Page 90 of The Boss

Cold black tea washes over my tongue as I resume my walk. I’m in no hurry to get back to Cher’s place. What’s waiting for me there other than my pride?

“Alessa.”

I stop at an intersection. Cars stop, two different drivers gesturing for me to go ahead and cross the street. But I can’t. I’m frozen.

Of course, I had been crying… it’s only natural that I think I hear Julianna’s voice…

One of the cars honks at me before the other gives up and smashes on the gas pedal. I slowly turn around.

Julianna, wearing….

Oh my God, is she wearing a T-shirt and jeans?

I’d laugh if I wasn’t so freaked out!

Chapter 44

Alessa

“What are you doing?” Instinctively, I hide behind a large tree growing in someone’s yard. “Are you wearingjeans?”

Julianna lowers her sunglasses, the sun instantly hitting her (majestic, squared, kill me now) face. She blinks away the glare before finally dropping her arms again. “For the love of God, Lessa, can we talk?”

My sneer is felt all the way over in the Pearl. “No! I mean, my lawyer does not advise that.” Neither does my conscience. It says that if I talk to Julianna for too long, she might seduce me again because my pathetic ass can’t help itself.

“Fuck your lawyer. Lessa, you know this whole thing has been blown completely out of proportion. Let’s go somewhere to talk.”

She’s still standing on the sidewalk like she owns the block. For all I know, she does.

And I’m still standing behind this tree like a pathetic basket case.

“I’m not going anywhere with you. It’s over. You get it? It was over when you seduced me under such disgusting pretenses.”

“Would you at least let me explain?”

“Explain what? That you get off on turning an ordinary girl’s life upside down like it’s Christmas for you? I know that’s how you rich people get your jollies!” They can afford any experience in the world, including seducing women like me and taking us on the whirlwind romances of our lives. Then they dump us when they’ve had their fill and move on. I know it was only a matter of time before that last bit happened to me.

She guffaws. “You don’t seriously believe that, do you? Come on, Lessa!”

We still haven’t resolved the fact that she’s not wearing fancy clothes. This is the woman who would wear a three-piece pantsuit or a Gucci dress to the gym if she could get away with it. Now it’s all I can think about. In the months I dated her, I rarely saw Julianna Marcon wearing anything less than business formal. For her, going without a blazer or a diamond-studded belt on her dress was the epitome of casual. She must be dressed like this because she’s trying to blend in with the Portland crowd.

“Go. Away.”

I almost falter. If anyone saw Julianna the way I do now? They would have that moment of weakness smack them upside the head as well. After all, she’s Julianna fucking Marcon! One of the most beautiful women in this wretched, cursed city, and she’s wearing tight jeans!

If those same people saw her and knew as well as I did that she could screw a girl’s brains out? Nobody would blame them for driving off into the sunset with her.

Except me. I would blame them. I would certainly blame myself for getting back into that loveless mess.

To think… I had told her that I was falling in love with her. That I believed her when she said she might have feelings for me.

It’s a good thing one of the residents of the house chooses that moment to step out onto his porch, arms crossed and glaring in Julianna’s direction. The man is middle-aged and nowhere near as fit as Julianna, but bless him, he puffs himself up as he takes command of his property. “Can I help y’all?” he asks with a gruff voice. He briefly glances at me and notices the look of panic on my face. “You being bothered, Miss?”

Ah, good. I could possibly get Julianna arrested for trespassing and harassment. Okay, so she’s on the sidewalk and I’m the one on the property, but those are minor details.

“I’m… fine.” I step out from behind the tree and give the man a small wave. “I think we’re having a misunderstanding here. Sorry!”

Like that, I take off down the sidewalk.

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