Page 31 of Dear Grumpy Boss

“In the daylight,” I replied.

Weston angled his body toward mine. “By yourself.”

“Yes.” The weight of their glares had me sinking in my chair. “It’s a busy trail, though. I passed people every few minutes. Plus, I had my phone and bear spray. I wasn’t being stupid.”

“You’re a young, pretty woman. You can’t go on hikes alone,” Elliot said with a sense of finality.

“Thank you for saying I’m pretty. However, I lived in Chicago for three years. I’m not some naive little lamb taking myself out for slaughter. I made sure I was on a safe trail and Saoirse knew where I was.”

“It’s an unnecessary risk,” Weston added.

“Do you go on hikes alone?” I challenged.

“Of course. But since you’re not naive, you know it’s different, as maddening as that is. You shouldn’t be anywhere secluded by yourself.”

I frowned at Weston, hating that he was right about the state of the world, but I’d taken precautions and kept my wits about me. I wasn’t arguing to be stubborn. They were simply wrong.

“I think we’ll have to agree to disagree.”

“I don’t love it,bella,” Luca added soothingly.

I winged an eyebrow at him. “Et tu, Brute?”

“We want our Elise to be safe.”

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t help smiling at him. His friends could really take some lessons from him on bedside manner.

Fortunately, our food was delivered, putting a pause to them ganging up on me. And since they were three large men who’d undoubtedly put in some hard work at the gym this morning, they dove into their food, letting the topic slip away.

When they emerged from their scraped-clean plates, conversation focused on Elliot’s forthcoming trip to Dubai to visit a property his company was considering investing in. He hadn’t traveled in the month since I’d moved back, and I suspected that was purposeful. He’d been keeping an eye out for me, and I supposed he’d decided I was steady enough to leave for a week.

The men grappled over who would get the check, Weston being the most adamant. I didn’t bother trying. Not that I couldn’t have snuck in and beaten all of them, but all three would have held a grudge forever if I’d paid for them. It was not worth the trouble.

It was raining by the time we were ready to leave. We lingered under the restaurant awning, saying our goodbyes.

I took out my phone to order an Uber. Weston watched over my shoulder.

“You don’t need to order a ride.” He pressed on my screen, exiting the app. “I’ll drive you home.”

“No thank you. I don’t want you to go out of your way.”

Luca barked a laugh. “It’s not out of his way.” His eyes flicked to Weston’s. “She doesn’t know?”

Weston’s headshake was subtle. Elliot groaned.

“Oh, for god’s sake. You live in the same building as West.” Elliot pulled me into a hug before I could wrap my head around what he’d just said. “Be good while I’m gone. West and Luca are here if you need them. I’m allowing Luca to have your phone number on the caveat he doesn’t send you dick pics.”

Luca’s brows waggled. “Sexting at nine?”

I let go of Elliot to fist Luca’s T-shirt. “Come on, Grandpa. No one sexts before midnight.”

Elliot shoved a cackling Luca away from me. “No sexting. Don’t even joke about it or you’ll be getting a front-row view of my breakfast splattered on the ground.”

Weston’s palm pressed gently on the center of my back. “Wait here. I’ll go get my car so you don’t have to walk in the rain.”

“You don’t have a driver?” I was only slightly teasing.

His hand slid up to my nape and gave it a quick squeeze. “I don’t. What kind of environmentalist would I be if I was driven around in a big gas guzzler?”

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