Teresa Southwick - One Night with the Boss

“Let’s call it a cost-of-living increase. When you do the paperwork, give yourself however much you think is reasonable.” The right corner of his mouth quirked up, unleashing a rogue dimple.

Damn that dimple. It opened the incredibly insubstantial door that was holding back all her insecurity and weakness. Determination, don’t desert me now, she silently begged.

“What if I think the majority share of the company is a reasonable increase?” she asked.

“You don’t.”

“How do you know?”

“There’s not an unfair or dishonest bone in your body.”

So, he’d taken note of her bones. Should she be flattered? Just thinking that made her pathetic. “You can’t be sure I haven’t turned demanding and greedy.”

“I’m willing to risk it.”

The grin punctuating his words was proof that he saw her as a Goody Two-shoes. Wow, warm fuzzy from that.

Back on task. “I’m not here for a raise. I just want to resign.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do,” she said firmly. “Giving notice is the courteous thing to do when one is leaving one’s employer.”

The smile curving his mouth disappeared and those green eyes narrowed, as if he’d finally noticed something different this time. “You can’t be serious about leaving.”

“Sure I can.”

“Well, I don’t accept your resignation.”

“You don’t have a choice.”

“The hell I don’t,” he said stubbornly.

“That’s up to you.” She slid her hands into the pockets of her slacks to hide the shaking. “But you’re on notice that two weeks from now I’m not showing up.”

He stood and walked around the desk. This was the part she dreaded, the part where he invaded her personal space without any clue how his blatant masculinity threatened to chase off her determination.

She turned away and concentrated on the fireplace, where wood was burning and crackling. The fire, the furniture, the man—everything—made a person feel warm and cozy inside as a dreary rain soaked the world on the other side of the window.

“Two weeks’ notice is all you’re giving me?”

“It’s standard.” She turned to face him.

“I can’t find a replacement in that short a time. You need to give me a month. Two would be better.”

She shook her head. “I know you, Brady. If I don’t give you a deadline, you won’t even look for anyone.”

“I don’t have time. You know that.”

“So you better get cracking on my replacement.” She turned away again, because the look on his face showed it was starting to sink in that she was completely serious this time. Feeling sorry for him was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

“Don’t do this, Liv.”

The nickname chipped away at her defenses, weakened her resolve. “I have to.”

“Why now? Nothing’s changed in your life.”

She whirled around to look at him. “How do you know?”

“I just do.”

It was his cocky confidence that had anger coiling in her belly. The smug expression in his eyes conveyed his utter belief that her world revolved around him and he was very nearly right about that. Twice before she’d caved after giving notice, and if she didn’t have anything to fight back with she’d cave this time, too.

She could barely breathe, almost as though she needed an oxygen mask, which was why she blurted out the first thing that popped into her mind.

“You’re wrong, Brady. Something in my life has changed, and it’s big.” She looked him straight in the eye and told the biggest lie ever. “I met a man and I’ve fallen in love. I’m moving away from Blackwater Lake to be with him.”

There was some satisfaction in the fact that he was sincerely shocked. “You’re leaving town?”

That’s what got his attention? Not the fact that she was in love? “Yes. For a man.”

She felt compelled to add that last part in case there was any question.

“Where did you meet this man?” His tone was neither suspicious nor curious. Mostly he sounded irritated.

Clearly Olivia hadn’t thought through the made-up boyfriend exit strategy. It never crossed her mind that Brady would ask questions, and she wasn’t particularly good at spontaneous deceit.

“It’s none of your business.”

He folded his arms over his chest and stared her down. “I couldn’t disagree more. You’re not just a valued employee, you’re...”

“What?”

“My friend.”

Olivia made sure the expression on her face didn’t change. For just a second she’d felt hope that he might think of her as more. After five years of not being more it was silly, foolish and stupid to be disappointed, but none of that stopped her. Still, she was determined that he wouldn’t know, not even by the barest flicker of an eyelash.

“You’re my boss,” she corrected him. “That’s all. Our working relationship doesn’t entitle you to information about my personal life.”

“I just asked where you met him. How is that personal?”

“It’s prying.”

“I’m curious. So take me out back and flog me.”

“Tempting,” she said. “But it’s raining and I don’t want to get my hair wet.”

“Oh? Do you have a hot webcam date?” She gave him a look and he held up his hands. “The least you can do is tell me his name.”

“Again—prying.”

“Are you ashamed of him? Ichabod? Aristotle? Sven?” He tapped his lip thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s a girl name. Lindsay? Lynne? Carroll?”

She almost laughed, almost succumbed to the charm. Instead, she decided to run for cover. She turned away and headed for the door. “You’re incorrigible and listening to this isn’t in my job description.”

“Why can’t he move here to Blackwater Lake?”

Because he doesn’t exist, she thought. “It’s just easier if I go there.” That was sort of true.

“Easier on who?”

“Me.”

“So where are you moving?”

“Again—prying. Look, I did what I had to do. You’ve got your two weeks’ notice. Now I’m going back to work. There are a lot of loose ends to tie up.”

Behind her he said, “Most administrative assistants would be eager to give their boss all the juicy, gossipy details of a love affair.”

“I’m not most assistants.”

“Tell me about it.” He sounded like a petulant little boy, pouting about not getting his way.

That should have reinforced her decision, but as always, she found the behavior oddly endearing.

She stood in the doorway between their offices. “So, I’ll advertise my position and hopefully you can promote from within the company. I’ll also contact an employment agency and recruiters we’ve used in the past. I’ll work over the weekend and on Monday there will be a slate of candidates for you to interview.”

“Whatever.”

Olivia closed the door, then walked over to her desk and sat behind it. She let out a long breath and realized the last few minutes in Brady’s office were just a preview of what she could expect from him for the next two weeks. Giving him her resignation was a walk in the park compared to the prospect of actually working with him every day until she left.

He wasn’t going to make this easy on her.

* * *

Three days after Olivia had given her notice, Brady leaned back in his desk chair and squeezed the orange ball. It was Monday and she’d kept her word about lining up people for her job. He’d just completed the second of two interviews she’d scheduled for today and she was seeing the applicant out.

“Olivia must be really anxious to get out of here,” he said to himself, crushing the round foam rubber in his palm.

Who was this guy she’d met?

He’d never thought about her dating, let alone getting serious. And he wasn’t sure what bothered him more—losing the world’s best assistant, or the fact that she was leaving because she’d fallen in love. He hated change—and the thought of her with a guy made him want to rip what’s-his-name’s head off.