Page 53 of Rude Boss 2

“It is about work.”

He frowns.

“Wow. I didn’t expect that reaction.”

“Just ask me, Tessie.”

“Nope. You frowned at me. I’m not asking you a thing.”

“Ask me.”

“No,” I say defiantly.

He’s borderline glaring now.

We’re doing this again…

I say, “I wanted to know why you’re so mean to everyone when clearly you have a softer side.”

“A softer side? There’s nothing about me that’s soft, Quintessa.”

“I didn’t mean that in a literal sense. You know what I mean.”

“No, I don’t know. Explain yourself.”

“I mean, you can be nice when you want to be nice and then, other times, you’re like a mad man—like somebody stole your Circus Peanuts or something.”

He leans back, laughing. “You’re hilarious.”

“I’m serious, though. I think people will respect you more if they saw this morereasonableversion of you.”

“I don’t care what people think about me. I used to—to the point that it almost ruined me. To the point where I felt like a nobody. Like there was no use for me on this earth. Back in high school, I remember being teased so badly, I wanted to die. I used to ask myself all the time, why me? Now, I just don’t care what people think. Everybody should have that freedom.”

“Hmm…”

“That’s all you have to say?”

“Yeah. I mean, I wasn’t the ‘it’ girl in high school—far from it. But high school was so many years ago.”

“It was, but those high school years help to mold and shape a person into who they will eventually become. That’s why I brought it up.”

“Are you telling me you’ve been molded this way due to high school trauma?”

“It has a lot to do with it. Yes.” He takes his wine glass, sniffs the wine, and tosses the rest of it back. “But enough about that. Come on. Let’s go play.”

He takes my hand and pulls me up off the barstool.

“Where are you taking me?”

“To the water. Take off your sandals,” he requests as he comes out of his shoes.

“I’ll take off my shoes, Essex, but I’m not getting in that water.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not. I can’t get my clothes wet.”

“Then take them off.”

---