Page 56 of The Boss Problem

I mentally cursed the door myself, having seen Henry struggle with this a few times before. We needed a door that was heavier and one that didn’t shut before Henry got a chance to roll out of the bathroom.

“I’m really sorry, Henry. I’ll speak to the landlord about it again.”

“Don’t bother. The bastard does nothing for us.Nothing.”

Henry’s vehemence wasn’t surprising to me. Routines made life easy, and tonight, he was going out—against his routine. He needed to get to the bus on time, and I could see his underlying stress through his anger.

I just made a mental note to be firmer with my landlord next when Henry spoke.

“When is your date getting here?” he asked between deep breaths, looking at me.

I turned back to the front door, ready to make the introductions when I noticed something strange.

The doorway was empty.

“He’s out there already,” I said, rushing out and grabbing my handbag on my way. “Bye,” I called as I shut the door, and Henry waved.

My palms felt clammy as I let go of the door and looked around. I tried to convince myself that Will was just waiting outside, giving us some privacy, but he wasn’t in sight.

I stood outside the front door, chest heaving as I looked up and down the road. A few vehicles passed by with drivers I didn’t recognize. I saw a row of parked cars on the street and wondered if he was waiting inside one of them.

I shut the door behind me and raced down the street, checking each individual car for a sign of Will. I didn’t find him.

I reached the end of the block and looked to my right and left. Apart from a drunk man sitting on the sidewalk in a daze and people lined up outside of a nearby ramen shop, there was nobody I recognized.

Where did Will disappear to? And why?

I reached for my phone and called Will, my heart racing.Please, oh please, let this not be what I think it is.

I called him twice, and each time, I got voice mail. Feeling the inevitable sense of despair, I left him a message at last, asking him what was going on in a shaking voice.

Did Will just disappear because he’d been nervous about what he witnessed happening to Henry?

I couldn’t help making the obvious connection. Will had reminded me of every single important but unreliable man in mylife so far who had been unable to cope with Henry’s needs. My dad and Bruce. They’d been the same.

I looked around helplessly when, a second later, I got a call from Henry.

“Hey, did you find him?” Henry asked over the phone.

I bit my lip. “Yes,” I lied, determined not to make a big deal of this.

“Great. You guys should have fun. And stay out all night long if you want to. You deserve to relax a bit.”

Was my younger brother really telling me to get it on?

“I still don’t understand why you went out with a jerk like Bruce. He was horrible to you. I hope the new guy is miles better,” he said.

I froze when I heard his words, not wanting to tell him I’d been stood up. “He is,” I responded to my brother, feeling my mouth dry up. “I will be back soon,” I said and hung up.

Feeling distraught, I sauntered down the desolate sidewalk, determined not to go back for a while. I didn’t want Henry to have a clue that I’d been stood up because that would only break me more.

In the end, this was the outcome I was comfortable with even if I was angry at Will for ditching me. It just confirmed my belief that dating was not for us.

‘The Nichols siblings stick together.’

Because the world won’t stick by us.

My phone lit up with another text, and a flare of hope surged through me. Was it Will perhaps, texting me with an apology? Even if he did apologize, would I accept it?

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