Page 68 of Rich and Bossy

His eyes narrow, his brain still has to be running a thousand miles an hour. “Okay. Okay.” He rolls his shoulders back, lifting his chin. He speaks slow and deliberately, and it’s obvious he’s trying not to melt down. “Now, I’m… Uhh, I’m trying to separate our personal relationship from the professional side of things. As a friend, you know I’ve always got your back. Right? Like, no bullshit, no joke. I’m always on your side.”

“I appreciate that.” I lean back a little, knowing the hammer is about to drop.

Sure enough, his jaw tenses, and his words start coming through his teeth. “This is a horrendous fucking idea.”

“I'm aware.”

He waves a dismissive hand at me. “Like, even if I wanted to supportthis... whateverthisfucking is, you know I can’t.Right? Like I legit legally cannot fucking do it.”

“Thought the laws don’t apply to us? That’s what you said about the union-busting shit.”

“Oh, pull your head out of your ass, Pax. The law doesn’t apply in reverse. It’s one-sided as fuck. It doesn’t workagainstpeople like our investors. No, I would be in actual legal jeopardy iftheycaught wind of this bullshit, and you know that. You know it, and you’re still sitting there, like this relationship is even possible for you.”

Why do I like the sound of a relationship with Hazel and me?

My bland, quiet acceptance seems to only exacerbate things. His face begins to go red.

His head starts to shake, like the frustration is finally settling in and bubbling up. “We’ll lose the whole fucking company. I mean, we can act all we want like we own the place, but we don’t. That whole IPO thing, remember that? The thing that allowed us to blast into the stratosphere and take over the world? It also means the company doesn’t belong solely to us. They have us by the fucking nuts, and if your little girlfriend keeps making waves, they will absolutely relieve us of a decade and a half of work. They will replace us with people who will crush her under their heel.”

“I sure do appreciate this refresher course in how business works.”

“Cut the bullshit.”

“Fine. No bullshit. I know exactly what you’re saying. You weren’t telling me anything I don’t already know. But it’s not like I intended for any of this to happen.”

“How long has it been happening?” He points down at the table. “How long were you going to wait to tell me? If I hadn’t figured it out.”

“Not long, I swear. Possibly during this conversation, depending on how it was going. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“I know.” He slumps again, looking miserable. “And that’s the only reason I’m not breaking this bottle over the table and slitting your giant fucking neck with it.”

“Thank you for your restraint.”

“You’re welcome. Just… Fuckkk.” He draws out the word again. He rubs his temples, his face reminding me of the way Dad used to look when Poppy and I would bicker nonstop. “You want to date her? Fine. But can you please get her to stop this shit? That’s the only way this can work. Either you forget about her and we bury this union talk, or you get her to stop. Because if this goes the way it’s going, and you’re trying to be with her… You’re a smart guy. You know what Ihaveto do. And you know I won’t enjoy doing it. I’ll have to do things that make you fucking hate me. We can try to get things a little better over there. We’re creative, but she’s not getting every goddamn thing on her wishlist. Not even close. She’s just not. We can’t deliver that.”

“I know. And to be honest, it’s going to be fine.”

“How so?” He stares at me like I’m an idiot.

“I kind of got into it with her, after the meeting. She saw me there and we went outside. I said some shit. It was bad.”

“Damn. Yeah, with your temper, I imagine it was.”

“She stormed off, told me I won. Said I got what I wanted, she’s done. I think she’s scared of what will happen if she moves forward with it.”

He sits there, staring at me for a long time. “I’m sorry, man.”

My eyes widen a little. “What? Why? I just said things are probably going back to normal.”

“Yeah, but you also fucking said you really like her, and then you said you went off and fucked it all up. I’m sure that’s bothering you. It sucks, man. Hence why I said I’m sorry, like a good best friend would.”

He still amazes me sometimes. He really is a selfless guy. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. This does make my job easier, as difficult as it is for you. If she’s really done, I will ease up as much as I can. I love you, man. I’ll always have your back.”

“Thanks.”

“You’re welcome. You’re all I have too, you know?”

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