Page 12 of Dear Grumpy Boss

I sucked in a breath. “Backstabber.”

Simon picked up his knife and did aPsychoimitation. “Totalreh-reh-rehscreaming-in-horror moment.”

“What did Weston do?” I asked.

Rebecca pressed on her freckled cheeks. “It was glorious.”

Simon nodded. “He brought Dave back to the creative floor, forced him to tell everyone abouthisbrilliant ideas, then gave him the dressing down of a lifetime. I wish I’d recorded it. Dave never showed his Canadian face at the office again.”

Rebecca’s eyes darted to the side. “Speak of the devil.”

I turned—and there was nothing subtle about my movement. Weston Aldrich was walking through the cafeteria, an older woman on one side, a man around his age on the other. As far as I had seen, Weston and the man were the only people wearing suits in the building.

They were in conversation, but Weston paused each time he was greeted, giving nods or exchanging a few words.

“Do people like him?” I asked, my eyes still drinking in the man I first met when I was a little girl.

“He’s well respected,” Rebecca answered.

“It’s hard to really like a man that…untouchable, I guess is the word,” Simon added. “I don’t mean that in a bad way. He’s involved in the company on every level, and he’s approachable. It’s just that no one really knows him. Well, aside from his assistant, Renata.”

Weston suddenly turned his head, as if sensing we were talking about him even though he was too far away to hear our quiet conversation. His searching gaze found mine easily. His eyes scanned from the top of my head down to the table, where my hands were clasped, then returned to my eyes.

My heart was trapped in my throat. I couldn’t have looked away if I’d wanted to. Weston Aldrich had grown into a beautiful man, of that, there was no doubt. Then again, I’d thought he was beautiful when I was ten and he was fourteen and he sat with me in my family’s den where I’d hidden during my father’s Shiva.

His mouth moved, forming one word that made my insides revolt.

“Ellie.”

His nickname for me. The one that had caught on—

No. I wasn’t going to think about that now. Not with my new coworkers in my new life. I’d left that in the past.

I straightened in my seat, cutting off eye contact with Weston. Rebecca and Simon were both staring at me, their eyes wide.

“What was that?” Rebecca demanded in a gentle, joking way.

“So”—I tucked my hair behind one ear—“my brother and Weston were…well,aregood friends.”

“Oh shite.” Simon scrubbed at his mouth. “Did I say anything bad? I don’t think I did, but—”

I reached across the table to pat his hand. “Stop, please. I barely know Weston. I promise, I’m not reporting back what you say about him. And no, you didn’t say anything bad.”

Simon and Rebecca exchanged looks, like they didn’t quite know what to believe.

Then Simon started mumbling, “Oh shite, oh shite, oh shite,” before perking up into a sunny smile. “Mr. Aldrich.”

Rebecca waved at the man standing right behind my left shoulder, his hand gripping the back of my chair.

“Hi, Mr. Aldrich.”

“Rebecca, Simon. Having a good lunch?” His voice. I’d forgotten what it had sounded like in person. When I heard him in the background of my phone calls with my brother, distance dulled some of the effect. In person, it was rich and smooth, like the finest morsel of dark chocolate.

Simon blushed as he nodded vigorously. “We are. Rebecca and I are getting to know our newest employee.”

“The kombucha is delicious,” Rebecca added, her cheeks turning a deep shade of pink that matched Simon’s.

“That’s good to know.” He turned, moving beside me, effectively blocking my view of my lunch mates. I had to tip my head back to see him. He was staring down at me with an impassive expression. “How is your first day?”

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