Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105850 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 529(@200wpm)___ 423(@250wpm)___ 353(@300wpm)
If I kept looking at her stifling her laughter, I was going to be in so much trouble.
“Hmm,” the bastard replied. “Then call for a car service to pick me up.”
“Aren’t you at a hotel? Isn’t it easier to book a room, and I’ll have someone pick you up in the morning?”
“We have an early meeting, and I have no interest in running about so early tomorrow morning. Can you call me a car or not?”
Imaginary Chloe raises the box file and lands a deadly hit on Imaginary Bastard Boss!
“Yes, sir. Please wait inside the lobby. I’ll send someone to you as soon as possible and text you the details.”
“Good.”
The line went dead.
Heidi’s laugh burst out of her when I pulled my phone down and stared at it. “This is why he won’t accept your resignation. Nobody else would put up with his shit. Are you going to call a car?”
“Yes, I am. One to run him over,” I snapped, getting to my feet. “I’ll be back in five minutes.”
I grabbed my phone and walked to the back of the restaurant where the restrooms were. It was much quieter for a phone call without having to brave the chill of a late spring evening, and I was able to quickly arrange for a driver to go to the hotel to take the bastard home.
ME: A driver from Spark is on his way. His name is Jeremy. He’ll be with you in ten minutes.
His response was, of course, immediate.
THE BASTARD: Good. Be in work for seven-thirty tomorrow to go over the schedule.
THE BASTARD: And stop drinking or you’ll be hungover in our early meeting.
I was quite sure the hangover had already begun.
I was going to make him accept my resignation tomorrow if it killed me.
CHAPTER TWO – CHLOE
Theodore Bloody Black
“Good morning, Miss St. James!” Melody’s cheery voice rang through the office the second I walked through the doors into the secretarial office of the Vice-President.
“Good morning, Melody, Daniel,” I replied, smiling at the two young assistant secretaries who, theoretically, existed to lessen my workload.
In reality, I wasn’t sure The Bastard knew they existed. If he did, he rarely showed it.
Either way, they were my precious babies.
“I got you some coffee,” I said, setting a takeaway coffee cup on each of their desks. “A vanilla latte with almond milk for Melody and a flat white with two sugars for Daniel.”
Daniel’s eyes lit up. “Miss St. James, are you an angel?”
Not to brag, but I was beginning to think that I was. How else had I survived the last ten hellish months under The Bastard?
“We should be the ones getting coffee for you,” Melody said, reaching forwards to take the cup despite her words. “You’re our superior.”
I waved a hand and walked over to my desk to set down the coffee carrier and take off my scarf. “Don’t be silly. The Vice-President has an eight-a.m. meeting, so if I’m getting coffee, it doesn’t matter if I buy two or four cups.” I smiled warmly at them and shrugged off my coat. “I wasn’t sure if you two would be here this early, so I’m glad to see you are so you can enjoy it hot.”
“Ah.” Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “Mr Black called us and told us you were out drinking last night so we should come into work in case you were too hungover to make it in time for the meeting.”
That prick.
I pressed my fingers to my temples and sighed. “I was not ‘out drinking,’ as he put it, I was at dinner with a friend and happened to have a few drinks.”
“Ah, with Heidi?” He pouted. “You know we like Korean food.”
“Of course. You lightweights can’t handle real soju, and yesterday was a soju day.” I smiled as I booted up my computer. “Is there—”
“Good morning! Oh, everyone’s here!” Harvey Park, the head of the PR department, burst into the office with a beaming smile on his face. “Miss St. James, may I say how lovely you look this morning?”
“Mr Park, please restrain yourself, lest there be any unsavoury rumours about you again,” I replied coolly, selecting the files for this morning’s first meeting.
He perched on the edge of my desk and leant back, peering at what I was doing. “Oh, don’t be so uptight, Chlo. Nobody is going to spread rumours about us. Everyone already knows about our special connection.”
Melody gasped. “Special connection? Miss St. James, are you seeing Mr Park?”
Clearly not everyone did.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I replied, picking up my phone and glaring at Harvey. “Shut up, or I’m calling Aunt Fizz.”
“No. Not my mother.” He held out one hand, and I swatted him away. “Fine, I’ll behave.”
Melody looked between us, frowning. “I’m so confused.”
“She’s my cousin.” Harvey grinned, cocking his thumb back at me. “My mum is her dad’s sister. Can’t you see the family resemblance?”