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I told him about my encounter with my boss, and when I was finished, he let out a big sigh.
“You know those old guys,” he said. “They think things are still in the ‘good old days’ where they could go off to work and come home with the kids in bed and a hot meal on the table. It’s not like that anymore. He’s retiring soon, right?”
“As soon as he promotes someone to run the place. I was hoping it would be me, but I don’t know if I can do business like that.”
“So, hang in there and run it different,” Cohen said. “He’ll be in Cabo raking in a paycheck and won’t give two shits if his employees are being treated like actual human beings.”
I nodded. I could do that. Hang in there for just a couple more months until he left and I could run things my own way. “Thanks, Cohen.”
“Sure thing.”
I was about to hang up when he said, “And, hey, for what it’s worth, I think you did the right thing by being there for Mara. It’s how you showed her she could trust you. And you both seem happier than you’ve ever been.”
I smiled for the first time since getting off the phone with my client. “I am,” I said. I just hoped it could stay that way.
40
Mara
Confession: I write about badass women, but sometimes... I’m worried I’m not one of them.
Jonas stayedat work until it was almost dark, so I went by the grocery store and picked up a fruit and vegetable tray and then a meat and cheese tray to take with us to the beach.
By the water was my favorite place to be, and I couldn’t wait to share it with him. In fact, I almost couldn’t believe we hadn’t spent time on the sand already. But I was excited for tonight, mostly just to spend some time with him and show him how incredibly thankful I was for him and all he’d done for me the last couple days.
I went by his office to pick him up and looked around the parking lot. I’d figured his car would be the lone one there, but it was almost completely full of vehicles. Were all these people seriously working this late on a Saturday night?
I called his number and said, “Hey, I’m out here.”
“Out where?”
“In the parking lot!” I said cheerfully. “Standing by my pickup like some teenage boy in an eighties romance movie.”
He chuckled, but it sounded strained. “I need to wrap some things up, but I’ll be out there in fifteen?”
I frowned over at the trays of food in my center console, but forced a smile on my face so I’d sound happy on the phone. “Sure thing. I’ll see you in a bit.”
I got on social media, commenting on as many posts from my readers as I could before Jonas came out. But when I glanced at my clock again, it had already been twenty minutes. I didn’t want to be needy, since he was only five minutes late, but it bugged me...
It was past seven on a Saturday night. Was he really that tied to work that he couldn’t come to the beach with his new girlfriend?
I took a deep breath, remembering all he’d done for me. Telling myself that I wasn’t pathetic to sit here and wait for him. Relationships required compromise, and I’d certainly gotten so much more from him than I could ever give.
I got back to my phone, focusing on social media again. I was so engrossed in it, that when a knock sounded on the passenger door, I jumped.
Jonas smiled at me, and I glanced from him to the clock on my phone. It had been more than thirty minutes.
As soon as I unlocked the door and he got in, he said, “I’m so sorry. I was finishing a return and lost track of time.” He leaned across and kissed me.
“Lost track of time?” I said. How could he do that?
“Yeah, don’t you ever do that when you’re working on a book?”
“I mean, not when my brand-new girlfriend is waiting on me.”
He frowned and took my hands. “I’m really sorry.” He kissed my cheek, then moved his lips to my ear. “I can think of a way to make it up to you.” He flicked his tongue over my earlobe to prove it.
The tickle of his tongue mixed with that sexy promise sent heat to my center. “Fuck, Jonas. No fair.”