Page 81 of Enemies to French Kisses
“Oooh, going on the offensive. I see what you’re doing there, Sissy Chrissy.” Jess turns to me. “Well, what say you to that, Miss Laura?”
“I say that I have priorities and dealing with silly love affairs isn’t one of them.”
“Dude,” Annelise looks up, “you are riding a dangerous line now.”
“Am I?” I retort. “Because last time I checked, I’m the one dealing with a situation that could change the course of Innov’ Biotech.That’sthe dangerous line.”
Annelise sits up, her eyes narrowing. “What are you trying to say?”
“I’m not trying. I’m saying that I’m dealing with serious stuff here, just at a time when my reputation has taken enough hits to sink a battleship.”
“And the fact that you’ve gone so far as to send a man to the hospital isn’t serious stuff? Girl, your priorities are all over the place.”
Natalie jumps in. “Now, now. Miss Laura made it very clear from the start what she expected from this man. From day one at the job, he has taken advantage of her, taken credit for her work, and taken her precious time by putting on a display of physical injury. That’s low!”
Gina lifts her hand. “He obviously did all of that because he has feelings for her.”
“Can I say something here?” Five heads tilt in my direction, and suddenly I find them a more difficult crowd than the Dutch. “Marc had a genuine injury. One that was kinda-sorta my fault. Granted, it only happened because he was getting in my space enough that his scarf was on my handlebar as I was trying to tell him off for having been a total toiletwad.”
“Toiletwad? Ew.” Annelise turns the page of her magazine.
“So maybe he isn’t MarcLemonstreanymore, but there’s no shying away from the fact that there have been multiple times he undermined me, disrespected me, and put my professional reputation at risk. I’ve had to do everything in my power to get and keep this job.” Heat rises up the back of my neck and the old anger is seeping in. “He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, never had to fight for something he wanted more than anything else in the world. Not like me, not like us. Sage was a great place to grow up, and I don’t begrudge everything that happened with my mom, but I have worked hard to get where I am, and he never had the right to take advantage of that. When I think of all the times I let my guard down with him—when I don’t let it down withanyoneexcept present company and even then, only on a rare occasion—it’s entirely unfair that he would take as much as he has, when I could have fallen for anybody else in this giant freaking city!”
I clap a hand over my mouth.
“Iknewyou were trying to talk yourself out of it.” Annelise lies back down with her mag. “Girl, you are in one confused state of emotions.”
“Gah!” I stand up so fast that Natalie and Gina flinch, but I can’t bear to stay still. There’s no room for pacing in this closet of an apartment, but I’ll do my best anyhow because otherwise I’m going to explode.
“It’s unfair. Why did he have to go and be so great today? All of this would have been easier if he’d let me stay angry at him for the pretend marriage thing. I could have kept him in his box of person I don’t give two hoots for—”
“You always gave two hoots…” Natalie gives me that look she does every time she’s right. It’s so annoying when she’s right while I’m trying to rant.
“Not the point! Here I am doing everything, and he’s running around doing… all kinds of other things…”
“She’s losing steam,” Jess whispers to Chrissy.
“I am not! I am angry!”
A knock on the door silences us. Nobody moves.
“Hello?” a man’s voice on the other side says.
I know that voice. “You havegotto be kidding me.”
The girls don’t budge as I open the door to see Marc standing there in his suit from earlier but with the top buttons undone and his hair a little wilder than it was before.
“Wait for me downstairs!” I shout at him and close the door as he says, “Okay…”
We wait until his steps are at least one floor below us.
“Did you know he was coming?” Gina whispers.
“Nope. But I’m going out there and I’m giving him what for because I am done with this madness.”
They reply with murmurs that I will not interpret because I’m in no mood to be stopped now.
Marc showed up atmydoor, so he’s going to get what’s coming for him.
