Page 13 of Money Reigns
He knows better than to push. At least on that.
There’s a pause. Then Broderick shifts.
“By the way, there’s a girl—woman, Olivia Baker. She’s interviewing with Wesley today.”
I don’t answer. He talks too much. Always filling silence like it’s his job to keep me entertained.
He keeps going.
“She get the job?”
My jaw tightens. “Yeah.”
“She’s my neighbor.”
That makes me pause.
I glance over.
Broderick shrugs like it’s no big deal. “We have apartments next to each other. She made me these peanut butter cookies once when I helped her carry groceries upstairs. Best thing I’ve ever tasted.”
I cut him a look. “What are you, twelve?”
He laughs. “No, just saying. She’s a good person.”
My gaze sharpens. “You got a crush?”
His smile falters. “What? I’m just looking out. She’s new, and she’s… you know. Real.”
I stare at him for a beat too long.
Because I do know. I saw it the second she stepped into the conference room.
Brody shifts his weight. “Just wanted to make sure she’s good. Seems like the kind of person who deserves a break.”
The heat in my chest starts to cool. Slightly.
Until he adds,toocasually, “Plus now that she’s officially an employee, I’ll have to file with HR if she says yes when I ask her out.”
The silence after that is sharp. Tense. Immediate.
I take a long sip of my coffee. Let the quiet stretch.
Then I look at him.Reallylook at him.
“Don’t.”
I don’t tolerate competition. Especially not from my own dog sniffing at the same bone.
Brody blinks. “What?”
“Don’t ask her out.”
He opens his mouth, then closes it. “Come on, I was just—”
I turn back to the window, cutting him off without another word.
He stands there for a moment, the weight of the warning hanging between us.
