luxurious atmosphere perfectly.

We did less eating than talking as we discussed the deal, but it didn’t matter, because my adrenaline was so high that I didn’t even have any appetite. It was extremely important for us to finish this meeting successfully, and I was more than glad whenever Madison jumped in with her helpful remarks, impressing our clients over and over again.

“I think you’ll find our plans meet your needs perfectly. The modern design, matched with the latest technologies with put you at the forefront of the medical community in this area. Breaking into this locale will broaden your business and create new opportunities for you and your investors.” The group nodded in agreement.

“And these figures? You believe these are accurate?” The one man asked her.

She sat up straighter, and I couldn’t be prouder. “Of course, we wouldn’t have brought them if we weren’t sure.” She smiled devilishly only further reeling them in.

“Well that settles it, I think the investors will agree that this is definitely something we’re interested in pursuing.” Heads around the table bobbed and smiled at us. We nailed it, or rather Madison did. I would give her credit for that.

“I’ll toast to that,” I added raising my glass.

“Cheers,” one of our new clients said and we clank our glasses. I looked at Madison, smiling with satisfaction, but the smile she returned to me was rather fake, and my insides churned for a moment. What was going on with her? We made a deal, why wasn’t she looking satisfied?

We spent another half an hour with the clients before they called for a town car and headed back to their office. I looked at Madison, who was staring at her glass of wine, unusually quiet. Actually, for the last thirty minutes she’d barely said a word, and now I really wanted to know what the problem was.