Wreck Me (Savage Bosses)

Chapter Eight

Tahani

Boss Be Damned

After years of dedicating myself to Zeenith, I never thought anything else could rival my passion for coding. But memories from Friday night at the lounge with Archer have dominated my thoughts all weekend. It feels surreal, like it never happened or maybe like it shouldn’t have. The last time I kissed a man in a bar, it ended in a one-night stand, something I promised myself wouldn’t happen again.

The bright side? Archer didn’t push for more. He walked me to my car, kissed me goodnight, and left it at that. It was surprising, in a good way. Maybe he’s not just about the chase. Maybe there’s more to him than I first thought. Still, I can’t ignore the reality—he’s only in town for a short while, and whatever we share isn’t going to last.

Yet, I can’t help but feel that flicker of hope. He could’ve taken me to bed, wanted me only for sex, but he didn’t go that route. That means something, right?

As I’m lost in my thoughts, my phone pings. It’s Archer, asking if I’d like to meet him for breakfast at a coffee shop on Monday morning. A smile tugs at my lips as I type out a quick yes. I wasn’t expecting to hear from him so soon, but I’m not disappointed either. I feel the flutter of excitement stir in my chest.

I need to talk to someone about this. I can’t keep it all bottled up. So, I text Contessa and tell her about the kiss. My phone buzzes almost immediately. She’s calling me, of course.

“Hello?” I answer, bracing myself.

"I know I'm reading this text wrong,” she says, her voice full of disbelief.

I laugh, a little nervous. "Well, actually..." I dive into the whole story, from the software licensing deal to the celebratory kiss that caught me off guard.

She gasps dramatically. "Oh, I’m coming over with wine and chicken alfredo. You’re getting wine, but I want all the tea!"

I chuckle, feeling lighter already. "See you when you get here."

As I hang up, I sit back, realizing how much my world has shifted since Friday night. I spent years being defined by my work, and now, there’s something else, or should I say someone else, pulling me in.

The doorbell rings an hour later, and she enters my home and sets the food down on the table. She looks relaxed in a pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

“You look like you’re enjoying the jobless life,” I tease, wrapping Contessa in a tight hug as she walks through the door.

She grins, but there’s a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Speaking of jobs, your boss called me yesterday morning and asked me to come back, and now I know why,” she says, wiggling her brows. “You put it on him.”

I wave her off, rolling my eyes. “I didn’t do anything like that! But are you coming back?”

“I told him I’d think about it.”

I nod, biting my lip. “He’s calmed down a lot. I think in the beginning he was just stressed, trying to get the company in the green.”

Contessa tilts her head, hands planted firmly on her hips. “Oh, I see. Now that he’s giving you the feels, you’re Team Archer.”

“It’s not like that.” I laugh, shaking my head. “I just don’t think he’s a bad person, now that I’ve had a chance to actually know him.”

“I’ll leave the getting-to-know-him part to you,” she says with a playful smirk.

I gesture to the food on the table. “Let’s dissect this over pasta and wine, shall we?”

“Oh, this is about to get real good,” she says, grabbing the plates.

A few minutes later, we’re sprawled on the reclining couch, feet kicked up, wine in hand, with the pasta between us. It feels like old times, except this time, Archer Gates—the man who drove Contessa crazy—is now the one I can’t stop thinking about.

“It feels like he’s been around for months, not just a week,” Contessa says, twirling pasta around her fork.

I nod, crunching on my salad. “Yeah, but I hate that he pushed you out like that. You deserved every penny from that job.”

She shrugs. “He offered to pay me the money I missed while I was out, but I deserve to not have someone breathing down my neck 24/7. At least he wasn’t hounding you every second of the day. I can handle the front desk and secretary work, but he was on my back about e verything .”

I sigh, taking a sip of my wine. “He’s been working me hard too, but I’ll admit, I would’ve lost it if I had to fetch his coffee and food all day.”

Contessa points her fork at me. “Oh, you didn’t have to get his food and drinks, but you’ve definitely been feeding him something else , haven’t you?”

