Page 33 of Sutton's CEO

If the guilty look didn’t give him away, his blush said it all. I laughed before rolling my eyes. Then I sat on the tiny scrap of a seat next to Nico and made him scoot over so that I could see what was on his phone.

His bony ass didn’t want to make room. But begrudgingly he complied.

“You know that it’s fake, right?” I teased, waiting for the reaction.

Nico didn’t disappoint. “Fake? I will have you know that I have met someone that knows the person who styles their hair and they are just as wild as they look on television.”

“Your aunt’s sister’s dog groomer?” I flagged the bartender down and ordered a glass of water.

Nico scowled at me. “Do you really think you are funny?”

I grinned. “Of course, I do. And you are too polite to tell me otherwise. Now, I have a situation that I need help with.”

Nico brightened. “And you came to me?”

I nodded. “Absolutely. Nico, this is serious. I am to attend my first fundraiser Saturday night. I have to knock their socks off.”

“Is Bethany the Bitch still giving you problems?”

I had filled Nico in on my office drama and he was much more sympathetic than Mark had been. I finally finished reading all of those emails—it only took me two weeks. When I explained to Nico how Bethany had treated me and all of the backlogs of emails, he gave me some good advice.

Nico told me to find one of the top performers in marketing that I felt comfortable with and then to promote them as a liaison/personal assistant but to give them a fancy title so that they wouldn’t take offense.

I hired Candice right off. She has sleek dark brown hair and several dark moles on her face, giving her an exotic look. She’s curvier than most of the women I have met in the city and isn’t afraid to wear things that show off her body. Her instincts are sharp, and she has kind eyes.

Bethany about had a conniption and that alone kept me on cloud nine for days. Mark was impressed with my initiative, and I hated bursting the bubble that it had been Nico’s idea originally. I said that I had the idea to go with Candice and that she was by far the best.

I thought he would argue with me or get mad when I offered Candice a twenty-thousand-dollar raise with bonus potential. But he didn’t bat an eye when I gave him the terms.

Candice now went through all of my emails and sorted them into the different projects and prioritized them, so I knew what to get to first. I gave her the office next to mine, much to Bethany’s outrage, and gave Candice the title of Creative Director.

Nico had been spot-on with his advice, and I knew that he would be the one to see me through this fundraiser.

“Bethany isn’t speaking to me unless she has to put a call through. She was so pissed that Candice got an office when she didn’t that she seems to have washed her hands of the both of us.”

Nico raised a brow. “Lucky girls.”

I laughed. “No doubt. Nico, I have to look amazing at this event. I will be meeting a lot of clients and potential clients.”

He gave me a shrewd look. “You just want to look better than Bethany.”

I glowered at him. “That is completely beneath me.” Then after a short pause, I added, “Fuck it. I need to look better than Bethany the Bitch.”

Nico barked out a laugh, “Well, you are in luck because I have some new designer gowns set aside just for you.”

I blinked, “You knew I would need them?”

“Darling, this might be your first rodeo, but it certainly isn’t mine. There are a few that were designed with your measurements in mind and a few others that were your size, so I have them as well. Where would you like to try them on?”

“Can we do the apartment?” I asked hopefully. “I hate having to strip down that many times behind a curtain.”

Nico smiled, “I will bring them all to your apartment. Are you going to eat anything?”

I glanced around at the food. There were carrot strings and strange green sauces over what I hoped was chicken that I wouldn’t have touched with a ten-foot pole.

My nose wrinkled, and Nico laughed. “Do you want to stop at the golden arches for a cheeseburger?”

I beamed at him. “That would be perfect. I promise that I am cutting way back on them. It’s just that the food at some of these places is so strange.”

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