You're the Boss (A Steamy Office Romantic Comedy)

CHAPTER NINETEEN – CHLOE

It was easier to avoid someone while living in the same house as them than I thought it would be.

Last night, I’d cooked dinner while Theodore was getting some work done and texted him that it was on the counter for him, and that was the last communication we’d had until this morning when I’d turned on the coffee machine at seven a.m. on the dot and shouted that I was making his coffee.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk about what happened.

Actually, that was a lie. I did not want to talk about what had happened yesterday afternoon. At all. Not even a little bit.

Unfortunately, what I wanted and what had to happen didn’t line up in the slightest.

I just wasn’t ready to face the conversation yet. We both knew I’d lied when I said I hadn’t seen anything, and I especially knew I’d seen more than just a glimpse of him.

Three months ago, I might have been able to brush it off lightly and move on without ever thinking of it again, but that wasn’t the case now.

Our relationship had changed the day I’d agreed to this business trip, and even though it’d only been three weeks since we’d arrived, there was something to be said for how much time you spent with a person.

I was with Theodore eighteen hours a day. I saw him sleepy-eyed and shirtless after just rolling out of bed. I saw him suited and booted as he carried out his role to perfection. I saw him tired and lazy with pizza socks lounging on the sofa after dinner.

I saw all the sides to this man that few others did, and naturally, the way I felt about him had changed, too.

He wasn’t just a cold, stern bastard who wanted to crush his rivals.

He was a warm, friendly man who was under an insane amount of pressure to prove himself.

It was no wonder he wore he mask he did in the workplace. And it wasn’t as if I had any particular romantic feelings for him—I just saw him now for who he truly was.

Even with that said, being attracted to him was hardly anything new.

After all, he was a handsome bastard whether he was being kind or cruel.

“I thought you’d tell me to drive myself today,” he said, looking out of the car window.

“Nonsense, sir. Working hours start at seven a.m., so this is no problem.” I flicked the stick to indicate turning right.

“You ignored me all night, and here I thought you said you didn’t see anything.”

I cleared my throat. “I would prefer to keep the conversation to professional matters only during working hours, sir.”

“That’s fine by me, but don’t think you’ll be able to get away with locking yourself in your room tonight. We need to discuss yesterday’s mishap, Miss St. James.”

A shiver ran down my spine at the quiet, slow enunciation of my name.

Bastard.

“You should put it on both our schedules so you can’t weasel your way out of it,” he added a moment later. “If you do, I’ll knock on your bedroom door from precisely seven p.m. until you answer me, even if that means keeping you up all night.”

Keeping me up all night?

That was a dangerous train of thought.

“That won’t be necessary. We can talk.” I turned onto the road that would lead us to the carpark behind the high street. “We will be here all day to oversee the opening of the Adair Travel office and to meet the employees. There’s the manager, the assistant manager, two sales associates, and one administrative assistant.”

“How busy are we expected to be?”

“The office will open to the public at midday. There are low deposit offers on both rentals and holiday home purchases to celebrate the re-opening, along with complimentary refreshments for anyone stopping by,” I explained. “I expect we’ll have quite a busy afternoon until we leave at five-thirty, sir.”

“Mm.” He tapped his fingers against his knee. “We should consider other arrangements for dinner if we’re that busy.”

“I’ll be fine to cook.”

“I don’t want you to tire yourself out.”

“Then perhaps you’d be willing to make your specialty of burnt fried eggs on toast, sir.”

“That was one time,” he grumbled. “Will I have to hear about it for the rest of my life?”

“If you don’t want photos of your eclectic sock collection to circle about the office back in London, then I’m afraid so.” I fought back a smile as I pulled into a parking spot. “With regards to the office here, the idea is that we will transfer our office work here instead of working at the cottage.”

He unclipped his belt and looked across the car at me. “I don’t want to.”

“I wasn’t asking you if you wanted to, sir.” I met his eyes. “There’s a perfectly suitable managerial office here that you’ll work far more effectively in.”

“You haven’t met the manager here yet, have you?”

“No. I haven’t met her and the most recently hired sales associate yet. Wasn’t the manager on holiday?”

“She was. She’s one of the employees who we kept on staff when we took over the company.” He opened his door. “Hold on, I’ll get the ticket.”

Just like that? In the middle of a conversation?

“This man,” I groaned, resting my forehead on the steering wheel. “He just does whatever he bloody wants.”

Like leave without finishing what he was going to say.

He opened the door again and held out a ticket. “Here.”

“Thank you.” I put it on the dashboard and reached into the back for my bag, then got out and locked the car. “Can you finish what you were going to say a moment ago?”

“About the manager?”

“Yes, please, sir.”

He stared at me for a long moment, then cleared his throat and turned away. “Working here while she’s here will be inefficient for me. Anne-Marie is quite… open… with her intentions.”

