Page 26 of Recovering Ivy

“I’m taking Jasmin with me to fire Donna. Can I make her pack her shit and leave now?” Linc stood and made his way to the door.

“Sure. Whatever.”

“Seriously. Don’t fire her. I’m not working here.”

“Then I’ll be without a receptionist.”

“You’re impossible.”

“So are you, babe.”

“Ugh. I need a time out before I punch you. You are the most infuriating human being I’ve ever met,” I announced.

“Nope. I don’t think. Totally head over heels in love.” Colin laughed again.

I stomped out of the room, needing a minute alone, but once I was out of the conference room, I had no idea where to go.

“You look lost,” a man said. I think he was Jaxon but I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. “I’m Jaxon.”

“I thought so. But with everything going on, I kinda wasn’t sure.”

“Where are you trying to go?” he asked.

“Anywhere but in there.” I nodded in the direction of the door.

“Follow me.” He started walking and I followed. I didn’t care where we were going as long as I was away from Zane. “I know Zane can be a little…”

“Bossy. Assholish. Pushy. Overbearing.” I helpfully provided.

“I was going to say overprotective but those work, too.” He chuckled.

Jaxon opened the door to what looked like it was supposed to be a break room. It was fully kitted out in top-of-the-line appliances and a large dining table. It was a far cry from the low-budget break rooms I was accustomed to.

“This is a little… over the top.” I noted.

“Maybe, but it gets used a lot. Someone is always here. We run twenty-four-seven. There are also times when we get home from being out of the country and we’ll crash here, which means we need to eat. Zane got tired of replacing the cheap shit, so he upgraded,” Jaxon defended.

I guess that made sense. However, I was reminded, yet again, of our economic divide. I’d never worked or lived anywhere with a kitchen this nice.

“Help yourself to whatever you want. Donna keeps it stocked,” he told me.

“You mean the woman Zane is sending Lincoln to fire as we speak?” I informed him, hoping I could appeal to his stomach and have him put a stop to this nonsense.

“Thank fuck. That woman is psychotic. I’m talking straight up crazy. She’s tried to bag every man on the team, especially Zane.” I’d heard Zane and Linc say the same thing, but I was too angry at the time to really process what they were talking about. Hearing Jaxon confirm sent white-hot jealousy all over. Suddenly I didn’t feel nearly as guilty as I should’ve about the woman losing her job. “Everyone in the building will be happy she’s gone. Did Linc say if he was taking Jasmin with him? She’d want to be there to see the look on Donna’s face. Donna hates Jasmin. She is so jealous of her she can’t see straight.”

“Lincoln said he was taking her,” I confirmed.

“It will be funny as hell to watch.”

“That’s kinda mean.”

“You wouldn’t think that if you had to deal with the woman. She tries to hit on every man and hates the women.”

“Well. She doesn’t sound pleasant. But I still don’t want to laugh at someone’s misfortune.”

Even if I was jealous she’d hit on Zane in the past, I had no right to feel that way. He wasn’t mine. He was a man I’d slept with, nothing more. I would’ve never seen him again if he wasn’t tied up with Forester.

“Did he say if he found someone to take her place? What brought on him finally wising up and canning her ass?”