Page 4 of The Boss

I stood, smoothing the front of my shirt, and rounded my desk until I stood right in front of him, half a head taller and almost twice as beefy as this blond pup. “Tell you what. It’s almost four o’clock and I say you worked long enough for your first day. Let me take you to my tailor now, and we’ll get you sorted out with a proper suit. My treat. Sound good?”

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, stunned.

“Well, you can’t spend the rest of the day flashing everyone, and you clearly need clothes that fit. A good suit is an investment, just like a good employee. Consider it part of your orientation.”

“But I—” He hesitated, glancing back at the door.

“You’re not going to argue with your boss on day one, are you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He shot me a wide-eyed stare. “No, sir, of course not!”

“Good.” I picked up my suit coat from the hatstand by the door. “Let’s go.”

“But how will I—”

I offered him my jacket. “Put this on. It’ll cover your ass.”

He took the blazer and shrugged into it. Just as I thought, it was a size or two too big for him, and provided a perfect cover for his exposed derriere. “Thank you, Mr. Steele.”

“And don’t give me any of that ‘sir’ or Mr. Steele nonsense. My name’s Isaac—but you can call me Zac. I’ve seen your butt, so we might as well skip the formalities.” I felt bad for the guy and didn’t want him to feel traumatized on his first day. There would be plenty of time to traumatize him later. Nova Systems wasn’t a place for the weak. But everyone deserved a fighting chance at least. Heroes are shaped by the hardships they endure, and we were about to see if this kid had what it took to become one of ours.

3. Chris

Isaac Steele drove the kind of car that turned heads—a sleek, black Mercedes-Benz—because of course he did. It smelled of new leather and a faint note of his cologne, something woody and expensive, that seemed to cling to the space like an invisible signature. The seat hugged me, the smooth material cool against my naked butt, the gaping tear in the back of my pants a stark reminder that I was one ill-timed movement away from full exposure.

The man behind the wheel was nothing like I’d pictured. He was… striking. There was no other way to describe him. Early forties, maybe, with buzzed dark hair dusted with gray at the temples, a heavy stubble threaded with the occasional silver strand, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to take everything in. With his strong jawline and powerful body, Isaac Steele looked more like an action star or an NFL player than a corporate executive. And he seemed so down-to-earth—mostly—like he wasn’t a tycoon and I wasn’t some poor newbie he felt sorry for. He was imposing, for sure, but not intimidating.

Or maybe mooning him in his office was the magic icebreaker.

The silence in the car was punctuated by the low hum of the engine as we pulled from the underground garage onto the main road. The city unfolded in front of us—steel, glass, and motion—a world of noise, separate from us. As if reading my mind, Isaac turned on the music, and Queen’sFat Bottomed Girlsblared from the stereo. We looked at each other and chuckled at the same time.

“Not the best choice of song, considering the circumstances, eh?” Isaac said, still smirking.

“Oh, if Freddie Mercury wants to call me a fatass, I suppose I should take it as a compliment,” I replied.

He grunted. “The greatest voice of all time. Shame he was a queer.”

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react to that. I guess I could’ve stayed quiet and ignored it, but I was never good at letting homophobic comments fly. Even if the asshole saying them was my new boss. “Well, your loss is our gain.”

Isaac froze as the meaning sank, throwing a sideways glance at me. “Shit. I didn’t mean—fuck. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were…”

“Gay?” I supplied, as it seemed he couldn’t bring himself to say it. “Well, now you know.”

For the first time since I met him, Isaac seemed the uncomfortable one, and it made me kind of happy that the roles were reversed for a change. “I meant because of the way he died,” he said, face serious, eyes on the road. “That’s all. But it came out wrong, and I apologize. I don’t want you to think I’m some judgmental jerk, when it’s really not the case. At all. Live and let live is my motto.”

The cynical part of me thought he was obliged to say that, being the CEO of a big international company, regardless of what he believed in. But he seemed sincere, so I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and take his word for it. After all, he was being super nice to me when he didn’t have to. “It’s fine,” I said, smiling.

He didn’t press any further and we drove in silence for a while, Queen’s music filling the space between us.

“So, what made you apply to Nova Systems?” he asked after some time.

I wavered for a moment, the question catching me off guard. “Honestly? It seemed like a good opportunity. Solid company,good benefits. I heard Providence was a great place to live.” I shrugged. “And I like solving problems.”

Isaac smirked. “That’s the most practical answer I’ve heard in a while.”

A dry laugh escaped me. “You were expecting something grander?”

“Most people your age like to talk about ‘making an impact’ or ‘changing the industry,’ but you’re just here to do good work. I respect that.”

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