Page 55 of Grumpy Boss of the Year

“Why do you say that?”

“Because, no, I don’t really feel like I have a purpose in life. I don’t really know what I want to do, where I want to be, or what I want to achieve. I’ve never really had to, you know?”

She sighs. “I mean, I may have to now, but that’s another story.”

“What do you mean you may have to now?”

She blinks, and I can see that her eyes are watery.

“Hey, is everything okay?”

She shakes her head slowly, “I don’t know. My dad, well, he kind of said that he’s got no money, and I don’t really know what’s going on. He said that he wants me to get married and…”

“You said that, right? That he’s throwing a ball for you so that you can meet some eligible men, and then you decide whether you want to date them or not.”

“That’s what I thought it was going to be,” she says. “Now he’s saying that it’s actually an engagement party.”

“An engagement party?” I frown. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that it’s an engagement party.”

“But you don’t even have a boyfriend.”

“Exactly.”

“You were just lying on my bed masturbating. I mean, that’s got nothing to do with it, but…”

“Exactly.”

“So, how do you have an engagement party coming up? Do you have a fiancé, and I didn’t know about it?”

“I don’t know,” she said. “This sounds absolutely crazy, but I could have a fiancé that my father has set up for me and just not told me. I just don’t understand anything. In all reality, I don’t really even know my father. I don’t know what he does for a living. I don’t…” She sighs. “Anyway, I didn’t mean to go off. It’s just been a crazy day.”

“It’s okay. Do you want to go home?” I ask her. “I feel like you’re overwhelmed, and maybe going back to the office to work is not the right move today.”

She nods. “That would be great, but I feel like I took this job, and already I’m kind of slacking. I don’t want people to look at me and be like, ‘She’s just fucking the boss, and that’s why she got the job.’”

“I mean, you’re not fucking me, so no one should think that.”

“Yeah, but if anyone sees us, they’ll think we’re fucking.”

“Because you can’t keep your eyes off me?”

“No, becauseyoucan’t keep your eyes offme!”

I laugh. “What’s your address?”

“Why? You’re not coming over.”

“So I can give it to the taxi driver to take you home.”

“No, you said you wanted to…”

“It can wait until tomorrow,” I say, cutting her off. “Today’s been a long day, and I think we both need to decompress.”

“Okay,” she says, nodding. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Give your address to the taxi driver, and I’ll have him head there.”

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