Page 64 of Grumpy Boss of the Year

"She used to be your roommate, right?"

"Yeah." She nods. "Before she moved in with Kingston, and they became all lovey-dovey."

"You must miss her."

"I miss her more than words can say, but hey, life goes on, right? We can't always keep people."

"I know. Sometimes I think about what my sister will do when Harriett grows up and goes to uni, but that's a ways away."

"You're really close to your family, aren’t you?"

"I love them with all my heart. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them," I say, staring at her.

"Yeah. I know the feeling." She sighs and looks away.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just sometimes when you love people, you have to think about them before you think about yourself, you know? And if my dad's broke and needs money, well, perhaps?—"

"Perhaps what?" I frown.

"Perhaps I should see what he has to say about this engagement."

"You'd really become engaged to a man you don't even know for money?"

"It's not like he's paying me for sex. I'm not a prostitute." She glares at me. "I guess it's a business arrangement. My dad will work it out. I guess whoever he wants to marry me off to will invest in the business, and that will save my family." She shrugs. "I mean, I don't have all the details. I'm telling you what I assume will happen. I've watched enough movies and read enough books."

I stare at her. "And you'd be okay with that?"

"I mean, is it the life I would choose for myself? No, but what else am I doing?"

"You don't have any dreams or goals or?—"

She shrugs. “I mean, maybe I'll be a marketing guru. I did come up with Oasis Paradise Hotels.”

"You did, and I think that's a pretty fantastic name."

"What colors are you thinking?"

"Well, I was gonna say something with palm trees and sunshine, but it's not just in places with palm trees and sunshine, so we have to think about things that are universal," she says. "What is a universal symbol of something being an oasis or a paradise?"

I stare at her. "Good question. You really were made for this, weren't you?"

"I'm made for what?"

"I don’t know. Spitballing, coming up with ideas—good ideas. You're talented."

"Wow, and not just with my tongue." She winks at me, and I burst out laughing.

"I mean, you were pretty good with your tongue when we kissed yesterday, but I don't know how good your tongue is at other things."

"Liam!" she chastises me, and I shrug.

"What can I say? I wanna know."

"Not in the office!"

"Fine. We won't talk about it in the office. What are you doing this evening?"

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