Page 43 of Kiss and Tell

“If only all parts of my job were like this.” I sank back down into the water and stretched my arms to either side, resting against the ledge. “I could get used to soaking in a hot tub every night. It would really ease some of that stress.”

“Is your job stressful?” he asked. “I thought you liked what you do?”

“I like most of what I do,” I told him. “But there are parts I definitely don’t enjoy.”

“Like office politics?” he guessed, remembering our previous conversation.

“That, too.”

“You said a while ago there was other stuff you were dealing with at work,” he said. “You didn’t go into much detail.”

He went silent, not prying, but I heard the question in his voice. A heavy lump sat in my throat. I spoke around it.

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s that other stuff that’s getting me down.”

“Anything I can help with?” he asked, just like he had last time.

“Do you know how to deal with assholes?” I muttered darkly.

He turned concerned.

“Is a coworker treating you badly?” he asked.

“It’s nothing.” I pulled my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them defensively.

“It sounds like something to me,” he said.

“I just need to wait it out, that’s all.”

“That doesn’t sound like a good situation to be in,” he said.

“It’s not,” I said. “It sucks. But I can’t see any way around it.”

“You want to talk it out?” he offered. “Maybe looking at it from a new perspective might help.”

I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want anyone to know how stupid I’d been to fall for Peter and all his deceit. I especially didn’t want Connor to know how naive I’d been.

But I was stuck under Peter’s thumb and I had no idea how to get out from under it. Maybe a fresh perspective would help. I didn’t have to tell Connor everything, after all.

“There’s this guy at work,” I told him. “He’s basically turned me into his personal assistant. He makes me do all his filing and paperwork, makes me put together his contracts and briefs and presentations. I barely have time to do my own work on top of his.”

“Tell him to fuck off,” Connor said bluntly.

“I wish I could.” I took a deep breath, trying to decide how to phrase it. “When I first started, he was really nice. Helpful, friendly. He talked me up to his superiors, always telling people what a great worker I was. I rose quickly with a few promotions. But now—” I hugged my knees tighter to my chest. “He keeps saying…”

“Is he telling you that you owe him or something?” Connor asked, outrage on his face. “What an asshole.”

I chuckled quietly. “Yeah. Exactly.”

“Why can’t you tell him no?” Connor said. “You don’t owe anybody shit. You worked hard to get where you are.”

“I want to,” I said. “I keep dreaming of telling him to fuck off, just like you said. But if I do, I’m afraid he’ll…”

I trailed off, knowing exactly what Peter would do.

But Connor didn’t know.

“What’s the worst he could do?” Connor waved his hands wildly, gesturing in anger. “So he tells people you won’t do his shit for him anymore? Who cares?”