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

Chapter 5

-Jessica-

I should have let the call go to voice mail.

However, since I was currently waiting outside a wedding dress store for Brooke to arrive, I drew the device from my pocket and frowned.

“What does Marissa want?” It was Sunday. I almost dismissed it entirely, but the only way Marissa could have gotten this number was from the emergency list at work. There could be a legitimate problem, or this could be her retribution for the lack of eclairs. I took a breath and answered. “Hello?”

“Jessica.”

Did I get a greeting? No.

Marissa went on. “You need to take notes.” She sounded lethargic but also extra bossy. I wasn’t sure how she’d managed that. “Are you taking notes?”

I resisted the urge to let out an annoyed sigh and navigated to the record button on my phone. “I’m ready.”

“I broke my leg. You have to help Peter at the company retreat.”

It took me a second to get past news of a broken leg. “I’m sorry, what?”

“I’m going to be in the hospital through the end of the week, then almost totally out of commission for a while after that. I certainly can’t drive out to the retreat, so I need you to be there for Peter.”

While the thought of Marissa not being around filled me with happiness, her declaration of me having to help Danger Zone at the retreat was strange. “I’m already helping him.”

Brooke arrived at that moment, shivering in a casual hoodie. She gave me a questioning look, and I put my phone on speaker but muted our end.

“Of course you’re helping him, but you need to do more,” Marissa said.

Brooke raised her eyebrows. I held up my finger as I unmuted myself. “What do you mean?”

“I mean he’s going to flounder, and he’s going to need me.”

That made no sense. I exchanged a look with Brooke, who shook her head.

Marissa went on. “Peter is going to need my support.”

“From the hospital?” I asked.

“Yes!” Marissa cried. “Exactly.”

Now I was really lost.

Marissa kept going. “What I need you to do is be with Peter all the time, but you need to have your tablet, so I can call in remotely and support him.”

Brooke put a finger next to her head and rotated it around her ear, silently wondering if Marissa was crazy.

I shrugged and spoke to Marissa. “I don’t understand.”

Marissa huffed so loud I was pretty sure air came out of my phone. “No one else can do it; it has to be you.”

“I’m still not sure what you’re asking,” I said.

She ignored my comment. “You see, he’s not going to fall for you.”

My stomach tied itself into a knot, and I jerked my phone away. Did she know about my crush on Danger Zone like I knew about hers?

“Peter doesn’t like curvy girls,” Marissa said. “He’s always refused to date anyone who is overweight.”

I looked at Brooke and found her glaring hard at the phone.

Marissa went on. “So you see, if you’re the one helping him, then he’ll be safe.”

“Safe?” Brooke whispered.

I shook my head, still processing. I knew she had the hots for my boss and that they’d known each other for years, but Marissa sounded like she was afraid someone was going to steal Danger Zone from her.

“You can be my liaison and carry me around,” Marissa said.

An image of me cradling Marissa like a child as I went up the stairs to a cabin filled my mind.

Yes, she was skinny, but I wasn’t sure I could cart her up and down hiking trails.

“Virtually, of course,” Marissa clarified.

That made more sense.

Wait. No. None of this made sense.

A group of women in their early twenties walked by, giggling.

“Here’s the thing, Peter doesn’t think he needs me, but he does.” Marissa let out a grunt and whispered to someone on the other end of the line before coming back to me. “So you’re going to get him to agree to let me attend virtually.”

“I am?”

“Yes.”

“Uh…” I had nothing at this point.

“Good. Now that that’s settled, get it done and call me by end of day tomorrow.”

This whole conversation had felt like whiplash, and I was still trying to wrap my head around it.

A voice sounded from Marissa’s end of the phone, and she hissed something back at them.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“The hospital.”

Brooke snorted and whispered, “She’s totally high.”

“I have to go,” Marissa said. “Call me tomorrow.” With that, she hung up.

Brooke and I stared at each other as I stopped the recording and put my phone back in my pocket.

“She’s real nice.” Brooke’s voice was laced with sarcasm.

“She’s crazy,” I muttered.

“Who is she?”

