Page 55 of Insufferable Boss

"Are you sleeping with him, by any chance?"

I was so stunned by this question that my blood froze over. Yet, I didn't react. I pleaded with myself not to react until I could completely regain my senses and composure.

"That, Kate, is a very rude question to ask."

"You're right," she said. "It does cross the line, but I see no other explanation."

I didn't respond.

"Please leave," I told her. "You've definitely crossed my line today."

"Sure," she said and rose to her feet.

"I'm guessing you've also heard about the dividends proposal that we put forward and was rejected. To be honest, at first, I thought he was trying to bring you in to vote so that someone could be on his side, but I didn't exactly expect you to jump to it the moment you arrived."

"Are his objections bad?" I asked. "He's trying to run the company, and you two are standing in his way. The dividend increases that you're oh so interested in are a result of his efforts-"

"I'm not here to hear you kiss his ass," she said. "I'm just here to let you know that we can all serve each other's interests. We don't necessarily need to clash heads. I know... if you ended up sleeping with him, you might think that having him on your side is all you need, but it's nothing. It's 50-50, and so no one moves forward. I know you're a smart woman. I've heard of your business efforts back in LA. I did think the offer made to buy your company was a bit much but seeing you actually coming up with a way to expand Standard Rock here is more acceptable. But you have to root for the right team."

She watched me, and then she smiled.

"Enjoy your gift," she said, and there she went on her way.

I remained seated for the longest time after she left. I expected this much. She had come to upset and rile me up, or maybe she had just come to speak her mind. But whatever it was, I couldn't lose my cool. However, I did want to speak to Kane because suddenly being here and amidst these vipers was no longer a transition that seemed appealing.

25

Kane

I had expected her to come to the office sooner or later. I just didn't know exactly what topic of complaint she would be coming in for. There were many, and I had pushed them out of my mind in the meantime so that I could focus on the other pressing matters. But eventually, when her visit was announced, I was more than ready to give her my attention. I pushed my files aside as she entered and took a seat before me. It was a first, I realized, her sitting down in my office, ready to have a conversation, and I couldn't quite recall the last time I had paid rapt attention to someone who stopped by. Usually, I would be impatient, giving them the least attention possible so that they could be prompt with whatever they had come for and be on their way.

But not this time.

"Ready to head back to LA?" I asked, and she gave me a peculiar look.

"I'm to head back now?" she asked. "Because the proposal was rejected."

"No, I'm asking if you'd want to head back now after seeing all the bullshit that's going on."

She smiled.

"To be honest, it's a bit aggravating and truly a bitter pill to have to swallow when I think of it, but I really didn't expect anything less. Anyway, that's part of the reason I'm here... Is the project really dead because it wasn't received well, or is this just a roadblock?"

"It's a nuisance," I replied. "But we'll go ahead regardless. Nothing either of them can do to stop it beyond a lawsuit."

"What if they vote you out?"

"Well, that's the only way they're going to take control out of my hands. So as long as voting doesn't come to a tie or three against one, then I should be fine."

Her gaze lowered slightly, and I could almost predict exactly what she was going to ask.

"You're not worried that I'm not going to vote in your favor when the time comes?" she asked.

I'm amused.

“I'm not a moron. Up until now, I've chosen to ignore a lot of things because I understood I was walking a slippery slope, so I didn't allow conversations that could lead to stripping me of my position to come up."

"And now you do because I’m here?"

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