The Guy Who Became My Grumpy Boss (Curvy Girl Crew #7)

Chapter 2

-Peter-

I wanted three things over the next two weeks. First, speak to the least amount of people possible; second, avoid a trust fall; and third, get through the company retreat so I could take some time off.

I’d perfected my morning routine so I could get away with talking to only four people between leaving my apartment and sitting down at my desk.

After that, things got more interesting.

For instance, this morning I’d gone straight to a breakfast meeting with a professional football player who wanted to get into big investing, and for lunch, I’d met with Courtney Harris, who was looking to diversify her personal income.

Those interactions were easy for me. I could usually predict what we would talk about and the questions they would have, and I’d have prepared answers for everything.

The random person on the train who wanted to chat about their cat—there were far too many people in this world who put images of their pets on their tote bags—was an entirely different story. A few grunts from me coupled with icy glares usually got them to leave me alone and look for someone who would provide the required oohs and aahs.

I didn’t do oohs and aahs.

The walk from the nearest train station to work was only a few minutes and provided me with some much-needed alone time.

Not that anyone was truly alone on a New York street, but no one tried to talk to me, and I would simply walk away from anyone who did.

It was a New Yorker thing, so I didn’t have to feel bad about ignoring people.

I was almost to my building when my phone buzzed. I retrieved it from my pocket, saw the caller ID, and immediately answered. “Auntie.”

“Don’t call me that.” I could hear my aunt’s scowl through the phone. “I’ll take you off my Christmas list.”

“What a tragedy,” I said.

“Hey, I’m standing outside a gift shop somewhere in…” her voice got farther away from the phone, and she yelled, “Where are we, Harold?”

“On Route Sixty-Six,” my uncle answered.

My aunt muttered a curse word that she would never have let me get away with saying as a teen. “I think we’re somewhere in Missouri.”

I didn’t answer.

“And if you keep calling me Auntie, I won’t bring you a present from here.”

“I’m heartbroken.”

“You will be when I don’t buy you this underwear with a map of Route Sixty-Six on it.”

“I’ll never recover from the loss,” I remarked as I started up the steps to the building.

“Of course you won’t.” Aunt Mei laughed. Then she became serious. Even though she was on the phone, the air around me changed. “How are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” I answered automatically.

“Are you?”

“Yes.” I did my best not to grit my teeth as I crossed a street and started down the block to our building.

“What is your schedule today?”

“Busy. I’m between meetings at the moment.”

“Always working hard.” Aunt Mei adopted a thick Asian accent. “You work too hard. You need a good woman in your life.”

Considering she hated all of the family drama that occurred in many typical Asian families, I knew this was a joke.

“I couldn’t find a better woman than you, Auntie Mei,” I said seriously.

“Of course not.” She laughed.

My dad had passed when I was little, my mother when I was ten. Aunt Mei and Uncle Harold had taken me in and raised me after that. They’d always wanted to buy motorcycles and drive all over the country. That dream had finally become a reality, and they’d left a week before.

“Really, though, how are you?” she asked.

I frowned. “I’m fine.”

“You’ve never been alone like this before.”

“It’s not like I saw you two more than a few times a month over the past year,” I pointed out.

“I know, but I worry.”

“There’s no need for you to worry.” I had work, and I had my weekend activity. That’s all I wanted.

The building loomed in front of me, and before my aunt could really get going, I said, “You don’t need to check on me every day. Please call once a week.”

“You ruin all my fun.”

“True.” I’d lived with Mei and Harold for long enough that I knew that they would appreciate me requiring something from them. “However, I would like a proof of life picture of you each day.”

Aunt Mei snorted. “Are you serious?”

“Yes, ma’am. You and Harold both.”

“Fine.” I could feel her eyeroll through the phone. “But I want the same from you.”

“What?” I stopped outside the door to the building.

“One picture from you every day,” my aunt said.

“Why?” I asked. I wore basically the same thing each day, and my schedule was predictable down to the minute.

“To put my mind at ease.”

At this moment, a voice sounded from my right. A voice I would recognize anywhere in the world.

“No, Brooke, I’m fine. I promise.”

Jessica. My personal assistant.

How had I forgotten that she was taking a long lunch and might arrive at the same time I did?

We both had a meeting in a few minutes. Of course she’d return around now.

My fingers tightened on my phone, and I meant to turn away, but instead—like iron to a magnet—I rotated until I saw Jessica coming up the stairs.

She had huge black sunglasses on, so I couldn’t tell if she was looking at me, but it felt like she was, and it took all of my concentration to stand perfectly still, instead of stepping away.

“It’s an idea. I’ll add it to the others.” Jessica sounded irritated. “Of course I’m not mad.”

