I need to focus. The last thing I need is to actually start feeling any kind of way about my grumpy mountain man boss.
It only takes me a few minutes to scan through my emails. There aren’t any job offers, but there are a few rejection letters, so I spend the next thirty minutes before my eyes grow too tired, applying to more than a dozen roles that I’m more than qualified for.
I’m finally climbing into bed when my phone buzzes with an incoming call.
Tessa.
I hesitate for a second, then answer.
“Hi.”
“How was your first day?” My friend’svoice comes through bright and cheery as if she has no idea how difficult her dad can really be. “Are you still alive? Or did my dad scare you off already?”
A small laugh slips out. “I’m still here.”
“That’s a win,” she says. “I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t sure he’d be open to the idea.”
“He’s not.” I shake my head and pull the covers over my legs. “Too bad for him, I’m not a quitter.”And I have nowhere else to go, I think, but don’t bother saying out loud.
“And that’s exactly why I suggested you for the job,” Tessa says. “That, and you were the smartest in our class. He’d be a fool to let you walk out of there without fully using you.”
It doesn’t make sense, and it’s completely inappropriate, but dirty thoughts flash through my brain at her choice of words.
“Yeah,” I hesitate for a moment. “Well, I don’t know if that’s going to happen,” I say honestly. “I think at this rate, I’ll be lucky to make it through the month.”
“Why?” Concern floods her voice. “What happened?”
I shake my head even though she can’t see me. “Nothing. It’s fine. And nothing I can’t handle.”
There’s a pause on the other end. “I know you can,” Tessa says after a moment. “Whatever he’s throwing at you, it’s got a lot more to do with him than you.”
That actually makes me feel a little bit better.
“I’ll make it work,” I say with confidence. If there’s one thing Icando, it’s make the best of a bad situation. After all, I was with Barrett way longer than I should have been.
“Speaking of…” Tessa’s voice drops. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“There’s honestly not much to talk about it.” I tip my head back against the headboard. “It was never right for so many reasons,” I admit. “I think I just didn’t want to see it. He wants a good little executive wife, and I want a career. I thought he might come to see that as I got closer to graduation, but he never listened to what I wanted.” That was definitely the first red flag. “And then there was the whole sleeping with his best friend thing.”
“What?” I can almost see her jaw hit the floor.
“Honestly, it doesn’t matter. I’m not even mad about it.” As I say the words, I realize how much truth they hold. “It kind of feltlike a relief to find out,” I continue. “It validated all the things I was thinking and gave me a clear way out.”
“And now you’re out.”
I nod. “Now, I’m out.” But then I laugh, remember how tenuous my current work and living situation is. “But I guess I’ll need to figure out a plan B, too.”
Tessa’s quiet for a beat before she blows out a breath. “You never know,” she says quietly. “Don’t count this out yet, Lilly. It could be really good for you. For both of you.”
I glance toward the door and the quiet hallway beyond.
“He’s intense,” I say.
She laughs. “You have no idea.”
“I think I’m starting to get a pretty good idea.”
“And?”
