Page 12 of Ansel

“No, Ansel, she thought she was getting it and then she found out she wasn’t. Patrick didn’t think she was ready.”

I took a sip of my drink and set the glass down. “She isn’t ready.”

“Look, Ansel, you’re good. No doubt about it. But we all need people around us who make us better. Neha madeyoubetter. How come you didn’t see that?”

I groaned at that. “I did see it…but…having her also made me feel insecure. I didn’t want a crutch.”

Charlie gaped at me like I’d said the most stupid thing he’d ever heard.

“I was insecure, okay?” I choked out.

“No shit, Sherlock,” he muttered. “Come on, man, you’re smart, you know that having good people around you only makes you better and more successful.”

“You’re right, I’m an asshole.”

“Vanessa got rid of Neha so you’d fail.”

I flinched at that. “How did she think that would happen?”

“Losing an assistant who did all the things Neha did, she hoped would lead you to make mistakes. Then they’ll get rid of your stupid ass, and she’ll get your job.”

“That’s some devious shit.”

“Vanessa plays the long game.” Charlie raised his glass in a toast. “Not the first time and not the last, she does someone dirty.”

“So, everyone knew that Neha made me look good?” I asked, feeling just a tad defensive.

“Sure! But you know who makes Patrick look good?”

“David?” I muttered.

David was my boss’s assistant. He helped Patrick like Neha helped me. Since I started working for Patrick, I’d seen their dynamic closely.

“I’m a fucking moron.”

“Yep.”

I sighed. “But it was more than my insecurities.”

Charlie cocked an eyebrow. “Oh, you mean the way you were smitten with her?”

How the fuck did he know?

“I never crossed a line,” I exclaimed. “Never.”

He let out a slow breath. “Not saying you did, Ansel. But you both had chemistry and I for one thought you would end up together, eventually. But then I know you better than most.”

“Not as well as Vanessa does,” I retorted laconically, “since she played me like a harp.”

Charlie laughed at that. “You know you’ll be fine without Neha.”

“I know. But it’s an adjustment, and I feel like a dickhead for treating her the way I did. There’s no excuse.”

“Immaturity is an excuse,” he mused.

“I’m thirty-two, Charlie, I’ve got no business behaving like a teenager.” I pressed back into my chair and closed my eyes for a moment. “How is it that Vanessa knew Neha was my biggest asset while I was trying to pretend my dick was bigger than it is?”

He drank some more of his IPA. “According to my wife, men are dumb as doorknobs.”

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