Page 9 of Boss Agreement

He still looks confused and horrified. He’d expected to receive a promotion. In fact, his promotion is the reason he’s here in the first place. It happens regularly. A manager suggests I look over his file to see if he’ll be a good fit for a promotion, and in the process, I discover something that I can’t ignore.

“But why? What’d I do? The last book I edited received accolades from nearly every major reviewer it was sent to.”

I smile grimly, hating the fact that I have to do this. Maybe someone enjoys watching weak links in their teams have their careers destroyed, but I never have. Which is why I assume the responsibility of doing it. But business is business, and the weak links have to go.

“We have a system here, Jeremy. You’re not a bad editor, and I’d be happy to give you a recommendation to any other publishing house, but you’re not capable of being a lead. In fact, I don’t think you’ll ever be. Your edits were mostly fine, but there were consistent problems that reviewers mentioned repeatedly.”

He sinks even lower, knowing exactly what I’m talking about. “Your dialogue was weak, and it’s been weak in nearly every book you’ve been tasked with editing. You could have asked for someone to run through some of the weak spots with you, but you didn’t. You’ve never asked for help, and turning a draft into a bestseller is a team effort.”

Jeremy interrupts, but I put up my hand. “Your last two yearly performance reviews have mentioned your inability to utilize your team. I don’t have time to deal with someone who won’t change their habits to better benefit the authors and company they work for.”

He stares at me blankly as I slide the termination paperwork to him. “Sign the blank at the bottom, and then you can go to your cubicle and collect your things. I’m sorry that it had to come to this, but Loughton House is not in the business of teaching the basics of teamwork.”

His hand moves mechanically, pulling the papers and pen to him. He signs it without a word and hands it back to me. I’ve seen this happen too many times not to know what it is. Shock. He’d expected to get a promotion, and now he has to worry about how he’s going to pay his mortgage. How he’s going to feed himself or pay for the vacation he promised his girlfriend.

None of those are my problems, but I can’t help but take some of that on my shoulders. Anyone who doesn’t shouldn’t be managing employees. I may have thousands of people under me, but I do my best to make sure that I do what I can for every one of them. The fact that I review all of their files before any of them are promoted or fired is just one facet of that effort.

I tear his carbon copy off and jot down my phone number on the side before sliding it back to him. “Jeremy, if you want a recommendation or some help in finding a new position, let me know. You’re a good employee. You’re just not a good fit for Loughton House.”

Jeremy nods and picks up the pink sheet of paper, his fingers holding it limply as though they don’t want to touch the cursed page. He stands up and walks toward the door, but stops halfway there. He turns around, a broken smile on his face. “Thanks,” he says. “I’ll take you up on that.” And then he walks out the door.

I hate this part of my job, but I’m good at it. Like so many other pieces of my life, the only thing that matters is how well I do them. Not how much I enjoy them.

Six

ADDISON

That son of a bitch.I stare into the tiny closet of my apartment that holds two office-appropriate outfits, about ten days of non-office wear, and a single silk button-down shirt. I woke up on Sunday morning after a night filled with dirty dreams about a man I knew only as Phillip.

And he wasn’t there when I woke up. The only proof he was real is the shirt I wore that definitely wasn’t mine.

I run my fingers over the fabric, remembering the way it felt against my skin. The soft sensuality of wearing a man’s shirt. His scent is still on it. My body melts just thinking about it, and I step back, away from the closet, and I close the door, hiding the proof of that moment.

God, why did he leave the next morning? I’d woken up hoping to get his number at the very least. I’d have loved to spend a wild morning with the man that wasn’t just hot and funny. He’d gone out of his way to help me without expecting anything in return.

That’s not something you find often. After hearing about Victoria’s terrible experiences, it just reinforced the thought of the man who might have been perfect.

Now I meet up with him again, and there’s no way in hell I could ever do anything with him. He’s my boss’s boss’s boss. He runs the company that is literally my dream job, and I certainly won’t be jeopardizing my position there. One night’s fantasy versus a lifelong dream becoming real? The right decision is pretty obvious if I look at it like that.

That doesn’t mean that it doesn’t piss me off, though. I’d have loved to get lunch with him. Or dinner. Maybe at his place. Hell, now I know that he’s not just hot and funny and a gentleman. He’s also a freaking billionaire.

I kept myself focused on work all day long, but now there’s no way I’m thinking about anything else.

Until I get a text from Sera.

Sera Wylder

Come drink with us. We’re at The Drunken Goat, and it’s karaoke night.

Oh, that’s definitely not what I need to do on a Monday.

Addison Adelaide

Too tired tonight. Rain check for Friday?

Sera Wylder

Drinks are on Trish tonight. They’re on you on Friday.

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