I blinked. “In other words, she has a crush on you.”

“I suppose that’s one way of putting it,” he said when we reached the street. He touched my shoulders and scooted me to the side, positioning himself by the road instead of me.

I dipped my chin so he couldn’t see the blush that was colouring my cheeks. I did not need him touching me or being a gentleman right now.

It wasn’t as though the thoughts lingering within my mind were ladylike.

“We met before the takeover was finalised when me and Dad came up here to interview the staff who wanted to stay on,” he continued. “It was for the weekend, and after the interviews, she was quite persistent in asking me to dinner.”

Hm.

That was annoying.

Wait.

No, it wasn’t. Why the hell did I care? He could have dinner with whoever he liked, whenever he liked.

“Dad suggested we all go and saved me somewhat, but she stuck to me the entire evening.” His tone was dark. “That’s why I can’t work here for too long.”

“She may be different in the office,” I suggested. “People are often different in work and outside of it. You should know that better than anyone right now, sir.”

She wouldn’t be different.

I knew she wouldn’t be—especially not behind closed doors. If she was bold enough to shoot her shot against a potential future boss, I doubted she’d care much now that he was her real one.

“Besides, while you’re here, the office belongs to you, not her,” I went on, fumbling in my bag for the keys to the building as we arrived outside of it. “And she’ll be awfully put out when she realises there’s only one person who can stick to you like glue in the workplace, sir.”

He stepped up behind me and reached around me, plucking the keyring from my hands. “And who’s that, Miss St. James?”

His voice was right by my ear, and my heart thumped as he swiftly selected the front door key and slipped it into the keyhole.

Oh, no. Not this again.

“Well?” Theodore asked, still holding the key in place in the hole, keeping me trapped between him and the door.

I swallowed. “That’s me, of course, sir.”

“That’s the right answer.” He turned the key, and the door unlocked with a swift click. “So, do your best to make sure you’re the only one who stays by my side today,” he said in a low, smooth voice that tickled me in places that had no business being tickled in public.

Fuck. Shit. Wank. Bollocks.

This bastard.

“Of course, sir,” was what I managed to eke out through the emphatic pulse of my heartbeat in my ears. “You should go into the office. Everyone will be arriving soon.”

“I will when you get out of the doorway.”

Right.

Shit.

I was still here.

I shuffled inside and got out of his way to turn on the lights. The office was remarkably clean, and it looked every inch ready to open.

At least it would when the opening decorations and complimentary refreshments were delivered.

I wasn’t sure how many people would show up but given how many properties were under the Adair Travel umbrella, I expected it to be a little chaotic. Especially with the caravans in the holiday parks that were currently almost fully booked for the Easter break.

With that in mind, we’d invited all the residents to stop by for an exclusive extra discount on their next holiday with their proof of their current booking.

With that in mind, arriving at eight-thirty didn’t feel early enough for a midday opening.

This whole situation was so far outside my comfort zone. I was used to phone calls and schedules and schmoozing rich people I wanted to smack with my mental box file, not dealing with the general public.

I really hoped nobody wanted me to show my face here too much when the office opened.

“There’s a staff room here, right?” Theodore said, loosening his tie. “Can you make me a cup of tea?”

“What are you doing loosening your tie, sir? The other staff members will be here any minute.” I walked over, stopping him in his tracks. “You tied this, didn’t you? How are you so competent yet so bad at tying ties?”

He grinned as I undid the knot and adjusted it around his neck. “Because you always step in to do it for me, Miss St. James.”

Was this bastard flirting with me right now?

“There’s your fabulous weaponised incompetence, sir.” I swiftly reknotted the tie and secured it in place. “I’d tell you I won’t do this anymore, but we both know that’s a lie.”

“That’s why I do it.”

“Your new secretary might not be so understanding.”

“That’s quite all right. I don’t intend to let anyone tie it but you.”

“Then might I suggest you up your tie-tying game, sir?” I stepped back. “Don’t loosen it again. You don’t want to look a mess to the employees.”

He smiled, tilting his head down to properly meet my eyes. “I know I keep saying it, but sometimes, it really does feel like you’re the boss here, Chloe.”

“I’m glad we’re finally on the same page,” I said dryly, picking a bit of lint from his lapel.

The door opened, and we both turned to see who was coming in. It was Lennon, the assistant manager, and a woman I didn’t recognise, which meant she was probably the manager, Anne-Marie.

“Mr Black! Good morning!” Anne-Marie said brightly as a smile spread across her face. “It’s so good to see you again.”

“Good morning, Ms Walker,” Theodore replied coolly, instantly turning away from her and holding his hand out towards Lennon. “You must be Lennon Palmer. I’m Theodore Black.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr Black,” Lennon said, shaking his hand. He turned to me with a warm smile. “Miss St. James, good morning. I hope you’re well.”

