Page 118 of Dear Grumpy Boss

From:[email protected]

Dear Grumpy Boss,

Thatisunfortunate. I was very much looking forward to our lunch plans. Lucky for me, another Aldrich has volunteered to take your place.

Miles says hi, by the way.

Those two days were worth the slap in the face, right? Mine probably wasn’t as harsh as the one you experienced, but I’m hitting the ground running this morning.

Worth it, though. I’ve never felt more peaceful than I did this weekend with you.

I hope you have time to take a breath today.

Wistfully,

Elise

One breath. That was all I had time for. I sat back in my chair, sucking it in as pictures of our weekend flashed through my mind. I’d taken Elise to my spot, and she’d been all in. We spent two solid days hiking, fishing, and fucking under the stars.

She was easy to be with. So damn easy that when we were apart, which was more often than I liked, everyone else struck me as drudgery.

It had been a month since her birthday. For Elise and me, that month had been smooth. Without the looming deadline of telling Elliot hanging over our heads, we’d been able to let ourselves sink into our relationship.

Things between Elliot and me were getting better. He was wary, and rightfully so since he’d had a front row to my past relationships. Two weeks ago, he’d nearly knocked me out at the gym.

I put my phone down on the mat next to the weights, cursing under my breath. Disappointment sat like lead in my gut.

“Troubles?” Luca asked.

“I’ve got to fly out to California tonight to meet with our lawyers tomorrow morning,” I answered.

Elliot had stopped lifting, tuning in to our conversation.

“Why is that a problem?” Luca shrugged. “That sounds like a typical day for you.”

“Elise and I are supposed to be starting cooking lessons. I’m going to have to miss them. I have to be in California to meet with my team tonight.”

Elliot scoffed, wiping his face with a towel. He didn’t say anything, but I could almost hear his mind going.

“Oooh, cooking with Elise?” Luca bounced on his toes. “Tell me where it is. I’ll go with her.”

“No,” I barked, immediately and violently opposed to the idea. “It’s for her and me.”

“Then you should be here to go with her.” Elliot dropped his towel and approached where Luca and I were by the weights.

“If I could, I would. Believe me, I’d much rather be here with Elise than out there dealing with supply chain problems.”

His frown deepened. “Two weeks and you’re already letting her down. I warned her this would happen, and here we go. I have to say, it’s sooner than I expected.”

“Come on, Elliot. Elise will understand,” Luca chided.

“Sure she will. That’s who she is.” Elliot met my gaze in the mirror. “Will you be spending this evening with Marisol instead of my sister?”

I stiffened at his question. I loathed giving him the answer. “She’s the supply chain manager. Of course she’ll be there. If there wasanythingI could do about this, I would—”

Elliot took a step toward me, his jaw like iron. “You are the CEO and owner of the company. These people work for you, West. If you want to spend your evening with your girlfriend instead of your ex, you can and should make that happen. All I see is a man not willing to change or bend. My sister will be the one who changes and bends, and in the end, neither of you will like what that turns her into. This is your opportunity to set a precedent. Don’t bullshit me and don’t bullshit yourself.”

Heavy, hot breath heaved out of his nostrils as he stared me down. I was at a loss. That was the most I’d heard Elliot speak at once in all the years I’d known him. My mind was scrambling to take it all in.

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