Page 100 of A Bossy Roommate

Eden bites her lip as she shakes her head. “Well, she mentioned that he’s been very secretive lately. Like, going out to have meetings that aren’t scheduled on his calendar or having a lot more phone calls go directly to his line instead of having Gretchen answer them like she normally does.”

A few months back, I would’ve instantly brushed it off. Eden’s words give me pause. Huxley is always one to rely on his assistant a little too much. Every little thing he can push onto her, he does. It’s a wonder Gretchen has stayed around as long as she has.

“What else do you know?” I ask.

Eden shrugs. “That’s it. I haven’t seen him in the last few days. But with your meeting coming up later, just…be careful.”

“Don’t worry. Thanks, Eden.”

Eden winks as she stands up. “I’ve got your back, boss.”

“And I’ve got yours.” I pause and throw her a wink back. “Especially when you wear that skirt.”

She snort-laughs. “Keep it in your pants,boss.”

Eden goes back to her desk, and I mull over what she told me. Ever since our meeting with Harbor View, Huxley has been suspiciously absent from my day. Normally, I can’t get rid of him. He’s always there breathing down my neck, second-guessing every decision I make. Therefore, him keeping his distance can only spell disaster. He’s not one to give up so easily.

Neither am I.

The main problem I have, however, is that everything I’ve heard sounds sloppy. Huxley is a lot of things. Sloppy isn’t one of them. If he’s the one talking to our competitors, he wouldn’t be so bold as to do it during office hours. Then again, maybe he’s that sure of himself and his position in the firm.

Not less than an hour later, I get a phone call to my direct line. When I check the caller ID, I notice the call is coming from the conference room.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Bancroft, it’s Bernie. Can you come to the conference room?”

“Sure, I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Good. And if you could bring your assistant with you, that’d be great.”

He hangs up before I can say anything else. What the hell is Bernie doing here? And what the hell does he want me in the conference room for?

With a sinking feeling in my stomach and my defenses up, I leave my office. The second I step into the lobby, Eden looks up from her work. Her eyebrows are knitted together. “Everything okay?”

“Bernie just called. He wants to see us in the conference room.”

Her face pales. “Is this a normal thing? Does the CEO often show up and call unannounced meetings?”

I shake my head. “No, he doesn’t. I either hear it from him or Bradley that they’re coming to New York. Let’s go.”

Eden nods and stands up. “Maybe it’s a good surprise. Of course! They are going to promote you to partner for having landed Harbor View.”

I doubt they would give me a promotion, but I don’t want to negate her hope.

As we walk out of the office, I can tell she’s nervous, despite the smile she gives me. I want to reach out to take her hand, to squeeze it and try to provide some kind of comfort, but all I can do is give her a reassuring look.

Bernie isn’tthe only one in the conference room. Huxley sits at the table, as well as all the members of the board. Shit. This is bad. Very bad. I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve seen them all in one room during my career at Legacy.

They never gather like this unless it’s pressing.

“Gentlemen,” I say.

I sit next to Eden. Her hands are on her lap, fidgeting with nerves. I place my foot against hers to let her know I’m there with her—she doesn’t need to worry. I don’t know what’s going on. However, there’s one thing I know for sure: if they try to drag Eden into whatever this is, I won’t sit idly by. I’ll fight tooth and nail to defend her.

“Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice, Bancroft,” Bernie says, avoiding direct eye contact for too long. “And you as well, Ms. Ryan.”

“What’s this about?” I ask, not wanting to fake pleasantries. I don’t like any of this, and I especially don’t like the way Huxley is smiling.

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