Page 102 of Spring Break Fling

“No.”

“Tell me,” I said.

“It’s Clarke,” she mumbled into my shirt, her voice muffled.

I frowned. “Who’s Clarke?”

“My boss,” she said, pulling back just enough to look up at me. “He gave my promotion—my dream job—to someone else. After everything I did, all the work I put in…” Her voice cracked, and she looked away, blinking hard.

Rage flared in my chest. If I ever met this Clarke guy, I’d have a few choice words for him. But I swallowed my anger and focused on her. “That’s bullshit, Hannah. You deserved that.”

She nodded, her lips pressed tight. “I know, but it doesn’t matter. Nothing I do ever seems to matter to him.”

I brushed a strand of hair from her face, my fingers lingering on her cheek. “Come on,” I said softly. “Let’s get out of here for a bit.”

We ended up wandering around downtown Boise. It was nice. The streets were clean, and the whole vibe was calm—completely opposite to the chaos of Miami. There wasn’t music pouring out of clubs. There weren’t drunks stumbling around. I did pick up on a distinct odor when the breeze hit just right. I was pretty sure that was cow shit, but maybe it was farmland. I couldn’t tell.

“Boise’s… cute,” I said, glancing around.

“Cute?” Hannah asked, arching a brow.

“Yeah, like, ‘safe to walk at night’ cute,” I replied.

She chuckled despite herself. “High praise coming from you.”

We strolled in silence for a while. Finally, Hannah broke the quiet. “Clarke does this all the time, you know? Takes credit for everything, passes me over for the big stuff. I should’ve seen it coming.”

“This was the guy that called that morning,” I said.

“Yep. The one that raked me over the coals and ‘saved’ me from my own failures. That’s what he does. He pushes me and props me up and makes me think he’s in my corner and then bam! He pulls the rug out from under me.”

I could hear the frustration in her voice, and it pissed me off all over again. “Why do you stay, then? If he’s such a dick?”

“Because it’s supposed to be worth it.” She sighed. “I’m putting in the work. I’m doing the heavy lifting to earn my spot. I’ve been working toward this for years. If I quit now, it’ll feel like all of that was for nothing.”

I stopped walking, turning to face her. “You know what I think?”

She tilted her head. “What?”

“I think Clarke’s an idiot. And I think if he can’t see how good you are, then screw him. You don’t need his validation.”

Her lips twitched, almost forming a smile. “You’re biased.”

“Damn right I am,” I said. “Doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

“I’ve spent another week busting my ass with Clarke breathing down my neck. Last night I went to bed around two. I was working on the presentation today. He wanted me to send him everything to go over. He’s my boss so it’s not like I was surprised he wanted to see it. I had no idea he wanted to see it so he could steal my thunder!”

I listened carefully, my anger growing with each word she shared. “That’s complete bullshit. He’s taking advantage of you.”

Hannah nodded, her eyes bright with unshed tears. “I know. But what can I do? I’ve worked so hard to get here.”

“You can do better,” I said firmly. “You’re talented. Smart. You don’t need to put up with someone treating you like this.”

We walked a bit further, the cold Idaho air cutting through my leather jacket. Everything felt different here—the quiet streets, the distant mountains, the sense of space. It was interesting.

She smiled for real this time, but then her expression shifted, her brows furrowing. “What are you doing here, Nikko?”

“Taking a walk with you?” I offered, smirking.