(Yeah, I couldn’t believe I let that last one slip either. If he ever brought that up around anyone else, I was going to deck him. And then deny everything. And then hopefully be swallowed up by the earth underneath me before anyone could laugh.) No matter what banality I came back with, he listened to me natter on with an intensity that actually started to freak me out—the sympathetic nods, the wide eyes, the encouraging questions…this was starting to feel a little bit, just a little bit, obviously not more than a little bit, like a— No. No no no no no. I was not even going to think the word‘date.’ I didn’t know what the hell it was, but it was not a date; Grant Devlin didn’t go on dates with people like me! Dammit, self, stop thinking about dates. That way lay madness.
In the middle of dessert—glass dishes of mango sorbet garnished with mint, plates of fried bananas hot from the stove and topped with whipped cream and chocolate, bowls of sweet sticky rice balls topped with slices of tropical fruit—I happened to glance at my watch, and my heart stopped.“Oh, fuck me!”
Grant smirked.“Not very ladylike, Lacey.”
“We’ve been here an hour and half! Jacindais going to have my head.”
Grant waved his hand, dismissive.“I’ll explain it to her—”
“She will literally kill me.”
“I believe you mean figuratively—”
“No, I mean literally!” I snapped, my heart pounding against my ribcage like a drum.“She will literally cut off my head and put it on a pike and stick up a sign that says‘Admin Assistant Needed’ in front of it written in my blood and spinal fluid and whatever else is going to squirt out when she literally kills me.”
My mouth was running a mile a minute, way too fast, these weren’t the kind of things you said to your boss! But I was panicking, the whole world starting to spin as I realized how much trouble I was going to be in; she could fire me! No job, no chance of getting another one without a reference, I’d have to move back home with my parents— I stood up quickly.
Too quickly, as it turned out. My open purse fell off my lap, scattering small change, lipstick, and Tylenol across the marble floor with a clatter that got the attention of every single person in the restaurant.
My stomach dropped down to my shoes, and I felt the tears begin to well up in my eyes. It was all over. I’d fucked this up too.
And then Grant’s hand was on my shoulder, warm, firm, comforting.“Don’t worry. Take your time. I’ll pay the bill, and walk you back.”
I rounded the corner into Jacinda’s office before Grant, and nearly ran right into her, her mouth open the very second she saw me. She sucked in a deep breath like a vacuum cleaner and let loose with a scream that would have done a steam locomotive proud.
“Where the hell have you been? I can’t even depend on you for one little thing, the one littlest thing I ask you to do, do you even have one brain cell in your head, even a complete fucking idiot like you—”
“You’re fired.”
Grant’s calm voice cut through the shrieks and dropped the room into deadly silence.
Jacindagaped at him like a goldfish.“Mr. Devlin. I—you—you can’t—”
“If you speak to HR, I think you’ll find I can.” Grant sauntered into the room, and leveled a calm, contemptuous look at her, as if she were a bit of dirt he had discovered on the bottom of his shoe, inconvenient but easily removed.“Why don’t you run along and ask?”
Jacinda wavered, clearly not sure whether to retreat to HR with her tail between her legs or protest.
Grant sat down in her chair, leaning backwards and examining his fingernails as if he were bored beyond comprehension with the entire affair.“I suppose you could stay, and we could discuss the hostile workplace clause that allows us to reduce or eliminate your severance package…”
Jacindatook off so fast I was surprised I didn’t see skid marks on the carpet, or hear a little‘beep beep!’ Meanwhile, I was stunned, almost dizzy, bracing myself against the door in disbelief.
When it came to Jacinda, I’d had more mental revenge films playing in my head than Quentin Tarantino had made in his entire life, but somehow, I never thought any of the things she deserved would happen to her. I never thought she’d have to face the consequences of her actions.
I never thought someone would stand up for me.
And I definitely never thought that someone would be Grant Devlin.
“You…you really can’t do that.”
Grant raised an eyebrow.“Can’t I? I was under the impression that this was my company.”
“But—but what about all her work?” I protested weakly.
“Consider this your promotion.”
I gaped at him, and he just nodded, that infuriating sexy smirk playing around his lips.“Congratulations, Lacey.”
Holy shit.
SIX
“To Lacey! Kicking ass and taking names! Woohoo!” Kate raised her margarita high, nearly tipping it into my lap in her jubilation. “Oops! Sorry. I’m just so excited for you, girl!”
I had to practically shout to make myself heard over the raucous music of Kate’s latest favorite dive bar. “I’m not kicking ass! My ass is going to get kicked! How the hell did this happen?”
I took a gulp of my own margarita and barely tasted it through my panic. “I’m going to die. I’m going to die. I’m going to screw up and I’m going to get fired and everyone is going to laugh at me and I’ll never get a job in this town again and I’ll have to move back in with my parents and I will die of embarrassment. Oh god. This isn’t happening.”
“Hey!” Kate took hold of my shoulders and shook me gently. Well, as gently as she could judge with the amount of jubilation and alcohol currently in her system. Her red locks swayed violently with the clumsy motion. “That is my best friend you are talking about, and she is not going to screw up anything, because she is my best friend and I have a strict only-awesome-people-for-best-friends policy.” She tapped my chin, forcing me to look her in the eye. “Look, you’ve been doing Jacinda’s work for years, right?”
I nodded tentatively.
“So now you’re still doing her work, but you’re actually getting paid for it.” She sat back triumphantly, the bright flashing lights of the nearby dance floor flickering on her face like victory fireworks. “That’s the only difference, girl. Now drink to it.”