Boss I Love to Hate: An Office Romance(13)

He stared at me, as though he were studying me, and then he frowned like a little boy and let out a long sigh. It was almost comical.

“My date was horrible, in case you were wondering.”

Oh hell, not again. Could this guy get married already, so I didn’t have to hear about his god-awful dates?

Not only was I his secretary, his personal assistant, but more recently, I had also become his Dr. Phil. I tried hard not to groan, pleading silently with him to let me be on my way.

“You never said anything about it the other day.” My tone was even as I pretended to be concerned.

He paused to examine me, his eyes expectant.

“What do you want me to say?”

My patience for Brad, for today, for my life was shot. Really, I hadn’t wanted to know then, and I did not want to know now about his dating life. Listening to him gripe about his sex life was definitely not part of my job description. Though it would be interesting to hear he couldn’t get it up.

He shrugged, and then, with a shake of his head, he replied, “You’re always saying I’ll find the one. Don’t worry. Maybe the next one will be it. You’re good like that. I don’t know if you’re bullshitting me, but it does make me feel better.” His face clouded with an uneasiness that I wasn’t used to, and he leaned in as though he were waiting for me to say something.

I blinked once. Wow. I guess I never really thought he listened to what I was saying.

That was what normal, sympathetic people were supposed to say when someone was down on their dating luck. Did I believe it? I didn’t know. He never had a hard time getting a date, like the rest of us average folk.

“Sit down, will you?” He motioned to the chair in front of him when I kept silent.

I blew out an audible breath that I couldn’t hide, and he carefully eyed me. If I didn’t have more self-control, I would have stomped my foot, tantrum-style, for good measure.

Could I say no to the boss? Because I really wanted to at that moment.

“It sucks when it doesn’t work out. I really liked this one.” A long sigh escaped him, and his body went limp against his chair.

“You liked the one before that and the one before that.” I tried to keep my face neutral, not sure what he wanted me to say.

“I’m being serious here.” He rubbed at his brow and pulled at his necktie, frustration heavy on his features. “I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, but every time I have sex with a woman, I lose interest. It’s like sex is the kiss of death. It’s to the point where I’m afraid to have sex.” Then, he let out a small laugh and shook his head. “Well, that’s not exactly true.”

I rolled my eyes. “Okay, that’s way more information than I wanted to hear.” I stood, deciding to take the risk and be honest. “It’s the chase for you, Brad. You win. You get bored. You move on.”

“That’s not true. I took my time with Olivia. I was searching for that connection, but something was missing between us.” His mouth slackened, and he almost looked offended. “I’m looking for a relationship. I’m relationship material. My parents were married for over thirty-five years. Charles is married, and Mason has been in a long-term relationship. It’s in my genes,” he insisted, eyebrows raised as though my words had shocked him.

“Are you really now? Or is this what ‘normal’ people do?” I put normal in quotes. “Maybe you’re just the black sheep?” I lifted a shoulder to my ear.

Out of the brothers, I could see that. Charles and Mason were even-keeled and in serious relationships and somewhat normal.

“You’re the worst.” He tossed the pen on his desk and crossed his arms over his chest, staring at me as though I held all the answers.

“Then, fire me.” I knew he wouldn’t and couldn’t. No one would be able to last in this position long enough. “A minute ago, you said I was the best.”

He pointed to the chair in front of his desk. “Sit. We’re still talking.”

I lifted my head to the ceiling, closed my eyes, and blew out a breath. With all that had been happening recently in my life, I didn’t have any room in my brain or emotional bucket to take anything else in. When I rested my eyes on him again, all pretense disappeared. “I’m not your shrink, Brad. Just take your Xanax, and all will be right in the world.” The shitshow that was called my life was hindering my brain-to-mouth filter. I was being way too honest than I usually was.

“Are you okay?” He ran one hand through his dark hair, and his eyes teetered between the computer screen in front of him and the view of something behind me, as though he were uncomfortable to ask the question. “I feel like things have been going on with you lately.”

Forget it.

He obviously wasn’t letting me leave without getting whatever was off his chest out in the open.

I plopped down on the chair.

If he was uncomfortable, I wanted to crawl out of my skin.

I shifted in my seat, looking at him flat-on. “Yeah, why?”

“Well, yesterday …” He averted his stare. “ … you looked upset. You’ve been looking that way for some time now.”

He’d noticed? Odd.

“And you’re usually less mean to me,” he noted.

“You like it when I’m mean to you.”