Page 5 of Get It In Writing
Chapter Three - Rebecca
No.
That’s all I’ve got to write to shut this whole thing down, right? Just one simple word to let him know that I’m not interested.
One word, two letters, and a simple answer.
I cannot get involved with my boss.
He’s got his ten o’clock conference call with Boston right now. I glance over at his office and see him through the tall glass wall into the pristine office. It’s not like there would be much privacy if I were to go in there and do what he suggested in his note, anyway. Not that I’m considering it.
He’s yelling and waving his hands around, and he looks like a total prick doing it, but I have to admit that it is sexy. Maybe he’s not the asshole everyone thinks he is. He’s just controlling and really cares about his business.
I try to stay busy for the next few minutes, but as soon as I see him hang up his call, I take my note and march over to his office.
“Where the hell are you going?” Joanna calls out to me as I make my way across the reception area.
“Oh,” I say, turning around, realizing that I must look a little weird running over to the boss’s office for no apparent reason. Her mouth is slacked open and the look on her face is the same one I saw earlier. The look that says I’m an idiot and about to get us both fired.
But I’ve got to take control this time, and I figure that since the boss was the one who started this, it’s fine for me to finish it.
“I’ve just got to give this message to the boss,” I respond to Joanna.
She looks at me like I’ve lost it, but I can’t tell her the truth.
Mr. Harper looks up from his desk as I walk to his door. I draw my breath in and try to seem as confident as possible. It’s never been much like me to take control, but I’ve got to nip this thing in the bud as soon as possible.
But on the inside? On the inside, I’m changing course, turning around, and going back to my desk to pretend that none of this ever happened.
But I can’t. I’ve already gone this far. I suck in a deep breath and knock on Mr. Harper’s glass door three times.
His amused expression doesn’t give me much in the way of an answer, but he finally nods, which I take as an invitation to enter his office.
“Rebecca,” he says, looking at his computer screen. “Please come in. And close the door behind you.”
I realize I haven’t been breathing, and I exhale shakily, adjusting my skirt across my legs as I step forward into his office without shutting the door.
“I don’t think that will be necessary,” I say, putting the note down on a stack of blueprints he has unrolled on the desk in front of him.
“What’s this?” he asks, studying the note from a cool, removed distance.
“It’s my answer,” I say. “I thought you should know my answer. And now I’ll go. I don’t want to keep you from your work for long.”
I start back toward the door, but his voice draws me back in.
“Rebecca, this answer isn’t an option. I asked you a very specific question, and there are only two possible answers. Please, think about your answer and give me one that’s appropriate.”
He takes the little piece of paper off his desk, crumples it up and throws it in the wastebasket under his desk.
I’m dumbfounded. This is so inappropriate. So wrong. So...tempting.
“Mr. Harper, I’ll have you know thatismy answer. The answer is no. No to all of it. No to any of it.”
“If that’s how you really feel,” he says, turning back to his computer, “please close the door on your way out.”
“Thank you,” I say, straightening up and making my way back to the door. “I’m glad we could discuss this like adults. I look forward to continuing to work with you,” I say. “In a professional capacity.”
“I’m glad, too,” he says. “Glad we got that out of the way. The door, please.”
I close the door behind me and go back to my desk, feeling a heady mix of accomplished and defeated. Looking over at Mr. Harper again, I see that he’s completely focused on his work, and not at all interested in me anymore.
“Whatwasthat,” Joanna asks, looking past me into the big boss’s office.
“It was nothing,” I respond.
