Page 59 of Over My Dead Boss
“I’ll have to call you back,” she says. “My star pupil has just arrived to sign on with us. Kisses.”
“Actually,” I say with a smile, “I am here to quit. I grab the contract from my bag, tear it up, and let it glide onto her desk. Sorry, I already signed with someone else. Anyway, thanks for nothing and have a nice day.” I turn around and walk back to the elevator. Verna, her eyes almost bigger than her glasses, leans back in her chair and looks like she wants to cheer me on.
“You can’t do that,” Isabella shouts and swipes half the things off her desk in a fit of rage. “Who signed you? Was it… was it that bird house??”
Adrenalin pumping, I exit the building and it dawns on me that, even though the medical debt is technically gone, I still intend to pay it back, whether Phoenix wants it or not. Which means I need to find another job or at least sell some of my stories to someone. I go back to the café, buy a bagel for lunch and open my fanfic account. My story is on the landing page, gathering more and more views.
In my inbox, there are hundreds of messages, some telling me how much they loved my story, some saying that they thought my version of Noël wasn’t remotely steamy enough, and I even find a few messages from reputable publishing companies asking for a meeting. Unsure how to proceed, I call Sienna. Unfortunately, she is busy at work but tells me not to do anything stupid until we can talk about it later tonight. Although she is still a junior at her firm, her experience as a consultant could come in handy. At least, she says, she could put me in touch with people who could actually help.
After lunch, I send out applications to all the publishing houses and big agencies I can find. The time passes without me even noticing. When I look up from my screen and see that it’s dark outside, I check my clock and have to hurry to make the meeting with Ryker. He has sent me an address of an office building nearby, where I assume he must have one of his many offices.
When I enter the building, the receptionist hands me a visitor batch and sends me up to the seventh floor. Considering that the skyscraper has over sixty, and Ryker’s law firm, Grayson LLP, is one of the biggest in our country, I am surprised at the frugality. In the elevator, I fix my hair and check my clothes for coffee stains or other unnoticed accidents but luckily find none.
The elevator dings, its doors open, and I step out into an empty office. Open floor, no furniture, except for a single desk at the far end, Phoenix leaning against it.
35
The blood drains from my face, and I am incapable of moving. The elevator closes behind me.
What is he doing here?
“Please, Mrs. Cyrus, have a seat,” Phoenix says and places the only chair in the room before the desk.
“Ah,” I nod as I regain my composure and step closer before discovering Ryker who is standing off to the side. “So this is how you serve the papers for our fake marriage, I assume?”
Ryker shakes his head with a mixture of disgust and bad memories on his face. “I don’t do divorces. One was enough for me. But that might be my cue.” He hands a folder to Phoenix, grabs his briefcase and gives me a quick bow, before heading towards the door. “Also, I’m sorry for breaking our attorney-client-privilege, Olivia.” The elevator rings, he gets on, and it’s just Phoenix and me left. By now, the blood has returned to my face and I can feel it burning up.
“I hear your dad is doing better,” he says and motions for me to sit. He looks tired, maybe even a little thinner than when we last saw each other.
I remain standing instead. “He is,” I say carefully. “But what are you…”
“I missed you,” Phoenix cuts me off and makes my heart stop. “Sorry. I don’t mean to catch you off-guard but I can’t postpone what I have to say any longer. I have been waiting on telling you ever since you left, before that even. I should have told you earlier. See, I like you and I really fucking miss you,” his Scottish accent comes out a lot more than usual and his expression is almost pained. “This must sound ridiculous, but I do.” Unsure of how to respond, I say nothing, and Phoenix continues instead. “I wanted to tell you, but it seemed inappropriate with everything that was going on. But I need you to know, the last couple of weeks were amazing. When I first met you, I might have wanted to crush you because you were so annoying. Now, I still want to crush you, but just because I want you to be as close to me as possible.”
Little by little, the shock subsides and is replaced by a well-known, warm feeling. That warm feeling I would always get when laying in his comfortable arms, when listening to his melodious snore, when kissing his delicious lips.
I still haven’t said a word, so Phoenix rambles on. “You know that feeling when you see a little baby seal and it’s all tiny and adorable and you just really wanna squeeze it so hard you might crush it? You’re my baby seal.” Phoenix is now right in front of me, his hands grabbing my upper arms as if to shake me, to make his point.
“I am pretty sure baby seal clubbing is, not only unethical, but also prohibited.”
A tiny chuckle escapes his lips. “Baby sealcrushing. They’re very different. It’s because you love them so much that you need to crush them just a little.”
My breath stops.
Did he say ‘love’?
Is he still talking about baby seals?
Is he referring to me?
“I am,” he interrupts my thoughts. “I love you, Olivia.”
Did I say that out loud?
My breath is still stuck in my throat and I can’t move a single limb.
“Well, that’s not good.” Phoenix leans down and puts his ear against my lips. “Sounds like you’re in desperate need of some proper CPR.” His head tilts and his lips touch mine. Soft and gentle, then, a moment later, hungry, as if they have been craving me for a long time. When he pulls back, I finally draw in some fresh air.
“And I think you’re pretty nifty,” I say and grin over both my ears. “What are you waiting for? I want to be crushed. Hard. Repeatedly.”
