Page 116 of Keep Your Friends Close and Your… Work Enemy Closer?

I laughed. "We'll do that soon. Believe me, I'd love to finally have you over. But no way am I letting you cancel your date. I'm fine. I really am."

I wasn't. But I was a damn good liar.

She studied my face, but I distracted her. "Stop. I'll be fine. Just help me pack up so we don't have to see Veronica again," I added, glancing in the direction of her office. "Talk about awkward."

That thought got us both moving as we tossed in favorite pens and bookmarks, my well-worn planner, a style guide, earbuds, and flash drives, plus my sad little cactus.

We hightailed it out of there, box in my hands. Nothing like announcing to all of Manhattan that I'd been fired and was currently doing the walk of shame. I'd get a car of course. As Cordelia, I'd usually walked as a decoy.

But fuck that.

Once we were downstairs, I said my goodbyes to Mona, after many reassurances and practically yelling at her to go on her date already. Propping the box against a ledge, I fished out my sunglasses, even though the sun was blocked as usual by the buildings.

I didn't want to look anyone in the eye, however, especially because the tears were threatening to come any minute now that Mona had left me alone and I didn't have to shove it all down to put on a brave face.

Box firmly in my hands, I turned, hoping to see a taxi, but a big black car pulled up instead, stopping in front of me. A door popped open, and out came Max Sterling himself, baseball hat on, shades and a hoodie, and still wearing that stupid mustache.

I might have growled at him. Or hissed. Something animalistic that told him I wasn't pleased, because he recoiled a bit before reaching for my box.

"No." I jerked it away from him. "I don't need any help from you."

"Annalise. Can you please let me take you home? Can we please talk?"

"No fucking way."

In this city of how many million, I had to run into this guy? Obviously, he'd searched me out. But come on, universe. He was the last person on earth I wanted to see right now.

Stalking forward, I moved away from him as quickly as I could toward home. But did he take the hint?

Of course not, oblivious man.

While I rushed, he walked casually beside me, taking one step for every three of mine. Stupid tall man.

"You couldn't have found a better way to handle that?" I huffed. "Do you know how humiliating that was?"

"I did it for you, babe."

"Don't babe me. And how the hell was that for my benefit?"

"Because you're better than this. You don't need that job. You don't need Insight Ink."

"That's not for you to decide."

"I get that. But if you hadn't been fired, if I'd saved you your job, what do you think would have happened? You would have stayed there indefinitely, under a different name, or under very odd circumstances, and never tried anything new, never reached for anything higher."

"But that should be my decision. Not yours."

"I really felt like I had no choice, though. After Veronica made such valid points, I thought it was a way to both propel you forward in your careerandsave Nina's job, which I know you wanted to do."

"You know what I still haven't heard? The word sorry. No matter your reasons, I think you still owe me a fucking apology for firing me."

He stopped, grabbing the box from me before I could resist. "You're right. Absolutely, I owe you an apology. I am truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you or upset you. I just..." He shifted the box slightly as he sighed. "I just did what I thought was best atthe time. And obviously, it wasn't the right choice. And for that, I really do apologize."

"Fine. I'll think about whether I accept your apology or not. But it might be a very long time. Because I'm a total bitch who holds grudges."

He grinned at me, even though I didn't think it was the least bit funny.

"I'm dead serious," I said, stalking toward the curb as I spotted a cab and waved it down.

---