Page 32 of Misfortune and Mr. Right

Darwin winks and leaves as quickly as he appeared.

If I were alone, I’d do a dance with Rhett right now. I thought I’d have to work my way into the opportunity at a management position at Barnes. This couldn't be more fortuitous if I had planned it.

I turn around to search for Olivia.

Did she overhear what Darwin just said to me?

Olivia’s still at the worktable. Her hand goes to her hip, and she takes on that defiant stance I recognize all too well.

I walk back toward her.

“We need to get one thing straight, Alexander.” She looks up into my eyes.

“What’s that, Pennington?”

“We may be assigned to work on the same project, but I’m not your teammate.”

“Okay?”

“No. I’m serious. We’re going to serve this client. We’ll give them our best. But you and me”—she waves her pointer finger between us—“are not a team. We’re not partners. And we are not working together.”

“Gotcha. We’ll collaborate. But we won’t work together.” I have no idea how that will work, but I’m trying to be agreeable anyway.

“Exactly. When all is said and done, Untethered will benefit from our combined efforts. But mark my words. You are going down.”

“Going down?”

“Down. You are going down. This will not end with you winning or outshining or taking credit or anything of the sort. You will not come out of this smelling like the latest prized hybrid rose.Capisce?” Her voice literally takes on a Godfather-like tone.

“Are you going to have your thugs take me to the end of a dock and throw my body into the harbor?”

“Don’t tempt me.”

I raise my hands in a show of innocence.

She looks at me and repeats herself for good measure. “Going down, Alexander. This time, you’re going down.”

I stifle a smile.

Work just got a whole lot more interesting.

Chapter Ten

Olivia

Change is painful, but nothing is as painful

as staying stuck somewhere you don't belong.

~ Mandy Hale

The cornersof Logan’s eyes crinkle up just the slightest. Oh, no he’d better not be suppressing a grin. What was that, anyway? Darwin came to talk to us, then he pulled Logan aside for a little pep talk or good old boys chat. It was so obvious he was singling Logan out for something extra.

Six years.

I’ve had six beautiful, successful, Logan-free years at Barnes.

Six years in which I was appreciated, promoted, given raises, acknowledged as the best at what I do. Logan’s been here a week, and he’s being pulled into private chats by the boss.

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