Page 1 of Romance with Mr. Bossy Pants

1

Chloe

“Boring.” I throw a black skirt onto the pile of rejects scattered on my bed.

Amber chuckles, flailing her hands up in defeat. She’s seated on the edge of her bed at the other end of our little room in our cozy apartment, her long black hair tousled over her shoulders. Sunlight peeks in through the blinds, painting golden stripes across the worn floral carpet and the powder-blue dress resting on her lap.

“This has to be it,” Amber says, lifting the dress, waving it around.

I cock my head to the side, eyeing the dress. It’s sleeveless with a fitted bodice and a flowing A-line skirt.

“I’m not sure I feel very powdery-bluey today,” I say.

“So…we’re to the point of making up words now?”

“Duh. I can’t afford to look plain on my first day at my new job.”

“Plain? Come on, girl. Those bouncy, blonde curls, emerald green eyes, and flawless skin are made for the runway. Seriously, if you ever decide to become a supermodel, you'd kill the competition!”

I roll my eyes.

“Look, I’ve been your roommate for four years now, and you’re about as plain as fireworks on the 4th of July.”

“Three failed relationships in the last year would argue with that,” I challenge.

“Their losses, Greg’s especially. You just gotta find the right one,” she pauses. “And speaking of the right one, I have the perfect idea that will totally help.”

Ugh. Greg. My ex-fiancé. The man I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with until I caught him cheating on me with his personal trainer. Classic.

Snap out of it, Chloe. Don’t go down this rabbit hole again.

“Trust me, the only ‘right one’ worth finding now is a dress,” I counter.

“OMG, girl! It’s just a dress. Pick one already,” she grunts, throwing the blue dress onto the disaster zone that is my bed.

“I think I’ll go with this.” I hold up a beige dress with a multicolor geometric pattern. “This would look good with my bright yellow blazer.”

“Sunshine and rainbows? You sure Daniel Andrews would think so?”

A nervous flutter fills my stomach. Landing an assistant position at Andrews Enterprises is a dream come true. Except for Amber’s – and everyone else’s – constant chiding that my new boss is a grump.

“I doubt he’s as mean as y’all make him out to be,” I say.

Amber shakes her head, her eyes wide with exaggerated horror. “You haven’t heard the stories, Chloe. Everyone who works under Daniel has a dark tale to tell. He’s known for insulting everyone, demands unrealistic perfection in everything, is impossible to please. The list goes on. Want me to continue?”

I raise an eyebrow. “It can't be that bad.”

“Are you not listening to the words that are coming out of my mouth? He's notorious for his temper,” Amber continues. “I heard the last person who worked for him lasted three months before she had a breakdown and quit. I don’t want you to go into this thing blind.”

I frown. “Maybe she wasn’t cut out for the job?”

“Maybe,” Amber concedes. “But she wasn’t the only one. There’s a pattern, Chloe. Daniel has a revolving door of assistants. They say he’s a perfectionist to the point of being a tyrant. Misses nothing, criticizes everything.”

I swallow hard, feeling the nervous flutter in my stomach intensify. “He’s gotta have some redeeming qualities, right?”

Amber shrugs. “He's brilliant, no doubt about that. The company thrives because of his vision and relentless drive. But it comes at a cost. He demands the same level of dedication and excellence from everyone around him.”

I glance at my reflection in the mirror, wondering if I’m truly ready for this. “I can handle it. I’m dedicated and hardworking.”

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