Page 7 of The Bonus

I continue to read out his day as he dresses in his power suit and puts his aftershave on…and shock of the century, I didn’t wear the perfume he hates.

“And that’s your day.” I smile as I close my calendar. I stand and make my way to the door.

“Gracie,” he calls.

“Yes.” I turn back.

“Can you book me a hotel for the weekend, somewhere hot and heavy.”

I stare at him, my heart breaking in my chest.

Ouch…

“Of course, sir,” I reply through the lump in my throat.

He gives me a sexy wink. “What would I ever do without you?”

Fall in love.

I fake a smile and walk out to my desk and slump in my chair.

That’s it.

This is the sign.

I’ve got to get out of here.

As much as I love Gabriel Ferrara, I can’t do this to myself anymore. I’m getting older, my biological clock is ticking, and I won’t even date anyone because I’m so blinded by my fatal attraction to my boss. Nobody stands a chance while I work with him.

I need to start thinking with my head and do what I know is right for me.

Make a future without him.

My heart constricts at the thought of not seeing him every day.

How could I bear it?

But then, it could be worse. Staying here, watching him fall in love and marry, start a family with someone else is a torture I cannot deal with.

It’s time to rip off the Band-Aid, I need a fresh start.

I open Google and type into the search bar.

Properties for sale in Greenville, Maine

I went to Greenville for my cousin Debbie’s wedding a few years ago and I just fell in love with it, and for some reason, it’s always been in the back of my mind that one day I’m going to move there.

Maybe one day is now.

I scroll through the pages, wow, it’s cheap, you can buy a three-bedroom home on a quarter of an acre for a fraction of the price of New York.

I scroll through the towns and options with my mind going into overdrive.

I could get a dog of my own.

I smile, and for the first time in a long time, hope blooms in my chest.

I’m going to do it.

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