AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Ignis Innovations. Yes, this is Levi Laurent.”
Seven
Georgie
So. I’m sneaking around with the boss.
Over the last week, we’ve made out against every flat surface in the penthouse office, and dragged each other into a few supply cupboards on the lower floors too. Levi’s desk chair has stopped squeaking every time I climb onto his lap, the poor thing squished into submission, and we’ve fogged up the elevator mirrors most days.
It’s delicious. He’s so freaking hot and stern with everyone else, but he goes all melty just for me. When he tells me to close his office door and get over there, arms already spread as he bosses me around in that deep voice—I just about die.
And despite being a literal genius, he thinks the sun shines out of my ass. Seriously, if I drew Levi a wobbly stick figure, he’d probably display it on the staff refrigerator. It’s awesome.
No one’s noticed the new tension simmering between us as we walk through the Ignis halls. They’re not the tiniest bit suspicious—not even Angelica from legal. Should I be offended by that?
It’s notsounthinkable, surely. Levi and me. I mean, yeah, he’s a wealthy genius engineer who’s saving the world, and I’m…
I’m the lying gremlin who’s here to sabotage him. Yikes.
Whenever I walk home after work, the sparkly pink fog of new love that’s clouding my brain—that slowly drifts away, until all I’m left with is sickening guilt.
Guilt that I haven’t come clean to Levi yet.
Guilt that I never really avenged my dad.
Hell, even guilt that I’m messing around with my boss. Before I set out on the world’s weakest revenge spree, I was always such a rule follower. A good girl.
My key slides into the lock, and I force my shoulders down before I push the door open. The apartment is bright and warm, with distant clattering noises in the kitchen. Dad must be cooking already.
Dad.
Gah. What will he say when he finds out that I’m hooking up with the man who ruined his career? Levi doesn’t even remember him. That’s how small the situation was to him—how insignificant.
“Georgie?” Dad’s voice floats through the apartment. Kicking off my shoes, I drop my bag with a sigh. “Did you have a good day, honey?”
Hmm. Chewing on the inside of my cheek, I wander to the kitchen. Did I have a good day? Yes and no.
On the one hand: I dry-humped Levi against his desk until his reading glasses steamed over.
On the other hand: one day soon I’ll have to give him up, so every kiss from him slices my heart like a knife.
Plus the lies, the deceit, the general shitty feelings. You know how it goes.
“It was okay,” I hedge when I reach the kitchen, leaning in the doorway. The counters look like a bomb hit them, but I hide my wince. Who cares about a ton of washing up? If Dad’s happy, I’m happy. “Ignis has that product launch next month, so it’s kind of crazy at the moment.”
Crazy stressful. If I could, I’d march Levi home at 6pm andforcehim to take a bubble bath and have an early night. Seeing him shoulder that strain kills me. He shouldn’t feel responsible for the whole damn planet.
Can’t believe I added to that stress. Made his life so much harder.
Ugh. I’m a bug.
“I remember,” Dad says lightly, knocking a wooden spoon against the pot as lumps of glossy red chili drip down. Steam billows into the humming oven hood. “When I was at Ignis, some weeks I thought I’d explode from the stress. Still, we were working on projects that really mattered, and that’s a heady feeling. Those were wonderful days.”
The chili spits. The air tastes like tomato and spice. I tip my head back against the door frame, my temples throbbing.
Nils Olsen is not bitter. Not anymore; not since getting sober and going to all those meetings. And I don’t get how Dad can shrug off losing his precious career, hispurpose.
“Why don’t you hate Mr Laurent?”
