Page 151 of In Spades

Holy shit. I was dating a billionaire.

Was I dating a billionaire?

I left and went back home when we finished talking even though he asked me to stay. Will and I never officially got back together.

Then again, I never actually broke up with him either. I just ran.

I was fully prepared to successfully evade Hannah Jane. She was fast in heels, but I was faster. I almost made it to the door when she said, “I have coffee from Queens!”

I froze. Dammit, I couldn’t say no. Zoey hadn’t been sleeping well again, and I had been up all night with her. I really needed an espresso fix. The sludge in the break room wouldn’t pacify the caffeine gremlin in my brain.

“Ha!” she said victoriously as she caught up to me and plucked a paper cup out of the cardboard carrier. “I knew coffee would get your attention. Are you done giving me the ice queen act?”

I glared at her as I took a sip, letting the warmth slide down my throat. Hannah was unbothered by my silence as she shooed me into the inn and out of the cold.

“Are you going to show up to poker tonight?” she asked, lingering in the doorway of her office which sat directly across the hall from where the rest of us peons clocked in.

I stashed my bag in my locker and flipped the lock on the metal door. We had ninety seconds to make it to the Monday morning staff meeting or Rich would bitch me out again.

He’d had it in for me ever since the staff party debacle a few weeks ago. I was looking forward to the short work week. Christmas was in a few days, and I’d get an extra day off.

I could use a day to figure out what the hell I was going to do. Will left the ball in my court. He had asked to go to poker night with me, but honestly, I didn’t know I was ready to go to poker night. If I was ready to face everyone.

Rumors had spread like wildfire amongst the staff, claiming that I’d seduced the new owner. Slept with him and then blackmailed him. Given him blowjobs for raises. One particularly ridiculous story—started by Front Desk Brantley—said that I had been waiting bare ass naked on the bed in his room every day for two weeks while he stayed here. According to that tall tale, the first three days he ignored me. On the fourth, he ravaged me.

Brantley… what a fucking pervert.

If the poker club had told me about Will from the get-go, I would have been able to combat those rumors. Or at least mentally prepare for being ostracized by every single one of my coworkers when the truth came out.

“Maybe,” I said quickly as I swiped my timecard and hustled to the staff meeting. “The kids have a lot going on right now.”

Hannah Jane rolled her eyes. “Bullshit. Stop making excuses. Come to Maddie’s tonight and bitch us all out if you want to. Just show up.”

“Miss Boyd.” Rich greeted me at the door of the conference room. He glanced at his watch. “Nice to see you’re on time. Barely.”

Dick.

I shoved down every ounce of hatred I harbored for that snake and plastered on a fake smile. “Good morning, Mr. Davidson.”

Hannah Jane stood beside me and pinned him with an exacting stare. Her glaring assessment of his ill-fitting suit and greasy combover would have made anyone else would cower under her gaze.

Not Rich. His head was up his own ass too far for him to care.

He grinned like a chimpanzee. “I need you to come by my office after the staff meeting.”

Wasting time on a Monday? Hell no. We had a shit ton to do today to prepare for the holiday week. “Oh, but?—”

“Beth from H.R. will be present. Bring your things with you.” With that bombshell, he turned and walked into the staff meeting.

“Oh my God,” Hannah said as she turned to me, squeezing my arms. “Kris…”

Numb. Everything was numb. A roar of blood rushed in my ears. My vision tunneled.

“Kris, you need to call Will,” Hannah Jane said with panic in her voice.

Jesus. Hannah never panicked.

Her nimble fingers clenched around my biceps and shook me. “Kris, call him! Right now!”

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