Page 7 of A Very Bossy Christmas
“You can see them for dinner. It’s not my fault we’re so busy, and it’s definitely not my fault Christmas is on a weekday.”
“It’s on a Friday.”
“Friday is a weekday, Cooper. Would you like to try to convince me otherwise, or would you like to let me finish reading through this contract before Drucker calls?”
She mumbles something about my moods and me being the devil while turning on her four-inch heels and giving me a fantastic view of her perfect round ass in that tight black skirt. I watch that ass sway all the way out of my office. I keep watching her through the glass wall between us as she takes a seat at her desk, blowing air out of her big puffy lips and cursing me under her breath.
I wish she were whispering those angry filthy curses into my ear, but my day has still gotten so much better already.
Three
Maddie
FROSTY, YOU BLOW, MAN
In the grand scheme of things, being subjected to the moods and demands of a horrifically gorgeous man in a beautiful suit isn’t the worst thing anyone ever had to deal with. But Declan Cannavale can bite me. He can kiss my butt and he can blow me and he can go take a long walk off a short, icy pier. I might have to strip his beautiful suit off and lick him from head to toe first before marching him out into the freezing-cold December air. But only because I’d want him to suffer more.
Not because I’m dying to lick all six-foot-two-inches of his stupidly amazing body from head to toe.
Because I’m not.
It’s not like I can’t handle working for him. I mean, I’d rather handle him firmly around his neck. But I know how to deal with these guys who think they can get away with anything just because they’re lickable.
Still, if I could go back to working for Artie, I would.
In a heartbeat.
I had worked for Artie ever since I graduated from college. He’s old and sweet and never gave me a single moment of grief. I would have worked for him forever. But no matter how much I beg and plead with him, he refuses to come out of retirement just so I can quit this ridiculous well-paid job.
I remember when Declan’s office would call Artie, back when Declan worked in Big Law. I’d listen in. Declan even dialed the phone himself every now and then and we’d chat. He was fine back then. Apparently, when he’d heard that Artie was going to retire, he told him he wanted to hire me ASAP.
Artie vouched for him. Said he was “a class act with a heart of gold.” Told me he really hoped I’d take this job instead of the one for the partner at the law firm because I’d have better work-life balance. You know what I got? A grumpy boss with a heart of coal. Fifty-five-hour work weeks. Texts and emails every night and all weekend. So many eye-roll–inducing one-liners that I’m afraid my eyeballs might get stuck in the back of my head one of these days. A chronically clenched jaw and a nonstop angry lady boner. My teeth are being ground to a fine dust, and the head of my Hitachi Magic Wand now has a dent in it.
“Aunt Maddie, why are you stabbing at your keyboard like that?”
“What? Oh…” My niece has been sitting beside me so quietly, I completely forgot she was there.
Piper. She’s thirteen and adorable. My sister has been so busy with the new baby, and Piper’s been all bummed out because she’s the only girl in eighth grade who doesn’t have boobs yet. So I offered to take her Christmas shopping, but for some reason she couldn’t wait until the weekend.
She closes the textbook she’s been reading, carefully using her highlighter pen as a bookmark, and asks, “When can we go shopping?”
“I just have to wait until my boss gets back from his meeting in a minute, and then we’re outta here. That okay?”
“Okay.” She nudges her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she opens her book again. “Should I hide or something? I don’t want him to be mean to me.”
“He won’t be mean to you, honey… Probably… I hope.” I will knee him in the balls if he’s mean to my niece.
“Well hello there,” says an all too familiar voice in a very unfamiliar tone. “Are you training a new assistant for me, Cooper? Because I also happen to be a highlighter person. This could work out very well.”
I look away from my monitor and find Declan smiling at Piper. Smiling with his supernatural amber eyes. Like an actual human. I can see his teeth, and there is a heretofore unseen dimple in his left cheek.
I don’t understand what’s happening.
“Cooper?” He stares down at me quizzically. “You okay?”
“Areyouokay? What’s happening to your face?”
“It’s smiling, Coop.” He knows I hate it when he calls me “Coop.” He holds his laptop to his chest and gives Piper a cool little wave. “Hi, I’m Declan,” he says to her. “And you are?”
