Page 37 of Hate Notes

I paused at her door, watching her for a moment longer than I should have. "Goodnight, Ember."

Catman followed me to the front door, watching me with his one good eye as I locked up. Just before I left, I could have sworn the ancient creature gave me an approving nod.

Not that it mattered. She was still my employee. Still off limits. Still... complicated.

I headed home, telling myself the warmth in my chest was just from the wine at dinner.

I almost believed it.

17

EMBER

Iwoke up to three terrible realizations:

First, someone had replaced my brain with a throbbing ball of regret. I knew it was bad because I was trying to remember how manybottlesI had, not how many glasses I had.

Second, I was still wearing yesterday's clothes, minus my shoes which were placed neatly by my bed, along with aspirin and water. Had Orion done that?

And third, most horrifyingly of all, fragments of last night were starting to come back to me. Including, but not limited to, telling my boss he had an amazing butt that could probably give me a black eye. If you asked me, it was a very unique and flattering compliment, but I wished I had kept that one to myself.

There were other memories trying to surface—something about calling him "Daddy" and suggesting tickle torture?—but I shoved those into the deep dark place where embarrassing moments go to die.

"Oh God," I groaned into my pillow. "Just kill me now."

Catman's sandpapery tongue on my exposed foot made me yelp. "What?" I asked him. "Come to finish me off while I'm weak? Is this finally it? Have you chosen today to reveal your true nature as an immortal death-bringer?"

He just stared at me with his one eye, then hopped onto my dresser and knocked over my phone. The clatter made my head split, but I noticed the screen lighting up with notifications.

Kora:Girl. You better call me with details about dinner.

Kora:Did you and Mr. Hottie Boss Man finally tear each other's clothes off or what?

Kora:Hello??? Don't leave me hanging! Did you at least kiss him?

Kora:If you're dead in a ditch somewhere I'm going to be really annoyed.

Cole:This Davenport lead is good work, Ember. I'm impressed. I can see why Orion is sniffing around him. You know, I sometimes think about how good we used to be together. Kylie is going to be out of town for cosmetic surgery next week. Maybe we could spend a little time together?

I stared at the text from Cole with two distinct flavors of disgust. One? I already hated that I had carelessly fed him something that might actually help him and hurt Orion. Two?Barf.Mega barf. Super-sized barf with a side of what-the-actual-fuck. I couldn't believe the man was such a goddamn snake. He cheated on me with Kylie and now he was basically suggesting we reverse cheat when his new mistress was out of town for cosmetic surgery? The levels of ick were astronomical.

I nearly threw my phone across the room before I saw the email notification from Orion. The subject line simply read "Urgent." That couldn't be good.

I grabbed the aspirin and water, downed them, then opened Orion's email with trembling fingers.

Miss Hartwell,

Meeting in my office. 8AM sharp. Regarding appropriate workplace conduct and professional boundaries.

-O. Foster

I checked the time. 7:43AM.

"Shit!" I scrambled out of bed, nearly face-planting when my legs tangled in the blanket. How was I supposed to face Orion today? After last night? After the butt comment? After calling him Daddy? Oh God, had I actually booped his nose?

I threw on fresh clothes, ran a brush through my hair, and made it to the office at 8:37AM, walking straight into Orion's office without bothering to knock. At this point, what was one more breach of professional conduct?

I found him standing by his desk looking... amused? That couldn't be right. My hangover must be causing hallucinations.

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