Nevermore won抰 even look at me.
揙h, Lincoln, you抮e just in time! I found this precious young thing with a heart sting in the break room. I had to pry it out of her, but she finally told me some thoughtless manager made a nasty comment about her ability to do her job due to her marital status in the middle of the meeting. Can you believe that??My mother抯 eyes flash violently like she wants to pull said idiot抯 throat out with her teeth. 揑 trust you plan on having a serious discussion with the perp. That抯 not how we do things here, especially to a new hire. When I was in charge, no manager would抳e dared breathe a single word of that BS.?
Fuck.
If only she knew what 搈anager?went tripping over his own dick.
Of course, Nevermore knows.
Beneath her sad eyes, she smirks at me like the venomous little devil she is behind my mom抯 bristling shoulder and immediately straightens her face.
Even those puffy eyes don抰 look quite so devastated anymore.
揑 promise I抣l look into it,?I grind out.
揟illie knew you would. She told me she抯 certain you抎 never let anyone talk down to your employees like that in your presence,?Poe says in an innocent way.
Damn her.
揂bsolutely not,?I say without hesitation.
Nevermore blinks. Her mouth forms a shocked and appalled 搊h,?but the shape of her full lips in my mind is far less innocent.
揂nd yet you were there, sitting beside me the whole time,?she whispers.
Mom抯 eyes lash from me, to her, and back to me again.
揕incoln Burns. I hope I don抰 need to be very disappointed in you,?Ma warns with a frown that almost rolls off her face.
Fucking hell. Am I sixteen again?
I run this entire company with well over a thousand people抯 lives in my hands. She can抰 just come barging in and treat me like a child, undermining my authority.
We have employees who have worked here since I was a kid, and they need to know who抯 boss. I抣l talk about my shortcomings, personal and professional, with my mother later.
For now, I need to deal with the little schemer who can throw me to the lions at a whim.
揥e wouldn抰 want that, would we, Mr. Burns??she asks too sweetly.
I glare at her.
揂nd why haven抰 you introduced me to this precious little thing before now, Lincoln? You know how much I adore my marketing bees. Without them, we抎 never move a dab of honey. Did you know she抯 a nationally renowned young poet? You should tell me when we get new faces梕specially such interesting ones!?Mom says, slapping her thigh.
揗other, you抮e retired. Forgive me if I won抰 drag you out of enjoying retirement for every minor change in the office,?I say flatly.
Her face goes blank, her lips form a straight line, and she stares me down.
Here we go. The mom look written large. I haven抰 seen it this severe since before I left for the Marines.
揑抣l make a note to introduce you next time,?I promise.
Satisfied, she nods and looks at Dakota. 揑 hope you can help my son sell wedding wear with a little heart. He doesn抰 know the first thing about weddings.?
揑抦 trying my best, but I抦 not really an expert, either. After all...there isn抰 even a ring on my finger, right, Mr. Burns??She looks up at me with a buttery laugh.
An ugly, strange contrast with the hurt flashing in her eyes.
揚ersonal experience in weddings hardly matters,?I say, leveling my gaze on her. 揑抦 confident you抣l research it the same skillful way you抎 research any assignment I give you, Miss Poe.?
揟rue. Your mom told me prom is the last time you really dressed up for a date. That had to be a while ago, huh??
Did she just call me old?
My stare sharpens, wishing I could melt her like a candle.
揘ot quite, I went to the military ball a couple of times.?
揌is friend抯 sister wanted to go,?Mom says with a muffled whisper.
Dakota laughs.
I抳e had enough. I push an agitated hand through my hair.
揓ames and Sally are in the back corner, Mother. They抳e both been talking about how much they miss the old days when you and Dad were at the helm. Why don抰 you go share some old stories??I motion to the older couple from accounting.
揂h, I抦 starting to see why! With the nonsense you抮e allowing, they might wonder if it抯 even the same company.?
I hold in a sigh.
揝till, you should go say hello.?
揑 will. Thanks, love.?She stands and saunters away with a quick peck on the cheek.
I watch my mom leave with a clenched fist and I take her seat.
揟hat was evil, Nevermore. Don抰 think your name gives you a pass to slash up every rule of office politics,?I growl.
Dakota shrugs. 揗eh, I don抰 know about that. I kinda thought a strong warning shot was warranted.?
揥arning shot? I抣l never hear the end of it now.?I fold my arms and stare into her soul.
揑抦 so sorry.?There抯 nothing sorry in her tone, but fuck if I care.
The little angel Anna Patel put on my shoulder reminds me I deserve it.
揃efore you riled up my mother, I came here to apologize,?I say.
揥hy? You have nothing to apologize for, but I do have a mountain of work. So maybe we can play catch-up and pour out our hearts another time??
揇akota棓
She smiles. 揗iss Poe.?
I bite my tongue, wondering how the hell I could slip.
揗iss Poe棓 I correct sharply, but she cuts me off.
揂nother time, Mr. Burns. Working.?
揜egardless, I抦 sorry. Sincerely. I didn抰 mean to give you an interrogation in front of your colleagues,?I say sternly.
She won抰 even look at me, her fingers clicking on the keyboard.
搾Kay. Look, unless you need to talk about the assignment棓
揑 spoke out of turn. I know I made it way too personal, and I抦 sorry. It won抰 happen again. I can be dense with my bedside manner sometimes棓
揧ep, and there wasn抰 even a cinnamon roll involved today. Imagine that!?she says with a muted glare.
Will she ever let me fucking finish?
揑抦 a professional. I抦 your boss, and I know you抮e not here for my personal entertainment.?
If you weren抰 so damn beautiful, maybe my tongue wouldn抰 get so loose, I think darkly.
This girl obliterates my better senses like no one else.
揟o show you I抦 sincere, I抣l take Sweeter Grind duty next week to make it up to you,?I say slowly. 揌ow does that sound??
揥ell, there抯 nothing to make up for, but whatevs. Knock yourself out, boss.?
Her fingers pound the keyboard, drumming this conversation into silence.
Whatever is right.
Even when I try to get along with this moody creature, she freezes me out.
As I turn and stomp away from her desk, I wonder if Ma抯 concerns aren抰 valid.
Should I have let this raven into my home?
Is my gamble on her about to win me a hostile work environment?
After work, I sit in my living room, reviewing the latest drafts from the ad team and muttering at everything.
It抯 bland. Droll. Missing heart.
Everything except the ream of concepts with a name attached that won抰 stop rapping, rapping at my skull.
Dakota Poe抯 copy is undeniably on-point. Hell, I can even tell it抯 her advising in a few mockups where her name isn抰 directly attached.
Her concepts are funny, well written, and friendly, if a tad impersonal.
My only suggestion梐 real one this time梬ould be to make the writing more intimate. Still, it抯 nice working to improve the meat on what抯 already impeccable bones.
I抦 tempted to text her and pay her an honest compliment.
Though after the way she ran out of the meeting today and the showdown after, I抎 wager that抯 inviting trouble.
She抯 not the sort of girl who gets bent out of shape over an asshole comment or a flippant one-off.
I grit my teeth.
All because I抦 realizing, slowly but surely, that I抳e been a colossal dick to her梐nd by some freak stroke of black magic, she makes me feel guilty for that.
I pull out the earlier drafts and flip through her previous work. I come across the picture of the runaway groom and frown.