Page 20 of Falling For The Boss

“Sure,” I say, even though I’m not sure about anything right now.

The last thing I want Lucas to find out is that I have a growing attraction to him. Because if he does, then he’ll feel awkward about our working relationship and fire me. If I lose this job, there’s no way I’ll have enough money saved for my dream internship. It’s like everything hinges on my ability to perform this role without letting Lucas suspect my true feelings.

We climb out of the car as Lucas shoulders my overnight bag along with his.

“I can carry that,” I say, trying to grab my bag from him.

“You’re my girlfriend, remember? How would it look to Henrique to see you lugging your bags?”

“I’m fully capable,” I shoot back.

“You need to learn to let me help you,” he says, touching my nose lightly.

I make a face at him even though I’m loving the attention.

“I have an idea,” I say, changing the subject. “Now that I’m your assistant, let’s use this time to figure out our system. If Henrique sees me working with you in the kitchen, it’ll look normal. He won’t suspect a thing.”

“You’re not on the clock here. And it’s not every day we get invited to a getaway on the beach.”

“I don’t relax well. Not with OCD. It’s a weakness, actually.”

I’m nervous to admit that it’s probably the reason I’ve scared off a lot of men. They fear I’ll obsessively organize their sock drawers.

“Not your weakness. Your zone of genius,” he corrects.

“You don’t have to say that.”

“I’m not saying anything I don’t believe.” He shrugs like it’s not a big deal, while I light up inside.

It’s taken a lot of work to accept myself as I am. It’s my specialness factor, the thing that makes me unique, unlike anyone else. No one can have my exact DNA and fulfill my unique purpose in life.

I just wish a man could see that and love me for who I am. Not despite my diagnosis. But because of it.

Lucas turns toward me. “I’ve never told anyone this before, but my mom had OCD. And there’s no one I admire more than her. She died a few years ago from cancer. I still miss her.” The way his eyes glow as he talks about his mom makes my heart hurt for him.

“I’m so sorry,” I murmur.

He shakes his head. “I don’t usually talk about her,” he says. “But you remind me of her.”

I may have fallen for Lucas because of his looks, but the more I get to know him, the more I like who he is underneath. He’s the first person to see me differently.

I’d love to tell him how I feel right now, but there’s still the issue of him being my boss. And right now, he only sees me as his means to a solution. How could he see me any other way? Especially after an eight-hour restaurant shift where I’m sweating through my shirt like a pig. No guy is going to think that is sexy.

“Do you think we should start now?” Lucas asks in a hesitant voice as we climb their massive front steps.

“Start what?”

“Acting like a couple,” he says.

“How do we do that?” I ask. My plan was to stick close to Lucas until it’s bedtime and then let down my guard once I shut my door. At the restaurant, I didn’t have to pretend that much because we both had a job to do. But this is different. Except for Lucas preparing tonight’s meal, we’re off the clock. I’m not going to tell Lucas that I’ve never dated anyone seriously enough to know how to pull off this act.

“To be honest, I’ve never even been to the beach with a guy I like. Ever.”

“Never?” he repeats.

“Don’t rub it in.”

“I’m not. Just surprised, that’s all.”

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