Page 7 of One Bossy Date

That was how my theories of green construction had been tested over the past few years. I worked with contractors to resource materials locally and reuse what we could. We also hired locally and made sure to use the smaller community businesses for other resources. But implementing something like this in New York would mean different concepts entirely.

My presentation was almost ready to go, but I felt that the two and a half months’ extra time would help us improve and finalize the strategy, as well as implement the most recent technology I’d been made aware of. Convincing a billionaire New Yorker to conserve energy, and therefore money, wasn’t the challenge. The biggest difficulty was convincing him of the long-term viability of ecological construction: Before he could make any money from it, he would have to invest. This was exactly where I’d pull the ace out of my sleeve: With Windham Construction he’d get an experienced partner who had expertise and would protect him from bad investments.

Actually, it was perfect timing.

There was still a lot of work to be done. We’d be on a tight time crunch to finalize everything before I returned to my real life in Chile. It’d been almost a year since I’d arrived to attend my father’s funeral, and had taken over as CEO, saving the company from financial ruin. My plan had always been the same: give Windham Construction twelve months of my time and head back before the new year. However, with the constant naggings of my mother and brother, it seemed I would need to stay until at least New Year’s Eve.

I had to return to Chile for my own sanity. This corporate life in New York was not what I had mapped out, nor was it the life I wanted for myself.

It was at times like these when I missed my father the most. Not everything was black and white. I’d been scanning through the company’s classified papers. Dad’s huge success after the Bilton high-rise project had put us on the top-ten list of the “Best Construction Firms in New York.” What was it people said? “Be careful at your highest moment. That’s when the devil comes for you.” Even though Dad had agreed to the co-ed and had signed off on the next major deal, it hadn’t been him who had caused Windham Construction to lose millions and ultimately our reputation—despite the correction notice the papers had to issue. By then, the damage had been done. Fucking Ecclestone. Nobody could have seen it coming, not even Mom or the board. Once my father discovered the scam, it was too late. He was able to salvage the essentials—I had to give him props. A lesser man would have crumbled to dust. Dad had many strengths, and he always knew when to follow one’s heart. He never cared what others thought. He taught me to do what was right, to be honest, open, and always speak my mind, no matter the cost. He’d been my biggest supporter five years ago when I’d decided to spread my wings. He was a special man with a special sense of humor, and I missed him more than I could say.

It was midmorning, and I hadn’t gotten through half of my inbox when Caroline peeked back in. “I’m so sorry, sir, I’ve tried all your usual dog sitters. But no one is available.”

Lifting my gaze to hers, I asked, “Not available, or not willing?”

When her eyes darted to the floor, I had my answer.

“Look,” I said, “I know they can be more than a handful. TheyareRottweilers cooped up in an apartment after all, and they are youngsters with a lot of power. Try again, try someone new. Make it worth their while.”

“Okay, Mr. Windham.” With a small smile and a brief sigh, she nodded. “I’ll keep trying.”

4

ZOE

The rest of the week was no less chaotic than it had been since opening “Purrfect Boutique.” But the chaos had nothing to do with actual clientele, which at this point was still seriously lacking. In fact, it was the opposite—due to the lack of clients and therefore business, I had considerable debt issues.

“Urg. Look at this invoice, Jim! Iswearthis plumber is charging me hisownweight in gold.”

“Well, darling, you were a hot damn mess when he arrived. He knows you’re desperate.” Jim was my only colleague and my bestie. He was the Will to my Grace, and also my go-to when it came to smutty books. At forty-eight, he did not look his age at all. A tall and slender man with a fit body, immaculate skin, and always perfectly combed-over blond hair, he was truly a gorgeous being. Unlike the men he usually went for, who were often rough around the edges, dark, and dangerous. I had realized not long ago that I had to let Jim go because money was tight. We’d become such good friends, and I didn’t want to take advantage of his kindness. But Jim suggested he stay until he found a new job.

There used to be another colleague—Leo, well, not really a colleague, more of a business partner—with whom I’d actually had a friends-with-benefits arrangement. It suited us both well in our busy, lonely lives. But before we opened, he “fled” to the freakin’ Cayman Islands when he fell in love with his now-sugar momma—from a “cougar” website, nonetheless. Did it hurt my ego? Not gonna lie, itdidsting. Had I been quick to shrug it off? Well, I tried my best, because I couldn’t change it, anyway.

Jim had wanted me to sue his ass. I did have a bit of a background in law. But the time when I pored over volumes of law books and discussed exciting cases with fellow students was long over. Sue him—for what? It wasn’t as if he’d stolen my money and taken off with it. He’d changed his mind, had withdrawn his capital from the joint business, and had been open and honest about it. How did one punish a moral gray area?

What was done was done. I mean, who wouldn’t want a sugar momma on the Cayman Islands? Couldn’t blame the man. Anyway, it was for the best, since his heart clearly hadn’t been here to begin with.

“Of courseI was desperate. Who the hell wouldn’t be? There was water spewing from the ceiling. I was drenched, and everything on the shelves was soaked.Of courseI was a mess.” I continued to stare at the bill, which seemed heavier in my hand by the second.

Jim and I had managed to salvage a few things, but water-stained leather collars didn’t sell any better than soggy cat treats. In the end, only the ceramic items survived—bowls and mugs. My liability insurance only covered part of the total, so I had high hopes for Christmas sales, but even selling all the bowls and cups wouldn’t save me. I’d originally planned to sell cat advent calendars filled with toys and organic dried cat treats, but now I didn’t have the funds to make the idea a reality. Damn!

Jim gently grabbed my shoulders, turning me to face him. “Honey, you’re too stressed. Why don’t you relax a bit? Go home, lie down, read a book or something. I just read one with a lumberjack. He’s got a massive chopper on him. Yep,chopper. Like in helicopter. Close your mouth, girl, you heard me right. Good book. It’ll make your pussy flutter.”

“Go home?” I asked, peering into his eyes.

“Yes, go home.”

“You mean, to mykitty lounge.” I couldn’t help the small giggle that bubbled up my throat.

“Uh-uh, honey.Please. This ain’t no kitty lounge, my treasure. I mean the broom closet in the back of the store. I mean the single bed with a sliver of a window—into the dark courtyard.”

To open the boutique, I’d had to make a lot of sacrifices. This store was all I had, and I was not complaining. But the facts were, Ididsleep in the tiny storeroom in the back, with half my clothes hanging on an open rack, and the other half packed away in suitcases under the bed. My life truly wasn’t that spectacular right now.

I didn’t think Jim or anybody else knew how much this little place meant to me. It was my life. It really was.

Noticing my shrug and receiving no reply from me, he gave it to me straight. “Well, I’m out of ideas, Zo. Your stress will only subside when you get more business, and I’ve already told you that taking on dogs as well would help a shit-ton. Duh.”

“And I’ve already toldyouthat it’s not an option. My fear of dogs might be irrational, but it’s super real.” Ever since I got bitten by a small dog as a kid—a small, short-legged dachshund similar to Jim’s (how I always wished it had been a bigger one to make me feel like less of a wuss, especially when people asked me about my dog-biting story), I’d been scared stiff of them. “They cansensefear,” I nearly shrieked.

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