Page 23 of Unlocking my Boss's Heart

Maddison halted in shock at the sight of a man in her apartment, but quickly recovered. I spoke before she could say anything terrifyingly inappropriate.

“Maddison, this is Anton Waltons—my boss,” I added unnecessarily, as she already knew.

“Hello, Mr. Waltons, it’s nice to meet you.” She extended her hand warmly.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Anton replied, shaking her hand.

I saw a flicker of amusement on her face, that was how quickly she had changed her tone. Maddison looked like a starstruck fan. I couldn’t tell if she was acting or if she was real.

“Well, this is awkward. Don’t mind me, though. I’ll get out of your way.”

She picked up her shoulder bag, which she’d discarded by the door, and headed toward the corridor that housed our bedroom.

I sprang up from the couch. “That’s not necessary, Maddy—”

“Oh, nonsense. I’ll just turn on my music, so I don’t hear a thing. Pretend I’m not here!” She waved her hand over her head without turning around.

I cringed at her words and closed my eyes for a second against the rising humiliation. When I opened them, Anton's eyebrows were raised. Was that shock or amusement? I couldn’t tell. He watched her disappear into her bedroom before returning his gaze to me.

What could I say to diffuse the situation? Apologizing would be hypocritical. I had basically called him a micromanaging boss to his face. And now, he knew I talked about him behind his back.

“Controlling, huh? And what’s this about mean girls?” He stepped further into the living room, his presence larger than life.

I chuckled nervously. “It was just a one-time thing,” I said, thankful he picked up on that rather than everything else Maddison had mentioned.

“Employees of mine?” he asked.

I busied myself by closing the pizza box. When I looked back up, he was staring at me, waiting for a reply.

“They just asked about our relationship outside work. They hinted that they think something is going on between us, and that’s why you gave me the job.”

I had never been so humiliated in my life. A flush of heat crawled up my neck, burning my cheeks. My stomach churned, a nauseating swirl that made me want to shrink into myself. I tried to control the mortification by clenching my fist. Why hadn’t I come up with another reason, something harmless? Now, he would think I believe there was something between us. I was too truthful for my own good.

He folded his arms. “Well, aren’t they right?”

I nearly choked. “What? What do you mean?”

He smirked, taking a step closer, and it felt like my heart seized.

“I'm eating pizza in your apartment on a Saturday. You must admit that’s not typical behavior for a boss and employee.”

“It’s not like that…. We’re not even friends!”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Ouch.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Did he want to be friends? And why was I getting so defensive? Didn’t he care what his employees thought of us?

His phone vibrated.

“Excuse me,” he said, lifting the phone to his ear. He moved across the room to take the call, which didn’t take long. “That was the tow guy. I need to go meet him.”

“Sure.” I led him to the door. “Oh, by the way, the pizza place is right around the block. You can’t miss it; just the smell will guide you.”

He chuckled. “Sure thing. I’ll sniff my way there.”

“A good skill to have in this city, no doubt. Like a bloodhound.”

“I guess that’s one way to think of it.” We both chuckled. Then, he stepped into the hallway. “Thanks for the pizza.”

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