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“I checked the data myself.”
“The numbers check out, yes. But there is something you’re missing.”
I couldn’t suppress my smile. Gone were the days when John was the only one who could disagree with me. If someone else even tried, I’d swear, yell, tell them to get out, or fire them. You couldn’t blame me. There was no room for errors in this industry, and they were always wrong.
The staff quickly learned not to challenge me unless they had absolute certainty in their information. Eventually, that stupid Hellhound nickname came about, and now no one even saidhito me anymore.
But when she challenged me…I smiled.
Probably because she was usually right. I was so damn proud of her. “Don’t be vague. Tell me about your analysis in detail.”
After a lengthy stimulating conversation about Caldroves, she got up. “Oh, and I finished that report you asked me to do for Mr. Reed. So, what can I do for you now?”
Lots of things.
Naughty things I shouldn’t be thinking about at the office. Delectable things I shouldn’t be thinking about a woman half my age. Raunchy things I shouldn’t be thinking about my intern.
I sighed. “That’ll be all for now, Ms. Bloom.”
Mr. Reed’s stout form stormed into my office and flung a report at me. “What is this SHIT?” he bellowed. His quivering cheeks turning red.
What the hell was he talking about? And why was he yelling? “Mr. Reed, what—”
“You incompetent TWIT, you used the wrong figures for the projection—”
I sprang up from my chair and stood to my full height of 5-foot-2. I went up on my toes, meeting him eye to eye. Lucky for me, he was short for a man. “Mr. Reed, my work is flawless. And you will not speak to me in such a disrespectful manner.”
Here was one of those sharks Andrew had warned me about. This jerk fell into the category ofSabotage the Intern. He desperately wanted to find fault in my work to make the CFO look bad.
When he couldn’t find mistakes, he made them up.
“Watch your mouth, missy. You’re just a cocky intern, and I’ll have you out on your ass as soon—”
My boss charged into my office and anchored himself in front of Mr. Reed. His outstretched arm nudged me out of the way and behind the wall of his powerful frame. “MR. REED!”
Glaring at the back of my boss’s head, I crossed my arms. I had already told him I could fight my own battles. I always had, ever since I was 14 years old, when Dad abandoned us. It was the only way. I’d learned early on that I couldn’t count on anyone but myself. I never even counted on Kenny even though he always tried to be my knight in shining armor.
But as quickly as that thought entered my mind, another took its place:Awww, my protector!
Whoa! Where did that come from?
Since when did I gush over the bodyguard type? Was it because of our mentor-mentee relationship? Or a residual effect from him saving me from the mugger? Or maybe my traitorous raging hormones. Why was I getting so turned on whenever he was around? I had to stop lusting after my boss.
“I…ah…Mr. Hell…I mean, Mr. Cox. I…I didn’t know you were in your office,” Mr. Reed stammered. He shuffled backward. “I…was telling your intern about an error—”
“Show me!” demanded Mr. Cox.
I grabbed the report, handed it to him, and stood at his side. I would not hide behind him. I was confident about my work. My quadruple check system was bulletproof. I didn’t graduate top of my class by being sloppy.
He scrutinized the documents. “There is nothing wrong with this,MisterReed. If you found erroneous data, then it seems you are the cocky, incompetent twit.” He threw the report in his face. “Do I need to find myself a new Director of Global Financing?”
The papers bounced off Mr. Reed’s sweaty face and scattered to the floor as he clenched his hands into fists and bit his lip as if he were holding back his anger. He angled his head slightly, and his eyes bore into me with an accusation as if this was all my fault. He looked me up and down with contempt, and I had the feeling that he was already planning his retaliation.
He turned and bolted out the door.
“Hold still,” Steven said.
“Ow!” I winced.
