Page 71 of The Plus Ones
“And what do you plan to do about Bryce?”
“I’m going to tell him I know what he did, that I appreciate feedback from my team, and I welcome anyone to challenge my tactics while we’re at the development stage, but if he has a problem with my strategies, he needs to discuss it with me first.”
“And?”
“And that’s it. Believe it or not, I don’t mouth off to people at work.”
“Glad to hear it. Would you permit me to share my advice on another way to deal with it?”
“Yes. Fine. Tell me.”
“You don’t talk to Bryce first. You go to Ansel. You ask him to help you reinforce the chain of command. Use that phrase exactly. Maybe Ansel thought he was taking something off your plate by not bringing it up with you when it happened or by not telling Bryce it was inappropriate to go over your head. But you need Ansel to have your back and you want to make sure things work out with Bryce going forward. Say that.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then you talk to Bryce. You tell him you know what he did and you ask him point blank why he didn’t feel comfortable with your strategy or with coming to talk to you first. Just ask him why—don’t put him on the defensive; don’t be defensive. Thank him for his initiative and passion for the work and clarify your expectation for him to report to you directly about everything, regardless of his social relationship with Ansel. Ask him what you can do to make sure this doesn’t happen again. Tell him what will happen if it happens again.”
“I’ll fire him.”
“You fucking better. I’d fire him now, but I can be a dick like that.”
“I’d like to think it’s just a misunderstanding about protocol.”
“I’d love to think that, but I’d put money on Bryce being a dick who wants your job.”
“Yeah, well. That’s some easy money right there.” I shift around in my chair. I’d put money on me having Wet Panty Face right now, and that is very inconvenient because I really have to make some calls and I can’t do that if Keaton’s mouth is on my lady parts. Can I? “Okay. Thank you. For the advice.”
“Any time. Literally.” He looks at me, so seriously I can barely stand it. “I’m here for you, you know?”
“Okay.”
“Okay.” He stands up. “You gonna make your calls out here or in there or what? You want me around or no?”
“I mean…” I think about it for a second. “Yeah. You can be around. Sure. If you promise not to hop on the call and tell my boss you’re my boyfriend.”
“I’ll try to refrain from interrupting your business calls, but I can’t promise I won’t shout it from the rooftops at some point.”
I giggle.
Goddammit. He made me giggle again.
This guy.
I remember what my dad said and study his face and the way he’s looking at me, and I guess it’s so much easier to recognize a man who’s crazy in love when he’s looking at someone else, but whatever it is that Keaton is feeling, the way he’s looking at me makes me feel better than I’ve felt in years. Or maybe ever.
17
Keaton
We’re headed down the path for Game Night in the lobby, and I wait until Matt and Bernie and Chase and Aimee have entered the cottage before pulling Roxy back around a corner and surprising her with a kiss. She smells incredible and she looks so beautiful in a white dress with her golden skin, and I have earned this after helping her with her asshole employee situation. I have earned this after a day of not touching her while we lay out by the pool and on the beach, and also I just want to kiss her because I’ve been thinking about it all day.
Yeah, there’s a word for what I was feeling, and it’s German.
Vorfreude.The joyful anticipation of imagining something pleasurable or desired in the future.
I never would have anticipated feeling that way about this woman when I met her or for the many years since then. But goddammit, her response is even better than I imagined today. When I pull her toward me, one hand on her waist, one behind her neck, she reaches for my face and gives me one long kiss on the lips and then ten kisses all over my face like someone who’s greeting a person she’s been missing for a long time. Then she gives me one last quick kiss on the lips and walks away from me, going inside to join the others while I stand here wondering how it’s possible that we haven’t been in love with each other our whole lives.
I’m falling.
