She didn’t seem convinced, but she knew better than to push. “Okay,” she said, pressing her lips together like she was biting back words. “I’ll be at my desk if you need me.”
She hesitated for a moment before she left without another word, and I couldn’t help but watch her go.Damn, she was distracting.
Dalton’s voice jerked me out of my thoughts. “Like I said, it could be worse.”
I shot him a look, my scowl deepening. “Get out of my office. Some of us actually have work to do.”
Dalton threw up his hands, grinning. “Fine. I get it.” He stood up and made it all the way to the door before he stoppedand turned. “But just one more thing—put me down for chicken at your wedding.”
“Three seconds,” I warned, but he was already laughing as he turned the door knob. “Oh, and Dalton?”
“Yeah?”
“Find another babysitter,” I said, the warning in my voice sharp and unyielding, leaving no room for argument.
His laughter echoed as the door clicked shut behind him.
The second I was alone, my father’s ultimatum replayed in my head like a broken record. Marry Elise. Or lose everything. My assistant had no idea what was coming.
Hell, I wasn’t even sure I did.
CHAPTER FOUR
ELISE
“I’M GOING TOkill him if I don’t get out of this building right now.” I exclaimed as I stood inside the company’s bathroom fixing my hair in front of the mirror.
“I’ll be there in five minutes,” Kelsey assured me. “Please refrain from murdering anyone until then.”
“If you make it three minutes, drinks will be on me for the entire trip.”
“Deal,” Kelsey agreed. “See you in three minutes.” She chirped before the line went dead.
For Nathan’s sake, I hoped Kelsey got here in one.
Why was I willing to risk life in jail for murdering my boss? Maybe because he’s been on a warpath since the beginning of the week. Specifically, ever since that meeting with his friend. Whatever the two of them talked about in his office that day made Nathan an even bigger asshole than usual.
On Tuesday, he yelled at me for arriving one minute late. On Wednesday, he nearly bit my head off for giving him a blue pen instead of a black pen so he could sign off on a document.Today, he threatened to write me up for insubordination for wearing a hot pink dress to work because apparently, it was “too distracting” and “failed to comply with the company’s dress code”.
The end of the day couldn’t come fast enough. The only thing that kept me going was knowing that today was Friday and I had plans with my best friend tonight where I would drink to my heart’s desire until the only Nathan on my mind was the one fromOne Tree Hill.
Today was Kelsey’s birthday, and to celebrate, Kelsey and I were spending the weekend in St. Martin, a Caribbean island just east of Puerto Rico, with a few other friends of ours.
I just needed to get out of the building first.
It was seven-thirty, way past my clock-out time, when I finally walked out of the bathroom that happened to be on the same floor as Nathan’s office. I purposely avoided walking past his office on my way to the elevator in an attempt to avoid Nathan, who I assumed was still in his office working.
Someone needs to talk to him about his unhealthy work-life balance.
It was a Friday night in a city teeming with celebrities and supermodels, and he was held up in his office looking over contracts and listening to demos.
A man like Nathan Edge, a man of power, influence, and wealth, should be out taking advantage of everything his money and looks awarded him.
At the very least, he should be on a date.
Nevermind. I forgot who I was talking about.
Nathan Edge doesn’t date.