I’d been at the other end of that tone a few times, and I pitied the woman on the phone with Jessica at this moment.

I noticed she had a coffee in her other hand. She always went to the same place and might own stock in the store. Knowing she would need help, I strode forward, grabbed the door, and pulled it open for her.

As she passed, the tantalizing aroma of strawberries and something floral filled the air. Today the bold red of her lipstick matched the color of her blouse. Of course she wore a dark, business casual suit coat with slacks, just like the office guidelines suggested. Her brown hair lay piled on her head with a few curls cascading down her neck.

Since I couldn’t see her eyes, my gaze was drawn to her lips as she whispered, “Thanks” to me for holding the door.

One minute she was there and the next she was gone, and I was left waiting for three other people to go past.

Why was my heart pounding so fast?

“Peter?” Aunt Mei asked.

Why did I want to follow Jessica so badly?

“Peter? Is everything alright?” Aunt Mei’s worried voice sounded in my ear.

I jumped as if my aunt had reached out and touched my shoulder.

How much of our conversation had I missed? “Sorry, what?”

Aunt Mei didn’t answer right away, which gave me a moment to gather my wits. “What happened?” she finally asked.

“Nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

I had to cut this off and get inside. But not too soon, just in case Jessica was still waiting for the elevator. I needed a minute to regain my mental balance, and that meant not being stuck in a sweat box with Jessica. “I’m fine. Just thinking about my next meeting.”

“Ah.” My aunt had known me long enough not to interrupt that process.

“One proof of life picture a day,” I repeated.

“Same,” she said back.

“Agreed.”

“Love you.”

“Same.” I hung up and drew in a long inhale. When I let the air out of my lungs, I did so slowly, counting to ten.

By now, Jessica should be on her way up to our office. I could go around to the VIP elevator, but it would waste time, and I did need to look over a few emails before the meeting about the company retreat.

When I reached the count of ten, I set off. My reputation for being private proceeded me, and no one in the elevator or in our company space spoke to me as I walked toward my office.

Jessica was sitting at her desk, like usual.

I steeled myself for her inevitable greeting. When she caught sight of me out of the corner of her eye, she turned to look at me. “Welcome back,” she said with the hint of a smile that always threatened to elicit a delightful reaction in my stomach.

I rarely addressed her by name. It helped if I didn’t bring anything personal into our interactions. “Did you get a hold of my nine o’clock for Monday?” Today was Friday, and I always liked to get started on the next week’s appointments early.

“Done,” Jessica said. “She promised to answer the questions you had by end of day today.”

In order to keep my thoughts and words professional, I always focused on Jessica’s earrings. They were round and gold and looked like tiny, crocheted doilies. I’d never measured them, but if I had to bet, I’d say they were exactly the largest size recommended in the company handbook. They were either family heirlooms or something she’d found in a thrift store.

I gave her a nod of thanks. “Any emergencies while I was out?”

“Not that I know of.” She looked at the corner of the monitor on her desk. “Marissa will likely be here in five minutes.”

“Understood.” I allowed my gaze to linger on Jessica for a split second—taking in the way she scrunched her eyes as she worked and the luscious color of her lips—before tearing my attention away and moving on.

My office was just as I always left it. Sparse to the point of being bare, I only had a desk, three chairs, a single bookcase, and a large monitor on one wall. The lack of personal touches made people uncomfortable, which was the point.

I quickly started my laptop and stowed my messenger bag in a desk drawer.

Before I’d dug into my third email, I heard a familiar voice from Jessica’s desk.

“Did you get the numbers I asked for?” Marissa demanded.

“Yes,” Jessica said.

“And the calculations?”

“Run and in the shared folder for the retreat.”

I wasn’t sure why, but Marissa liked to challenge Jessica. I wondered if she wanted the other woman to slip up somehow, but Jessica never did.

Jessica was a marvel, tackling every assignment I’d ever given her with ease, confidence, and efficiency. She’d done the same for Marissa when Jessica had been assigned to help us with the company retreat.

“What were the totals?” Marissa asked.

I shook my head. Rookie move. Jessica had a great memory.

“We have sixty-two employees coming to the retreat, but we’re expecting four hundred people for the final dinner. Ten percent are kids under the age of twelve. The venue can barely hold that many, so I called them and got some suggestions on what they’ve done in the past to overcome this issue.” Jessica barely paused. “I’ve also called several other venues to ask for suggestions. With all of that information, we should be able to craft a solution this afternoon.”

One side of my lips quirked up into a half-smile.

There was a reason I’d given Jessica a huge raise six months ago. Several other people in the company had been trying to snatch her away from me, and I refused to let them.

She could deal with anyone and figure anything out.

Not to mention I had a wide-eyed, office-building-sized crush on her that I couldn’t shake.