Page 39 of Faking It With My New Boss

She had the timing of these nights down to a science. I ordered the pizza when she told me to and by the time she got to my place, duffel bag in hand, and changed into her pajamas, it arrived. We sat on the floor of the living room, the box open between us, and each pulled up cheese-heavy slices.

“I just can't believe he would do something like that,” I said, biting into my piece.

“Why?” Vanessa asked with a hint of a laugh. “It sounds right on par with what you've told me about him. This is a man who's used to controlling the people around him and getting treated like a god. You don't give into his bullshit and he laps it up. But that also means he's protective of you. You've brought out all the primal elements of him.”

“You say that like I should be flattered he stormed into my school, punched out my professor, and ended my career before it even got started,” I said.

“Alright,” she said. “Let's come at this from a different angle. How do you feel about him?”

“I'm furious with him. I hate what he did and can't believe my entire life just got thrown off because of his temper tantrum,” I said.

“That didn't answer my question,” Vanessa said. “I didn't ask how you felt about the situation. I asked how you feel about him.”

I knew what she was getting at and I wanted to deny it, but I couldn't. There was no point in even trying. The answer was so clear. The amount of pain I was feeling only proved it.

“I love him,” I said. “I guess that's obvious by now. But he hurt me so much. I can't trust him. I can't overlook what he did.”

“And you shouldn't. You don't need to overlook it. But maybe you need to look at it from his perspective. He was doing something he thought was right. He was defending you. You talk about how he only thinks about himself. That wasn't what he was doing. He was doing that for you,” she said.

I thought about that for a second, then shook my head. “No. I don't believe that. He was just being manipulative and controlling like he always is with anyone who crosses his path. That's not something I can deal with in a relationship. I can't even pretend to be with someone like that.”

I said it with as much confidence and determination as I could, hoping to convince Vanessa. But when we went to bed, I was still thinking about him. I missed him and I hated myself for it.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Bryan

The gala was going to be beginning soon but I only had one thing on my mind. Courtney. I needed to find her and tell her what I had done. Show her. Maybe then she would understand and we could put all this behind us.

As the doors opened and most of the staff began to filter in, preparing for the big evening, I kept my eyes peeled for her. I knew she would be there, floating around somewhere, keeping an eye on things from some hidden corner. Not that she fit well in the shadows. Anyone who saw her noticed her. She was gorgeous.

I found her just as things were getting ready, tucked away in the center of the massive ballroom, near curtains that she had picked out. Royal purple and gold around the edges. It looked masterful, much like her, in a purple dress to match. She had chosen her outfit to match the room, and was using it to blend in. Once guests got inside, I wasn’t sure if she would even be visible.

Before I could get to her she noticed me and tried to walk away. I cut her off and she sighed heavily, rolling her eyes. I was prepared to cut her off again, but she just stared at me.

“What?” she asked.

“I need to talk to you,” I said.

“There is a lot more to do before things get underway. The guests will be in soon. Like, soon, soon. I only have a few minutes to make sure everything is in place,” she said.

“Fine,” I said. “I get it. But once everything is going well, I will find you and we can go somewhere to talk.”

“If we have to,” she said, shrugging. “A lot is riding on this event, you know. It has to be perfect.”

“I know, it will only take a few minutes,” I said.

“A few minutes?” she asked, her eyebrow arching and her voice dropping an octave. I didn’t know if it was sarcasm or criticism.

“Yes, just a few minutes,” I said. “Then you can get back to the gala with me and we can finish this thing off.”

I winced at my own words. They had a sense of finality to them, as if I was speaking of our relationship. She nodded and walked away, and I thought at least they seemed to be words she took as reasonable. The nod meant she would at least let me talk. That’s all I needed. To talk and to show her what I had done.

I got into the swing of things after that, my mind racing the entire time as to how it was going to go with her. I didn’t even care about the event, and maybe that was for the best. The pressure valve was off for me. I was free to be easygoing and dynamic with them, all while flittering between guests as they arrived. My mind was free from stressing about who they were and what the event meant, which let me just be charming.

It worked. Charity donations were rolling in. Check after check was either written or promised with a handshake, and I took each one to the table by the DJ, writing them down and dropping off the checks in a safe container Courtney had designed. I was feeling pretty good about the whole situation, and as the room started to fill, I kept my eyes on Courtney.

I wanted to get to her as soon as I could, and as I glad-handed one executive of some business after another, my eyes would flicker over to her, watching as she prowled the edges of the room. Her sharp eyes were taking in everything, and I could nearly see her taking notes in her head. As angry as she was with me, she was doing a marvelous job with the gala. What notes she had would most certainly be used for the next event.

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