and I pointed to said job description. “Anywhere on here does it say that I am supposed to get your niece’s sanitary napkins?”
He peered down at the piece of paper and skimmed. His pointer finger ran down the faded cream paper and then it stopped at the end. He jammed his finger against the sheet for emphasis. “Here. Right here. Run errands. I would classify this as an errand.”
“I don’t think it would.” I faced forward, in front of my computer screen, and began to open Outlook to send an e-mail out. “Okay, so I’ll cancel your meetings this morning.”
I was just going to pretend that the last twenty minutes hadn’t happened. When did it ever stop? Next, he’d ask me to pick up his condoms. Nope, not gonna do it.
“Okay, all meetings canceled.” I rechecked my inbox, but he continued to stare at me. Maybe ignoring him would give him a hint.
“Sonia, I’m not kidding. I need you to do this. I need you. Please.” He was pleading now. Brad never pleaded.
Stay strong.
I peered up from my computer screen. “No. Those are your nieces. So, you do it.” I threw him my clenched smile and then dropped my head back to the screen.
I was walking a fine line here.
I blew out a breath and lifted my head. “If I don’t do it, are you gonna fire me?”
I tried to show no mercy, but I needed this job. Needed it like he needed me to buy pads. If he said yes, I’d never forgive him, but I’d get the damn pads anyway.
He pinched the bridge of his nose again and closed his eyes, sighing. “Of course not. I can’t fire you.”
Of course not, jerkwad. Liabilities and legalities and all. I could imagine it now—getting wrongfully fired for not buying sanitary napkins.
He leveled me with a stare. “But I would really like you to do this for me since we’re … since we’re friends.”
I reeled back and barked out a laugh. “Friends?” Snickers escaped my mouth, and I snorted loudly. “You’re my boss, not my friend.”
“Hey, I’m offended here. We’ve known each other for a long time. You know practically everything about me.”
“Which is exactly why we can’t be friends.” I bit the inside of my cheek to keep my face steady and pushed the annoyance aside.
“You’re being mean again,” he said matter-of-factly as though I were mean all the time, which I was certainly not.
It took all my effort not to be sassy, to smile and say, Yes, boss.
I softened my tone. “Is there anyone else you can ask? Elizabeth or Riley or … what’s her face who came by the office the other day?” I ticked off the names of some of our interns.
He looked dumbstruck, tilted his head, and assessed me. “No. I can’t ask anyone else. I need you. I have no idea about periods and pads and teenage female hormones. I grew up with two brothers. Come on, Sonia.” He placed both hands on my desk, his fingers interlaced as though he were praying.
I’d never seen him so desperate. Ever. Even when he’d lost the Cliffton printing deal.
He’d been in the boardroom, so close to winning in acquiring Cliffton from a competitor who was also vying to acquire the company. Brad conceded a little and upped the price the brothers were willing to pay. And, though I had known Brad wanted to buy Cliffton badly, he had done everything short of begging.
Here he was, begging.
“Please. I’ll owe you. Anything you want, it’s yours.” He held my stare with those depthless brown eyes that women fell for.
Then, after remembering how damn beautiful he was, the brightest idea filtered through my head. It was where desperation met desperation in the direst of situations.
Ava’s words pushed through. “We can make this happen, so commit to the plan. Now, we have to start looking.”
There was no way he would go through with it, and to be honest, it wasn’t a fair deal. I simply had to buy his niece some pads. He’d have to pretend to be my boyfriend for a whole evening.
“Anything, Sonia. Ask, and it’s yours.”
And, just like that, I sold my soul to the devil.
I returned his smile anyway because I was beyond saving now. “Fine. But you owe me. Whatever favor I ask you to do, you have to do it. No questions asked. No turning back. You just have to do it.” I crossed my fingers—and legs and toes for good measure—hoping and waiting for