Grumpy Alien Boss (GAL Friday #1)

Chapter One

“I’m fired?” Savannah gaped, unable to believe her ears. “What do you mean?”

“Your employment has been terminated.” Affable Chuck Peterson had morphed into a cold, expressionless HR manager.

“For what cause?” There’d been no hint of anything amiss when she entered the building and rode the elevator to her ninth-floor office.

Gavin hadn’t arrived yet—but she often beat him in unless he had an early morning breakfast meeting, which he did not have today.

As his executive assistant, she maintained his schedule.

“Sexual harassment,” Chuck said.

“W-what?” She couldn’t have heard right.

“The Karing Company has zero tolerance for sexual harassment.”

“Who am I supposed to have harassed?” She racked her brain for what she might have said that offended someone. She could be a little outspoken, but she didn’t make inappropriate jokes or comment on someone’s personal appearance.

“Gavin Porter.”

“Gavin? No. No. You don’t understand. It’s not how it looks.” Someone must have seen us together. “Talk to Gavin. He’ll tell you.”

“Mr. Porter filed the complaint.”

There had to be some mistake. Gavin would never do that. She shook her head. “No. That’s not…it’s…ridiculous.” Bosses harassed assistants. Assistants did not harass bosses! Such a claim violated the natural order of the universe.

Chuck tapped on a tablet. “It’s all documented. He kept a log.” He handed her the tablet.

She scrolled through a diary of comments, innuendos, texts, and descriptions of touch, each dated and misconstrued, context omitted.

She couldn’t refute the incidents had occurred—but they hadn’t happened the way the log made it appear.

Why had Gavin done this? She’d worked for him for three years.

“Call him. Bring him in here so we can clear this up.”

“There’s nothing to clear up. The company’s policy is firm. Zero tolerance.”

“But I didn’t do this!” Not in the way it had been presented. “I’m innocent until proven guilty.” She set the tablet on the desk a little harder than necessary.

“This isn’t a court of law, Ms. Mays.” Chuck had always called her Savannah. “It’s a private corporation—”

“Subject to labor laws.”

“And subject to your employment contract, which states you were hired at will. The company does not need a reason to fire you. Your record will show you were terminated without stating a reason. Consider it a gift under the circumstances.”

Not a gift. Karing was covering its corporate ass. If they fired her for cause, and she could prove the charges false, she could sue for wrongful termination.

Chuck got up, opened his office door, and waved at a female security guard. “Escort Ms. Mays out of the building.”

She lifted her chin. “I have to clean out my desk.” Hopefully, Gavin would be there, and she could demand an explanation.

“Your personal items have been boxed and are at the security desk in the lobby.”

“Fine.”

People in the office became conspicuously busy as she took the walk of shame through the maze of cubicles. They knew she’d been canned. But did they all know why? Were rumors swirling around the office?

Anger growing, she craned her neck, hoping to catch sight of Gavin, but she knew the cowardly weasel wouldn’t show his face.

Yes, she’d been boinking the boss, but he’d instigated the affair, pursuing her for over a year.

She’d held him at bay, but his charm and persistence had gotten the best of her during one of the most vulnerable times of her life.

In violation of the company policy against fraternization, they’d begun discreetly seeing each other.

They’d both violated the policy. But she was the one paying for it.

She still couldn’t believe he ended it this way. They’d just spent a romantic, intimate weekend at a seaside resort. Twelve hours later, he’d dumped her—and leveled false charges against her. Sayonara, baby. Don’t let the door hit you on the ass.

Of course, getting involved with the boss was a bad idea. Until Gavin, it had been a hard no. She’d never even dated a coworker before. The first and only time she violated her own rule, it bit her in the ass.

She couldn’t fathom what had motivated his one-eighty.

Everything had seemed fine—better than fine—over the weekend.

He’d been loving, affectionate, and romantic.

If he’d wanted to end it—why couldn’t he have told her to her face instead of lodging accusations that could wreck her reputation and career?

At thirty-five years old, she’d spent fifteen years doing admin work, and she was a damn good executive assistant.

This termination would be a black mark against a spotless record.

The underling always took the fall.