managing editor came up. Many people were surprised that I didn’t get the promotion, and although that should have made me feel better, it didn’t. It actually made the entire situation worse. It wasn’t all in my head. I really did deserve this job, so why did Vaughn give it to his baby brother?
Vaughn’s family had old money and was well-known in the city. This media company was just one of their many streams of income. I understood why they wanted to keep things in the family, but still thought he could have started out at a lower position and worked his way up. He didn’t even seem like he wanted the job. The man child was sitting on his phone and taking selfies in the corner all night, not even bothering to chat with his future employees.
“Another drink?” Vaughn asked beside me. I swallowed. I hadn’t even seen him approach me.
I’d been avoiding my boss all night, but it didn’t stop me from ogling him from afar. Vaughn fucking Richards was too damn sexy for his own good. He had olive skin, brown hair and a coarse beard that I wanted to run my hand over regularly. He was tall. Polished. Hardworking. Every woman in this city had a gigantic lady boner for him—me included.
He came from a wealthy family. Was hardworking. Had a classic sense of style, and his bright smile was dangerous. Very dangerous. We’d worked closely over the years, and what started as a crush grew to something much deeper with time. It terrified me. I’d wanted to tell him how I felt, but worried about the consequences. His rejection would crush me.
“I’m just really enjoying the open bar,” I replied with a hiccup before turning to face him. God, he was so beautiful. It honestly should be illegal to look that good in a suit. His eyes danced playfully as he took me in.
“I like your dress, Sena,” he whispered. “Reminds me of that banquet we attended incognito. That story put Jet Times back on the map.”
“Ah, the mafia bust?” I asked. That truly was a fun time. We’d gotten dressed up and had a front row seat to the FBI’s raid of one of the largest criminal organizations in the world. When we broke the story first, Vaughn had champagne delivered by the case to the office. Everyone got a bottle.
“You seem off lately, is everything okay?” he asked. I hated his kindness. Vaughn was a good boss. He was always checking on his employees. He implemented a lot of ethical practices for the company, encouraging paternity leave and providing one of the best health insurance packages money could buy. He was a good man; it’s why I didn’t understand why he hired his brother. He had to know he was underqualified. I could list five people who had been working for the Jet Times who deserved the job more than he did—me included.
“I was just shocked by your announcement today,” I admitted.
Vaughn’s brow rose. “Oh?”
“Your brother is fresh out of college. He didn’t even intern here last summer, Vaughn.”
His face turned sour, and he turned his attention to the bartender. “Whiskey on the rocks, please.”
I rolled my eyes. Of course he would avoid this. “I’m not trying to be rude here, I just thought—”
“That you deserved it?” His eyes were far too playful for my tastes. The corner of his lip quirked in a way that made me feel childish. He could have patted me on the head to complete the patronizing effect.
“Well, yeah, Vaughn. We’ve worked together for almost seven years. You know I’m capable. I just thought you saw how fit I was for this promotion since we’ve worked so closely together. We were in Iraq together. We covered the Zika virus in Brazil. You’ve always liked getting your feet wet with a story. No other publication has an editor in chief willing to leave his cozy corner office and get in the trenches. I thought we bonded over that. I thought—”
“We’ve done a lot together, Sena,” Vaughn whispered, his voice a low rasp. I had to force myself not to imagine romantic affection in his tone. We weren’t like that. I knew Vaughn didn’t want me. If he did, he would have acted on it by now. Vaughn was the type of man to go after what he wanted. He didn’t hold back with anything in his life. Relationships and women were no different. “Look,” he began, “I stand by