Page 10 of Grumpy Boss of the Year

“What do you mean, under me in any other way?”

“I mean, I hope you don’t think that I took this job because I want you or that I’m going to be with you or that there’s going to be any sort of sexual conversation or activities between us.”

“Now, why would I think that?”

“I mean, I don’t know if you would think that or if you would hope for that, but it’s not going to happen. I only took thisjob because you’re making my friends’ lives a nightmare, and I didn’t want to see that happening to them anymore.”

“Sure, that’s the only reason you took the job.”

“Yeah, it really is.”

“Not because you wanted to see my…” He pauses.

“See your what?” I say eventually.

“Nothing,” he says smoothly.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Liam, but I have a zero interest in you. In fact, I have less than zero interest in you.”

“Is that correct?”

“Yes, it’s very, very correct.”

“If I were to ask you if you wanted to go to dinner and possibly grab a bottle of Dom Perignon and some caviar so that we could establish the rules of our working relationship, you would say no.”

“I would say I can buy my own champagne. I’m not a huge fan of caviar, and if there are rules and regulations you expect me to follow, have them in the paperwork on my desk tomorrow morning.”

“Touché,” he says. “You don’t like caviar, huh?”

“Nope.”

“You like champagne?”

“A good champagne, yes.”

“I’d bet you’d like it if I ran it down your…” He pauses. “Well, now, I shouldn’t let out all my secrets.”

“All what secrets?” I can’t stop myself from asking as my legs start tingling.

“Well, you know,” he says, “there are certainly many different things I like to drink champagne out of.”

I lick my lips. I’m not going to ask him. “What do you like to drink champagne out of?” The words come out of my mouth before I can stop them, and I want to slap myself.

“You know, the champagne flute.”

“Okay.”

“A lady’s mouth.”

“Okay.”

“Her belly button.”

“Very original.”

He chuckles. “Her vagina.”

“What?” I blush. I can’t believe he said the words.

---