Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
“Oh, yeah. That reminds me. You got off early today.”
“Mm. He had a dinner meeting with his mother’s side of the family, so he sent me home first.”
“He does have a heart.”
“I doubt it. Last time they had dinner, she chewed him out for ten minutes for bringing his assistant to a family meeting, then sent me home with half the takeout menu by way of an apology.”
“Hey, I remember that. We were eating it for three days.”
“Exactly. He only let me go early because of that.”
“Then why don’t you ask her to make him accept your resignation?”
“Honestly, she terrifies me.” I paused. “Lady Southford—oh, um, Mrs Black is a truly lovely woman, but ever since I saw her fire ten people at once, I prefer to keep a little distance between us.”
Heidi’s eyebrows shot up. “She did what?”
“A proposal failed meaning they lost a major contract, and she fired the entire team who’d worked on it. In her defence, that team was on their last legs, but she was brutal.”
“Sounds like all the more reason to get her on your side. At the very least, a dressing down might make your boss be a bit more reasonable.”
I snorted. “That bastard wouldn’t know ‘reasonable’ if it bent him over and inserted itself up his arse.”
Heidi choked on her drink and slammed down her glass, thumping her first against her chest. “Shitty death, Chloe. Warn me first.”
“About what? My stellar wit? How can I warn you about that?”
She dabbed at her eyes with a napkin with a shake of her head. “Never mind. So, what are you going to do? Just keep offering him your resignation letter in the hope he’ll eventually give in?”
I sighed. “Getting him to take it is only the first hurdle. He has to actually accept it and notify HR for the process to begin.”
“And you can’t even get over the starting line. Poor thing.”
“I think I’m going to slip it into a report. At least then it’s on his desk. That’s a step closer than I am right now.”
“You might be on to something there.”
“It’s all thanks to the power of soju and Korean food.” I picked up the chopsticks and reached for the kimchi. “Have you spoken to Alex?”
Heidi’s distaste for her two-timing scumbag of an ex-boyfriend was written all over her face. “He started calling Harriet when I didn’t answer.”
I winced. Heidi was the kind of person who didn’t cut someone off easily, but once she did, there was no way back in. Betrayal was betrayal and second chances were for the genuine mistakes.
Otherwise, her wall went up.
And Harriet, her twin sister, was practically the Great Wall of China where Heidi was concerned.
“Exactly,” Heidi said, nodding at my expression. “Anyway, you can imagine how that went down. I think she threatened to cut off his balls with a butter knife then boil them into jam to choke him with.”
“A fate no less savage than he deserves,” I agreed. “Just let me know when and where. I have a jam pot in my kitchen.”
She laughed, pouring two more shots of soju. “Cheers to that.”
We clinked glasses then threw them back. The faint sound of a vibrating phone pricked at my ears, and I froze, staring at my bag.
Heidi checked her phone. “That’s not me. Surely, it’s not…”
“Nobody else calls me. Everyone knows I don’t use my phone for that.”
I spoke enough on the phone at work. I didn’t need that kind of harassment on my own time.
The vibrations stopped then almost immediately started again.
“That bastard,” I muttered, reaching into my bag for my phone.
Just as we’d both suspected, ‘The Bastard’ was the name that was glaring at me on the screen. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, then swiped my finger across to answer his call.
“Hello, sir,” I said calmly. “What can I do for you?”
“Miss St. James,” the bastard said in his silky smooth. “What took you so long to answer?”
“I’m eating dinner. I am off the clock, Mr. Black,” I replied.
“Never mind that. I need you to come and pick me up and take me home.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose.
Think happy thoughts, Chloe.
Happy.
Thoughts.
Imaginary Chloe reaches under the ring for a box file and hits Imaginary Bastard Boss over the head with it, knocking him to the floor!
Yes. Those were the happy thoughts I was going for. I could do this.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible, sir. I’m over the limit to drive.”
“Over the limit? Why are you drinking on a weeknight? We have an early meeting tomorrow.”
“Forgive me, but isn’t the reason you’ve called me because you’ve also been drinking?”
He cleared his throat. “You’re bold this evening, Miss St. James. Are you talking back to me?”
“Talking back? To you, sir? I would never,” I deadpanned, turning away from Heidi.