Page 30 of Playing with the Boss
Alf shakes his head as I step out into the hall.
All it does is piss me off further.
I stride back in, leaning both palms on the front of his desk. “Regardless of what Tony thinks he knows, if I want to date an employee, then I fucking well can, Alf. Last I checked there wasn’t anything in the employment contracts about it. Otherwise, I never would have got stuck with Louanne.”
He lifts both hands, leaning back to put a little more distance between us. “It’s not my call, Mason.”
“It’s not Tony’s either, so do yourself a favor and stop obeying his every whim like a whipped dog.” I march back to the door before adding, “I’m taking Lisa to lunch today, so fucking sue me.”
***
Goddamn, the idea seemed brilliant at the time. But after watching Lisa move around the building the past three hours, I still haven’t found the right opening to let her in on the plan for lunch without coming off as a jerk who can’t get a hint.
Although, I guess I can’t. After all, here I am still intent on winning the woman over after fucking it up, what, three times now?
“Rosie.” I catch the woman from finance’s attention as she passes by my shithole of an office, coffee in hand. “Where is somewhere decent for lunch close by?”
“By decent you mean something more than takeout?”
I nod.
“I guess you could get something at the café on Goodhue.”
“Goodhue?”
“It’s a block that way.” She points over my shoulder with her free hand. “Right on the corner. Small, but usually has a table free if you get there in, say, the next half hour.”
Damn it. “Thank you.”
She smiles and carries on her way.
Time to suck it up, champ.
I make it two steps out of my office before I’m cut off by the last face I want to see when I’m thinking about how to seduce a woman: Tony.
“Heard you wanted to see me,” he says curtly, chest pushed out and thumbs slung casually in his pockets.
I straighten, chin up, and narrow my eyes on the fucker. “Heard it was you who had an issue with me.”
“Damn straight I do.” He peers out the corner of his eye, clearly conscious that we’re entering into a standoff in the middle of the fucking gossip highway. “Step in my office.”
Asshole can’t even close the door behind me properly before he starts. “I’ve got an issue with you sticking your nose where it’s not necessary.”
“Are you still harping on about the credit cards?” I roll my eyes as he passes to take residence at his ostentatious desk.
Fucker has a picture of his ridiculously large house pride of place on his bookshelf, for Christ’s sake. Or at least, I assume it’s his house. Be kind of weird if it’s not.
“I’m talking about messing with my staff.”
“Lisa.” He’s got nothing.
“Exactly,” he sneers. “Back off and keep your work here professional.”
“Can’t make me.”
He grimaces. “Do you have any idea how juvenile you sound?”
“Do you have any idea how much I don’t care?” I step forward, arms folded. “Drop this bullshit with her. You’ve got no reason to think anything is going on worth your interest.”