Page 68 of The Boss

I sit two chairs away from her. “Is everything all right, Ms. Bradford?”

“No.” She leans forward, hands folding on the table. “Everything is not all right.”

I gasp. Has something happened to Julianna? “Please tell me. I want to help.”

“Oh, I know you do.” She furrows her light brown brows at me. “You’re very helpful, Ms. Penrose. I daresay you’retoohelpful.”

I brace myself. I can tell she’s going to change the subject before the words are even out of her mouth.

“How much do you actually care about Julianna?”

All right. I knew she was going to change the subject… but to that? Is she kidding?

“I… care for her very much. You must know that, Ms. Bradford.”

“Yes, yes, you care. But about what, exactly?”

Really? I’m used to these sorts of questions by now, butreally? “I care about more than her money and being spoiled, I assure you.”

“I don’t doubt it. There are also her physical assets that are far from subpar.”

Did she make a sex joke? I know this woman owns half the strip clubs in Portland, but a sex joke? With me? In private? When she’s never shared that side of her humor with me since I started dating Julianna? She’s kidding!

Flustered, I say the first thing to come to mind. “I care about her whole package, thank you. It’s hard to not care when a woman shows her as much attention as Julianna has.”

“At least you admit it, Ms. Penrose.” The hell does that mean? “Forgive me for prying into your motives. You have to understand that I’ve been put into a precarious situation since you and Julianna started dating so openly.”

“Does this have to do with HR?”

“Not really. There are other issues at hand.”

I swallow, hard.

“I’m going to be blunt with you, Ms. Penrose. Julianna has not been as, shall we say… productive since becoming infatuated with you.” She crosses her legs and folds her hands across her lap. Behind her, the bright Portland skyline illuminates her bespoke Italian suit. Presley Bradford looks as young as she is, but you would never mistake her for an imposter in good threads like these. “She used to be the most dependable woman I could ask to work with. To the point I often begged her to take time off so she wouldn’t wear herself down. She definitely wasn’t of any use to the company if she burnt out. Do you see where I’m going with this?”

I bristle. This woman is indirectly attacking me, and if you think that makes me feel anything akin to comfortable? Give me a break. “I have seen some of the numbers for myself, ma’am. Julianna isn’t performing as well in the boardroom as she used to. I would hardly say she’s underperforming, however.”

“You’re right. Her production levels are exactly where they need to be for us to carry on as usual.” Ms. Bradford levels thefull force of her gaze toward me. “That’s the problem. Both she and I need tooverperform. Or we lose money.”

I’m not dumb. I know exactly what she’s getting at. Between my classes and my experience in these situations? I also know what to say. “You think I’m bringing her down. You think I’m bringing the wholecompanydown.”

“On purpose? No. What I think, Ms. Penrose, is that you’re a young, green woman – and I don’t say that to intentionally offend or upset you – who is having the time of her life.”

She may not be going out of her way to offend me, but damn if Presley Bradford isn’t nailing it! Very few people must see this side of her.

“You’re right, Ms. Bradford. Iamhaving the time of my life. Being loved by someone like Julianna is very…”

“Loved?”

She isn’t scoffing. She’s not even laughing. That is a genuine surprise in her voice like she can’t fathom a world in which Julianna Marcon, her best friend and supposedly greatest confidant, loves someone like me. Or anyone. I know what Julianna was like dating other women in her past. Trust me, I’ve heard all the stories. Including from her.

“That’s what I said, yes.”

“She’s told you that she loves you?”

Again, what is with this tone? “Well, no, but… I can tell?”

“Oh, Alessa.” She sighs. Ms. Bradford seldom calls me by my first name. She’s professional to a fault like that when we’re at work. “I honestly do not envy you.”

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