Page 43 of My Forbidden Boss

Hollis grinned wider, always seeming to love it when I came back with another jab instead of any hint of remorse or surrender. I stepped into the car and pulled my legs in, but looked up at him when the door didn’t close beside me.

Hollis stepped into the opening and leaned his head down with one arm resting on the roof of the car and the other on the top of the door. His steady eyes, always seeming to peer straight through me, brought my blood to boiling point.

“Tish, I… I’ve meant to ask. Do you mind, ‘Tish’ or do you like, ‘Tisha’ better?”

The question was soft, almost innocent. It cut straight through our sharpness and banter, ringing honest and true.

I smiled and replied, “Um… Either is fine, whichever you want to call me.”

His expression changed into an unapologetic smirk, making him look like a kid proud to be caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Oh, so I can call you now? I knew you’d come around.”

I scowled but couldn’t stop the smile from pulling at my cheeks.

He chuckled, but soon Hollis’ face straightened back into one of sincerity.

Still standing at my door, looking down with his face just inches from mine, Hollis became quiet, almost nervous.

“Tish, I just wanted to tell you… I just wanted to say how impressive you are and, as far as work goes, how much I really do appreciate what you’ve done here. And I don’t just mean the presentation or you taking the time to come out here. The stuff inside the presentation… It’s remarkable. It’s something that I could never have come up with and, I don’t really know how else to say it other than to try and convey how great of a contribution it is. I know that sounds cheesy or whatever, but… and maybe we’ll get the chance to talk about it at some point… but this company, all that it is and everyone who works in it, really does mean a lot to me. And you’ve given it something that I could never have dreamed of, let alone accomplished. So, I guess what I’m trying to say is, Thank you, Tisha.”

I didn’t know what to say. This side of Hollis, as genuine as he seemed, hadn’t shown itself up until that point. There was no smirk on his lips or spark of innuendo in his eye, no sign of cocky resilience of snobbish arrogance. This was new and, moreover, totally unexpected.

“Hollis, I…”

The shy sweetness in my own voice took me by surprise. I suddenly realized once again just how close I was to him, just how deafening the sound of my heartbeat was.

I looked down and away, feeling exposed, but soon couldn’t help but turn my eyes back up to him, finding Hollis’ eyes soft, searching mine.

I reacted defensively, marking the words I meant sincerely with my same old tone of airy wisecracking.

“Hollis, you’re full of shit. You know very well that you could have come up with all that. I was there when we were getting ready for the meeting, remember? The way you were able to understand it all, not only keeping up with me but also adding in a whole bunch of ways to communicate things that I hadn’t even come close to thinking of! Don’t even pretend that you aren’t fluent in my field. Sure, I’m better at it because I do it full time, but if you think you can stand there all gooey-eyed and make me think you wouldn’t be just as good, probably better, if you did the same thing… You must think I’m blonder than I already am.”

He looked taken aback at first, almost hurt, but soon started smirking. I felt my face growing redder as I registered his look and realized that Hollis once again saw straight through me. It was frustrating, which I took out on him in the middle of returning his compliments, essentially doubling down on my defensive, but amicable position.

“Besides, you want to talk about being impressed? Why are you looking at me like that? Um, uh, anyway… Yeah, you’re one to talk. That whole presentation would have been potatoes without you there. Do you really think that anyone in there would’ve laughed once if I was here by myself? Please. Get a life. That’s horseshit, and you know it. I would have had them all sleeping, and you would have been right back where you started with nothing accomplished.”

I paused, my chest heaving. The annoying grin on Hollis’ face saying, ‘Oh, please, tell me more, oh wise one,’ only made me more exasperated.

“And one more thing. If I wasn’t so caught off-guard by the realization that you have the capacity for niceness, I’d really let you have it. I’d… I’d slug you, I swear it. Now, close the door and get in the damn car, Hollis. I don’t have all day for your ridiculous pandering. Quit trying to get in my pants. It won’t work!”

His eyes grew wide with mock astonishment. He blinked for a moment as if bewildered and then nodded, bemused. Obediently Hollis stepped back and closed my door, smiling at me through the glass just for the briefest of moments before stepping round to the driver’s side.

I blushed, knowing that I could not have possibly revealed my unconscious thoughts any more if I had tried.

To my chagrin, he dared to act as if nothing had happened.

He stepped into the car, calmly starting the engine, and began again with the most benign of questions.

“Well then, are you ready to see where we’ll be calling home for the next few days?”

I wanted to be mad but knew that it was impossible. If anyone was to blame, it was me.

I sighed, then decided the next best thing was to play along. In the peppiest, annoyingly friendly voice I could imagine, I replied.

“Yes! Are you kidding? Oh, I thought that you would never ask!”

He unsuccessfully hid a smile and pulled out of the lot, leaving the Wyoming office in the rearview mirror. We turned smoothly onto the main road. Unlike our earlier venture flying across the runways, Hollis took the drive slowly and comfortably.

I sighed, silently kicking myself as I stared out the window. I looked down, replaying the whole scene again in my mind, then raised my eyes, intending to apologize.

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