Page 12 of My Office Rival (Keep Your Enemy Closer #2)

CYNTHIA

I lay on my back in the giant bed and texted Margo.

Cynthia

The Closer is my new roommate and it’s already horrible.

I waited for her to respond and stared out the window at the dusk falling over the fields.

The birds were out in force again. The symphony they created was a welcome distraction from the silence of the country, or worse, listening to Jason move around the house.

I was hiding from him and hoping not to run into him until morning.

I would stay in this room, tiptoe out to pee, and enjoy a nice glass of the Cabernet Sauvignon I had snagged from the kitchen when he was upstairs.

The room was plenty large and comfortable.

The walls were a dusty blue and there was a cozy armchair in the corner by the oak desk, along with this deliciously comfortable king-size bed.

Margo called me not three minutes after the message.

“He’s your roommate?!” she immediately screeched into the phone. I started laughing and held the phone away from my ear. “Tell me everything. Start at the beginning. Does he walk around naked? ”

“Settle down, horndog,” I whispered, so Jason couldn’t hear me through the impossibly thin walls. “All the sex with Andrew is driving you to insanity.”

“It’s true.” She sighed.

“Ugh. You guys are adorable and it’s frankly disgusting.”

“So what’s the house like?”

“There are two bedrooms, thankfully. But the walls are incredibly thin. I can hear everything. Honestly, if he wasn’t so damn frustrating, this would be much more palatable.”

“And by palatable, you mean you would be having sex with him, right? Please. For the rest of us.” Her voice was eager, and I snorted a laugh.

“That’s never happening again,” I replied and grimaced.

“What? I mean, yeah, it’s a bad idea, but why not? Did he do something?”

“He put it in the house rules. He actually said no sex and made me write it down.” My face heated at the memory.

“What the hell?”

“Yep. He’s just as uptight as I remember. I guess he was possessed that night,” I whispered. “And the worst part is, he’s using my attraction to him against me. He’s already messing with my head.”

I flopped back onto the pillow.

“Oh yeah, he’s known for that. He loves to play psychological games with opposing counsel. I’m fairly certain he sent me dead flowers one deal, just to psych me out. It was fucking weird. Almost worked though.”

I shuddered. “I believe it. He keeps saying outrageous things and getting in my personal space. “Between that and the fact that the house feels like his…it already seems like I’m losing this deal.”

“That’s hot. The lack of personal space, I mean. Not losing. That’s the worst.”

“You are a freak ,” I muttered. “Please stay focused. I need a strategy to deal with him.”

“You should take a page out of his book. Give as good as you get.”

“And what? Prance around naked? I don’t need any more reminders of our one night together.” Heat spread at the memory, but Margo was nodding.

“Exactly. Stop hiding in your room and show him the house is half yours. Take your space back, mess with his head. It’s what he’s doing to you.” She shrugged. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Um, let’s see. Gerald finds out and then I really get fired? Jason would totally rat me out. Or Jason rejects me. It’s in his rules, after all.” That would be horrible.

“Well, you need to do something. He’s ruthless and if he’s already got you this twisted up…” She trailed off and shook her head. “Fuck with his head and he won’t be able to see straight at the office. It might be your best strategy, actually.”

I didn’t even know if Jason Elliott could be thrown off his game. He reminded me of a lion. Magnificent to admire, but impossible to get close to.

“Maybe…” I trailed off and chewed my lip uncertainly.

“I just want you to win,” Margo added. “Brett is swaggering around like he’s next in line to make partner, and it’s starting to get to me. And he’s sniffing around one of your deals.”

“You’re kidding. I will fucking kill him,” I said vehemently. My blood heated. No one came for my clients.

“I know. I know. He hasn’t done anything yet, but just know he’s a weasel,” she soothed.

I sighed heavily. “I thought he might be. I just don’t know if I want to make partner.”

Margo was silent for a moment, and then she said quietly, “I know, and I hate to say this, but you need to figure it out. I don’t want you to be a victim of their stupid policies. You’re too good to be a victim of that. Crush the Closer, win that deal, and then come back and kick Brett’s ass.”

“Thanks, Margo. You’re the best.”

“Go get ‘em! Love you.” She hung up, and I flopped back on the bed, my throat closing. I needed this deal, and I needed this job. Finding something else was going to be a slog. I was back to square one after the latest rejection, and I didn’t know where to turn.

I just needed a break. At the moment, this firm job was the only stable thing in my life, and I refused to lose it because of fucking Brett or Jason.

My jaw clenched, and I sat up in a rush. Margo was right. I was not getting thrown off by a man . Not by the Closer. So what if he psyched out his opponents? I could do the same. I opened my suitcase and changed into something I knew would drive him insane.