“You, too,” I said, returning the smile. “You must be the manager, Ms Walker.” I switched my smile to Anne-Marie. “I’m Chloe St. James, executive assistant to Mr Black.”

She reluctantly accepted my handshake, plastering a customer service smile on her face. “It’s nice to meet you, Chloe.”

Ah.

We were going for the patronising route.

“Please address my secretary by Miss St. James while we’re working, Ms Walker,” Theodore said, brushing his hands together. “Chloe, I’ll be in the office. Can you bring me that cup of tea?”

“Of course, sir,” I replied.

“I can make it for you,” Anne-Marie offered, stepping forwards.

“It’s quite all right, Ms Walker.” I picked my bag up from the desk I’d put it on before fixing Theodore’s tie. “It’s part of my job. Would anyone else like a cup while I’m there?”

“We got coffee on the way here.” Lennon held up a cup holder with two cups in. “But thank you for offering. We should have gotten you both some, too.”

“No need. Mr Black is quite particular about his coffee. The sentiment is appreciated all the same.” I smiled. “Please excuse me.”

I took myself into the staff room, but I’d barely put my bag down on the table in there when the sound of heels clicking against the floor followed me.

“Miss St. James,” Anne-Marie said. “Why don’t you show me how Mr Black likes his tea? I’m sure it would be helpful if I could assist you while we’re working. You must have a lot to do.”

I filled the kettle at the tap and put it on the dock, flicking the switch to make it boil. “As I said before, I appreciate the sentiment, but this is my job, Ms Walker.”

“I understand, but you must be busy dealing with other matters.”

I pulled down a mug from the cupboard and tossed in a teabag, then looked over my shoulder. “I would think the manager of this office would be far busier than I am this morning. Far too busy for such a menial task as making tea.”

She stilled. “I thought it would be a good way to foster a positive relationship with the boss, that’s all.”

This woman wouldn’t get the message if I wrote it on my imaginary box file and hit her with it.

“Ms Walker, if you want to get on Mr Black’s good side, I suggest you do your job and let me do mine.” I poured the boiling water into the cup. “He values hard work and competence over flimsy actions such as bringing him a cup of tea to cosy up to him.”

“That’s a strange thing to say while you’re making him a cup of tea, don’t you think?”

“I have no desire to cosy up to him,” I said, finishing up the tea. “And again, this is a part of my job. If you wish to make him a cup of tea so badly, then I’ll let you in on a secret.” I picked up the cup and turned around, also grabbing my bag. “I’m resigning once our trip here is done, so you’re more than welcome to move to London and apply for the position of his executive assistant.”

She blinked at me, slightly taken aback. “Oh. No, I don’t think that’s for me.”

“Then please move so I can take him his tea before he comes looking for me and kicks up a fuss about it being cold.” I offered her the same customer service smile she’d sent my way when she’d greeted me. “It wouldn’t do to upset the boss on the first day, would it?”

Anne-Marie stepped to the side, leaving me space to exit the staff room, and I swept past her without looking at her.

What a nightmare.

Who knew a cup of tea was so exciting?

I knocked on the office door before letting myself in. “I have your tea, sir.”

Theodore looked up from behind the desk. “Just in time. I can’t get this bloody thing to log me in.”

With a sigh, I put the tea on the desk and set my bag down on the floor. “Scoot over, and I’ll sort it out.”

He wheeled himself away from the desk, and I bent down to take control. It took a few minutes, but I eventually fixed the post-update setup the computer was trying to run and logged him in to the company account.

“You’re a genius, Miss St. James,” he said, taking his place back.

“If you say so, sir.” I took off my coat and hung it up by the door. “Also, I agree with your sentiment about not making this our office. I, too, do not want that.”

His lips curved to one side. “She followed you to the staff room, didn’t she?”

“She was far too interested in how you take your tea. I told her she’s welcome to apply for my job once my resignation goes in if she wants to know that badly.”

“Why would you do a thing like that?”

“Don’t panic. She declined.” I took my laptop from my bag and set it on the coffee table. “But I don’t think I’m patient enough to deal with her persistence, especially not this early in the morning.”

“Mm. I tried to warn you.” He picked up his tea and sipped, then winced. “Chloe.”

“Yes, sir?”

“You forgot the sweetener.”

I dropped my head, sighed, and reached into my bag. I pulled out the small plastic sweetener dispenser I kept on hand and looked up with a, “Catch!” before I tossed it across the room at him.

His arm shot out and he caught it in one hand. “Did you just pull this out of your bag?”

“Yep.”

“Should I ask why you carry my preferred sweetener brand around in your bag?”

I logged into my laptop then peered over at him. “It’s your preferred sweetener brand, sir. That’s the exact reason I keep some with me.”

“Huh.” He stared at me for an uncomfortably long moment. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

I smiled warmly. “Like a lucky dip at a school fair, sir.”