Boss I Love to Hate An Office Romance - Mia Kayla Page 0,60

ever drank in front of you?”

“Christmas party. Last year.” He placed a five-dollar bill on the counter and handed me my drink.

Wait. What? He remembered that?

I didn’t have time to ponder that further because, as I turned around, I once again heard my name being called out.

It was Jeff.

Brad

Sonia’s whole body stiffened. I’d never in the two years that I had known her caught her speechless and so off-kilter, and it uneased me.

“Hey, Jeff.” After she placed the tall glass of liquor between her lips and took a big gulp, she grabbed a handful of her dress, crumpling it within her fingertips.

I hated how this man had this kind of effect on her.

For a brief moment, I took him in. The light-blondish-brown in his hair, the emerald green in his eyes, hidden behind square-framed glasses. The way his suit hugged his tall, lanky frame. He looked like a hipster, and although I didn’t want to admit it, I could see them together. Sonia and him.

If there were a lineup of eligible bachelors and I had to take a guess on who she’d pick as her match, this guy would be it.

Jean smiled my way. Her short red tube dress hugged her figure and stopped right below her ass. If she wanted to make a statement, she was making it loud and clear. She was here with Jeff.

With her red dress, his plain suit and white shirt, they both looked regular. Nothing spectacular. But they certainly were an oddly paired couple, opposites in every sense of the word.

“What table are you guys sitting at?” Jean asked, but when she did, she was looking at me the way women looked at me, as though if given a chance, I’d be their choice of date. What bothered me was that it was like Sonia wasn’t here.

I pulled Sonia close, the movement so quick that her Long Island swished, and some of the liquid slipped over the lip of the glass.

“Where are we sitting, babe?” I asked, leaning in so close to smell some of Sonia’s shampoo.

She blinked up at me and pulled a small white paper from her purse. The paper that we had picked up at the center table before we walked into the reception area.

“Table ten.” Her voice quivered, and it took all my energy not to sweep her away from this mess, go back to my house, and spend the rest of the night playing board games with Mary and Sarah.

“Oh poo, we’re at a different table,” Jean uttered.

The slight tightness in Sonia’s shoulders relaxed.

She was always so put together, so organized, so focused. Being around Jeff undid her, and I didn’t like it.

“So, how did you guys meet?” Jeff asked, studying me. He’d been doing that since I met him.

I recognized the scrutiny in his eyes. It was the same scrutiny that I had met with many business associates, right before I was going to take over their company.

“At work, just like you guys.”

He shuffled back a step. “So, you work at Brisken. You’re admin?” he assumed.

My smirk tightened. “No. I own Brisken.”

Jeff’s eyes went wide for just a second. “You own Brisken Printing Corporation?” he asked as though he didn’t understand English. He scratched at his temple. “Sonia’s your secretary? Aren’t there rules about dating your subordinate?” Jeff asked, his face unreadable.

“I wouldn’t call her my subordinate because it’s Sonia who runs my office.”

Then, his face transformed, first with contempt and slowly with recognition. He let out a peal of laughter. “You’re the boss? Oh my God. Sonia …” He pointed to Sonia, “… you hated this guy. You drew doodles of him and had stakes going through his heart.”

His laughter heightened, and it took every ounce of my energy not to clock him out cold.

Of all the people she complained to about me, this had to be the worst. I hated that she’d, at one time, complained to him about me.

“It’s different now.” Sonia’s voice was low, without the usual strength and sass. Her face was beet red.

Jeff coughed to stop his laughter when he realized no one else was laughing with him. “Sorry. I didn’t know your real name, just a bunch of names Sonia used to call you.” Then, his eyes passed over both of us, and the fit of cackles started up again. “So, she’s your subordinate? She still works for you.”

My jaw tightened. I didn’t know where this guy was going. Did he by chance think that I had forced Sonia into our