Page 14 of Left of the Slash
“Eden, I'm not a mind reader,” I say, reaching for my drink again.
“Really, Olivia?” she finally says, arms still crossed, head still tilted. “You're just going to sit there and act like you don't have any idea why we’re here? I didn't say anything while we ordered drinks, and even stayed silent while we waited for them, but now that they're here we’re not holding off anymore. So, take a big gulp of your vodka cranberry, and then start talking about how all of the boy drama today made you feel. Because I know that you have to be thinking what I'm thinking after everything we saw.”
I pinch my lips together, knowing that I have no choice but to talk about it now. I guess I've put it off for as long as Eden’s need to gossip would allow. So I do as I'm told, bringing the glass to my lips and gulping a quarter of it down. Then I take a deep breath and prepare myself for this conversation.
“Alright, should I go first, or you?” I ask.
Eden sucks her teeth and sits up straight. “You're stalling, so I’ll go first. Did you see the way Quinn handled those three assholes?”
I let out another sigh as the memory rattles around in my mind and causes little changes in my body that I don't want Eden to know about. “Yeah, I did.”
“Okay. So was it or was it notincredible?”
“Yes it was.”
“Wow. Don't get too excited, Olivia. You might have a heart attack.”
I throw my hands in the air as Eden takes her first sip of her margarita. “What do you want from me? I'm his boss, Eden. So all I saw was a subordinate ready to fight three of hiscoworkers for being disrespectful. It was quite the risk on his part, actually.”
“Oh, bullshit,” Eden snips, her face frowning hard. “You saw agorgeousman ready to risk his life fighting three grown men in defense ofyou. Quinn is something else, and I know you see it. He’s got one of those personalities that stands out. One that I knowyoulike.”
“Okay, he has a—dare I say—dominant personality, but there’s nothing else to see.”
“Oh my god. You're really not going to admit it?”
I laugh nervously. “Admit what?”
“That he's into you!” Eden snaps loudly, drawing the attention of two nearby tables. “That man has been staring at you with lust dripping from his eyes since the moment he stepped foot in the executive wing, and I know damn well that you have noticed it. You know how I know that? Because you have been staring at him the exact same way when you think he’s not looking, especially after he's finished giving a speech that shows how smart he is. And don't you dare say you haven't.”
I have to take a breath after her rant, and not because it was long and emotional. It’s because I know it’s true. Yes, Quinn is unfairly gorgeous, and maybe I have been staring at him in moments when I know he won’t see me, but it doesn't change the fact that he works for Obsidian, and I need him to help me save my father's company more than I need him for anything else.
“Fine,” I reply, throwing my head back. “Yeah, I look at him from time to time because he's hot, and maybe I'm attracted to how brilliant he is. I'm a sapiosexual and I can't help it, but it doesn't matter, Eden. You know better than anyone else that I want to make Obsidian better than it has ever been, and you know how much it means to me to do what my father asked me to do in his will. So, Quinn can be as fine as he wants, and it still won't change anything.”
Eden takes another drink, shaking her head in disappointment the entire time her mouth is on her straw.
“Why are you shaking your head when you know it’s true?” I ask.
“I know how much you care about your father's will, and I know that all of the breaches are taking a major toll on you right now because they threaten Obsidian’s very existence. However, wouldn't life be a little bit sweeter if you took a shot with Quinn?”
Now it’s my turn to shake my head. “Took a shot? I hope you're talking about drinks, because you know I won't be taking any other shots with him. He's my subordinate, and CEOs don't sleep with their subordinates.”
“Girl, please. Without even mentioning the countless, innumerable, infinite amount of male CEOs who have slept with their subordinates, let’s just save the corporate handbook talk for when we’re in meetings at the office. This is just you and me, and we both know that you're staring at Quinn for more than just the way he looks. I know you better than anybody else, and that includes the sexy little things that you're into. You're a boss all day long, but I know what youreallywant on the inside, and it damn sure isn't to be the boss. You're wound up so tight that you’re about to snap in two and send both pieces flying across the room, and it’s because you see Quinn embodying everything you want in a man … or should I say everything you want in a Dom.”
I sit up so fast I nearly hurt my back. “Keep your voice down.”
Eden looks around, then leans in closer to me. “Nobody is listening to us. My god, Olivia, for a kinky little thing, you sure are scared for anyone to know about it.”
“Because it’s my business, andyes, I am a boss. The second a man hears that a woman is submissive, they think they canwalk all over her or get her to do anything they want, and I’ll be damned if men start treating me like that.”
“I know,” says Eden. “I know you're a bad bitch who doesn't just submit to anybody, but that’s my point. From what you told me about your last boyfriend and how he and so many other men get it wrong, Quinn is what you're looking for. Is he or is he not showing you all of the traits that Pierce didn't have?”
I sit back in my chair feeling like my entire mood is flattened by the mention of my ex’s name. “You know I hate talking about Pierce. He was a fake Dom if there ever was one. He didn't know how to earn my submission or what to do with it when he finally got it. I was just so desperate for someone to do it right that I found myself leaning into bullshit and ignoring his parade of red flags.”
“Is Quinn showing you the same red flags?”
“No, but he works for me.”
“Ignore that part. Is he showing the red flags?”
