Page 47 of Marrying My Ex's Boss

“He told me to get my shit together because he’s not going back to that dump I call home.” The poor man almost choked on his sparkling water.

“What’s his name again?”

“Justice.” Oh boy!

“Come on Justice, let’s you and I take the grand tour. You may come along as well, Justine, and bring the rest of your burger with you.” I knew what he was doing, trying to make me relax, but it wasn’t that easy.

“Is this your place or your grandparents’?”

“Mine, theirs is much bigger. It’s on the grounds, though; I’ll show you later.” His house was weird; it looked like a museum but felt lived in somehow.

I was distracted by all the art and paintings that I knew were real, some of them hundreds of years old. Then we walked into what he called the smoking room, and there was a painting of the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in my life.

“Who is she?” I was expecting him to name some woman of note from history.

“That is my mother.”

“Wow, so that’s where you get those amazing looks from.”

“You think I look amazing?”

“I think you know that you’re gorgeous.” I think he blushed.

‘Henry Cavill before that Superman bullshit.’

Hush Justice and stop being so rude.

We walked through the rest of the house, and I didn’t see another person. But someone had made my burger and fries, and someone was most likely going to clean up after us.

“Where did they go?”

“Who? And why are you whispering?”

“The people who made our food.”

“They have their own quarters on the other side of the house. I’ll show you all of that later once you’ve moved in.”

“Moved in?”

“Well, you didn’t expect us to live in two separate places once we’re married, did you?”

“You were serious about that?”

‘Bitch, the man is still willing to buy the cow after tasting your stale ass milk; shut the hell up before I choke you out right here. With your stupid ass. Get up them stairs and work for my money. And do it better this time. Out here looking like a fainting goat.’

“Very serious. While we’re on the subject. Do you want a big glamorous affair or something more intimate?”

“Intimate, definitely intimate. Unless you wanted something more.”

“No, that day is especially about you. I’ll have someone call you for the details sometime next week. You don’t mind if we do it here in the garden, do you? Or did you have something else in mind?”

“No, here is fine.” My voice sounded like there was a frog in my throat. I think I was more nervous now than the first time I got married. I wonder why that is.

‘Because the first one didn’t count. Didn’t you notice that I wasn’t there for that monumental fuck up? I skipped out as soon as you met that turd because I knew. I’d be damned if I was going to take part in that.’

You know, that’s true. Why didn’t I notice before? Justice was always there for my happier moments, but he disappeared sometime after college. I always thought it was because I got so caught up in life and didn’t have time for him.

So that’s why you disappeared.

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