Page 59 of Sexting the Boss

I glance around the office, suddenly feeling the paranoia set in.

Brittany is at her desk, looking like she just won the lottery, which only makes me more nervous.

“What kind of restructuring?” I ask, lowering my voice.

Ryan shrugs. “No clue. Just got an email saying I’m needed in another department. Effective immediately.”

I squint at him. “And you didn’t question it?”

He shrugs again. “What’s there to question? It’s either transfer or…” He makes a throat-cutting gesture.

Fantastic. Reassuring.

I lean back in my chair, my stomach churning.

Does this mean more people are about to get the boot?

Does this meanI’mabout to get the boot?

Because, realistically, if someone has to go, it’s probably me. I’m the newest hire. I’m not exactly irreplaceable.

I sweat internally as I think about my already barely surviving bank account.

God, what if I have to move back home?

What if I have to live with my parents again?

What if I have to explain to my mother that my degree from a top-tier school landed me approximately six months of employment before I got canned?

If layoffs are coming, I need a plan.

I need a backup plan.

I need to text my mystery man and ask him how much kidneys go for on the black market.

“Come on,” I say, grabbing the other side of Ryan’s cardboard box before he can argue. “I’ll help you move your stuff.”

He blinks at me. “You don’t have to?—”

“Yeah, yeah.” I wave him off, already walking. “I don’t have to, but I am.”

He lets out a short laugh, but there’s a frustrated edge to it.

We weave through the maze of desks, the box slightly heavy in my arms.

“I swear, this company is like a reality TV show,” I mutter. “Office Survivor. One by one, they vote us off the island.”

Ryan groans. “If I get another vague email aboutembracing change, I might lose it.”

We reach the elevators, and just as I’m about to hit the button, I feel it.

A presence.

That distinct shift in the air that makes the back of my neck prickle.

Ryan stiffens slightly beside me, his grip tightening on the box.

And then I see him.

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