Page 10 of Camping with the Boss

“Come on, Can. If you hadn’t already told me something was going on, I’d know just by your expression.”

“What? No. This is just my face, eating my food.”

Taffy tries to join us, but I push her off the couch. “Go away. You have your own food.”

She points her fork at me, her eyes narrowing. “You have this faraway look in your eyes. That’s not unusual, but it’s normallyaccompanied by a grimace.” She waves her fork around. “Not this thing your face is doing.”

I shouldn’t ask. I shouldn’t. “What was my face doing?” Whatever it was, I did not give my permission.

Her eyes sparkle. “You had this wistful smile.”

“No, I did not.”

She laughs. “I one thousand percent approve of Can and wistful smiles.”

“Stop that.”

Her smile drops and she gives me her steely-eyed tell-me-everything look that works amazingly well on delinquent youth and best friends trying to salvage their dignity. She starts eating again, but I know from experience she’s not giving up. “Okay, so you know this retreat River had for work?”

Her fork stops halfway to her mouth. “Had? Did he get fired?”

“Not yet.”

She puts her fork down. “Tell me everything right this minute, or I’m going to confiscate your food.”

I hold my arm protectively over my gyro salad. “You’re worse than Taffy.” I wait until she no longer looks like she’s going to steal my food, and I relax. Sort of. “After you left, River’s boss showed up.”

She slaps my leg.

“Ow! Stop punishing me.”

“Way to bury the lede, Can. You’re telling me CEO Wade Darian was here? In your house?”

“Yeah. That’s what I just said.” But there’s something in her eyes. Knowledge. “Wait, how do you know him?”

She lets out an incredulous laugh. “How do younot?”

“Come on, Alex. Just tell me.”

“He’s a billionaire,” she says, gesturing wildly and staring at me like I’m an idiot. “And an eligible bachelor?—”

“Okay, sure, but?—”

“Don’t interrupt. Most importantly,” she says, raising her judgy eyebrows, “he’s your brother’s boss.” She gives me an expectant look. But I’m not sure what to say. I sag against the couch, wishing it would swallow me up. “You’re telling me you never looked him up?”

“I never needed to.” I jab at my salad, avoiding her gaze. “I make sure River has food to eat. A car to drive. That he makes it to work on time.” I ignore the nagging voice telling me I failed. “That’s all the capacity I have.”

“Canyon—”

I make the mistake of looking up. “No. Don’t give me that look. I ask him about his work. He doesn’t want to talk about it. Sure, he told me some stuff. His boss is a dick. He works in an office. Doing office stuff for some company. I never thought about the company having a CEO, let alone a hot one.”

She grins, jabbing a finger at me. “So, you admit he’s hot?”

“I never said he wasn’t.”

She nods, putting her finger and her judgy eyes away. “Sorry, babe. It’s your turn to talk.” Putting her plate on the table, she turns toward me. Giving me her full attention. “What happened?”

I stab my salad and take a bite, just to get my thoughts together. And okay, yes, to mess with Alex. “Mr. Darian wanted to know where River was. He didn’t show up for work.”

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