Page 36 of Dear Grumpy Boss

She sighed. “Hold on, Elise. I’ll check.” She didn’t sound too optimistic.

I clicked around on my computer while I waited. It didn’t take long for her to come back.

“Elise?”

“Yes. I’m here.”

“I’m sorry, but Weston isn’t open for lunch this week.”

“Oh.” My stomach dropped with disappointment. “Did you tell him it was me?”

“I did. The answer is the same. Mr. Aldrich doesn’t normally take a formal lunch break. If you have something you’d like to speak with him about, I suggest email.”

The sting of rejection smarted. “Thank you. I’ll remember that.”

I hung up, embarrassed for thinking I could just call up the CEO and invite him to lunch. Weston obviously didn’t see me as anything other than an employee and his friend’s sister. I didn’t know why I’d thought anything had changed.

The workweek that never ended finally did. Simon, Rebecca, and I were out for drinks with Saoirse, whose office was nearby. This week it was, anyway. She was a temp for now, not ready to settle down and choose one job.

Rebecca glanced around the bar brimming with office workers looking to put a cap on their week.

“There are some tasty men here tonight,” she remarked.

Saoirse giggled. “I’m sorry, but aren’t you married?”

Rebecca arched a brow. “Married, not dead. It’s not like Sam doesn’t check out tits and asses on a regular basis. I’d be worried if he didn’t. He’s good at doing it subtly when I’m around, just as I eye up all the suit porn in my proximity.”

“It’s a shame they’re all chronically straight.” Simon leaned forward in his club chair to pick up his drink from the small round table in the center of our group.

Rebecca elbowed him. “We can be wingwomen tonight. Let’s find boys for Saoirse and Lise.”

I held up my hands. “I don’t want a boy. I’m still mangled from the last one.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes as if I was saying stupid things. “Obviously, the next one will be purely physical while you unmangle your poor heart. No need to wear out your batteries while you’re healing.”

Saoirse nodded. “Thereisan awful lot of buzzing coming from your room at all hours. It’s distracting if you must know.”

A surprised laugh burst out of me. “Oh, shut up. That isn’t true and you know it.”

She shrugged, her eyes darting to the side. “I’m not judging. I’m just saying, the real thing might be more satisfying than silicone.”

As the three of them plotted to find me a real-life man to get the job done, a group of suited men entering the bar distracted me. Weston was surrounded by some of the suits who’d been visiting Andes headquarters this week. As he took a seat, his eyes flicked up, searching. They landed on me and flared.

I nodded. He nodded back, his full lips tipping into a small smile. I took a long pull from my drink, attempting to pay attention to my friends, not Weston Aldrich. He wasn’t looking at me anymore, anyway. The men had pulled him into conversation.

Rebecca leaned into me, tipping her drink toward a group of men standing together at the bar. “What about that one? He keeps looking over here.”

I glanced that way. “Which one?”

“The tallest one, with the beard. He’s cute.”

Saoirse twisted around to check out the guys, not even trying to be subtle about it. “Oooh, yes. He’s a little bit ginger, Lisie. Have you had a ginger before?” She turned back in her seat, her pretty face alight with excitement.

“You know every guy I’ve been with,” I reminded her.

She nodded. “True. No gingers in the bunch.”

Simon angled toward her. “How big of a bunch are we talking here?”

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