Chapter 20
TWENTY
SAVANNAH
This Christmas
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Garrett and I are sitting on the enclosed balcony of his Presidential Suite. I’m resting my head on his shoulder, and he’s caressing my back as the company employees lose their shit below.
They’re running across the snowbanks with sparklers, laughing and drinking around bonfires, and I can see a few of them dancing in the carriages before take-off.
“I think I need to rescind my memo,” Garrett says. “There’s too much employee happiness going around, and as ‘Satan in the flesh,’ I’m not sure how it makes me feel.”
I laugh. “How many people took you up on the chartered plane offer?”
“Not a single one.” He smiles. “I think that deep down, everyone loves my office party.”
“No, I’m pretty sure they hate it,” I say. “But it is all-expenses-paid, and without time constraints, it’s more than worth it to stay.”
“Good point.”
“I’ve thought of some ‘needs’ that can make this work better for me.” I sit up a bit, watching one of the employees launch fireworks into the sky. “I made a short list.”
“I’m listening.”
“I need you to be done dating other women.”
“That’s a given.” He smiled. “I expect the same for you.”
“I need to be an exception to the ‘No off days’ in December rule.”
“Also a given,” he says. “I gave you three off days this year.”
“Real off days, Garrett.” I shake my head. “Ones where I have a choice in what work I do, if I do any at all.”
“Okay. What else?”
“I need a bigger office, but not just any office. I need it to be significantly bigger than yours, because as your advisor, you need me more than I need you.”
He raises his eyebrow, looking as if he’s about to strike that down and argue with me, but he laughs instead. “I’ll have a designer start drafting ideas in the morning. Anything else?”
“Sex in the office.”
“That’s happening the moment we get back.” He smirks. “Good to know your list of needs is rather simple, though. Can I give you mine?”
“I’m listening.”
“I need you to wear more dresses to the office,” he says. “It turns me on.”
“I just bought forty new pantsuits.”
“I’m sure the Salvation Army will love them.” He laughs. “If your office is going to be bigger than mine, I’ll expect an invitation at least seven times a week.”
“For coffee?”
“For fucking.”
I blush. “Is that it?”
“I also need you to take down all of your mean posts about me on that Boss-Snark message board.”
“I have no idea what message board you’re talking about.” More like no idea you knew it existed.
“I’ll give you seven days.”
“I’ll take them down in six.”
“Thank you.” He tilts his head to the side. “You do know that there's a private employee board where they talk shit about you too, right?”
“What?” I sit up a bit more. “No, there’s not.”
“Oh, there definitely is.” He smiles. “Your coworkers have been playing both sides for quite some time.”
“You’re making that up.”
I wait for him to laugh and tell me that he’s joking, but he doesn’t. Instead, he presses a kiss on my cheek and pulls his phone from his pocket.
“Here,” he says, tapping the screen. “See for yourself.”
Boss-Snark Forum 2.0
Subject: Savannah Grey
Russ76: Gah! She's just as bad as he is.
LilyV8: I know, right? But “just as bad” sounds like a compliment. She's worse. I feel like they both attended the same How to be a Fucking Psycho Boss class, and she managed to get an A-plus.
JerryMkting: I honestly don’t think she truly comprehended why I gifted her that How to Deal with a Controlling Boss book last year. O_o
Heather20: @JerryMkting Ba ha ha ha ha! She probably thought you were giving it to her out of solidarity for how she feels about Mr. West!
JerryMkting: I knew I should’ve gifted her How to Be a Better Boss instead. Damnit.
Russ76: @ LilyV8, you’ve made me think of something. Do you think they’re sleeping together? Like, have they ever?
Dale741: OMG, yes! I’m right on time for the new boss snark! And hell yeah, they’ve fucked. There's no way they haven't.
LilyV8: IDK. Doubt it. They would be far more relaxed and laid back if that were the case. Don't we have an old thread somewhere about this?
Heather20: Yep. The link is right here. Plenty of pictures of the two of them staying late in the office at night.
(Whenever he orders from that expensive takeout place, that’s a night when they’re working late together, FYI.
The delivery driver told me that they do that at least three times a week!)
Dale741: They’re so obsessed with their jobs that they probably discuss projects while they fuck. I bet she spouts off emails whenever she’s in the middle of an orgasm.
Heather20: @Dale741 I can see it now: “Ohhh goddd, Mr. West, I’m about to—let’s work on the James filesss!” LMFAO!
My jaw drops to the floor as I read pages of comments. Almost every person who’s joined me in talking crap about Garrett, is talking shit about me.
“How fast can you get me a meeting with Human Resources to report coworker harassment?” I ask. “This is bullying.”
“Take it in stride.” He laughs, taking the phone away. “That's what I do.”
“It’s fine for us to talk about you behind your back.” I’m still stunned by their betrayal. “You’re the boss.”
“And you’re the boss’s best friend.” He kisses me in a way that makes me temporarily forget. “Let it go.”
“Fine…” I sigh. “You mentioned that you bought me a Christmas gift the other day. You wanted me to remind you.”
“Yes.” He gets up and walks over to his suitcase, pulling out a beautiful blue box. He smooths the wrapping paper on the side before handing it to me. “Merry Christmas, Savannah.”
“Thank you.” I tug at the ribbon. “Should I open it now or do you want me to wait?”
“It’s up to you.”
I hesitate for all of three seconds before tearing the paper away.
Inside is a small black box with a tag that reads, ‘What I should’ve given you at the office party in Hawaii.’
“I don’t know if I want to open this now,” I say. “I vividly remember telling you that I hated you at that party.”
“You did.” He smiles. “You’re halfway there now, though. Might as well open it.”
I lift the top and see a bracelet with the “C” charm on it. There are three small diamonds aligned in its bend.
“So, let me guess,” I say. “The C stands for Chief Advisor, which means you’re happy with the job I’m doing, and I’m getting this instead of a rose this year?” I smile, running my fingers against it.
“No,” he says. “It stands for C.F.O., Chief Financial Officer, and it means you deserve it. However, upon further reflection, I’ll have to give you the rest of the letters for your bracelet when we get back to Manhattan.”
“Why can’t I have them right now?”
“Because right now,” he says, pulling me into his arms. “You and I are going to spend the rest of this trip in the bedroom, and I’m going to enjoy making you regret ever saying the words, ‘You need me more than I need you.’”
“I don’t see why.” I smirk. “It’s true.”
He covers his lips with mine and pushes me against the wall. “Prove it.”
The End