Page 6 of Her Bossy Daddy

“We all want a piece of that man. I don’t know why she thinks she has a chance,” another voice replied with a cool, clipped tone. Rebecca. I’d easily recognized her nasally voice.

“And that’s on top of the fainting episode,” Milly scoffed. “Like we are all to believe that wasn’t on purpose.”

“Plus, he caught her. I thought he was going to break his back,” Rebecca agreed saucily.

That comment was too much. I unbolted the door with meaning and then stepped out. The two women had the decency to look guilty, though not overly so.

“Didn’t your mothers ever teach you some fucking manners?” I snapped. It was mostly to scare away the tears that were threatening to fall. True, I shouldn’t have cursed, but I was too far gone.

“Didn’t your mother teach you how to put down a fork?” Milly, the shorter of the two arched a perfectly shaped eyebrow. Who had time to make themselves look that good?

It took the very little composure I had left not to slap her across the face. “I might not be the same size as you on the outside. That’s true, Milly. But you’re ugly on the inside, and that will never change.” I circled around her to the sink, washed my hands, then stormed out. To her credit, she didn’t bother with a retort. Milly was a miserable woman. I wouldn’t play into her nastiness anymore.

* * *

I arrived home in recordtime, considering all that happened at work, and shimmied out of my business casual outfit. My hair was up in a messy bun and I grabbed a wine cooler. I popped it open and took several large swigs. I still had to start laundry and dinner before Liam called. He promised, in no uncertain terms, consequences if I didn’t answer my phone. I searched all over the damn house for my damn charger, and finally located it. I’d finished my drink while I’d been wandering, and with my current mood, another drink was in order. Or two? Either way, the couch and my FlixFix television account would be my friends tonight. I padded back toward the kitchen when my cell phone perched on the edge of the couch rang. Shit! I raced to the fridge, grabbed another bottle, and then dashed back into the living room. I answered while forcing a smile. “Hello?”

“We’ve got some things to discuss.” Liam’s voice filtered through my phone without a greeting.

He was irritated at me. I hated that I’d disappointed him, but my mindset wasn’t open to listening to a lengthy discussion. “Add it to the long, long list.” Popping the top of the new bottle, I sank all the way down into the cushions and sighed.

“Listen, love, we need to get this out in the open.”

“Can we start this conversation over?” I pictured him looking up at the ceiling of his car, his headset blinking as he gathered patience.

“Right.” Several seconds of silence passed. “Tell me what’s really been on your mind.”

“You. You’ve been on my fucking mind!”

“Mind yourself.”

“No, I don’t think so. You asked me for an answer and I’m giving you one.”

“We can address your attitude in a moment. Why was I yanked into human resources with Milly and Rebecca this afternoon?”

“What did you say about HR? Those awful bitches!” I seethed. How dare they involve our human resources department? The two of them were hired only three years ago. I trumped in seniority on all sorts of levels. I was their fucking supervisor after all! Not their manager, I didn’t have hiring and firing power, but the acting head of our small department. “This is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Tell me what happened, love. The whole story.”

“I took care of what I needed to do, then escaped downstairs before driving home. I’m not far from the office, but I’ve been having a rough go.” My brain scoffed at my choice of words.

“You’ve been having a rough go? You sound like me,” he chuckled, but there was no amusement in his voice. “What did they say to you?”

“They insinuated my behavior has been wildly inappropriate.”

“Right. I don’t disagree. At least in regards to this incident.”

I took several swigs from the bottle in my hand. He totally meant for different reasons. “Rebecca marveled how the act of catching me, literally, when I passed out yesterday, didn’t break your back.” He sucked in a breath, and I imagined his brows were furrowed with irritation. Nothing got him more upset than negative comments about my body.

“What an inconsiderate swine. How did you reply?”

“I asked both of them if their mother ever taught them fucking manners. Cursing by itself is enough basis for a report, but then Milly said—” I choked up, overcome with the mental image of her perfect lips sneering at me. The blood in my veins felt like it turned to ice and a huge pit formed in my stomach. Not even the alcohol sloshing around could melt it. I took several large swallows from the bottle, then gathered the courage to tell him.

“I need to know the whole story, love.”

“She asked me if my mother ever taught me to put down a fork.”

“Ah, so that’s the piece they left out. Once the story tumbled out between their clumsy traps, they started to backpedal.”

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