to mention, a shitty attitude is like a cancer in the workplace. You just can’t allow it to stay. You have to cut far and wide and get rid of the bad to make room for the good.”
He let out a low whistle. “I never realized just how ruthless you were. Damn. Like seriously, damn.”
“Contrary to what people think, I don’t try to be a dick.”
“No, it seems to come pretty naturally to you,” he quipped. “Congratulations.”
I wasn’t offended. Davin was the only person in the world who said what he thought. Except Saige now. Saige was also a pretty straight shooter. “Thanks.”
“What are you going to do when your boss lady quits?” he asked.
“Saige?”
“Yes. I assume you two are butting heads.”
“Why do you assume that?” I asked.
He laughed. “I knew it!”
I sighed. “She isn’t happy with the changes.”
“Why would she be? You went and pissed all over in her sandbox. Women are territorial, and if she is anything like the women I’ve worked for, they consider their employees theirs. As in their babies. You are messing with the woman’s kids, man. Don’t you know you never piss off a mama bear?”
“That would explain a lot,” I said.
“You guys clashing quite a bit?”
I smirked. “That’s an understatement.”
“Here’s a suggestion, and I know you’re the big rich guy who buys and sells companies more often than I change my underwear, but hear me out.”
“I hope to god you change your underwear more often than that,” I muttered.
He grinned. “If you don’t wear them, you don’t have to change them.”
I had to give myself a mental shake to jar the image of him free-balling from my head. “So gross.”
“I’m serious.”
“I have no doubt in my mind you are serious. You can keep the clothes by the way.”
He laughed with that goofy expression on his face that made him look so easygoing. “Talk to her about all these things you see that you think are wrong. Maybe you two can come to a compromise about the best way to handle the problems. You are making all these decisions and not consulting her. I hate to say it, but she’s going to quit. I give it a month before she leaves you high and dry.”
“She isn’t going to quit,” I said. “She’s been at the same job forever. She isn’t going anywhere. She’ll get on board once she sees how well the changes work out.”
He slowly shook his head. “I forgot you’re single.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“You don’t know the first thing about women.”
“I know enough,” I said with a sly smile.
“You might be great in bed, but there’s a reason none of them stay in your bed.”
“Because I don’t want them to,” I replied.
“They’d run out the door screaming the first time you opened your mouth and barked an order at them. You don’t know shit about women.”
Chapter 13
Saige
I dropped the box of crayons on the table before putting the coloring books down. Jace walked in behind me. He was in a funk. The weather was nice, but he did not want to go to the park. Usually, I would force it, but today, I got the feeling he really didn’t want to do it. I was cool with just taking a day off and hanging out in our jammies.
“Which one do you want?” I asked him as I sat down.
He scanned the coloring books and grabbed one that was filled with superheroes. I took the adult coloring book that was full of beach scenes. We started to color, which was really the open invitation for talking. It was a trick I learned a couple years ago.
“How was your after-school STEM class yesterday?” I asked. I was hoping to get the ball rolling. I sensed there was something off, but if I pushed, he would clam up.
“It was fine.”
“Did that boy go? Nathan I think was his name.”
“Yes.”
“Did you guys eat lunch together again?”
He sighed. “No. He doesn’t like me anymore.”
“What?” I asked with surprise. My mama-heart hurt.
“He says I’m weird. All the kids say I’m weird. They don’t want to be friends with me.”
“Why?” I couldn’t understand it. “Why do they think you’re weird?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. They say I’m not really a boy.”
I almost choked. “What? Why in the world do they say that?” I was ready to start spanking some kids.