Page 14 of Not Safe For Work

I look back at Liv, trying to convey an apology with my eyes. Because I wish I could do the right thing here. I wish I could tell Mitch to go fuck himself and have his desk cleaned out tomorrow. I wish I could make our office a safer place for people like Liv. I wish I wasn’t a selfish bastard who chose paying off his loans over keeping our company douche-bag free.

So I’ll have to do the next best thing. I can’t stop myself from what I’m about to say. It’s the only option I can think of.

“Actually, it is my business. Liv and I are together.”

CHAPTER FIVE

OLIVIA

What ishappeningright now?

Staring daggers at Gavin wasn’t enough to get his attention so now I’m kicking his feet, trying to force him to look at me, all without waking Churro who’s still cozied up in my lap. This hedgehog might be the only thing keeping me from a full-on anxiety spiral right now. I may need to kidnap him. Hedge-nap?

Finally, Gavin turns to me and mouths “I’m sorry” with a shrug. That’s it? He just poured fuel all over the fire of my shit day and all I get is a shrug?

“We haven’t told anyone yet since it’s new and we didn’t know how people at work would react.Yes, it’s serious,” he continues on the phone. There’s a long pause and I am desperate to know what Mitch is saying on the other end. “Well, I’d say the second I found out she was single, actually.” Another long pause. “Look Mitch, the point is that I’m not okay with you asking her to do something she’s uncomfortable with, and it should have been enough when she told you herself. Now we’re gonna go to HR tomorrow and disclose our relationship. Is there anything else I should be talking to them about?”

Did Gavin just threaten Mitch? Gavin Scott is morphing into an entirely new person tonight. He went from the hot colleaguewho hates me to my panic attack savior and now he’s some sort of vigilante superhero. The longer he talks to Mitch the darker his eyes get, the more strain I can see in the set of his jaw. It’s hot, so hot I’m afraid I might start fanning myself if this goes on much longer.

If I didn’t want to throttle him right now I might be seriously turned on. Rage and lust aren’t a great combo. I feel like I’m about to combust.

We’re together. Why the hell would he say that?

“Yeah, screw you too. See you tomorrow,pal.” He hangs up.

“Oh my god, did you really just talk to him like that?” I guess when you’re best friends with the CEO you can do whatever you want, but still.

The anger on Gavin’s face starts to dissipate and he finally makes eye contact with me. “Shit. I’m so sorry, Liv. I was just really pissed and that was the first thing I could think of to get him to stop hassling you.” He really does look sorry. Not that his sorrow does me any good in this situation.

The fact that Gavin tried to stand up for me says a lot. It’s telling me he’s not at all who I thought he was. But as good as his intentions are, he hasn’t exactly helped to solve my problem. In fact, I’m positive he’s made it worse.

Would it have killed him to ask me before he called Mitch and went on that tirade? But he’s a man. Why would he ever need to worry about the consequences of his actions?

“It’s okay,” I lie. Because what’s done is done. “It’ll be pretty awkward when you tell him the truth though,” I say through gritted teeth. Mitch will probably think we slept together or something, but it fizzled out, or he got bored with me. It took months for people to believe I was actually dating Ian, that I wasn’t just some plaything.

I know what I look like. It’s the big hair and the big boobs and apparently mysmile. Men have always found it appropriateto comment on my looks as though I’m hanging on a wall instead of an actual person.

And women…well, I’ve been called a gold digger and a slut around the office more times than I can count, hence why I’ve been so quiet about the break-up. At twenty-six I’m still the youngest person at our company, minus Gabby. Starting a romantic relationship two years ago with one of our board members who’s over a decade older than me created a lot of eye rolls, especially when I was so new. I try not to care about my reputation, but it still hurts when I hear what people say about me.

“We don’t have to,” Gavin offers, tilting his head to the side. “Tell him the truth I mean, if it’ll help him leave you alone for a bit, we could just…” He shrugs.

“We could just pretend to be a couple? Are you serious?” Pretending to be his girlfriend is ridiculous. We’re not even friends. I was pretty sure he hated me until this morning—when I determined the coffee wasn’t poisoned.

Though it doesn’t sound as horrible as I’m making it out to be, dating Gavin. I mean, he’s really nice to look at. It might even soften the blow as people start to find out about Ian…oh my god,Ian. I almost forgot about having to see him on Friday when he comes in for the board meeting. And then after the board meeting when we all?—

“Sorry, never mind. It was a stupid idea,” Gavin mutters. “Please don’t get upset. I’ll figure something out to tell Mitch.”

“Actually,” I start, but he cuts me off.

“It’s okay, Liv. I can see the horrified look on your face. I know what it looks like when you’re anxious.” He does? “You’ve been through enough today. I’m not trying to make you feel worse. You can relax.” He brushes a hand through his hair and falls back against the sofa. “I should never have told him that in the first place. I’ll take care of it.”

“Actually,” I continue. “I was thinking maybe…maybe you could wait to come clean until next week?”

“What?” He swiftly straightens his spine, eyeing me like he’s trying to find the puzzle piece he’s missing.

“I was just thinking, since you already offered, it might help me out on Friday at our off-site, so I can avoid?—”

“Ian?”

---