Page 19 of Bossed By The Boggart

It’s Friday, four days since ‘the incident’, and Wyn continues to avoid me like the Plague. I decide to swallow my apprehension and visit her, instead.

When I get to her door, I knock politely, hoping it doesn’t seem like a passive-aggressive reprimand since she didn’t do it the last time we spoke.

Wyn calls out for me to enter, and I step inside her office. Above me, the fluorescent light flickers with a monotonous drone, throwing dancing shadows across the room.

The lovely woman doesn’t even look up, but I watch her shoulders tense when she realizes that it’s me.

“Do you have a moment, Wyn? I want to talk about what happened this past Monday—”

“I, unfortunately, don’t have a moment to spare for the topic, but please feel free to email me your thoughts.”

She doesn’t even glance up from her computer screen, fingers flying over the keyboard with an efficiency that borders on aggressive.

I shudder against the chill of the cold wall that Wyn’s erected between us, unsure of how to get past it.

Maybe if I approach her on a neutral topic.

“Your light flickers. If I had to work under it all day, I’d have a migraine. Let me get maintenance to fix—”

“No, thanks. I’ve already sent them two requests already.”

My eyes narrow. “And they still haven’t taken care of it? That’s unacceptable.”

I straighten, glaring at the light that makes my eye twitch. I have no idea why her request has gone unanswered, but I plan to find out.

Wyn finally looks at me, her expression carefully blank. “Mr. Ettin, I’ve already taken care of it. Was there something else you needed?”

You.

Clearing my throat to dispel the thought as well as the tension building side of me, I try talking to Wyn again.

“About what happened in my office the other day—”

The gorgeous woman slams down her mouse with a glare. “Nothing happened! I’ve already put it behind me—and you should, too.”

“I understand if you want to tell HR—”

“Is that what this is about? You’re afraid I’m going to tattle on you? Firstly, I’m not, so no worries there. Secondly, you literally own this entire company, what good would it do for me to say anything?”

“Wyn, I’m just as accountable for my actions as anyone else at Boggleworks.”

She snorts, clearly not believing me. “Right, well, I will keep that in mind in case any future incidents arise. Now, I have a phone meeting, please excuse me.”

Right on cue, the shrill ring of her phone echoes around her office, and she shoots me a smug smile before giving me her back to dismiss me.

Sighing in defeat, I give up and leave Wyn in peace like she wants. Her avoidance is a dance I’ve come to know step by step.

It’s impressive how she navigates this place, always just out of my reach, but it’s damned annoying, too. I’m her boss—I should be able to get five minutes of her time!

Maybe she’s right and I should just let this go. I might be able to if Wyn would go back to her normal self and not this ice robot she’s turned into.

At least it’s Friday. Both of us need a break. Wyn can enjoy the weekend with her son, and I can torture myself some more about how I fucked everything up—but come Monday, Wyn and I are talking.

Whether she likes it or not.

Thirty minutes before our weekly Monday board meeting, my receptionist bustles into my office.

“Mr. Ettin, Wyn called in sick this morning.”

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