Page 26 of Hate You Up Close

“That’swhat you’re so worked up about?” I chuckle, arching a brow. “If she wants to build a career in finance, she needs to grow a thick skin. She’ll have to deal with a lot worse than someone declining a coffee. Hell, I’m basically doing her a favor.”

“It’s only her second day, Elliot,” he clips.

“And? She’sa grown-up, Zion. She can handle herself.”

He scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Mark my words. You’re gonna end up running her off,” he says in all seriousness.

“We’ll see about that.”

Honestly, that might be best for both of us.It’s been less than forty-eight hours, and you can cut our tension with a dull knife.

“This is going to end in one of two ways,” he states, the corner of his lip tilting up in a cocky smirk. “You’re going to end up running her off or falling in love with her. There’s no in-between.”

Falling in love with her?Zion says some wild shit, but that takes the cake.Never in a million years.

“Why the fuck would you say that?” I sneer.

“Well, first off, look at her,” he scoffs. “She’s fucking gorgeous. And second, the way you look at each other is right out of a chick flick. I might as well have been a ghost when she walked into the room. Both of you completely forgot I was sitting there.”

Dammit. I was hoping he didn't notice.

“Yeah,” I snort, brushing his comment off like it holds no weight. “Not fucking happening.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he hums, rolling his eyes. He swipes the coffee from the desk before standing from his chair. “I gotta run to a meeting, but I’ll make you deal. Better yet, I’ll make you a promise.”

“And what’s that?” I nod, narrowing my eyes.

“I give it six months,” he states. “Ipromiseyou that in less than six months, you either drive her to quit or you fuck her. Or hell, maybe even both. But there’s no way that this is going to end well.”

“You don’t know shit, Zion,” I clip because that isnotgoing to happen.

He might be right about one thing: there is averyhigh chance that she will quit. But I will not, and I repeat,notbe fucking, falling in love, or anything else with her. She’s my assistant, and that’s all she’ll ever be.

“Six months,” he clicks his tongue, a smug grin stretched across his face as he turns and waltzes out of my office.

I thoughttoday was off to a better start, but hours later, I’m searching the office for Roxanne.

She’s not at her desk, and she’s nowhere to be found on our floor. I thought she might be in the bathroom, but I’ve been trying to find her for half an hour now.

I have a rare hour of free time, and I need to show her how to prepare contracts for clients so she can start sending the paperwork for me. Handing contracts over to Roxanne would take an immense amount of stress off my shoulders, which is why I need to meet with her now. I have meetings the rest of the week, and I don’t have time for this hide-and-seek bullshit.

Just as I’m heading back to my office, I see Roxanne nonchalantly strutting across the marble floors. She’s walking to her desk without a care in the world with a Panera cup in her hand.

Are you fucking kidding me?

She stops at her desk, setting down her drink and purse with her back turned to me. She has no idea that I’m a few feet behind her.

“Where the hell have you been?” I bark, startling her.

She spins around, her shoulders tensing as she braces her hands on the desk behind her.

“Jesus Christ, Elliot,” she gasps. “You scared me half to death,” she adds, clutching her chest with a shaky hand.

“I’ve been searching the office for you for the past thirty minutes,” I clip.

“I was at lunch,” she stammers, confusion etched across her face like she did nothing wrong.