Page 49 of The Boss

I wanted to ask him what he was doing here, why he’d decided to come talk to me after all this time, but I was too afraid that I wouldn’t like his answer, so I didn’t ask the question. Maybe it was cowardly of me, but I only had so much courage and getting through today had taken a lot of it.

“I understand that you were Mr. Lexington’s…date on Friday.” His pleasant expression looked strained over his word choice.

Was that it? Was he concerned about me dating a known player like Nate? Had he thought cautioning me would be a better tact to take than warning Nate away? Or had he already spoken to Nate?

My already flushed face grew hotter at the thought of those two men discussing…no, I couldn’t even go there. Not unless I absolutely had to, and I really hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“Yes.” I kept my answer simple and hoped he wouldn’t ask me to expound on exactly how much time Nate and I had spent together, or what we’d been doing that whole time.

“I’m not privy to all of Mr. Lexington’s personal matters,” Mr. Kordell continued, “but when it involves this company, those are times I intervene on his behalf.”

Company involvement.Hisbehalf.

I was such an idiot.

He was here about Nate, but not forme. He was here forNate.

His sudden appearance and interest made sense now. I should have seen it from the first.

“Whatever occurred between you and Mr. Lexington is over.” Mr. Kordell’s voice was firm but gentle. Professional and non-judgmental. “There will be no more events together, nor will there be anything else between you save work-related conversations that should take place via email unless it’s absolutely necessary to have said conversations in person.”

I held up a hand, not wanting to endure another minute of this torture.

“Whatever you may have heard, there is nothing between Mr. Lexington and me. This weekend was a one-time incident that will not be repeated.”

He gave me a searching look, and I hoped he could see that I wasn’t the girl he thought I was. I hadn’t slept with my boss for any sort of gain. I never wanted anything from Nate. Not before and most certainly not now. In fact, I was starting to wish I’d never heard his name.

“I’m glad to hear that, Miss Webb,” Mr. Kordell said. “If you have any concerns or questions that Mr. Hancock or Ms. Lamas are unable to answer, please come see me. I know I’m not always out and visible in the company, but my door is always open.”

“Thank you.” I barely managed to get the words out and return his smile before he walked away.

Could my life be turned upside-down anymore?

Maybe this was a sign that it was time for me to start making plans for what came next. I had a degree I could use in numerous fields, and once I left here, I wouldn’t need to worry about bumping into Nate. Our paths wouldn’t cross without Manhattan Records.

I took a deep breath. I had something I needed to do before I left, but I’d put it off long enough.

Thirty

Nate

The moment Finley left,I was tempted to go after him and tell him to ignore the whole thing. I could tell him that I’d deal with it and then figure out what it was I actually wanted to do. The thing about Finley and me, though, was that he knew me better than anyone else. He’d seen me at my lowest point and knew all of my strengths and weaknesses. While I hadn’t shared every single dirty detail of my life, I’d told him plenty, which meant he knew that, even if I said I’d handle things, I probably wouldn’t do it the best way for the company.

I tried going back to my email, but it was even harder to concentrate than before. I kept wondering if Finley had talked to Ashlee yet and what he’d said to her. He was the diplomat. I could fake it when I needed to, but brute force was usually my method of handling things. I dealt in threats and promises. He knew the art of compromising without giving away too much. I didn’t like to compromise.

All of these were reasons why it was better for him to talk to Ashlee, but it didn’t mean I had to like any of it.

I made it two hours before calling her desk.

“Ashlee, it’s Nate.”

Silence for a beat. Two.

“Mr. Kordell spoke to me.” Her voice was flat. “I’m clear on what you want.”

I doubted that.

“I want to talk to you.”

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