Unlocking my Boss’s Heart (Romance in Sweet Comedy #4)

7. Celia

Chapter seven

Celia

I chuckled quietly to myself.

“Something funny?” He raised a brow, coming out of the car to join me on the sidewalk.

I clutched the pizza box tighter. “No, not at all. I just didn't expect to see you here. You seem a little out of place.”

“I didn’t see you at work today,” he remarked, offering no explanation for his presence.

“It’s Saturday,” I replied, my shock fading into mild annoyance.

He shrugged. “Some people stop by on the weekends to get a jump on next week’s cases.”

“Are you implying that I should have done that?” I backed down a bit, suddenly worried I’d missed something important at the office.

He smirked. “No. You don’t have cases yet. But it’s something to consider in the future.”

I already knew that, I thought to myself.

An awkward silence settled between us.

How was I supposed to treat him outside of work? As Anton, the man I met at the bookstore? Or as my boss, The Anton Waltons, as Maddison liked to say?

“What are you doing here?” I finally asked.

He lifted a finger to take an incoming call.

At the back of my mind, a thought lingered: Thank God I took my time getting ready this morning. At least I looked presentable, if maybe a bit too casual. My heart had been thumping uncontrollably since I recognized him, and now, it was sending butterflies to my stomach. Why did I feel so self-conscious and nervous around him? My whole being was acutely aware of him as a man right now.

Was this a welcome-to-New-York vibe?

My mind screamed: This is your boss! But it did little good. I watched him while he talked on the phone, looking as put-together as ever, from his chic casual slacks to his tieless top to his brown moccasin. Honestly, he looked like the poster boy for Effortless . I should be ashamed of myself for staring.

“It seems my car broke down. It simply wouldn’t start,” he said after he finished the call.

“Oh, have you called a mechanic?”

“Already did.”

“How long have you been waiting?” I suddenly felt sorry for him…which I shouldn’t.

“Maybe half an hour. They should be here soon.”

I didn’t know what else to say, shifting uncomfortably. Should I just leave him here and continue home? Or would that be rude? I tapped my fingers against the pizza box, my indecisive mind struggling to take action.

Two girls walked by us, openly gawking at Anton. No surprise there—he stood out in his expensive suit and magazine-cover- worthy face. He looked around before turning his full attention back to me, and suddenly, I didn't know what to do with myself.

“Uh, do you want some water? I live a block away from here,” I blurted out. As soon as the words left my mouth, I cringed inwardly. Why did I just invite my boss to my apartment? I had instantly reverted to my small-town, hospitable manners.

This is New York! Maddison’s voice rang in my head.

Hopefully, he wouldn’t want to come to my tiny apartment.

Instead of looking at me like I’d said something stupid, his expression turned intrigued, and I could feel myself turning the color of a tomato.

“You know what? I'll take you up on that offer. I’m quite thirsty.”

“Okay.”

The shock of him actually accepting the invitation kept my feet rooted on the sidewalk for a moment. Then, I set off, and he fell into step beside me.

“May I?” He reached for the pizza box.

I handed it over to him. He tucked it against his side.

“Wow, such a gentleman,” I commented.

“That I am,” he replied with a smile. “I still believe in opening doors for women and spreading my coat over puddles, too.”

“No bluffing?” He shook his head. “So gallant.”

I liked that, even if some women looked down on such chivalrous behavior as ‘patriarchal’, which, to me, was nonsense. It only made me like him more.

Oops! Don’t ‘like’ your boss!

When we arrived at the apartment, I led him in and took the pizza box from him to set it on the table. Anton looked around the living room with interest, while I fetched him a bottle of water.

“Eclectic,” he said after taking in the pops of orange and peach in the flowery prints and the abundance of decor.

I chuckled as I handed him the bottle. “It’s okay if you don’t like it. I won’t be offended.”

He was undoubtedly used to minimalistic white walls and hand-crafted accents. His place probably looked like the office, high-end and sophisticated.

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it.” He uncapped the bottle and took a sip, his eyes searching my face. I folded my arms, my disbelief evident. “I’m serious. It reminds me of my grandmother’s country home.”

My jaw dropped. Did he really just compare Maddison’s home to a granny’s?

He chuckled at my shock. “It’s interesting to look at.”

“I'm going to tell my cousin you said that about her design style.”

“So, it’s not your place?”

“It’s Maddison’s. She was kind enough to let me stay with her while I settled in,” I said casually, but beneath the surface, Maddison had been a lifesaver. This cozy apartment had become a sanctuary.

“Are you planning to get your own place soon?” Anton’s question felt loaded, like he was probing for something more.

"I haven’t thought about it," I replied honestly. The idea of living on my own seemed distant, almost foreign. "I love living with Maddison and would stay as long as she’ll have me." And I meant it.

“In other words, you’re not in a hurry to leave,” Anton concluded.

"Nope." I forced a smile, hoping he wouldn’t see the vulnerability behind it. Moving out is another leap into the unknown, and I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that yet. I took out a slice from the pizza box, eager to shift the conversation. "Would you like some?"

“Thought you would never ask,” he replied, leaning forward.

He took out a large piece of the thin-crust cheese-laden pizza and jumped back when a topping fell off.

I laughed. “I didn’t peg you for a pizza kind of a guy,” I said.

“Why not?” he asked and sat beside me. The couch sank under his weight.

I kept chewing to delay my response. I didn’t want to admit that he seemed the type who would prefer caviar on a golden rice leaf. That might reveal I’d been thinking about him.

“It’s just a little messy; that’s all,” I finally said.

“After a mess, there’s clean up,” he replied simply.

