Page 156 of Tell Me What You Want

But that only makes him angrier, and I’m soon sorry for having been so casual, although the masochist in me likes to see his fury.

“Why do those guys have to touch you and kiss you?”

I try to find an answer that won’t piss him off more, but I come up blank. Everything strikes me as terribly absurd.

“Please, all Miguel did was push a lock of hair off my face. And all Paco and Raúl did was give me a little kiss each on the cheek.”

“I haven’t given them permission to touch you.”

His words leave me stupefied. My brow creases.

“What are you talking about?”

The Iceman scrutinizes me with his stormy, angry eyes.

“I don’t want them to touch you or kiss you again,” he hisses. “Do you hear me?”

“Yes, I hear you.”

“Perfect!”

“It’s an entirely different matter if I’m going to pay any attention whatsoever to what you’re saying.” He looks at me, frustrated. “What is wrong with you? You’re jealous over what you just witnessed, but ... but later, you don’t care if we play with others and ...”

“It’s not the same, Jude.”

“I don’t understand it,” I say. I take a deep breath.

“That’s it! I’m going to go out right now and tell everybody you’re my girlfriend, that you’re the boss’s girlfriend.”

That alarms me.

“Eric Zimmerman, if you do that, you’re going to pay for it.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Of course. I don’t want you to tell.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t.”

“That’s not an answer. Why not?”

I look at him and sigh.

“Let’s see ... I don’t want people to gossip and think I’m a gold digger. If we continue, there’ll be time enough to tell. Why get ahead of ourselves?”

At that precise moment, his office door opens. It’s my supervisor.

“What’s going on?” she asks, surprised to see me.

I don’t know what to say. I’m blank. But Eric reacts quickly.

“I was just asking Miss Flores to send these faxes.”

He hands me a bunch of papers he is holding.

“When you have the confirmations, please bring them to me.”

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