Boss I Love to Hate: An Office Romance(22)

“Tacos,” Sarah said.

Whatever. I was close. Tom, Ted. I’d like to think I paid attention to the things that mattered most, not the little details. We had security, and they were well trusted and had worked for us for quite a long time. That was all that mattered, right? Sonia was responsible enough to get them all Christmas presents.

“Did those two girls work for us, too?”

Sonia made a face, visibly irritated. “Yes.” Then, she turned to Sarah, and her smile was back on. “I love tacos, too. I know this awesome Mexican place I can take you to.”

I scratched at my temple, and my expression pinched because I had never seen those women before. “Which taco place?” I turned my attention back to the conversation.

Her smile disappeared as though I were her off switch. “You wouldn’t know it.”

I clenched my jaw, annoyed. Just because I hadn’t recognized some of my employees didn’t mean I was clueless about downtown Chicago. “Try me.” I’d worked downtown for years and tried every restaurant there was by myself, on dates, and on client calls. “You’re talking about Mario’s, right?” This time, I threw a challenging look back at her.

Her smile was smug. “No. You haven’t been there.”

“Try me,” I repeated, hating that this woman was so sure when she was wrong.

“Gomez’s Burritos.” She watched for my reaction.

Shit. Well, that’s a first.

I cleared my throat, pretending like it didn’t bother me that she knew something I didn’t. “That’s down here? Is that a new place?”

“No, not new. It’s been down here for years, just like Tommy and Christine and Jenny have been working for you forrrr-ever,” she dragged out.

If I didn’t need Sonia so much, I’d be tempted to strangle her.

When the elevator opened, she reached for Sarah’s hand and ushered her onto our floor. I blew out a breath, letting go of all this annoyance.

When we entered my office, Sonia picked up a pad of paper and her iPad from my desk and gave Sarah a genuine smile. “I’ll pick you up at lunch.” Then, her smile slipped—again—as she probed me with a look. “Brad, about that deal. Don’t forget about it.”

“I won’t.” I scratched my head, wondering where the hell Gomez’s Burritos was. I always wanted to be in the know.

And, about the arrangement I’d made, maybe I should have heard the deal out before I agreed. I was a businessman after all, and agreeing to something without ironing out the details was a bad deal. She could ask me for money or a vacation.

I dropped to my chair and booted up my computer.

I wasn’t too worried. I’d known Sonia for two years. She was completely and utterly harmless.





Chapter 6





Sonia





My fingers tapped against the keyboard, updating Brad’s schedule and ordering supplies for the office. After finishing my morning routine, I dialed Ava’s number. I never called during work hours, so she had to know this was an emergency. And this was big, awesome news my best friend needed to hear.

Before she even had a chance to say hello, my excitement exuded over the phone. “Ava, I know who I’m taking to the wedding.” Though I hadn’t asked him yet, Brad had promised, so I assumed this was a done deal.

This plan was falling perfectly into my lap. Brad was the finest man that I had ever known. He looked like he’d walked out of a GQ spread with his dark, tousled hair, broad shoulders, chin chiseled from the Greek gods. My two single guy friends were not up to his caliber in looks, in height, in stature, and I had to bring my gun locked and loaded, pointed directly at my replacement. I didn’t want to look like a loser who hadn’t had a date since her breakup when, in actuality, I was a loser who hadn’t had a date since my breakup—eight long months ago and counting. If the replacement was stunning in her pictures online, I dreaded meeting her in person. But, now, I had ammunition—the BILK.

“Who are you taking?” Her voice heightened with enthusiasm.

I peered up at my computer, looked into his office, and ducked under my desk.

I couldn’t hold my excitement any longer. “Your BILF,” I sassed.

Wait for it. Wait for it.

I pulled the phone away when she squealed loud enough to bust my eardrum.

She breathed heavily for a couple of seconds before she spoke again. “How did you get him to do that?”

“Are you having hot flashes now?” I laughed. “Anyway, we struck an arrangement.”

I went into the details of our arrangement. Ava coughed up her morning joe when I mentioned the sanitary pads.

“This couldn’t be more perfect if you tried. I can’t believe you told him what you’re going to do, and he’s okay with it. I mean, buying pads for his niece and being your pretend date for the wedding is not necessarily an even deal.”

My gaze dropped to the ground, noting the coffee stain on the carpet from over a year ago. “Well … I haven’t exactly told him yet.”

So what though? Brad was a pompous ass, a womanizer, but a man of his word in business.

“You haven’t told him yet?” She paused. “Well then, you have to have a backup plan.”