Page 37 of The Mission

“Anything that would cause issues for the business?”

Conrad wasn’t sure how to answer that. Not giving an answer was enough for Rurik to sigh and say, “Right. I’ll be keeping an eye on him.”

“I think he’s good at his job,” Conrad said. “He’s very popular. Most people like him. He’s charismatic, overflowing with self-confidence, but—”

Conrad hadn’t meant to slip in thebut.Though…

“But what?” Rurik asked.

“There are flaws in his personality, in my opinion. He thinks he’s never wrong. He believes he’s better than everyone else. I wouldn’t want to work directly for him. I don’t know how those who do feel about him. He’s not good at delegating. He thinks no one else can do such a good job as him. He thrives on adoration and he lacks empathy. But he can make you feel like you’re the most important person in his world. He’s good at that, good at lying.”Too much!

“You think he’s narcissistic?”

Conrad was relieved it had been Rurik who’d used the word. “Yes.”

“Okay.” Rurik nodded, then left him and Arlo alone.

“You should have told him everything,” Arlo said. “About the stealing.”

“Mark’s too cunning to get caught out.” Conrad sighed. “I need to go.”

“But I want more of what we did this afternoon,” Arlo whispered in his ear.

The sensation, let alone the memory, was enough for Conrad’s cock to unfurl.

“So do I, but we’re going to wait.”

He pulled down his sweater and went to say goodnight to Arlo’s father. “Thank you for letting me share this evening with you all. It was so much fun.”

“Do you not have a big family, Conrad?” Arlo’s mother said.

“Don’t ask him.” Arlo put his hand on Conrad’s arm.

“It’s okay.” Conrad patted his fingers. “No, I don’t. No siblings. No relations that I know of.”

“His parents abandoned him when he was eighteen and they were shitty parents before that.”

“Arlo!” That earned Arlo a glare from his father.

“Well, they were,” Arlo said. “They didn’t want him.”

“Arlo! No more,” his father said.

“What do you usually do at Christmas?” his mother asked. “Go skiing?”

“Not at Christmas. It’s too expensive. I…make myself Christmas dinner and watch TV.” With a box of After Eight mints.And I eat them all.

They looked at him as if he was a puppy that had been thrown out of a car, and Conrad cringed. He didn’t need or want anyone to feel sorry for him.

“I want him to stay,” Arlo muttered behind him. “Dad!”

“I think you’re old enough for me not to be involved in this,” his father said.

“Can Conrad come tomorrow and stay over, and on Christmas Day?”

Conrad curled his toes inside his slippers. “It’s not fair to put your parents on the spot like that. It’s family time.”

“Conrad can play the cello.”

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