Page 109 of Dear Grumpy Boss

Elise was dancing with Saoirse, Rebecca, Simon, and the random girl Miles had brought. I was sending him death glares.

At least Miles’s state of inebriation was taking my mind off the fact that I had to pretend to bejust friendswith Elise. It sucked, and I did not see the wisdom behind it. Lying would only compound Elliot’s anger when we told him.

Elliot and Sam had some common ground, discussing Denver real estate development. While everyone was busy and happy, I walked up behind Miles. He was pouring himself another drink.

“You don’t need that,” I hissed.

“It’s a party.” He grinned at me, tipping the cup into his mouth. “You should have fun, Westie.”

Westie.It grated on me every time he said it. Even worse, that he and Elise were such great pals, he’d gotten her into the habit of calling me that too.

“Do you even remember whose party this is?”

Miles blinked at me. “Of course. I’m here to celebrate my best friend, Elise Michelle Levy.”

“Best friend?” I scoffed. “You’re not a very good friend, stumbling around, making a fool of yourself. How old is your date?”

His unfocused eyes slid to the woman in hot pink who’d accompanied him. “Sabrina is older than me, Westie. She’s your age, old man. And the only reason I’m stumbling is because I twisted my ankle when Sab and I went rock climbing this afternoon. I’m mildly blitzed. I wouldn’t get trashed at Lisie’s party. I might miss the cake.”

I crossed my arms over my chest. Now that I looked at him, he wasn’t as wasted as I’d originally assumed. Nowhere near sober, but not about to black out.

“Did you go to a doctor for the ankle?”

He waved me off, taking another long pull from his drink, which looked like straight vodka. “Nah. I’m self-medicating. I’ll go tomorrow if it’s not any better.” He chuckled to himself. “By the way, not a good idea to go climbing after eating an edible.”

Any hope I’d had for him fizzled out in that instant. “You knew better.”

He winked at me. “Sometimes you have to do stupid shit and learn your lesson afterward. That’s what makes life fun.” Then he threw his arm around my shoulders. “Now, tell me what we bought Lisie.”

I tossed him off me. “You came to her party without a gift?”

“You are, without a doubt, the most uptight person alive. Of course I got her a gift. I wanted to know what you got her.”

My jaw was going to crack from how hard I was clenching it. “New hiking boots.”

What I didn’t say was I also bought her twenty pairs of those cheeky panties that drove me insane and a gift card to her favorite lingerie store so she could buy fifty more pairs or whatever else she wanted. Those gifts were for her, but they were most certainly for me too.

I’d also given her a Suunto Sports Watch to wear hiking, a cashmere robe, and Merino wool socks.

Then there was the body cream she had a small sample tub of and loved but told me it was too expensive for her to buy. I’d bought her two, one for my place, one for hers.

She’d been mad at me, but I’d told her they were nonrefundable so she’d have to get over it.

She swiftly forgave me when I gave her the gift I’d bought during the hours I was in my office while she’d slept last night. Cooking lessons for the two of us, along with all new cookware.

Miles rubbed his hands together. “Oh, I bet she liked that. Did you know she saw a mountain lion on one of her hikes?”

I would have laughed if it didn’t irk me that she’d revealed anything about her personal life to Miles. Not that I didn’t trust Elise around him. I just didn’t think he deserved to know her.

“Did she? She should be careful.”

Elise was unwrapping presents, cooing over everything with nearly the same amount of enthusiasm as she had when she’d opened mine. I could have gotten over it had she been closer. Instead, she was on the other side of our group, a big table between us, taking great care not to look at me for too long or pay me much attention at all.

It went without saying, I was not happy.

Miles shoved his gift at her. Since the time we spoke, he’d been drinking steadily. His only saving grace was the fact that Elise didn’t seem to be bothered by it.

Elise opened his present, holding up a gold chain with a chunky goldEdangling from it.

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