I nearly choke on my wine, laughing. “Can I plead the fifth?”

“Absolutely not!”

I grin, leaning back. “Okay, well… let’s just say, I’m very satisfied with him as my boss… and that kiss we shared Friday night.”

Contessa raises an eyebrow and takes a big sip of her wine. “I can’t believe this shit.”

I shovel in a mouthful of pasta, chewing slowly, trying not to look too dreamy. When I swallow, I say, “Believe it. He’s amazing.”

She shakes her head, smirking. “Aw, look at you. In love with the bosshole. Stranger things have happened, I guess.”

I laugh, setting my wine glass down. “You’re not wrong.”

Contessa narrows her eyes at me, her tone teasing but sharp. “So, do I need to find a new friend to vent to since you’re sleeping with the enemy? Maybe I’ll start a ‘Surviving Archer Gates’ support group online. There have to be other people at companies he’s taken over who quit after he imposed a sixty-hour workweek. I can’t be the only one.”

I can’t help but burst out laughing. “You might be onto something with that support group.”

She grins wickedly. “Oh, I know. And when you finally come to your senses, I’ll save you a seat at the first meeting.”

I shake my head in disbelief. “Maybe there are people out there who feel the same way. But if I were to join a ‘Surviving Archer Gates’ support group, it would be for an entirely different reason. I need to know if falling for him is going to blow up my entire world,” I murmur, almost to myself.

Contessa smirks, shaking her head. “I bet other people want to vent about their bosses too, whether it’s good or bad. We should start a boss support group where workers can come together and talk about the oppression we face daily at the hands of our bosses.”

“Not just oppression,” I add, leaning into the idea. “Sometimes it’s the affection we get from the boss that can ruin us just as easily.”

She laughs, but there’s a knowing glint in her eyes. “I knew it from the moment he laid eyes on you when Jaqueline introduced him to the team. He couldn’t hide the fact that he liked what he saw.”

“Well, I do look good. I can’t blame the man for staring,” I say with a playful shrug.

“Whatever,” Contessa grins. “That’s not the only time I’ve caught him checking you out. You even admitted he asked you to stay after the boardroom meeting. What was that really about, ma’am?”

I roll my eyes. “He had things to go over,” I say defensively.

“Mm-hmm, sure he did,” she teases, her smirk widening.

I think back to those moments, catching Archer’s eyes lingering on me longer than they should, watching me as I walked out of his office. "I know it’s not ideal to fall for your boss, but I can’t deny it. I’ve fallen and can’t get back up.”

Contessa huffs, taking a long sip of her wine. “Yeah, we need that group ASAP. We need help, girl. Talking to others going through this might actually save us.”

“Maybe we should take it online. You know, a virtual support group where people can talk anonymously,” I suggest, warming to the idea.

Contessa’s eyes light up. “I’m more into finding out where he lives and flattening all his tires, but I already lost my job, so I don’t need to lose my freedom too. So yeah, a support group works,” she jokes, making me laugh.

“Hm. I could create a website, no problem. What do you think?”

She finishes her wine, then looks at me with a raised brow. “You’re serious? A website where people vent about their bosses?”

“Not just venting. It could be a place to talk about the good bosses, the bad bosses, and the confusing ones,” I explain, smiling.

“Ugh, you are so gone,” she teases, shaking her head.

I shrug. “Look, it’ll be a space where anyone can share their experiences without fear of losing their job or doing something they’ll regret. Sometimes it helps to cool off before walking out.”

Contessa looks thoughtful for a moment, her tone softening. “Why do I feel like that’s a personal jab?”

“It’s not,” I insist, my tone gentle. “It could’ve been a place for someone like you to vent before reaching your breaking point. And for someone like me to process all these… feelings.”

Contessa clutches her chest dramatically. “Oh, a safe space like that would’ve made all the difference for me. Instead of letting everything simmer, I would’ve had someone to talk to before walking out.”

I look at her, guilt tugging at me. “Why didn’t you come to me? You mentioned it, but I didn’t know it had gotten that bad.”

