Page 36 of My Not So Wicked Boss (My Not So Wicked 3)

His curt response knocked the air right out of me. I sat stunned for several seconds, having an awful staring contest with him as he waited for my reply. When I could finally catch my breath, I stood on shaky legs, willing my lip not to quiver. “Thank you for clearing that up, Mr. Wickham. Good night.” I marched out the door.

“Aspen, wait,” he called after I was already down the hall.

He could keep on calling. I wouldn’t be answering. But maybe one day I would thank him for reminding me exactly why I kept myself closed-off and for burying the key to my heart just a bit deeper.Chapter Thirteen“Come out and show us how you look, darlin’,” Shelby drawled.

I looked at myself one more time in the dressing room mirror. I loved the long, camel sweater with the white camisole and black leggings. I even liked the leopard print flats Shelby said would make the outfit. Not sure I loved the price, even with the discount Shelby was giving me. I never spent this much on clothes—I could never afford to.

I walked out to my audience, which consisted of Emma, who was holding Henry on her lap, and Shelby, who was standing there ready to pounce on me.

“Miss Aspen, these pieces were made for you. You look hotter than a firecracker on the Fourth of July.”

Her Southern sayings killed me.

“Looks like a good kiss-and-make-up outfit,” Emma wiggled her brows.

“Please, let’s not talk about him anymore.” I was still seething about last night. I didn’t even bother to film his stupid dance ritual or say goodbye to him. I grabbed Henry, his clothes, and escaped to the cottage. After dropping Chloe off at school, I ran a few errands and then came straight to Shelby’s boutique looking to blow off some steam.

“You pretty, Nanny.” Henry melted my heart and reminded me why I wasn’t quitting.

But that got me to thinking. “I better not buy anything new. What if he fires me?”

Emma waved off my concern. “He’s not going to fire you.”

Shelby hugged me and patted my back. “Of course he won’t, sugar.”

“I don’t know; he was pretty livid.”

“Yeah, well,” Emma snuggled Henry closer, “no one likes to be told they are doing something wrong, especially when it’s true. Besides, who’s going to watch this cute kid for him?” She kissed Henry’s cheeks repeatedly, making him giggle.

“I don’t think he would have a hard time replacing me.”

Shelby started taking off the sweater, wanting me to try on the other items she had picked out for me. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. He’s going to come to his senses and beg you to forgive him.”

“And if not, we’ll order a cockroach in his honor.” Emma laughed evilly.

Shelby squirmed. She still wasn’t over us making her watch meerkats devour cockroaches named after the men who had done us wrong, namely Leland and Ryder at the time. The cockroach named Ryder, however, had escaped. I supposed that was fitting, seeing as Ryder and Shelby were married now and already procreating. Leland was getting a cockroach a week named after him now that I had some extra cash. Watching him die a painful death weekly would do me good.

“It’s not a bad idea,” I agreed with Emma.

“Y’all are just being silly.” Shelby pushed me back in the dressing room. “I’m telling you, the man is taken with you. Now change. I want to take some pictures of you for my social media pages.”

That reminded me of all the comments Miles was getting on his pages begging for a new song to be uploaded and for him to father hundreds of children. As pretty as those babies would be, they would all be neglected. Stupid man. I ripped off the camisole and leggings and threw on the skinny jeans and olive jacket Shelby picked out next for me. When I came out, Shelby tied a matching scarf around my neck and gave me some leather wedges to put on.

“Perfect,” Shelby exclaimed. “Let me get my phone out. With you as my model, I’ll be selling out of this jacket before I know it.”

“I doubt it.”

“Please, you’re gorgeous,” Emma quipped.

“I’m PMS bloated.”

“You want to talk about bloated? I’ve lost fifteen pounds in the last few months and still can’t eat or drink without puking—even Dr. Pepper—but despite all that, I couldn’t zip my pants up this morning. How fair is that?” Emma complained. “And why do these babies hate my favorite drink? The thought of raising offspring who prefer water like their father is unthinkable.” She faux frowned. “I still blame you, Shelby, for making me go on that sugar-free kick. My children were conceived without enough corn syrup running through their DNA.”

We all had a good laugh.

Marlowe walked through the fabric curtains that separated the dressing room area from the rest of the boutique. She must have just gotten to work. She looked surprised to see us all there, especially young Henry. The normally poised and stand-offish Marlowe turned ashen when she noticed him and stammered, “I’ll talk to you later, Shelby.” She couldn’t get out of there fast enough. In her haste, she got tangled up in the curtain.

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