Page 11 of Forbidden Grumpy Boss

“Jesus, our rent’s due in next week, isn’t it?” She looks over at the fridge where the pinned notice hangs. “I can cover for you, and you can pay me—”

I shake my head. “No, Penny. You’ve been covering for me for the last few months.” I reopen my laptop, and the screen lights up with job listings. “I gotta get a job as soon as possible.”

“I mean, you could just call your—”

I shut her down with a look. Penny knows I’m on the outs with my father. But it doesn’t stop her from suggesting that I make up with him every other week. And like clockwork, I always shut her down.

“I’d rather live in a carton under the bridge.” I squint at my screen, a stray hair falling onto my face.

“Maybe then you’d finally get laid.” Her blue eyes crinkle.

“Penny!” I burst into laughter.

Penny’s about to reply when my laptop dings with a notification. I open it and squint at the screen. My heart lurches in my chest as I read through the email.

“Oh my God,” I mouth, my eyes rereading the words on my screen.

“What?”

It’s a last-minute job listing from a recruitment agency I sometimes freelance for. My eyes widen. Shit. They need someone to fill in as a temporary personal assistant for a tech CEO.

Shit shit shit! This might be it.

I sit up, excitement buzzing through me. “Holy crap, this could be it!”

Penny glances over my shoulder. “What is it? Did you finally swipe right on someone?”

“It’s a job. And it pays!”

“What?”

“See this.” I tilt my laptop so she can read the email. “A personal assistant for Monarch Tech.”

“Monarch Tech?” Penny reads the email. “Oh, I know it. Shit, that’s a pretty big company, Leah!” She exclaims excitedly. “I read that the CEO, Waverly, just created a new film studio. And he’s in the process of releasing the studio’s debut movie.”

“So, is it a movie studio or a tech company?” I ask.

“Both?” She raises a brow. “I don’t think that matters, to be honest. All that matters is you have a job!” She squeals.

“I mean, it’s only temporary, but it pays well. And I need to get over there, like, now. This is rent!”

“This is many months’ rent!”

“Right?”

Penny claps her hands together, jumping off the couch. “Well, don’t just sit there! Let’s get you looking the part.”

We whoop as we scramble to throw something together, Penny rifling through my closet while I try to fix my hair in the bathroom mirror. I settle on a simple but chic black dress that hugs my curves just enough without making me look like I’m headed to a cocktail party. Penny insists I pair it with a cropped blazer and some ankle boots. It’s raining outside, so I grab my umbrella and toss a quick glance in the mirror.

Not bad for short notice.

“You look hot,” Penny declares as I step back into the living room. She gives me a once-over, nodding approvingly. “You’re gonna nail it. And hey, maybe the CEO’s hot. So, you can nail him, too.”

I roll my eyes, snatching my purse off the couch. “I’m not trying to sleep with my soon-to-be boss, Penny. I just want to get paid.”

“Sure, sure,” she teases. “But if he’s into weird fetishes, you know who to call.”

We both laugh as I head out the door, flying down the stairs of the old building as Penny cheers me on. Our neighbors, an old Korean family, yell in Korean that we should keep ourfuckingvoices down. They’ve said it so much that we now know what it means.

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