Page 124 of Grumpy Boss of the Year

“We can’t talk about business and pleasure?”

“I think we should have some boundaries so we don’t complicate matters. When we’re talking about business, we should be professional. No sex in the office or anything like that.”

“What? That’s the best thing about dating someone I’m working with.”

“Why? Have you done that often?” I say, a little jealousy coursing through me.

“Never,” he says, shaking his head. “I know you might not believe me, but I don’t date that often.”

“Okay, yeah, I don’t really believe you. You have moves that I have never seen before, and I’m thinking there’s no way you came up with them by yourself, not having practiced with anyone, ever before, in your life.”

“I didn’t say I was a monk, Elisabetta. I said that I don’t date that often. Obviously, I’ve had sex.”

“Obviously,” I say, rolling my eyes. “So, what? You just hook up with a different woman every week?”

“I know you may think I’m a male whore…”

“No, I would sayho.”

It’s his turn to shake his head and laugh. “Okay, whore, ho, whatever. But I don’t get around that much. I’m not going to lie. When I was in my early twenties, I liked to play the field. I did happen to have fun with a lot of different women, but I’ve evolved, and I’m more mature, and for me, being with a woman requires a little more than just fucking, if you know what I mean.”

“Umm…so what? You’ve had feelings for all the women you’ve been with recently?”

“If you’re asking me if I’ve been in love with other women, not in a long time. What about you?”

“It’s been a while for me, as well. I mean, with men, not women.”

“I get it,” he says. “So, do you think that you and I can see where this is going and be cool with everything else?”

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘everything else.’”

“I mean, you know, us. Navigating, me doing business with your father, and you know…”

“I still don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I don’t know what your father’s going to say if we don’t get married, and well, I could sign a contract and honor the deal that…”

“What are you saying? You still want to marry me?”

“Would you have an issue with that?”

“I have an idea,” I say to him. “Why don’t we pretend that your deal with my dad doesn’t exist? Why don’t we just live our lives and do what we have to do? And whatever you do with my dad is between the two of you. I mean, I’m not going to say that I’m not upset because I’ve been really upset, and I don’t like everything I’ve been finding out, but I also want to say that I do understand that you came into this not knowing me. And, I mean, I know everything has been going really quickly and that we think that…”

I pause. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, I just want you to get to know me and enjoy time with me without thinking about my dad and whatever business deal you have going on with him. I don’t want that to affect our time together and wherever this may or may not go or how much fun we have.”

He stares at me silently, moving his arms in circles as he attempts to dry off. “You’re really mature. You know that?”

“What? You thought I was immature?”

“I mean, I wouldn’t say that, but I like what you’re saying, and if you’re okay with that, I’m definitely okay with that. I would love to see how this progresses and not have it complicated by the situation with your father. There’s just one question I have for you.”

“And that is?”

“Do you want us to get married?”

“What?” I stare at him. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, if everything is just to continue smoothly without your dad being upset or involved or anything else, I think we just go ahead with it as we were going to before you found out that I was going to be your husband.”

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