Like a Boss - Annabelle Costa Page 0,32

like Gray exist—people who can say whatever the hell they want?

“We all used to make fun of you,” Gray says. “Talk about what a bitch you were. I thought for sure you knew.”

“All right,” Luke says. His voice is very firm. “Enough, Gray.”

“What in hell are you doing here with her, Luke?” Gray goes on. His voice is slightly slurred. He’s drunk, although it’s not like that’s an excuse. “How the hell did you even find her after all these years? You hated her as much as I did. You called her a low-class bitch.”

“I never…” Luke is shaking his head.

“Seriously, Luke,” Gray says. “I can’t believe you brought the girl who used to clean your toilets to this party. It’s embarrassing. I mean, I know you’re a cripple, but you’ve got money—you can do a hell of a lot better than her.”

Luke’s face is calm but his eyes are furious. “Maybe if you had paid more attention in Ellie’s class,” he says, “you would have been smart enough not to lose two million dollars of your father’s company’s money.”

If it were appropriate, I would have given Luke a high-five.

Gray looks outraged. Outraged and drunk is not a great combination, especially in a burly guy like Gray. He gets this threatening look in his eyes and he takes a step toward Luke. For a second, I’m sure Gray’s going to hit him, but Luke doesn’t even flinch. If Gray hit Luke, I don’t know what he would do. It’s not like he could hit back.

“I can’t believe you just said that to me, you asshole,” Gray growls in a low voice.

“Oh, please,” Luke snorts. “What are you going to do—punch me? I know everything about you, even the stuff you’d rather I didn’t know. So calm the fuck down and tell Ellie you’re sorry.”

I don’t know what Luke knows about Gray. I can’t even begin to imagine. But it’s got to be pretty damn good, better even than losing two million dollars, because a few seconds later, Gray is stammering out a heartfelt apology and telling me what a great teacher I was.

We make an early exit after that. Luke calls for the limo and we head out. Inside the car, he slumps in his seat and loosens his tie with his thumb. “I’m sorry,” he finally says. “Gray is an idiot. I hate him.”

“I should be thanking you for standing up for me,” I say. It’s true. I don’t know if anyone has ever stood up for me like that before. I was touched. But I have to ask: “Did you really call me a low-class bitch?”

Luke flashes me a guilty look and I know Gray’s accusation was true. “Ellie,” he says, “you realize I was completely heartbroken after you rejected me that night in college. I was so into you—I felt ripped apart when you didn’t want me. I was really angry at you and I might have said a few things I didn’t mean.”

“You were heartbroken?” How is that possible? Luke might have wanted to hook up with me that night, but that’s all it was. “You were dating another girl like a week later. Some sorority girl who looked nothing like me and was…” Gorgeous. She was gorgeous and not just because Luke thought so. She was objectively gorgeous.

“I dated who was expected of me.” Luke shrugged. “I would have pursued you more, but my roommates and guys like Gray convinced me it would be inappropriate. So I tried to get over it and dated a girl I knew wouldn’t say no.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could Luke, back when he was perfect and able-bodied, have been heartsick over someone like me? I look at him now, staring down at his hands. He doesn’t think so, but somehow he’s more attractive now than he was back then. He’s become a deeper person. He knows what it’s like not to get everything you want in life.

I glance at the dark glass dividing us from the driver. “Can he see us?”

Luke shakes his head. “No, he can’t. Why?”

I can smell Luke’s expensive aftershave hanging between us. His light hair, which is usually perfect, is slightly mussed from the evening, and it only adds to his sexiness. For a moment, I feel tempted to unbuckle my seatbelt and kiss him. The thought pops into my head randomly and I’m shocked by it. Luke Thayer is wrong for me. And he’s my boss. Maybe it’s all the