Page 58 of Grumpy Boss in Love

I frowned. It sounded as if she no longer planned to seek a job here. Was that Caroline’s fault or mine? Since I didn’t know how to handle situations like these, thanks to my previous avoidant tendencies, I wasn’t sure if I should ask her.

By the time I gathered my wits, Ruby had her hand on the doorknob. She glanced at me over her shoulder. “Elliot, I really do understand why someone in your position would issue an NDA, but it wasn’t necessary. Not with me. I…” Regret shadowed her face. “I’m not like that.”

I watched her walk out, wishing I had handled our conversation better. Of course, I knew she wasn’t like that.Iwas the problem. It was because of my insecurities. All I had to do was tell her that, and maybe she wouldn’t have looked so dejected.

Looking up at the ceiling and heaving a sigh, I muttered, “I’m sure she’s gone right back to hating me.” Before I could berate myself some more for being…me, my cell buzzed. I glanced at the device sitting on my desk with a scowl. My mood wasn’t conducive for a conversation right now. Still, I picked up the phone.

My stepmother’s name flashed across the screen. I was surprised she called rather than texted. Perhaps she had figured out that it was easier for me to dodge her messages than actual calls.

Bracing myself for the awkwardness, I answered, “Jane, hi.”

“Hello, Elliot. How are you?”

Sitting down, I glanced at the picture of Ryan as if seeing her son’s smiling face would miraculously give me the social skills to engage in easy conversation. “Fine…”

Silence.

“That’s good. I’ve been trying to reach you for a while,” Jane said.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’ve been busy with a new project.” That involved a contract marriage to con an elderly couple whom I’d grown to like very much. I almost groaned out loud.

Where was all of this self-loathing for my recent actions coming from? There was only one answer: Ruby. It was all her fault. She forced me to tap into my emotions and now there were so many of them that it was overwhelming.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Elliot?”

My attention jumped back to my conversation. “I’m fine. Are you okay?”

“No.”

I sat taller. “What’s happened?”

A soft sigh fluttered through the speaker. “Don’t worry. It’s nothing urgent. I need you to drop by this evening. Can you?”

I glanced at the picture of my brother again. He’d want me to look out for his mother. If something was wrong with Jane, I had to shove down my discomfort and go check on her. “Sure.”

“Good. I’ll see you later then. Goodbye, Elliot.”

I hung up the phone and stared at it. An evening with Jane. Alone. I could almost feel my social anxiety clawing its way to the surface.

* * *

With unease already weighing me down, I walked up the front steps of the house I’d grown up in. The place held a lifetime of memories, some good, but most were shrouded in an air of sadness and discomfort. I had always felt like an outsider here.

Blowing out a long breath, I looked back at the car parked in the circular driveway. I was tempted to dive back inside and tell Gabe to get me out of here. My fingers flexed as if they were reluctant to ring the doorbell.

I had access to the place, but I wasn’t sure if Jane would like the idea of me letting myself in. This was how it had always been for me. Tiptoeing around her, trying my best not to remind her that I’d ruined her life. Finally, my hand lifted to press the button. A moment later, the door swung open. I was surprised to see Jane and not one of the staff.

“Elliot,” she greeted.

Her mahogany eyes lit up, and they crinkled at the corners when she smiled. Jane’s sandy blonde hair was swept back in her usual perfect chignon. She wore a casual dress accessorized with pearls. It was the typical older woman with class look that I’d known her to have since I was a kid. That was a good sign. Although she’d told me there was no big emergency, I’d still been worried. I liked Jane. I always have, despite our distant relationship.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said.

My eyebrows shot up. She was? Clearing my throat, I returned. “Good to see you, Jane.”

She stepped aside and gestured for me to enter. Stifling a sigh, I stepped into the mansion’s foyer. The interior seemed formidable only because of my history with the place. Shoving the unpleasant memories aside, I tugged at my jacket and squared my shoulders. It was time I stopped dwelling on my miserable childhood.

“So, how are you?” I checked her outward appearance again as we strolled through the foyer and entered the huge open space that was the living room. The house seemed smaller now. When I was a scared kid who’d been unceremoniously dropped into the Westwoods’ world of glitz and glamor, the place had seemed enormous and intimidating. “Is this about Dad? How are you doing with the…?” Maybe bringing up the divorce wasn’t a great topic.

---