Page 143 of Fierce-Matt

“We can go back,” she said. “Calvin, are you staying here waiting for Sally and Paula?”

He’d been intensely staring at her during her conversation with Maxine. It was just her rotten luck that the people buying her parents’ building had Calvin as their realtor. “I’ll come back with you.”

She walked past Maxine with a smile, knowing Calvin was on her heels.

On the way, several staff were waving and saying hi. Matt’s father walked down the hall and winked at her.

When they were in the room, she walked over and put her purse down, then made herself a cup of coffee from the machine.

“Do you want one?” she asked.

“Sure,” Calvin said. “What’s going on?”

“With what?” she asked. She knew what he meant but was going to make him come out and say it. “The coffee machine?”

“No. Why everyone is being so friendly with you.”

“I’m a friendly person,” she said. Talk about insulting.

“You’re too friendly,” Calvin said. “Too nice. You have to harden up to make it big.”

“I like her soft,” Matt said, walking into the room. “That’s your opinion. Matt Kelly.” Her boyfriend shook hands with her jerk co-worker, then moved closer to her and gave her a kiss. “Hey.”

“Hi,” she said.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes. I’ve got to take care of something.”

“We’ll be here. It’s early yet, but my mother is on the way.”

Matt walked out, his smirk in place.

Anya knew what he was doing. He was putting Calvin in his place for all the trash talk and self-esteem shots she’d taken at the hands of the prick since she’d been employed.

She could do this. She had it.

In the bigger picture, she enjoyed what she did and loved the flexibility.

Just like she loved the few shifts she worked at Fierce. She’d filled in for someone yesterday, expecting Matt to be upset, but reminded herself she was already working most weekends showing houses.

Just because she was doing well the past few months didn’t mean it was sustainable. Spring and summer were always excellent months, the winter not as much. Might as well build up for that time.

“Are you dating your attorney?” Calvin asked. “Isn’t that a huge conflict of interest? Not that I can figure out how you crossed paths with him unless it was through your mother.”

The condescending tone wasn’t lost on her.

That someone like Matt wouldn’t be interested in her for a lot of reasons.

“First, yes, I am,” she said. “I have been for a few months. Not that it’s any business of yours, but I’ve known Matt most of my life. We grew up together.”

Calvin looked her over again. “You did?”

She snorted out a breath and rolled her eyes, then turned her back on him.

She would not continue this conversation.

Calvin had an opinion of her that she came from nothing because he knew she job hopped and didn’t finish college.

Her colleague had an appalling habit of digging into the background of people he worked with to get under their skin.