TEN

“Just because your ankle is sore doesn’t mean you need to be so slow. I asked you to file these papers, how long does it take?” Terrence demands as I slide papers into the filing cabinet, when really, I want to shove them in there and then tell him to shove his job up his ass.

But I can’t do that.

I have to zip it and do the right thing, because I want this job, I’ve worked hard for this job, I’m not about to give it up.

“I’m sorry, I just wanted to make sure they were in the correct order and neat.”

“That doesn’t take two hours, though, does it?” he snaps.

Shut your mouth, Rachel, and just do your job. Do your job and don’t complain. Don’t talk back. Don’t argue. He’ll get bored eventually, and even if he doesn’t, you just smile, take it and continue on your way.

“Sorry about that, I’ll hurry up,” I tell him, even though I want to grab this entire filing cabinet and drop it on his fucking foot.

“Make sure you do. I’m hungry now, I’ve had to wait for you to get my lunch. When are you going?”

“Right now,” I say, putting the papers down.

“And then you’ll take even longer when you get back finishing those off. I had other jobs for you to do this afternoon. Obviously, they won’t get done.”

I want to stab him. Right in the damned eyeball. The jerkoff.

“I’ll finish these, within ten minutes, and then I’ll get your lunch and be free to do your work in the afternoon.”

“Ten minutes, that’s all you’ve got. Hurry up.”

When he’s gone, the urge to flip him the bird is huge, but I don’t—just in case there are cameras. Instead, I finish off the papers in record time, and then I head up town to a local deli to order his lunch. The line is quite substantial when I get in, which will no doubt make him even angrier because I’m taking too long, but I also know because I was told, that this is the only place he’ll eat from.

So, I wait in the line, praying it moves quickly.

“Rachel.”

I hear a familiar voice and turn to see Roy walking into the deli. I smile and give him a wave, feeling terrible that I haven’t really thought much of him since our date. That’s terrible. He’s a nice guy, I’m just not sure he’s the guy for me, not considering the way Slade makes me feel is so much more intense. That wouldn’t happen if what Roy and I were creating was right.

“Hey, Roy,” I smile, waving to him. “What brings you here?”

“I was getting some lunch, and I’m glad I decided to come here because I get to see you. How are you darlin’?”

I shrug. “I’m OK, long day at work. I’m just getting my boss lunch.”

“What happened to your ankle?” he asks, nodding to my bandaged ankle that I’m forced to wear ugly flats because of.

“I twisted it. Nothing major.”

“Shit, that sucks. You’re not having a good run, are you?”

“It’s getting better.” I laugh weakly.

“I was going to give you a call this afternoon, see if you wanted to go out and get some dinner.”

I hesitate. Roy is amazing. Honestly, he is. He’s the kind of man you take home to your mother, and I really like him, and would love to continue to hang out with him, but I already know, deep down, I’m not going to feel for him the way he wants, I know that because I think about Slade all day, I can’t get him out of my head, and that’s all the answer I need.

I’m not the kind of girl to lead someone on.

“Listen,” I say carefully, hoping my voice is kind, “I really appreciate the offer, and I had an amazing time with you the other day, but I have to be honest, I’m not really looking for anything right now and I don’t want to waste your time.”

He studies me, and then nods. “I understand that. I respect that. We can just be friends.”

“Roy,” I try again. “I am interested in someone else.”

He blinks, and I fear for a second that he might go off and call me names but he doesn’t. Like the true gentleman he is, he nods and says, “That’s OK, darlin’. I understand that.”

“I really do like you, and, honestly, this other thing will probably never go anywhere, but the fact is I do feel something about it and because of that I don’t want to lead you on. I really liked hanging out with you, and I’d love to be your friend, but that’s all I can be.”

“Then that’s what I’ll take,” he tells me with an easy smile. “I like you, Rachel, and it’s a shame your feelings lie elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be your friend. Your company is great, and there aren’t many girls I can talk to freely around here. So, if you’re OK with friends, I’m OK with it, too.”

“Really?” I beam.

“Hell yes, sweetheart.”

“Thank you, and maybe you can come over one night and I’ll make some dinner, we can catch up. I could use a good friend around here.”

“Sounds like a mighty fine plan,” he winks. “Tomorrow night?”

I smile and give him two thumbs up. “Sounds great. See you then.”

“Absolutely.”

