“I was just letting Nell know her friend had arrived,” Harry replied.
“You arse kissing little prick,” Damon said. “You know exactly what you said to her.”
“Now listen here,” Ogre said, “I don’t know who you are, nor do I care but I won’t have you coming in here and talking to my son like that.”
“You don’t seem to give a shit about how you and your son talk to Nell.”
“She’s an employee,” he said.
That was clearly not the right answer for Damon. Or me. I put my hand on his chest as he stepped forwards, tilting his head in a threatening manner. “You fucking what? You hired her so that gives you a right to treat her like shit, is that what you’re telling me?”
“I’m not telling you anything. I don’t need to justify anything to you or anyone else.”
Damon’s body tensed under my hand and any other time it would have turned me on. “It’s not about justification, it’s about not being a tosser. You treat her with the respect she deserves or I’ll be coming back.”
“Damon, please,” I whispered. I was so goddam pissed off with him for coming in here I wanted to kick and punch him.
“Are you threatening me?” Ogre asked, trying to straighten his back but the weight of his gut prevented him moving too much.
“Yes,” Damon replied, not missing a beat. “What the fuck else could I have meant by that?”
Sighing, I closed my eyes and fought the urge to cry for the second time. Crying made me feel like a helpless, scared child and I didn’t ever want to feel like that again. A dark cloud wrapped its way around me and I felt sick. I’m okay, I’m not a kid anymore.
“Come on, Damon,” I snapped, pushing him towards the door.
I looked back and winced.
The Ogre’s face was bright red as he added, “Back by one, Nell.” As if I’d suddenly forgotten when my lunch break ended.
I didn’t reply or look back again as we left the building. “What the hell was that?” I yelled the second the door closed.
Sighing sharply through his teeth, he threw his hands up. “I’m not sorry, Nell. I wasn’t going to do that but the more I thought about it the more it pissed me off and then I heard what he said. He has no right to treat you that way.”
“I know he doesn’t but I can handle it. Damon, shit, I need this job.”
“No you don’t.”
“I can’t live off hopes and fucking dreams, can I?” I hissed, throwing my arms in the air.
He caught my hand and I felt him instantly calm down a fraction. “How many times do I have to tell you there’s a job where I work? Can working with me really be worse than what you put up with?”
“Of course not, Damon, but…”
“But what?”
“Things would get complicated if we worked together as well as slept together. You said yourself years ago that there were certain rules to making this work.”
He looked at me like I’d grown another head. We were both comfortable with being friends and hanging out but we didn’t want to cross the line by putting ourselves into positions we couldn’t easily get out of, like not sharing student accommodation when we went on to the same Uni and working in the same place.
“Yeah, back when we were sixteen and still feeling our way through the boundaries that worked for us. Things have changed, Nell. We’re older, more mature, and I’d like to think we’re capable of working for the same company without killing each other. Or whatever else you assume will happen.”
I assumed that being around him so much would make me need more than I already did and when that all blew up I’d be heartbroken and still have to see him every day.
Narrowing my eyes, I pulled my wrist free of his grip. “That’s not the only reason. I don’t want help to get wherever I go.”
“It’s not always a bad thing, Nell. You shouldn’t turn down great opportunities just because of some misplaced pride. You may hear about the job through me, I could recommend you, but at the end of the day getting the job and working your way up would be on your own merit. Jesus, why are you so fucking difficult?”
“Me?” I asked. “You’re the one changing things without talking it through.”
“Like what?”
Like making me fall in love with you, you bastard! Instead of the whole truth I went with, “Duh, the work thing.”
He signed in frustration. “Fine. I think we should change the work rules.”
I narrowed my eyes. That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. “Look, I’m getting hungry and I need to be back by one. Can we please go and argue over lunch?”
“Absolutely,” he replied, gesturing to his car.
Actually I had hoped he’d apologise for shouting at my boss and tell me he didn’t want to argue anymore. For the hour I got away from work I didn’t want to talk about it.