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I wait to respond until he looks at me, ensuring I have his undivided attention. “Yes, but you also asked me to make dozens of changes to the PowerPoint you want attached to the email,” I remind him. “I’m not a robot, Mr. Sinclair. I can only work so fast.”
“How much longer is it going to take?”
I swear to god, he’s the most impatient person I’ve ever met. “The more you interrupt me, the longer it’ll take,” I say in a snarky tone.
I get up from my makeshift desk in the corner, collecting the dirty dishes we used for lunch. Jack is getting on my last nerve, and I need some space before I lose my temper.
“Where are you going?” he demands.
“I’m taking a break. I can only tolerate your brutish behavior for so long,” I answer honestly.
Without waiting for his response, I leave the room without a backward glance. I carry the dishes to the kitchen, and put them in the sink. I take a moment to regain my composure, leaning against the counter as I let out a heavy sigh.
Jack is testing my patience today, and the fact that we’re stuck together for the holidays isn’t helping matters.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?”
I spin around to find my mom standing in the doorway with a concerned expression on her face.
“Hey, Mom.” I offer her a warm smile. “I’m fine. It’s just been a stressful day at work preparing for some important meetings tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she says with a frown. “I wish I could make things easier for you.”
“It’s okay,” I assure her. “I’ll have plenty of time to spend with the family after tomorrow.”
“We’re looking forward to it.” She comes over to give me a hug. “I’m glad you brought Jack home with you. He seems like a nice young man. You deserve to be happy and have a life outside of your job.”
I wouldn’t necessarily describe Jack as a young man, especially not after seeing his six-pack last night. And he’s most definitely not nice, but leave it to my mom to find the best in someone even as intolerable as him. I wonder if she’d still say those things if she knew who he really was.
“How do you know?” I teasingly challenge her. “You’ve spent all of five minutes with him since we got here last night.”
“So? I’m a good judge of character, and I can sense that he has a good heart,” she tells me. “It’s obvious that he’s completely smitten with you, and that brings me so much joy.”
I suppress a humorless laugh. My mom’s usually spot-on about reading people, but she’s missed the mark with Jack. He’s a self-centered jerk who most certainly doesn’t have any interest in me. She must be blind to his true nature because she’s excited that I finally brought someone home.
“I love you, Mom,” I say, sidestepping her comment.
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
“Listen, I have to get back to work, but I’ll see you at dinner, all right?”
“Sounds good,” she says with a soft smile.
It’s late by the time Jack and I finish work for the day. After a quick dinner with my family, we head upstairs since we have an early morning ahead of us. I dread having to spend another night in the same bed as him.
“Someone’s been very hostile today,” Jack observes as he shuts the door behind him.
“Spending the day confined in an office with my temperamental boss put me in a rather cranky mood,” I grumble.
“He sounds like a bastard. Want me to kick his ass?” Jack asks with a wink.
“Actually, yes, I could use some entertainment after the day I’ve just had,” I tease.
I rather enjoy Jack’s playful side, and I wish it surfaced more often.
“In all seriousness, we have a situation on our hands,” he says.
“And what’s that?” I ask with a hint of curiosity.
