Page 83 of The Grumpy Boss Agreement

“We’ll see.” Mrs. Brown gives me a catlike smile. “I would recommend that you get it back to us within a few weeks. In March, we recess until early June.”

My fingers dig into the papers. It’s a struggle to retain my composure. I nod stiffly.

“Thank you.”

“Mm-hmm. You’re very welcome, Mr. Bennett.”

The guy to her right calls out. “Proposition 1422. A new parking lot off Highway 42.”

I turn, hiding my grimace.

“Now this I like,” I hear Glory announce behind me. “Can we bring in the petitioner?”

I hurry out of the room and into the lobby of the courthouse. Sav is there, a clingy peach silk dress layered over thick white tights and beneath a navy cardigan. Her gray checked coat lies on the seat beside her, and she appears to be engrossed in something on her phone.

I stalk up to her with a growl. “Let’s go.”

Sav shoots to her feet. “How did it go?”

“Not well.” I storm past her and out of the building. A blast of chilly air hits me as I walk through the doorway and I look up.

It’s a clear blue-gray morning. The sunny weather only makes me feel angrier. I’m pissed off at the committee’s decision. But I’m even more irate that I’m being forced to hunt for a hotel site essentially by myself.

It’s only a brisk walk across the street to our rented office. Slamming my way inside, I ball the proposal up in my hands, then drop it in the trashcan as I stomp by it on the way to the couch.

Savannah scuttles in after me, her high heels clacking loudly against the floor. She shuts the office door and walks over to her desk, shedding her coat.

“So what happened?” She takes a seat in her office chair and crosses her legs.

I glare at her tanned, toned legs that were revealed when she sat down. They make me twice as incensed than the sunny weather.

“The committee called the proposal unfinished and lazy.” The words are bitter on my tongue.

“Oh!” Sav puts a hand over her mouth. But she doesn’t look exactly shocked. “I’m sorry that it went badly.”

“Yeah, well.” I sit back with an exasperated sigh. “Mrs. Brown explicitly said that she was surprised to see my proposal because she assumed that you would know better. Apparently, I was supposed to include a list of buildings that could house the community center. That’s not my job!”

“I told you the committee wanted to see that,” she says faintly.

“Mrs. Brown basically implied that I hadn’t listened to you.” I pin her with a look. “I don’t need to hear it from you.”

Sav holds up her hands innocently.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking it, though.”

“You read minds now?”

I scowl and open my mouth to fire back a retort. But there is a knock at the office door.

Savannah straightens. “Come in!”

The door creaks open and River pokes his head in. “Knock knock.”

“Hi!” Sav brightens. “You’re just in time. Your brother was about to yell at me some more.”

“Will you quit that?” I say, exasperated. “We really need to pin down the definition of yell.”

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