Page 30 of Donut Overthink It

“Don’t be such a bitch,” I snap back, fisting my hands down by my side.

She takes a step toward me, and Aiden steps between us. “Give us a moment,” he repeats.

My mother stares at me for a long second and then exits the room without another word. “Fucking bitch!” I hiss.

He turns to face me. His blue eyes are the softest I’ve ever seen them, and his plump lips frown. I turn away from him and plop down at my desk. The hits just keep coming. God, I’d rather been in jail than have to see her standing here in my office.

He leans up against the side of my desk and crosses his arms over his large chest. “Talk to me,” he orders.

I snort. “You can’t pressure me into telling you things that you don’t need to know.”

A smirk grows across his face as if what I just said was a challenge. “I can get you to do whatever I want,” he says with pure conviction.

I look away from him because he’s right. Something about this man makes my panties wet and my head spin. I have to stay level-headed.

He walks around my desk, and I look anywhere but at him as my heart starts to pound in my chest at his closeness. Is he going to finish what he started in the break room earlier? I sure wish he would. It’d take my mind off the evil woman standing outside my office door.

I wasn’t lying when I said she’s been dead to me for years. And the last thing I expected was for her to walk into my work and demand to talk to me. We have nothing to say to one another. I told her goodbye a long time ago, and I don’t plan on letting her come back into my life ever.

He places his hand on my shoulder, and I swallow nervously as he pulls my chair backward. Letting go of me, he places his hand on my chin, forcing me to look up. He stares down at me with an expressionless face. “I’ll find out what I want, Miss Burns. I always do.” He turns and walks out, shutting the door behind him.

Shit! I fall back in to my chair and fist my hands in my lap. My mother is here and with her husband, no less. My boss is representing them. And my boss’s brother is representing me in a prostitution case. I’ve officially hit my breaking point. There’s only one thing left to do.

I grab my phone from my desk and message Andrea.

Me: Instead of my apartment, I’ll meet you at Bailey’s.

My right knee bounces as my eyes watch my office door, praying my mother doesn’t come back in here to talk to me. I have nothing to say to her, and I sure as hell don’t want to see her.

Andrea: See you there.

I send her a gif of a wine bottle, and she sends me back one of some shot glasses.

_____________

“You’re joking!” Andrea gasps as she sits beside me at the bar.

I set down the glass of my Long Island and look over at her. “No,” I say, shaking my head. “Thankfully, she never spoke to me again. I stayed locked in my office until the end of the day.”

“I wonder what they were there for?” she muses as she sips on hers.

I shrug. “Don’t know. Don’t care.”

She sets her glass down and sighs. “What about your boss?”

“What about him?” The thought of him has me taking another sip.“You’re not going to do it, are you?” she asks, referring to our phone call earlier today. “Sleep with Mr. Douche?”

I take another sip. “Probably,” I say truthfully, and she shakes her head in disappointment.

“He can’t do that, Hadley. You can sue him for sexual harassment,” she reminds me.

“I know …”

“Maybe he’s trying to force you into bed, so he can fire you. I mean, you signed a no fraternizing with co-workers.”

“I know …”

“I’ve done my fair share of sleeping around.” I raise my brows, and she rolls her eyes. “Okay. Okay, some might even go as far to call me a slut. But everyone I sleep with is because I wanted them. Not because they forced their way into my pants.”

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