Page 64 of Rich and Bossy

“Wake up.” I fire back, dropping the act. “This is your business. The people who work for you are what comprise yourbusiness. You sit back and count your money. Someone’s going to get hurt in there. It’s insane.” I point a finger. “And it’ll be on you, whatever happens to them. Because you don’t give a damn.” I thrust a finger upward, toward the windows of the conference room where that embarrassment of a meeting is still taking place. “You’re not the one sitting up there right now, having your livelihood threatened. What the hell kind of thing is that to say to somebody? That if they join a union fifteen percent of the people are going to be put on the street without a job.”

“I told you I’d look into it. We’re going in circles here.” He says the words through his teeth.

It’s a damn good thing everybody is upstairs. We’re not exactly using inside voices.

“And I’m telling you, take responsibility for that garbage. It’s your building, and your company.”

His head snaps back. “You’re not in a position to demand anything of me.”

“You followed me out here to hear what I have to say. Sit there and listen or get out of my way like I’ve asked numerous times.”

Now, he’s seething. He does the hair pull thing again.

He doesn’t see anyone up there as a person, just assets. Investments.

“I’m not even real to you, am I? None of us are.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means if you can win me over, you’re a good guy. You don’t really care, you just want to ease your conscience. If you can convince me you’re not some heartless bastard who runs people into the ground for profit. If I can like you, you’re not doing such a bad job at pretending to be human.”

“That’s ridiculous.” He laughs at the notion. “You’re wrong about me. I do care about people.”

“I don’t think I am. You wouldn’t beg me to talk to you, then act like a complete jerk when you hear what you don’t want to hear.”

This is not a man accustomed to being put on the spot. He sputters, red-faced. “We’re fighting. That’s the kind of shit you do when you argue. Sorry if I’m not kinder or gentler, but you’re not exactly being gentle, either. You’re not exactly humanizing me either.”

“More than I should. You have no idea.” I know it’s dangerous, being this close, but I step up to him. If I were taller, it might have more of an effect. As it stands, I’m like a little child having to tilt her head way back to look up at an adult. “You’re trying to bully your way out of this. You understand what I’m saying?”

“I don’t even think you understand what you’re saying.”

“Talking down to me. You’re determined to prove my point, aren’t you?”

“What is your point? That you’re determined to hate me no matter what?”

“No. That deep down inside, you’ll never see me as an equal. Not me, not any of us. And you can tell me all you want how sorry you are, how bad you feel for us, but it doesn’t mean a damn thing unless you’re willing to risk something to change that. Don’t pretend your hands are tied. You could do the right thing if you wanted to, but you don’t have the courage to do it. We are all expendable to you. You’re acoward.” I glare back at him.

For the first time, he reveals a new aspect of his personality to me: his ability to be nasty. A wicked grin touches his lips. “You can sit in your classrooms all day long, soaking up all kinds of knowledge from professors who never did shit in their life, who never built shit in their lives, but you don’t have the first clue of the complications and pressures that come with running a publiccompany. But you sit there and pat yourself on the back and call yourself a hero, then stomp your feet and whine when stuff doesn’t happen as fast as you want it to.” Now, he takes a step toward me and his eyes narrow. “You wouldn’t know real risk if it bit you in the fucking ass, Hazel. This is my life’s work. For you, it’s a goddamn stepping stone.”

“Avoid tough decisions all you want. Talk your way around this all you want. You’re an asshole.” Is there too much desperation leaking into my voice? Probably, and I’m sure it’s written all over my face, too. I see myself reflected in his eyes, and the way they crinkle at the corners like he’s in pain tells me somewhere deep inside, he sees me. He recognizes me, recognizes the truth of what I’m saying. “You can’t play both sides of this.”

His expression hardens again. “If you think you can destroy my company, think again, sweetheart. You haven’t seen a fucking thing I’m capable of yet.”

“Thank God, the real you finally came out. I really mean that.” I shoulder past him. What a condescending jerk, but at least I finally got the real him to come out.

“Hazel. Fuck…”

I keep going. I don’t care how remorseful he tries to sound. It’s all an act with him. “Go celebrate. You just won. I’m done.”

Is it horrible that I feel bad for lying to him just now? He has no idea I’m working with Campbell. That element of surprise is one of our biggest assets. I’m not a liar, but he makes me so mad. The worst part is, I don’t want to hurt him, still. Even after everything he’s said. But I care more about the people inside than I do about some potential thing between me and Paxton.

Something that cannot happen now, after the way he just behaved.

He makes me stupid. He turns me into someone I’m not.

“Wait, you’re done?”

“Yep. Hope you’re happy.” I bust through the door and head toward my car.

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