Page 82 of Fit for Love

When we come out of the bedroom, Sir Ems is already waiting, tail wagging and smile contagious.

“Mind if I give him a leftover taco?”Ashton asks.

“You cooked it and brought the ingredients over,” I remind him.

Nodding, Ashton swings by the fridge and gives the food to the dog—who proceeds to set a world record for wolfing down a taco.

“All right.”Ashton leashes his best friend and walks over to the door.“See you later.”

Before my lips can form the word “goodbye,” Ashton claims them in a scorching kiss that makes me rethink the whole “I need to work” business.Sadly, I don’t get a chance to voice anything out loud because by the time I’ve caught my breath, Ashton has already left.

Nothing left to do but pull myself together, grab that boring cereal, and start working.

My phone rings.

I frown at it.Given the time, I’ve clearly lost myself in design again, to the tune of several hours.More importantly, the caller ID states “Mr.Boss.”

“Hello?”I say, but what I really mean is: “This had better be important.”

“Okay, you win,” Tierre says in that voice he uses when he wants to sound compassionate, though it really comes across as condescending.

“Huh?”

“Yes, yes.Icanbe merciful,” Tierre continues in that same tone.“If you want it back so bad, you can have it.”

I glare at the phone.“Is this a butt dial?”

“Butt…” Tierre enunciates the word like he’s savoring it.“What are you talking about?”

“Right back at you,” I snap.“And hurry, I’m kind of busy.”

He sucks in a breath.“How dare you?I call you to offer your job back, and you’re being rude to me?”

“Ah.I get it now.How many assistants have quit on you so far?”

“My generous offer is withdrawn,” he says but, tellingly, doesn’t hang up.“You remain fired.”

“Got it.I guess it works out because I’m out of the assistant business now, anyway.”

With that, I hang up before I can say something I might later regret.

Realizing my heart is racing, I take a few calming breaths.

Did I just make a mistake?

No.I love designing, and I didn’t like ninety percent of the menial tasks I had to do for Tierre.

In hindsight, I should’ve quit a year ago.Maybe even earlier.

A text from Ashton arrives in that moment, asking where and when we’re meeting.I reply, set an alarm, gobble down leftover tacos, and dive back into work.

The Global GrubGrotto is a restaurant that claims to specialize in delicacies from around the world, but in reality, it’s known as the place where you can get the weirdest dishes in the city.The owner, Chef Lars, claims he tailors to the so-called adventurous eaters like my brother, but if you ask me, someone has simply watchedFear Factorone too many times.

As soon as I walk in, I smell something odd and unappetizing—with the most generous interpretation being that the restaurant has recently used a new andverystrong cleaning product.

No.Must not think in that direction.It’s Cameron’s birthday, and the last thing I want to do is yuck his yum.

“Are you here for the private event?”asks the hostess.

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