Page 3 of Boss from Hell

I squared my shoulders. “I think I’ll be able to handle Mr. Frost.”

“Just don’t be shocked if you’re out of there in a week,” she warned darkly. “You won’t be the first or the last.”

I raised my glass. “That is not going to happen. I’ve had my share of difficult bosses… and I have a way with them.”

She clinked her empty glass with mine, then summoned the waiter for another round. I wasn’t worried about Mr. Frost. My situation made it irrelevant how my boss behaved. The bottom line was what mattered and that was being able to make my mother’s mortgage payments on time.

Maggie ordered another round of drinks, then turned back to me. Her eyes were gleaming mischievously. “Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention. Maximus Frost, by all accounts, is also sex on a stick.”

She laughed gaily at my shocked expression. “Good luck winning the bet.”

Chapter 2

Lillian

The next morning, as I did most Sundays, I went over to my mother’s house to help with the weekly cleaning. As I polished a small bird figurine, and not for the first time, I thought it was time for her to sell the house and buy something smaller.

There was simply no reason for her to live alone in a five-bedroom house. To start with she didn’t need all this space, but more importantly, she couldn’t afford the mortgage payments without significant help from me. If she sold it, she could buy something smaller outright.

Maybe today was the day I would broach the thorny subject.

I watched her dust a picture frame of my dad resting on the night table. Ever since Henry, my stepfather, passed on, my father’s photographs had begun to appear all over the house. As if she wanted to forget she’d ever had a second husband. I couldn’t blame her. Henry messed up her life big time.

I hated him for the mess he had left for my mother to clean up. It had been his dream to own a sports bar and grill and he had convinced my mom to join him on the enterprise. Just likethat she left her job, remortgaged the house, and took out a loan at the bank.

It had seemed to work at first, but it soon became apparent that the ship was sinking. After the initial excitement of a new restaurant, the dinner crowd had thinned and Mom had taken another loan without our knowledge, to service the other loan. Madness.

“Um… how are your finances, sweetheart?” Mom threw over her shoulder. She had tried to make the question sound casual, but I heard the worry in her voice.

“Not too bad,” I replied, my voice equally nonchalant.

“Hmmm... I was thinking…” She straightened to look at me. “Why don’t you move back home?”

I couldn’t help the expression of dismay on my face.

“Lillian, it will help you cut down on expenses. Besides, you should be here. After all, you shoulder most of the mortgage burden.”

“It’s no big deal, Mom.”

“It is a big deal. A very big deal. Don’t think I don’t know how hard you have to work to do that,” she cried. Her lower lip started trembling and she bit down on it. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I sighed. It looked like today probably wasn’t the best time to bring up selling the house and moving to a smaller place. Never mind. Helping her with the mortgage payments was nothing compared to the horror I had watched her live through when the restaurant was gone, the receivers had turned up at her door and I had to empty my bank account to pay them off.

I shook my head free of those memories. I was determined to forge ahead with life and not focus on the things that had gone wrong. Moving back home was a recurring nightmare that I had no intention of making into a reality.

“It’s fine, honestly. You know I’m happy to do it. Plus, I’m starting a job on Monday.”

“Really?” she asked, perking up.

“It’s only temporary, but...”

“Oh well, the offer still stands.”

“Thanks, Mom, but you know me. I love my space.”

“I know,” she said and patted my hand with affection. “You’ve always been so independent. Much more than Rose.” She frowned. “Have you spoken to your sister lately? How is she?”

“I spoke to her yesterday. She’s fine.”

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