She sighs. “You were so busy, and I didn’t realize I was at my breaking point until I walked out. It’s done now. I just have to live with it.”

“You know Archer’s willing to let you come back, right? He’s loosened up about the hours.”

She snorts. “Wonder why he’s loosened up? Could it be someone putting him in a good mood?” she asks, raising a brow suggestively.

Ignoring her teasing, I focus on the task at hand. “Let me get started on this site. Maybe we’ll actually help people.”

“Can I name it?” she asks, suddenly excited.

“What do you have in mind?”

She grins. “Let’s call it Surviving Archer Gates .”

I laugh. “You’re hilarious. No way we’re naming it after him.”

“Fine,” she concedes, tapping her chin. “How about Boss Be Damned ?”

I tilt my head. “Why that?”

“Because with bosses like Archer, you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t. There’s no winning, only surviving.”

I chuckle, nodding. “Fair enough. Boss Be Damned it is. Some of us are damned to love our bosses, and some are damned to hate them. That’s just life.”

“Exactly,” Contessa agrees. “We could have chatrooms for men and women, separated to make it comfortable.”

“I like that. And everyone stays anonymous. No real names, no company names, just codenames and avatars. No pictures, no meeting in person,” I add.

Contessa nods. “Sounds like we’re onto something. Maybe we’ll save a few people from losing their minds.”

I smile. “Or their jobs.”

“I get what you’re saying,” Contessa says, her face thoughtful. “If I meet someone from Epic and figure out what’s happening over there, then when I see someone post about it, I could piece together who they are. The anonymity rule is actually super important.”

“Exactly,” I nod, glad she’s catching on. “If we catch anyone meeting outside the group, we’ll have to remove them. It’s all about keeping people’s jobs safe.”

For the next three hours, we brainstorm, bouncing ideas back and forth as I work on building the website. The domain name BossBeDamned.com is available, so I grab it. The site takes shape with a massive chatroom, smaller chat spaces, and individual private chats. I add three main forums: Boss-Holes, So-So Bosses, and Never Work Here . Once the structure is set, I make a fake profile on Reddit and drop a post in a popular forum to get the word out. Contessa hits up a few social media sites where women gather, sharing the link.

“This idea’s really taking off,” Contessa says, scribbling down ideas on her notepad.

I grin. “It’s got wings.”

She looks up, eyes gleaming. “I’ve got hashtags we can use in the chats!”

“Oh?” I lean in. “What have you got?”

“Okay, first up, BILF— Boss I’d Love to F*ck .” She wiggles her brows, clearly enjoying this too much.

I try to keep a straight face, but the thought of Archer crosses my mind, looking like he could set a BBQ on fire with just his looks. Yeah, I wouldn’t mind him arching more than just my back.

Focus, Tahani!

Contessa continues, “And for Mr. Gates specifically, I’ve got BILK— Boss I’d Love to Kill .”

Laughing, I shake my head. “That fits how you feel, but please don’t kill him.”

“For you, I’ll let him live.” She smirks. “Now, for people who are like you and are falling for their bosses, I’ve got: BILM— Boss I’d Love to Marry , FTB— Fall/Falling For The Boss , and ILWMB— In Love With My Boss .”

I raise my glass to her. “Those are great.”

“I knew you’d love them,” she says, pretending to gag. “Not everyone will want to kill their boss. Some need help just to not sleep with them. And let’s be honest, even I’d be tempted by Archer if he weren’t so demanding. But for those bosses who deserve it, here’s my last acronym: MBIDAF— My Boss Is Dumb As F*ck .”

I burst out laughing. “Archer’s not dumb, just a little too single-minded sometimes. I’ve seen him be tough when he’s focused on those company goals.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Contessa says, pouring another glass.

We clink glasses when the site is finally live. Our first posts explain why we started the chat group, setting the stage for people to come in and vent about their bosses. I type in under my username, @ImBossy26, while Contessa creates hers: @TestyTesty.

Whether or not the site takes off is anyone’s guess, but at least we’ve created a space where people can finally talk about boss-related issues, frustrations, or even their secret desires. It’s a start.