Page 11 of The Enemies With Benefits Deal

Mac chuckles and points a fry at me. “You might not like her, but I know that look on your face.”

I finish off my burger, wiping my fingers on my napkin. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You look like you want to go over there and spend far too much time trying to convince her to come home with you.”

“Not a chance.” I lean back in the seat, but my gaze flicks over to Jade once more as she laughs and heads to the bar with her friend. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

It takes longer to get to the restroom by heading across the bar and into the main part of the restaurant. I dodge the toddler as he runs laps around the tables.

His parents don’t seem to care, fawning over the new little baby in the woman’s lap.

It’s going to be a rough life if they’re already like that, kid.

Thankfully, I didn’t have a sibling. Or unfortunately.

I still haven’t made up my mind about that.

I shove open the door to the restroom, where I take my time washing the sticky remnants of the barbecue sauce from my fingers. If I’m lucky, I can stay in here long enough for Jade and her friend to sit at a table, and then I can sneak past her.

I finish washing my hands, drying them off on a paper towel before heading back out.

A body collides with mine as I step out of the bathroom hallway.

I reach out to grab the person I ran into, steadying them before I get a good look at who it is.

When I see Jade standing there, I pull my hands back like I’ve been burned. She glares at me, her shoulders tensing.

I take a step back. “You should really watch where you’re going.”

Her eyebrows raise, full lips pursing together. “Of course you would be here. I came out tonight to let off a little steam after spending the entire week with you glaring at the side of my head, and now this?”

I scoff, stuffing my hands into the pockets of my slacks. “I was the one who brought you here in the first place.”

“Look, can we just pretend that we never saw each other?”

“I wish.” I go to step around her, but she steps into my path, planting her hands on those full hips. “What now?”

“You and I have to have a meeting on Monday. You’re the only one who’s dodging the interview I’ve been doing.”

“Not happening.” I try to step around her again, but she has a knack for getting in the way and taking up as much space as possible, even though she’s all of five-foot-nothing.

“Unless you have better ideas for what to do with the company, you’re going to be in that meeting with me first thing Monday morning.”

Scoffing, I push past her. “Not going to happen.”

Her heels click against the floor as she hurries after me, darting into my path again. “You think you have better ideas and that means you don’t have to come to the interview?”

“You know I do.” I look down at her, grinning just to annoy her more. “You don’t know the first thing about LRH Global, and it shows.”

“Fine.” She smiles, and for a second, I think I’ve made a wild miscalculation. “If that’s the way you feel, then you can present your ideas to the board at the meeting Monday afternoon, and I’ll present mine.”

“We’ll see if you can. It looks like you plan to spend your weekend slacking off.”

I’ve touched a nerve, but I don’t care. She should know by now that I’m not going to let her take control of the company without a fight.

Dad might be willing to bow down to her every whim under the pretense that she’s doing what’s best for the company. He used to pay more attention to people and their tricks, but since he’s started easing back, he doesn’t.

Which means that it’s up to me to keep the she-devil from ruining everything I’ve been working for.

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