Page 3 of Royal Bosshole

It was her eyes, however, that had me pause for a moment as I held out my card to her. Gray, like the ocean when it had just calmed after a storm. Eyes someone could get lost in. But they certainly looked stormy just then.

“A job? Do I look like I need a job?” she asked, crossing her arms, and looking at me like I had three heads.

I cleared my throat and frowned right back at her. I was the one with the attitude here. I was the one who’d just had coffee spilled on his tailored suit.

“Clearly, you know the neighborhood and have the business acumen to keep this place running after all this time and after all this competition.” I glanced around the place.

I’d sent in a number of our employees that day to try to glean any info we could use. She likely thought the business was unusual, since I’d seen over the past few weeks that she didn’t get much. Not compared to our Coffee on the Go shops, but she was like the Shop Around the Corner, and I was Fox Books. Only I was no Tom Hanks and she was no Meg Ryan.

She took the card and flashed me a cold smile.

Waving it in the air, she asked, “Why? You think I can help your business?”

She looked down at the card, and I said, “I do, actually. Money’s good. All details are here.” I pulled out another paper from my jacket and handed it to her.

Always show people the money. That was what drove them. Money and power. For me, honor was up there too, though.

Focus.

“You think I want to work for you?” she asked, incredulous, but she took the paper anyway.

“No, I don’t.” I smiled and waited a bit.

Women usually reacted majorly when I smiled. She only lifted a brow. My smile disappeared.

“But I think you know what could be good for you and your business. Think about it. Just give me a call, and then we can talk it all out.” I cleared my throat, trying to frown again, but there was something unnerving about her.

Something that made me want to say sorry or just be a little more polite. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, glancing at the card again before she put it in her pocket. I noticed a thin layer of skin showing between her shirt and her shorts. I looked away quickly. What was wrong with me? This was business.

“Fine.” She gave me another fake smile again. “Have a good day, Mr. VP.” Then, she turned around and walked away from me, and I was left watching her back, shocked.

No one had ever walked away from me before.

Cracking Lily Jones was going to be a lot harder than I thought.

CHAPTER2

LILY

That night,as I sat across from my best friends in the whole world, April and Stevie, I wasn’t really feeling my best. I touched a hand to my throat. It was a little scratchy. Again. Living in New Orleans was great because it never got that cold, but it was just chilly enough that my colds would start to set in.

“What’s wrong?” Stevie asked, narrowing her eyes at me. “You’re sick again, aren’t you?”

“No,” I lied, trying to sit up taller and smile.

“Liar,” April said, pushing my drink toward me. “There’s fruit in that. You should drink up.”

I chuckled. “Ah, the two wise doctors here, keeping me healthy.”

I sipped at my pina colada. It felt good on my throat, soothing it before we would inevitably get up to sing. I was bracing for it. It took a whole lot of positive self-talk for me to get up on stage.

“We are always here to help you. You didn’t have to come out tonight, you know? You could have just stayed home.” April stroked her stomach.

She was about three months pregnant with her billionaire fiancé’s baby, and after she’d fallen in love with him, it was like she had blossomed overnight. She was like a completely different person now, so confident and strong. April was now my idol. Plus, she looked fierce in her red dress, black heels, and red lipstick. Red was her power color, and it always went with her long, dark straight hair.

I seriously need a power color. Maybe that would have given me some better things to say to that VP at the coffeeshop. I should have told him to go to hell.

“Hello! Earth to Lily,” Stevie said, snapping, her green eyes widening. “What’s up with you? Hectic day at work?”

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