Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
My jaw drops. “No way!”
Everything clicks at once.
The hat.
The voice.
The stupidly expensive sneakers. Duh.
“I’ve literally never seen your face,” I whisper. “You’re always in a hat or hiding in your office like Batman.”
“Corporate Batman,” he corrects proudly. I instantly like him though. He seems easy to be around and I’m suddenly excited about the best friend. Guys like this aren’t friends with douche bags right?
“This is so weird we’d finally meet like this.” I say. “I would thank Charlie but that’s just going to give her an even bigger ego.”
“No, this is awesome and her ego’s impossible already.” I like him already. His grin widens. “Do you know how exhausting it is pretending I’m not twenty-four and wildly underqualified to run things? God, it feels like a gift now that my disguise is out in the open!”
Charlie snorts into her half empty drink. “Please, you think a hat can really hide that pretty face?”
“Aww, she said was pretty.” He winks at me. “She gets me.”
“And now I’m starting to think having both of you together is going to be extremely entertaining and exhausting all at once.” I lift up a drink. “Cheers to more of this.”
We all drink and that’s when I notice it, the way the light hits his face, the jawline, the hair. Oh God. He looks like he could be Jude’s brother. No, no that would be crazy. Right?
“You must know who owns the company then? To be able to get into management so young?” I prod carefully.
“Nepo baby, deluxe edition.” He lifts his drink while mine instantly goes sour in my stomach. “My uncle’s the VP. Whole family’s tied up in the business.”
Uncle.
My stomach tightens slightly.
No.
No way.
Nope!
That doesn’t automatically mean—
Right?
“There’s no way you’re old enough to be my boss.” I point out quickly. “So, it’s probably for the best that people don’t know that you’re a…Hale.” I swear I choke out the name. “And you’re a really fair boss I would hate for people to hold it against you.”
“Thank you.” He presses a hand to his chest. “That’s literally the nicest thing anyone’s said to me all week.”
Despite myself, I laugh.
Actually laugh. Which feels super foreign after the last twenty-four hours from hell with Jude as the main character.
“You hide your identity from everyone?” I ask. “Or just us lucky peons who work for you?”
“Mostly.” He shrugs. “People get weird about money. Easier to let them think I’m some random employee.”
“Makes sense.” I shrug. “Fly under the radar and all that.”
“Plus, now you don’t have to feel lonely at work anymore.” He leans in conspiratorially. “Unless you secretly wanted to become best friends with Gary the security guard.”
I grin. “I mean…Gary does seem emotionally available.”
“He has three kids and grills every weekend.” He points out.
“Exactly. Stability.” I laugh. “He’s the best though, his wife makes the best chocolate chip cookies. I look forward to the break room.”
“See, I don’t get stable vibes from you.” His eyes flick over me teasingly. “You seem more like a let’s ruin our lives for character development type.”
I laugh. “That’s fair.”
Charlie sighs dreamily beside him. “Keep talking.”
He points at his dimples. “These are a burden.”
“I volunteer to help carry it,” Charlie adds. “I’ve heard heavy petting does the trick, keeps them in check, keeps you semi-satisfied.”
I groan. “Wow you two really are perfect together. Try not to jump each other on the first date.” But they’re already leaning in like they’re about to kiss while I’m still dateless. Sounds about right. I drum my fingertips against the table. “Look how the universe works things out despite the world crashing down around us.” Lucky. Them, not me.
“Thank you,” they say in total unison. Wow.
I laugh again, shaking my head as warmth from the alcohol finally starts loosening the knot in my chest.
Maybe tonight won’t be so terrible. Maybe they’ll also get knocked up at the table by the end of the night as well especially with how things are progressing, at least I can survive one date without spiraling into--
“Oh, thank the dating Gods.” Charlie whispers looking over my head. “I was already trying to mathematize my time between you two,” She side eyes me. “You were losing by at least twenty percent of my time, no offense.”
“None taken, I would have thought forty so we’re good.” I nod nervous to turn around and see my date for the night.
The boss suddenly looks past me toward the entrance. “Looks like he finally made it.”
The first thing I smell is cedar, the second is mint, the third is a sudden heaviness that begins in my stomach and spreads out to my limbs.
My stomach drops instantly.
No.
Please, no.
“He?” Charlie asks excitedly. “Does he have a name?”
“My best friend also my cousin so I have no choice but to keep him.” He rolls his eyes. “Takes him forty years to cross a room because apparently every living organism wants his attention.”