Page 143 of The Stud

“Yeah, because I see you just pounding on the boss’s door, begging to be traded so we can publicly be together!”

“No need to pound,” Hennington unexpectedly interjects into the conversation, snapping our stare to where she’s standing beside Audrey as well as Khurana who has been filming for some unknown amount of time. “This was plenty.”

Chapter 24

Arden

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

This isnothow this evening was supposed to go!

We were supposed to meet here separately.

Maintaining our meanness is our thing routine.

Do our jobs.

And then meet my parents for a late dinner at this little hole in the wall wing spot next to a poolhall where Dad swore, he’d have his pancake payback.

Thatwas the plan.

Not this.

Not embarrassing myself in front of only Gretzky knows how many fans.

And colleagues.

And the boys.

And worst of all my smug face sibling that I didn’t throat strike during my fleeing only because after a scrap when we were teens – in which I broke a couple of her ribs – I swore to my parents I’d only use words to hurt her.

I regret making that promise.

Almost as much as I regret idiotically getting into a public screaming match with my secret boyfriend where my boss could potentially hear.

Fuck!

Love makes you do the stupidest shit.

Getting into my jeep that’s parked in the building’s side lot is suddenly stopped by Khurana shouting, “Wait!” The absence of a camera grants him the ability to jog faster. “Arden, Wait!”

I don’t wanna wait.

I wanna get in my jeep, get to my dog, and get to shoveling back whatever’s left of the cream of lobster soup Tanner was inspired to make post a heated discussion regarding syllabus changes with his father.

“Just…” he slightly pants proving just how out of shape he is, “wait.”

“For what?” my shoulders slump in further defeat. “More yelling? More pictures? More videos?” At the last line, I shoot him a small glare. “And why didn’t you give meanykind of heads up our boss was in the fucking building?”

“Why did I need to?” Khurana challenges back upon his arrival. “Why did you have to constantly go behind my back and verify with Hennington about how much time you needed to be spending with Frosky instead of me?!”

Oh, look.

This isn’t going too wellskies either.

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