Page 7 of Three Rugged Bosses and a Clueless Girl

Michelle said a little prayer that her car would start again as she turned on the ignition. And once again, it did. Perfect.

As she drove downtown to a manufacturing company called Ali’s Chandeliers, she couldn’t stop a wide smile from spreading across her face.

Her first task was to buy a chandelier called The Duchess—nice name—from Ali’s Chandelier. Easy peasy. They’d given her the company’s credit card, and when she asked how much it would cost, they told her to pay whatever the price tag said. There was no limit on the card. Except they had said it with such nonchalance, as if they had written her off already, she frowned.

What was the big deal about buying a chandelier anyway? If they wanted her to fail, they certainly hadn’t put much effort into tripping her up. They were so weird, and they were acting even weirder.

Again, not her problem. She had a job. That was all that mattered. Once she had it in writing, after purchasing The Duchess for the foyer of the hotel they were building, she would make a trip to the bank, get a loan, pay off her loan shark, and then continue working to pay off her bank loan. And suddenly she felt like the most normal person on the planet doing adult things. This was good.

She maneuvered herself into the parking lot of the enormous building that was Ali’s Chandeliers. Stepping inside was like stepping into a palace. The entire showroom gleamed, sparkled, and smelled like lavender.

A salesperson walked up to her immediately and greeted her warmly. What a lovely reception.

“My name is Jerry, and how can I make your day a little brighter?” He asked, smiling at her with his neatly combed hair, pristine white shirt, and khaki pants with the Ali’s Chandelier logo on them. Also, haha, nice play on words for greeting their customers.

“You can certainly make my day shine as bright as the stars,” Michelle replied, flashing him a genuine smile. And he really could make her day as bright. If she executed this suspiciously simple task, she would have a job. “I’d like to purchase a chandelier called The Duchess, please. And can you have it delivered to this address, please?” she added, handing him a business card she had snatched from the site office of JKS.

“I’m afraid The Duchess is not for sale. It has already been promised to someone else.”

Wait a minute.

“Am I supposed to bid for this chandelier?” Ah, so it wasn’t as straightforward as she thought.

“No, Miss. The Duchess is not for sale and certainly not to anyone who works for JKS.”

“Wait what? Why?”

“I don’t know, Miss. Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“No. I want to purchase The Duchess. Is it in the building?”

“It is, but like I said, it’s not meant for sale.”

“No, I want to buy it. I have money.” She waved around the company credit card. “No limit, apparently.”

“I’m sorry, there’s nothing else I can do. I’m under strict orders.”

“From who—”

“I’m sorry, Miss. If you’re not going to buy anything else, I’m going to have to get security to escort you off the premises.”

“Are you serious?” Michelle stared at the man with a look so incredulous on her face that her mouth fell open. What was going on? “Please, I need to buy that chandelier. You have no idea. Literally, my life depends on it. I need that chandelier. Please, you have to sell it to me,” she cried, barely stopping herself from falling to her knees for the second time today.

What the actual fuck was going on with her life?

“I could die if you don’t sell me that chandelier. Please, please, please.”

She had made Jerry feel so uncomfortable that he shouted for security. Great, just great.

“I’ll handle it.”

Jerry fled immediately, and Michelle found herself looking at a guy who was probably around her age and height. Some girls would have found him cute, with his beaded bracelets on his wrists, an earring in his ear, and his blue and black hair. His beard hadn’t come in fully yet, and he was thin and lanky with not much muscle.

“I’m not leaving without The Duchess,” she said, straightening. And there she had been, wondering why they would give her such an easy task and expect her to fail. This was why. Stupid Ali’s Chandeliers salesperson refused to sell her The Duchess. But why?

“I can get you The Duchess,” the guy said softly, his gaze flitting around the showroom. If you want The Duchess, follow me,” he said with a fat grin on his face. “Don’t worry about what Jerry said. He’s following my father’s orders.”

“Your father?” Michelle asked as he marched her out of the warehouse.

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