Page 9 of The Bonus

He pulls his shirt around his shoulders. “I don’t know. Earrings, necklace…some bullshit.”

I roll my eyes and take out my notepad. “Umm…what are we talking? Gold, silver…platinum?”

He twists his lips. “Gold.”

“What’s the budget?”

“I don’t know, you pick.”

I exhale as I write it down. “Diamonds?”

“Fuck no.” He fakes a shiver as if disgusted.

I glance up. “Why fuck no?”

“I’ll only ever buy a diamond for someone I love.”

“You should probably buy yourself a few, then,” I mutter, deadpan.

He smirks as he buttons up his shirt. “I am the diamond.”

No shit, Sherlock. A diamond python. Looks pretty…but if left unattended, will suffocate you to death.

“Okay…if you say so.” I roll my eyes.

Thump, thump, thump goes my heart. I can’t wait until the end of our meeting; I need to tell him now. I pull out the envelope and hold it out to him. “I’ve got something for you.”

He turns and his eyes fall to the envelope and then rise to meet mine.

“What’s this?”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “It’s my resignation.”

His face falls. “What?”

“I….”

“No.”

“Gabriel…I’m not asking for your permission. I am leaving.”

He snatches the envelope from my hand and tears it in half and then throws it in the wastepaper basket. “You will do no such thing.”

Here we go.

He marches to the door and opens it in a rush. “Go back to your desk and get to work.”

“No.”

“Do. As. I. Say,” he growls.

“No.”

“Do not tell me no!” He’s about to go into cardiac arrest. “You work for me, not the other way around.”

“You’re in your underpants, you know?” I gesture down at his body. “The whole office could walk in and see you.”

“I fucking know that,” he screams, but he must realize that I’m right, and he slams the door shut again. He marches over to his suit as it lies on the chair.

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