We say goodbye and then I order Terrence’s food before slowly making my way back to work. Sure enough, the jerkoff king is angry that I took too long, and then proceeded to make the rest of my afternoon awful. He picked and nagged and carried on until I could barely keep it together. By the time I got to my car, I couldn’t take it anymore. Tears burst forth and flowed down my face.

When I arrive home, I’m still crying. I don’t understand what he’s got against me, but whatever it is, I’m tired of it. I get out of my car, wipe my eyes with the back of my hand, and stomp up the front steps, feeling deflated and frustrated. I try to call Lara, but she doesn’t answer. I need someone to talk to, or maybe I just need to give up and find a new job.

No.

No.

He won’t win.

“Hey.”

I spin around from my spot in the kitchen when I hear Slade’s voice. He’s just walking through my front door and his eyes are narrowed.

“Didn’t think I was seein’ things. What’s wrong?”

I swallow down my tears, but I can’t stop them. They flow out and I make an ugly sobbing sound. Great. Great. We just became civil with each other and now here I am sobbing like a small child in front of him. I can’t help it, though. I don’t understand what I’m doing wrong, I don’t understand anything, and I’m tired of being made to feel like crap by a man who hasn’t even tried to get to know me.

“My boss is a j-j-j-j-jerk,” I croak between sobs. “Sorry. I’m sorry. I’m trying to get it together.”

Slade strides over, goes to my fridge, and pulls out two beers, cracking them both. He hands one to me, and then sits down at the stool by my kitchen counter and stares at me. “Take a sip, take a few deep breaths, and tell me what this dickbag is doing.”

It’s not an option, it’s a demand. So, I do as he asks, only I take a few deep breaths before trying to swallow any beer. After a few minutes, I calm myself enough to speak without hiccupping. “He’s picking on me. And I know you had something to say about that last time, but I’m not overreacting. I’ve worked at enough jobs to know what’s just a dick of a boss and what’s extra harassment, and I’m telling you, he doesn’t like me and is making it known. I just don’t understand why. I honestly don’t. He doesn’t even, nor has he even, tried to get to know me.”

“You confronted him about it?” Slade asks.

I shake my head quickly. “Of course not, no. I don’t want to lose my job.”

“If he’s harrasin’ you, Rachel, you need to do something about it.”

“I’m just a trainee. I’ve not even been there two weeks. If I make a fuss now, toward someone who apparently everyone else likes, I can tell you now that I’ll lose my job.”

“Then just ask him what his problem is, in a respectful manner.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think he’s the kind of person who will do anything but insult me more. I just have to deal with it.”

Slade’s jaw tics. “No, you fuckin’ don’t. I don’t care how high up he is, or how long he’s been there, you do not treat your staff members like that. If you let him keep doing it, then you’ll continue to let people do that kind of stuff to you for the rest of your life. It’s your human right to be able to defend yourself, Rachel.”

My bottom lip trembles, because I know he’s right. I know he is but I don’t want to admit it because then that means I have to do something about it and in doing that, I put myself at risk of either making things worse, like lose my job worse, or a small chance of making it better. Either way, it’s not going to be easy. I reach up and rub my forehead, because I don’t honestly deserve this.

“I know,” I whisper finally. “I know, Slade.”

“Not tryin’ to be a dick, but you can’t let him do that to you.”

I inhale through my nose and meet his eyes.

He’s right.

But I’m terrified of facing it.

This job is everything I’ve worked for.

~*~*~*~

“Come in,” I smile to Roy, opening the door and letting him in.

“How are you today, darlin’?”

“Good, thanks.”

“How’s the job?” he asks, handing me a bottle of wine. “Thought we could share this with dinner.”

“Thank you, and my job is OK, getting there.”

I don’t really want to talk about yet another shitty day, because that’s exactly what today was—shitty. Terrence rode me like some broken pony, making me overexert myself even when he knew I was still struggling with pain from my ankle. He made sure to keep me on my feet all day, cutting my lunch break and only giving me a ten-minute window to scoff my lunch.

So, I definitely don’t want to talk about it.

I just want to enjoy the company of my new friend and forget that my job is going south right now.

“Doesn’t sound like you’re enjoying it much,” Roy says, moving into my kitchen and opening cupboards until he finds two wine glasses.

“Not really. Do you mind if we just don’t talk about it? I just want to enjoy the night with you.”

He flashes me a smile. “Of course. What are you cooking? It smells amazing.”

“Just spaghetti, but I made my own pasta and garlic bread.”

