Boss I Love to Hate: An Office Romance(71)

“It’s different this time. She’s not just a game for me, Mason.”

I had a hard time expressing my emotions. Truth be told, I wasn’t an emotional guy at all, but I needed my brother in this situation because I wanted to know how I could win Sonia over. My flirty ways with other women wouldn’t work with her. She thought this whole thing was a facade, but I didn’t know how to tell her, make her believe me. She’d think it was all bullshit.

“I met her family today.”

He spat out the beer, and it trickled down the side of his mouth. “Why the hell would you do that?” He stalked to the counter to grab a paper towel.

“Because I wanted to.” My expression pinched, and I could feel my patience slipping. “Because I wanted to spend more time with her after work.”

“That’s the stupidest move in the history of fucking dumb moves.” Mason rubbed at his temple as though a massive migraine was making its way to the forefront of his brain.

His negativity was taking a toll on my self-esteem, and my gaze flicked upward. I cracked my neck from side to side, already regretting that I’d sat down for a little brotherly chat.

“You’re going to ruin everything. Do you know how long it takes to train a secretary?” His eyebrows flew to his hairline, and his face reddened.

“It’s not going to come to that.” I had promised I wouldn’t fire Sonia, and I would keep my word. “The problem I have now is, how to ask her out without her thinking I’m talking out of my ass.”

And that was the truth of the matter. She’d witnessed my bullshit tactics with other woman—the flattery, the flirting, the outright crassness that turned some of them on—but none of that would work with her.

Mason pinched the bridge of his nose, and he was no longer looking at me. His eyes were clenched shut, and he was breathing loudly. I could almost hear him counting to ten to calm down.

I thought of Sonia, her soft locks, her no-bullshit personality, and her laugh that was contagious, uninhibited, uncensored, and all real. Not like the fake laughs that women used to look cute. When Sonia laughed, there was no way I couldn’t.

“I like spending time with her.” My tone was quiet, soft, honest. “And being at work with her isn’t enough, which is why I crashed her family dinner.” I stared into open space, hating that I had a reputation and never caring before. Because, now, I cared, and all my shitty antics in the past could cost me my chance. If I had a theme song, it would start out like this, To all the girls I’ve screwed before. And it would end with, I’m sorry.

“After I dropped her off at her apartment tonight, I wanted her to invite me in. Not for what you’re thinking, but just because I wanted to spend more time with her.” I was officially going crazy over this woman.

Mason stared at me, wide-eyed, his mouth open. “You really believe this, don’t you?”

My hand clenched against the mug, my patience running thin. Here I was, the brother who was never emotional and only asking for advice, and here was Mason, telling me not to feel what I was feeling—or, worst of all, telling me what to feel.

“It’s not going to work.” There was finality in his tone that had my blood heating.

I stood, my legs planted wide apart. “That’s where you’re wrong.”

“Ah, fuck. I just threw a challenge in your face. Wrong move.” He slapped his head again.

“Forget it,” I grumbled. “Sorry I came to you for advice. I’ve never been in this situation before, and I turned to you because you’re my brother. I should have known better, knowing you’ve never had faith in me.” I wanted to keep fighting. My voice itched to yell. But then I remembered my nieces were sleeping.

“I gave you advice, and you didn’t want to take it,” he snapped back. “I’ve been in a relationship for five years, and I know what it takes to be in one. Sorry, Brad, but you don’t have it.”

I’d had enough of this nonsense. “Relationship? You mean that shithole you’re stuck in? You hardly ever smile when you’re with her. Half the time, you’re frustrated. To be honest, I doubt you’re even happy.”

“You don’t know anything,” he shot back, his eyes livid.

“Then, lie to me and tell me you are,” I challenged him. “That you love her, and it’s not the fact that you’ve invested time into a relationship and that’s the only reason you’re with her.”

The silence stretched between us, and we warred without words, stiff and stuck in some sort of blinking contest.

He was the first to break contact.

His arms dropped to his sides, and he didn’t say a damn thing. And, yeah, he knew me, but I knew him, too. He built things from scratch, invested time and energy to make things work, and he’d forever be in an unhappy relationship with the worst kind of person simply because he didn’t want to give up. Mason was the type to see things through to the end even if it destroyed him.

I narrowed my eyes, going for the kill. “You know, if we went broke all of a sudden, she’d leave you. Or, if you were dying, the first person you’d call was Charles or me and not her. So, thanks for being the biggest asshole to the one who would save your ass in the end.”

I stormed out of the room and straight up the stairs, hating the fact that he was partly right. I knew nothing about relationships and how they worked, but I was determined to find out.