Page 16 of Rich and Bossy

“What does it look like?”

When the kid behind the desk, with two huge eyes watching us, takes too long to answer, Paxton simply takes out his wallet and removes a hundred-dollar bill.

“Keep the change, kid!” He smiles, scoops them up, and starts to haul them out the door.

He can’t do this! Can he? There has to be some kind of stealing-someone’s-copies law.

The kid doesn’t put up a fight at the register, so Paxton heads out the door with my fliers in his arms.

“Wait!” I take off for the door. “Give me my…!” I stop my sentence and sprint even harder at him.

He’s still walking away, super-fast with gigantic strides, toward a black sixty-eight Dodge Charger. He slings them in the passenger seat through an open window, then gets into his car, laughing like a damn child. Like this is the most fun he’s had in ages.

“You can’t do that!” I run toward his door, just as he turns and smiles all big at me.

Is this seriously happening?

CHAPTER 5

Paxton

Isthis the most mature thing I’ve ever done? Not at all.

Is it the most fun I’ve had in a very long time? Absolutely. The look on her face. Priceless.

It’s pretty stupid, but I’ve behaved enough in my life. I think I’m allowed to live a little. It’s hilarious, her thinking she could catch me too. I could still walk faster than her at her full sprint.

She runs up to my car door. “This is illegal!” She stops and catches her breath a little, even though she tries not to. Then, her face hardens. “Those belong to me!”

A woman getting out of her car shoots us a curious look.

I shrug at her, then kind of gesture to Hazel like she’s nuts.

The lady shakes her head a few times and walks off.

Hazel stares at her in disbelief, then turns to me and points at her chest. “I’m not the crazy one here. I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“Maybe you want to reassess? Other people seem to not think so.”

She starts to reach through my window. “Those are mine!”

I block her with my arm, easily, and smirk at her. “I paid for them.”

She stands up, fuming at me through the window, nostrils flared like a bull ready to charge.

“They’re my intellectual property.” She says it through her teeth.

I glance over at them. “Claiming copyright on me? Bold move. Are you sure there’s something intellectual about those, though?”

“They’re mine.”

I smile at how flustered she is. “Call the cops. I can’t wait to see how this turns out. Especially after I have that nice young man in there print me a receipt for them.”

Bright, deep red floods her cheeks. “You are an infuriating man.”

“And I’m still your boss.”

“Unfortunately.”

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