Page 55 of Just A Date

She disappears inside the car, and then she’s gone.

Chapter 23

Michael

My eyes are bloodshot from all the non-sleeping I did last night, but I don’t have the choice to call in sick. I want to be the boss. And the boss goes to work every day, even on their deathbed. And right now, I feel like I am. Work is all I’ve got left.

I tried to call Juliet four times last night. When that got me nowhere, I sent her approximately sixteen texts, asking her to let me explain. To give me a chance. But she made it clear when she left that she had already given me more than she wanted to.

I open the shop door and stumble into the break room. I’m already late, so what’s a few more minutes? I pour myself some coffee. Maybe I shouldinject it straight into my veins. It would at least give me something else to focus on.

“Hey.”

I jump at Trent’s voice. Hot coffee sloshes up my arm and I curse.

“You okay?” he asks tentatively.

“What do you think?” I mutter, reaching for a paper towel. “Things are over.”

“With Juliet?” He doesn’t seem surprised.

“The one and only.” I hang my head. At least it’s only Trent seeing me like this and not—

“There you are.”

Sean.

I hold my coffee up. “Here I am. Would you like to take another shot at me while I’m down, or have you had enough fun?”

He frowns. “Why would I do that?”

Why wouldn’t he do that? That’s what Sean does. Takes away things people love and dangle them over their heads, just out of reach.

I push away from the counter and head for the shop door, but Sean shoves me back. “What happened?”

I knock his hand off my chest and glare at him. “What do you think happened?” I push around him.

“Sure,” he steps to the side, letting me pass. “Just go back to work and pretend nothing else in the world exists. It’s been working out great for you so far.”

I whirl on him. “What do you want, Sean? To see me miserable? Well, Merry freaking Christmas.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not what I wanted.”

My eyes narrow. “Isn’t it? It was all a game so you could get the job, right? Well, there’s one thing you lost. I did fall in love.” I swallow. “And it hurts like hell.”

I turn away.

“Good.”

I freeze, anger pulsing through my body. That’s it. I flip around and take him to the ground. There’s enough pain inside of me to share.

Sean tries to push me off, but I’m not going anywhere. All of this is his fault.

“Hey,” Trent hollers and grabs my arms, trying to haul me off of Sean.

It’s not Trent, but Grant, who pulls me away. No wonder. He’s got all of us beat when it comes to size.

“What are you guys thinking?” Grant’s voice is barely louder than its normal calm. “The men here respect you, but none of them will treat you like foremen if you act like little boys.”

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