Page 58 of The Boss

I can’t wait.Let. Me. Tell. You.No better use of my time than playing these petty games with my underlings.

Chapter 26

Alessa

I’ve come up with a cozy routine these days, and it’s not too shabby.

Often, I wake up with Julianna. Sometimes I cook us a quick breakfast. Most of the time, however, she has a personal chef who has already come and prepared her seven o’clock breakfast based on whatever her nutritionist has arranged for her to eat. After my recent physical (from hell), her nutritionist has taken over my diet as well and now arranges my breakfasts and whatever dinners I have at Julianna’s place.

Her driver drops me off on my campus right before my nine o’clock Economics class. I usually slip into my seat before the prof has a chance to enter the room. For the next three or four hours, I attend my classes, have lunch either by myself or with my friends, and pop into offices or the student store to grab whatever I need. At one, Julianna’s driver waits for me where he dropped me off, and I ride a few blocks over. On nice days liketoday, I’d rather walk, but Julianna says it’s a security issue now. You think I haven’t noticed the cranky, muscular men lurking around my campus with eyes for me? They ain’t looking to flirt. They’re making sure other people don’t flirt withme. Oh, and I guess if someone gets some funny ideas about messing with me to get to Julianna, they’ll intervene with that too.

I roll my eyes at this point. My friends have not noticed them, and I’m not bringing it up!

Work is from 1:30 to 5:00. Now that I’ve graduated from intern, I get to spend most of my afternoons sitting in on meetings, answering my girlfriend’s business emails, and hoping that she’ll spare me some extra attention while I type up notes and do whatever leftover work Vern doesn’t want to deal with. Then again, I’m on probation after what happened earlier this week, so I’m not doing anything too exciting.

I leave with Julianna whenever she’s ready to head out of the office. Sometimes we grab dinner, sometimes we have a small business function to go to, but mostly we go back to her place and relax. Sex is always on the menu. We’ve fooled around most days. Yesterday was the first day all week we didn’t do anything sexual, and that’s only because Julianna was up late dealing with a business matter before crashing into bed. At least it let me catch up on my homework.

Today, when I walk into the office, I’m immediately tasked with going back downstairs and delivering memos to the interns before I even have the chance to see Julianna. But the person who gives me this order sounds like they have the authority to tell me what to do, so why not?

My intern position was never replaced. Not sure they’re going to replace it, either. This means my old desk is cleared off, barren, empty. It also means that the other nine interns, both women and men, have to pick up the slack for my absconded ass.

Not all of them are fans of mine.

“Well!” Cher, who I didn’t like when we worked together and I definitely don’t like now, shuffles some papers at her desk. “Look who has come down to slum with the rest of us plebs. Got tired of the caviar upstairs, Alessa?”

What is this? Are we still young enough to bully each other? I wonder what would happen if I told Julianna about her behavior… ah, nah. Think I’ll pass for now. I’ve gotta fight some of my battles, you know? “Stopped by to drop off some files.” I deposit her copy into her lap. “Thought you might like to see them.”

“Did you type them up yourself? Not sure I wanna trust them if it’s anything like what happened earlier this week. Ms. Bradford was so mad that you screwed up like that, Alessa. I don’t know how Julianna didn’t cast you out into the street!”

What’s funny? She didn’t used to be this bad when I was another face in the office. Don’t get me wrong. Cher has always been a total bitch from the first day we started as interns this year, but she mostly left me alone unless I actually did something to offend her. Honestly, I don’t know how she got a position here, other than because she’s conventionally attractive with long, silky black hair, a small waistline, and perfect skin.

So, while Cher and I have never gotten along, it’s still easy to see that it’s pure jealousy making her bully me now. But I also know she won’t push it far enough to get herself into much trouble. Unless I feel like getting her in trouble, of course.

As I said earlier, I can still fight some of my battles.

“I did not write that memo, no.” I snort. “I could go back and add some addendums for you, though, Cher.”

“Hmph.” She stands up with the paper in her hand. She doesn’t even look at it before letting it drop to her desk. One of the male interns glances up from his desk and decides he doesn’t want to get involved with our drama. Maybe he’s scared of Cher.I know I usually would be right now. “So, how serious is it between you and the boss?”

I’m taken aback. “Excuse me?”

“Please. I’m not looking for gross details. It’s clear you two are up to no good.” What is that face for? “I’m asking to find out if she’s got you on a leash behind the scenes.”

“She doesn’t. No.”

“So you wouldn’t mind coming out clubbing with some girls and me tonight?”

“Huh?”

“The rest of us are going out tonight after work. Drinks, dancing… meeting up at that new place that’s supposed to be all the rage. You should come if Ms. Marcon lets you.”

Is this a trap? “I’d have to clear it with her first.”

“I’ll text you the details. Your number’s the same, right?”

“Yes.” Julianna bought me the latest and greatest phone because, as she swore, the “slow speed” of my old one drove her crazy. “Like I said, I’d love to go with you. I simply need to clear it with Ms. Marcon first.”

“Make sure you do that.” Cher twiddles her fingers in my direction before heading for the copy room. “Bring some of those hunky bodyguards. We get up to trouble at the club.”

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