It was surreal—the man who was the dream of thousands, sitting on Maddison’s rundown couch, sharing pizza and a bottle of water with me. And I couldn’t complain about the proximity, our knees almost touching, the warmth from his body suddenly shared with mine.

I let my gaze wander around the room, avoiding the sight of him eating. I knew he could make even that look like a sophisticated activity—heck, he could make cow-tipping look sophisticated.

Long strings of melty cheese hung from his slice as he ate. He managed to get it all in his mouth before it touched his pristine shirt. I handed him a tissue, and he wiped his mouth and fingers.

“Hmm. That’s good,” he said after swallowing.

“Yeah, I've ordered it several times since being here.”

“Before I leave, I’ll order some for myself.”

“I don’t think they do deliveries. They do pick up orders, though.”

“That’s too bad.”

After finishing his slice, he stood and walked to the sink to wash his hands.

“Well, you can order some and save it in your fridge. It should be good for the next couple of dinners after reheating,” I said, realizing I was giving him meal advice.

He’d survived in this city without my help for a long time. When would I learn to keep my thoughts to myself?

The front door clicked open before he could respond.

“Did you miss meeeeee? How’s your weekend free from mean girls and broody, controlling bosses?” Maddison called out before even stepping inside.

My embarrassment was immediate. I gasped as Anton turned to me, his expression unreadable. He turned off the tap and wiped his hands on a kitchen towel.

Maddison halted in shock at the sight of a man in her apartment, but quickly recovered. I spoke before she could say anything terrifyingly inappropriate.

“Maddison, this is Anton Waltons—my boss,” I added unnecessarily, as she already knew.

“Hello, Mr. Waltons, it’s nice to meet you.” She extended her hand warmly.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Anton replied, shaking her hand.

I saw a flicker of amusement on her face, that was how quickly she had changed her tone. Maddison looked like a starstruck fan. I couldn’t tell if she was acting or if she was real.

“Well, this is awkward. Don’t mind me, though. I’ll get out of your way.”

She picked up her shoulder bag, which she’d discarded by the door, and headed toward the corridor that housed our bedroom.

I sprang up from the couch. “That’s not necessary, Maddy—”

“Oh, nonsense. I’ll just turn on my music, so I don’t hear a thing. Pretend I’m not here!” She waved her hand over her head without turning around.

I cringed at her words and closed my eyes for a second against the rising humiliation. When I opened them, Anton's eyebrows were raised. Was that shock or amusement? I couldn’t tell. He watched her disappear into her bedroom before returning his gaze to me.

What could I say to diffuse the situation? Apologizing would be hypocritical. I had basically called him a micromanaging boss to his face. And now, he knew I talked about him behind his back.

“Controlling, huh? And what’s this about mean girls?” He stepped further into the living room, his presence larger than life.

I chuckled nervously. “It was just a one-time thing,” I said, thankful he picked up on that rather than everything else Maddison had mentioned.

“Employees of mine?” he asked.

I busied myself by closing the pizza box. When I looked back up, he was staring at me, waiting for a reply.

“They just asked about our relationship outside work. They hinted that they think something is going on between us, and that’s why you gave me the job.”

I had never been so humiliated in my life. A flush of heat crawled up my neck, burning my cheeks. My stomach churned, a nauseating swirl that made me want to shrink into myself. I tried to control the mortification by clenching my fist. Why hadn’t I come up with another reason, something harmless? Now, he would think I believe there was something between us. I was too truthful for my own good.

He folded his arms. “Well, aren’t they right?”

I nearly choked. “What? What do you mean?”

He smirked, taking a step closer, and it felt like my heart seized.

“I'm eating pizza in your apartment on a Saturday. You must admit that’s not typical behavior for a boss and employee.”

“It’s not like that…. We’re not even friends!”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Ouch.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Did he want to be friends? And why was I getting so defensive? Didn’t he care what his employees thought of us?

His phone vibrated.

“Excuse me,” he said, lifting the phone to his ear. He moved across the room to take the call, which didn’t take long. “That was the tow guy. I need to go meet him.”

“Sure.” I led him to the door. “Oh, by the way, the pizza place is right around the block. You can’t miss it; just the smell will guide you.”

He chuckled. “Sure thing. I’ll sniff my way there.”

“A good skill to have in this city, no doubt. Like a bloodhound.”

“I guess that’s one way to think of it.” We both chuckled. Then, he stepped into the hallway. “Thanks for the pizza.”

“And the water,” I reminded him with a grin.

“And the water,” he echoed.

“See you on Monday.”

“Yeah, see you.” He seemed reluctant to leave. Or was he just being nice?

I closed the door behind him and leaned on it, still somewhat in shock by the uncanny time I’d spent with my hunky boss. The room felt empty without him.

Maddison peeked into the living room.

“Is he gone?” she whispered.

“Yeah.”

She came over, took my hands, and pulled me to the couch, where we sat. A teasing light danced wildly in her eyes as she turned her attention to me.

“He works fast,” she said.

“What do you mean, ‘he works fast’? What kind of girl do you think I am?” I’d never been one to mess around, though I had to admit Anton’s visit here looked pretty incriminating.

“Oh, come on. It’s okay to let your hair down, girlfriend. Tell me how you managed to get your magazine cover-worthy boss to visit you here.”

A smile formed on my face.

I’d always thought Anton was out of touch with the likes of me. But having him over was a revelation. He was unexpectedly fun, showing a side of himself that I never would have imagined. It made me see him in a whole new light. My magazine cover-worthy boss had a lighthearted side, making him more enjoyable to be around than I ever expected.