Page 91 of Rich and Bossy

That has to be a crime, right? For him to do stuff that makes me think about him all the time and feel guilty for things I shouldn’t feel guilty about?

Wow, you’re losing it.

Campbell pretends to be blissfully unaware of my guilt, but she’s hiding it. I know she knows. She’s so smart and pretty.

She glances at the tv, then nudges me with her shoulder. Her phone keeps blowing up while the lawyers sit at her little table in the hotel suite, working on laptops, drawing up paperwork.

“What’d I tell you? Producers are blowing up my texts. Decker’s forwarding everything to my phone. Everyone wants you for the first block on their programs. It’s going national faster than I thought.”

I wish my smile didn’t feel so forced.

I wish Paxton didn’t hate me.

But I know he does now.

CHAPTER 25

Paxton

Oh boy,this is going to be a fun one.

I’m trying to make my way into the corporate office. Finally got out of that nightmare of a traffic jam. All through the ride, I’ve prepared myself, even run through a few things that I think can get me through the morning. I just have to calm the panic. The largest investors and the board. I get them to leave me alone and all will be well. I can get a handle on this. I’ve always been able to do anything I’ve set my mind to.

When I stroll in, the legal team is all over the place, and there’s horror on all their faces.

Well that’s not good.

It’s not them I’m most concerned with though. Bree asked me to go to the conference room when I got here. I knew the head of legal and several departments affected would be waiting. They want guidance. They want a leader to take charge and tell them what to do, and I’m the person they’re looking to for that.

John comes up to me in the hall. He looks like he’s about to lose it. I hate knowing all the anxiety he must be dealing with.

“Just relax, man. I’ll take care of this.”

“How the fuck you gonna take care of it?” he whisper-screams in my ear.

I glare at him likeman up. “I’ll get them under control, give them direction. We need to avoid a panic, and your face isn’t helping matters. Lose your shit in private, not where anyone else can see. Okay?”

He nods along, like he understands. Then we walk in together.

It feels kind of good, actually. I’m not going to lie, for a split-second it’s like the old days. The two of us together, fighting insurmountable odds. I truly believe it’s those hard times, when we were eating fried bologna and Ramen, working twenty-four seven that made our friendship as strong as it is.

If we could get through more almost-fist-fights than I can count, we can find a way through this. Part of me loves this. We’ve been so comfortable for so long. I forgot what it’s like to fight in the trenches.

I just don’t want to fucking fight Hazel!

I look at him one last time before we get through the doors. “Lock it up.” I give him my hardest stare I can manage.

He bursts out laughing. “How the hell you gonna pull aWedding Crasherson me right now?” Then he stares back, trying not to laugh, and finally manages. “No, you lock it up.”

“Lock it up.” Then I push through the doors, smiling like I don’t have a care in the world.

We both march into the large, sunlight-filled room. “Where are we?” I roll up my sleeves, prepared to spend the entire day in this room if necessary. Bree muttered something about ordering food and coffee to be delivered. It occurs to me now that I barely acknowledged her at the time. Too busy questioning everything about my personal life to be able to focus right then.

I need to apologize to her for that.

It’s only been a matter of hours since I was last with Hazel. And this isn’t the sort of situation that comes together overnight. She knew damn well what she had in store this morning, and part of me is kind of impressed at how well she compartmentalized everything.

She could be a damn CEO if she wanted. I know how dangerous—not to mention pointless—it is to keep letting my mind drift, but I’m only human.

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