“A girl that can cook,” he says. “Not many of them left.”

I smile. “I’m not that great, but when it comes to Italian food, I’m not bad. My grandma taught me how to make my own pasta, and I loved it so much I kind of just never forgot, you know?”

“Sounds like you have a good family.”

“Yeah, I do. What about you, do you like cooking?”

“Yeah, I do. I can’t say I’m great at it, but I can cook enough to keep myself happy.”

I laugh. “That’s all that matters then, right?”

“Exactly,” he chuckles, taking a seat at the stool by the kitchen counter as I go over to the pot, checking my sauce.

“So, tell me something about yourself, Roy?”

“What do you want to know, darlin’? I’m an open book.”

“Well, in that case,” I rub my hands together and grin. “Give me all the juicy details. Start with girlfriends.”

He laughs again. “Nothing too exciting there, I haven’t really found one that matches what I’m looking for yet.”

“Ah, a picky one, are we?”

He winks at me, then shakes his head. “No, not at all. I just need someone who has a similar passion to mine. The ranch is a big deal. It will need two dedicated people, not just one, you know?”

“I understand that, completely.”

“Hi, Rachel!”

I turn to see Ryder running through my front door, Gameboy in his hand. The kid is old-school, I like that about him.

“Hey, buddy,” I wave.

Ryder stops when he sees Roy, and his eyes get big. He’s so adorable.

“I’m sorry,” he says instantly. “I didn’t know you had a friend over.”

“No worries at all, little buddy,” Roy says, taking it into his own hands to introduce himself, which I really like. “My name is Roy. What’s yours?”

“Ryder, I live next door.”

“That’s super cool. I’d like to live next door to Rachel, too.”

I smile and Ryder cracks a grin. “She is really nice. Do you want to see my fort?”

“You’ve got a fort?” Roy says, standing and slapping his hands on his thighs. “Let me see it, buddy.”

Ryder starts chewing Roy’s ear off with his frantic talking as they walk out the door. He’s telling him all about the fort. I wonder if Slade is home yet? I didn’t see him earlier when I was done at the store and got home, I figured he must have been out and about.

I get back to the cooking and only stop when I hear the low, husky voice at my door. I turn and see Slade standing, staring at me. I don’t know what he just said, but whatever it was, I’m thinking it wasn’t directed at me, and was more a mumble under his breath.

“Hey,” I say, placing the spoon down and wiping my hands on the towel beside the stove. “I didn’t hear you come in.”

Slade’s eyes pin me, and oh God, he looks gorgeous today. He’s obviously been out chopping wood, because he’s dirty, in the sexiest kind of way. Ripped jeans, shirt unbuttoned and flapping around by his sides, beard trimmed but setting off his perfectly rugged features. He looks edible. I have to swallow to stop my mouth dropping open at the sheer sight of his perfection.

“Who you cookin’ dinner for? That dick you went out with the other day?”

“Slade,” I say, letting my mouth drop open now. “Don’t speak like that when I have friends around, please. Ryder is showing him the fort, they’ll be back any second.”

“Lettin’ strangers take my kid now, are you?”

His eyes are narrowed, and his jaw keeps ticking. But I’m pissed at his comment. Pissed. He knows by now I would never hurt Ryder or put him in danger, so he’s just being a giant dick.

“Excuse me,” I say, lifting a finger and waving it around. “Don’t come in here, in your filthy mood, and take it out on me. You know damn well I’d never let anything happen to Ryder. Roy is just looking at his fort, they’re right there if you’re worried.”

“Roy,” Slade snorts.

I narrow my eyes, and cross my arms over my chest. “Don’t, Slade.”

“Thought you weren’t interested in men,” he bites out.

I don’t get a chance to answer, because Roy and Ryder return, coming through the door. Roy looks over to Slade, and the two hold a stare for a moment, before Roy steps forward and extends a hand. “You must be Slade. Ryder just told me all about you. Good to meet you.”

Slade stares at Roy’s hand, and for a moment, I don’t think he’ll shake it, but after a second he extends his massive one and shakes it, before letting it go and looking to Ryder. “Time to go, bud.”

“Can I stay and have dinner with Roy and Rach?” Ryder pleads.

Slade shakes his head. “No, I’m sure they want to be alone to enjoy their dinner and whatever else they have planned.”

I bite my bottom lip.

Because, if I’m not mistaken, I’d say Slade was acting ... jealous.

Jealous.

Interesting, and a little flattering.