Page 33 of The Billionaire's Masquerade Ball

Chapter 9

As soon as she recognized the blond guy with Xander in the front room, Cynder panicked. Of course he worked for Xander. Other than Lucy, he was the only one who had realized that Cynder had sneaked into the event when she should have been in the back, working. He told his boss and now they told Gail. She saw her job flash before her eyes.

Except Xander didn’t seem mad. He was friendly. Flirty, even. Her pulse was still beating erratically and she was beginning to sweat underneath her heavy coat. The attraction she felt toward him, despite herself, was just as strong during the day. And he looked just as good in his power suit as he had in a tux. But he must know that she was the woman in the mask now, which was a relief.

What had he meant when he said, “You’re welcome”? Maybe he told Gail what a good job she had done? Maybe she would get a raise!

All her hope died when she opened the door and faced Gail.

Cynder handed Gail her espresso and continued awkwardly holding the coffee, standing in front of Gail’s desk. She loathed having to fetch fancy coffee for Gail, Eliza, Crystal, and Patrick, but it was one of the duties Gail had attached to her position. Apparently the Keurig in the office wasn’t good enough for any of them.

“I just had a very interesting meeting with our most recent client.” Gail steepled her fingers over her desk and stared at Cynder.

“Oh?”

“Anything you care to tell me?” Gail’s eyes were unreadable. Cynder wouldn’t have been surprised to see the pupils narrow into vertical black lines. She was so cold and reptilian.

Playing dumb seemed like the best option for this one. Saying as little as possible and not admitting to anything at all. She felt hurt and confused, though. She was obviously in trouble, but Xander acted like he had done her a favor and seemed like he was in such a good mood about it.

When Gail continued to wait, serving her the same unflinching glare, Cynder started babbling. “I don’t think so. I mean, other than the fact that half of the vendors that we hired did a terrible job. There were drunk servers and—”

Gail held up a hand, her eyes narrowing. “Enough.”

Cynder waited, knowing that Gail knew exactly how nervous she was and that she was reveling in it. Just get it over with. Go ahead and say—

“I’m going to have to let you go. Please pack your things. I can have security escort you out.”

Cynder hung her head so Gail wouldn’t have the pleasure of seeing her tears. They were as much angry as they were sad. Angry with her father for marrying Gail in the first place. Angry with Gail for destroying her dreams of running Looking Glass. Angry with Xander for ratting her out and getting her fired. Had she misread him in the lobby? Was he being sadistic, not flirty?

You’re welcome, indeed.

She wished that he was still in the office so she could give him a piece of her mind.

Without a word, she shoved the coffees onto Gail’s desk and stormed out.

She had little on her desk still that she cared about keeping. When she had to give Patrick her office and move out to the secretary’s desk, she took most of her personal things home with her to Lucy’s apartment. Stacking a few reams of printer paper near the copier, Cynder swept the few things that mattered into the emptied box and was out the door in less than two minutes. Ignoring the slow elevator, she practically ran down the three flights to the first floor.

The angry tears had given way to just anger. She felt like she might boil over with it. She had worked too hard to lose everything. Not just the job, but her company. Maybe she knew it was coming, but not like this. She had been so stupid to think that she could sneak into the ball. Why? All it had done was get her talking to Xander Callahan, feeling an attraction that he clearly didn’t return. And now he’d gotten her fired, above all the things. Smiling at her after reporting her to Gail.

Cynder’s rage was still focused on Xander when she flew out the front doors of the office building and ran straight into him. The box provided a buffer, but also made the impact more startling.

He stumbled back a few steps and into the assistant who had been with him. Xander’s face looked surprised, but grew wary when her gaze fixed on him. Instead of backing up or apologizing, she stepped closer, the box almost like a weapon in front of her.

“Whoa there,” he said, holding up his hands.

Furious, Cynder shoved him with the box again, before she had time to even question the decision. “Don’t even start with me! How could you do that?!”

The smirk disappeared from his handsome face as she shouted. Ugh!Stop thinking about him as handsome! His assistant stood with his hand on the open door of a black town car nearby.

“And you!” she shouted toward him. His mouth hung open, but he didn’t respond.

“Is everything okay?” Xander asked, obviously in a voice meant to pacify her. He looked between her and Wyatt.

The nerve!

“What do you think?” Cynder asked, shaking the box at him. He sidestepped, clearly expecting that she might hit him with it again. “I just lost my job because of you. Everything is not okay. Not by a long shot! ‘You’re welcome’? Consider this your thank you!” Cynder shoved the box at him twice more, punctuating her thank you.

A laugh startled her, making the hair on her neck stand up at the same time. She spun to see Patrick approaching, a smug look on his face. “Well, Cyndil, if I only knew you liked it rough…”

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