Page 12 of Billionaire's Black Assistant

Good thing Guy was showing up any time soon! She had told him it was okay to be at her place during his stay, but he insisted on booking a hotel. They’d spent a whole year as roommates soon after college, so it would have been nice having them under the same roof again, but she understood that maybe Guy would like some privacy.

***

The fall weather was exceptionally beautiful, giving New York City dazzling hues of golds and browns.

Sheri and Guy took a walk in the park just a block from her apartment. The light breeze prickled her skin as they sat on the wooden bench. Leaves were falling onto the ground as trees got ready for winter.

Sheri tried to steal her thoughts away from Dean, wondering who he was with and what they were up to. She quickly shook her head and focused on Guy, who was chatting away, as usual. He’d arrived earlier that morning, rested, and then came over for some home-cooked lunch (he loved her cooking) and a stroll.

He was so full of life and cheery. Nothing at all seemed to faze him. They were exact opposites. Sheri liked to think over every single detail before making a move, while Guy was more spontaneous. It was great having his positive energy around at that moment.

As if echoing her thoughts, he suddenly said, “I came all the way back to New York just to see you, yet you still can’t seem to open up to me. You know I know something’s wrong.”

She looked sideways at him and smiled. “I can’t fool you, can I? But then you’re more than my best friend. You’re family.” She slipped her hand through his and squeezed gratefully. “Just having you around calms me even when I feel sad or had a crappy week.”

“Let me guess, problems at work? That’s the only thing I can think of giving you a hard time. Which is weird, because you always seemed to love your job.”

“I do! Or at least, I used to love working there, but now things are a bit…different.” Sheri sighed heavily, not sure how much she wanted to reveal. “Let’s just say, I’m not as comfortable working as Dean’s assistant. I didn’t expect to start noticing him more as a man and not just a boss.”

“I can’t say I blame you – the guy’s hot. The kind I’d consider going gay for, if he wasn’t such a jerk,” declared Guy, his playful grin showing her he was trying to ease her mood.

“And, if he was even gay, which he definitely is not,” she said wryly. “So keep your salacious thoughts to yourself. I was right, you can bang anything that moves, jeez.”

“Let’s just say, I like to keep an open mind. No harm in experimenting, and I would try anything at least once. Speaking of such,” he paused and leveled his gaze soberly on Sheri. “Why did we never get to the friends-to-lovers stage? You’re so my type. Ever since you outgrew your tomboy phase after college, that is. And I can tell you think I’m all that, too, so you know, did you never wonder, what if? I mean just once?”

“You mean, you and me, getting nasty?” Sheri asked, mouth falling open. “What the actual fuck? Guy! I can’t believe you just said that.”

“Why not? We’ve done everything else together. We’ve even seen each other naked.”

“Point of correction, you’ve never seen me totally naked. That time, I remember very much still having my underwear on.” Incidentally, it was that night she got the acceptance email from Dean’s company saying she got the job of assistant to the CEO. She and Guy spent the night celebrating in her apartment, drinking, dancing, and singing along to their favorite tracks from Maroon 5 to iHeart Memphis. “But seriously, you really should have stopped me on the last few glasses of tequila, or was it rum? I may have spared you that embarrassing striptease I tried to perform.”

She shuddered in renewed embarrassment, remembering how he had gallantly thrown a blanket around her and insisted she go in to her bedroom and sleep things off.

“It’s something I don’t think I could ever forget, considering the image in still imprinted inside my eyelids,” he said on a mock-scandalized groan. She punched him in the arm and he yelped before dissolving into laughter. But hidden behind his mirth, Guy was feeling sadness settling in his stomach. He’d always loved Sheri, but over time he’d come to realize it was something even deeper.

So, he chased other girls and tried to forget his feelings for her and to distract her from suspecting the truth – that he’d fallen in love with his best friend.

He could see her being in turmoil over her handsome billionaire boss, and he wished he could help, but this was something she had to take a stand on her own. Yet, he couldn’t stop from suddenly turning her face, cupping her cheeks as he stared deeply into her eyes. “It’s not easy keeping your feelings detached when you have to be around the same person all the time. So this thing with your boss is understandable. But I’m worried you’ll get hurt because everything’s just a game to a man like Dean Cooper. That’s why you have to promise me, no matter what, you’ll never date him.”

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