I took a moment to explain as we walked into the small boutique that Victoria always recommended for our friends’ wedding dresses.

“Wow,” Brooke drew the word out.

“Yeah, she’s a piece of work, but that was worse than normal.”

“What are you going to do about it?” Brooke asked.

“Nothing right now.” I smiled. “You have dresses to try on.”

Brooke shrunk away. “I know we need to do the big wedding thing for his family, and mine, but it would be so much easier if we could just elope.”

“Being the fiancé of a billionaire is hard,” I lamented with a heavy sigh.

“So true.”

We looked at each other, then laughed.

The boutique owner, Penny, emerged from the back of the store. The space wasn’t tiny, but it wasn’t big. Dresses, most of them white or ivory, filled racks and clothed mannequins. One corner housed three mirrors hinged together and a platform where you could stand to see yourself. A light scent that I couldn’t identify, but liked, floated through the air, along with easy listening music. Everything here was for curvy girls, and so far, Penny was two for two on wedding dresses for my friends.

“Hi.” Penny smiled. She wore a pair of blue slacks with a cream blouse and had her blond hair down in big curls. “You must be Brooke.”

Brooke nodded sullenly. “That’s me.”

Penny looked at me. “Is this the level of excitement I should expect?”

“Yes,” I said with a grin.

“Hey now,” Brooke protested.

“You have suggestions?” I asked Penny.

Penny eyed Brooke, then nodded.

I patted Brooke on the back. “Come on, let’s get you out of that hoodie and into something nice.”

“I like this hoodie,” Brooke pouted.

“You’ll like the dresses too, I promise.”

“If you say so.”

“I do.” With that, I shoved Brooke into the dressing room to wait for Penny to bring her something to try on.

I glanced around, and a memory I hadn’t thought about in years surfaced.

I’d been all of nineteen when I’d gotten married. Less than a year out of high school and ready to take on the world. I’d gone to try on dresses with my two best friends, who were already married.

They’d picked out the most hideous specimens for me first and had forced me to model them. I’d laughed. It had been like the perfect fantasy.

A few short weeks later, I’d worn one of the hideous specimens at my wedding. Which had felt like a dream come true.

I rarely thought about that time of my life, but today it filled my mind, and tears sprung to my eyes.

I hadn’t had this reaction when I’d come here with Nanette or Ashley. Why now?

Because Brooke is the last.

I wiped my tears away and took a few breaths.

It was fine Brooke was getting married. It was fine that I wasn’t. I didn’t need to be married to be happy; the past few years had taught me that.

“Here we go.” Penny arrived with three dresses. “Let’s start with these and see what she likes.”

“Sounds good. Thanks.” I gave Penny a smile.

She frowned at me, noticing my tears, but I waved her away and went into the dressing room.

“Are you sure those are my size?” Brooke examined the gowns suspiciously.

“Penny knows what she’s doing,” I assured her. I checked the size of the first dress and saw it was a sixteen.

Maybe my problem was that Marissa had just told me that Danger Zone didn’t like curvy girls.

Not that I thought we’d ever get together, but it stung to know that he felt that way. Obviously, if that was true, then he was off my radar. I refused to pursue a man who demanded I alter my appearance. It was one thing if I wanted a change but quite another if someone else did.

“Have you thought about William’s offer?” Brooke asked as she slithered into the first gown. The short sleeves showed off her toned arms, and the V-neck drew just the right amount of attention to her cleavage. Brooke turned so I could zip her up.

“I thought we were going to talk about it next week,” I said.

“I’m asking your opinion now.”

Right now was not a good time to bring this up. Not with weddings and a biased Danger Zone on my mind.

“He really wants to help,” Brooke said.

“And we’ll talk about it.” I waved my hand.

Brooke looked over her shoulder and frowned. “You hate it.”

“No,” I said quickly.

“You do.” She turned to scrutinize me.

“I don’t hate it.” I was about to crumble under her gaze, so I kept going. “I’m just not sure it’s the right answer. I honestly haven’t processed it yet.”

That was a lie, and Brooke probably knew it, but she only said one more thing. “It would let us be together more, and that’s something I need.” She reached out and took my hand. “I think we all do.”