Page 6 of The Bonus

He lets out a deep chuckle. “You will always be my Gracie.” He walks to the coffee machine and begins making us coffee. “What’s on the agenda today, boss?” He smiles.

I stare at him as a clusterfuck of emotion runs through me.

Did you fuck her?

Of course you did. I slump into my chair at his desk.

I open his computer and see him bend and pick something up from the floor. “What’s this?” he asks.

“What?”

He opens a booklet. “It’s a pamphlet on Sardinia.”

“Oh, it must have fallen out of my calendar.”

His eyes rise to meet mine. “Why do you have this?”

“Because I never want to go there, what do you think?” I roll my eyes as I click through to his calendar.

“You want to go to Italy?” he asks, as if surprised.

“Of course I want to go to Italy,” I scoff. “Everyone wants to go to Italy.”

He sits down on the corner of his desk. “I’ll take you one day.”

I twist my lips, annoyed. I hate you…remember?

Get with the program.

“What, you don’t believe me?” he asks.

I exhale heavily. “Will you just get dressed.”

He holds his hands out as if surrendering. “You don’t like me in a towel?”

“No. I don’t, actually,” I lie.

I love you in a towel.

“It’s off-putting having to watch you get dressed every day, and frankly, very annoying. I don’t make you watch me get dressed.”

“Ahh…” He laughs. “Wouldn’t that be something, Gracie Porter getting dressed in my office.”

I glare at him as I point to the coffee machine. “Make my coffee, Gabriel. You have a very busy day, seeing as you didn’t come back from lunch yesterday.” I widen my eyes to try to stop myself from throwing a tantrum on the floor.

He smiles, amused, and begins to make our coffee.

Calm, calm…keep fucking calm.

“At nine thirty you have a teleconference with London.” I begin to read through his day. From my peripheral vision I see his towel drop in his wardrobe, I glance up to see his bare bottom and I die a little inside.

I really can’t do this anymore.

I love him, completely and utterly love him, and I’m just…I don’t count to him at all.

The calendar on the screen blurs as my eyes fill with tears.

Focus.

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