SECRETLY MARRIED TO MY BOSS

chapter 2

“I don’t mope. I have things to do, and I get them done. I just don’t have much time for a social life right now.”

Kaleigh throws her arms in the air. “Which is precisely why I am forcing you out of this room, and we will have fun at the bar. Stop feeling guilty over what happened between you and Victor. Live a little.”

I finish the rest of the champagne in my glass, a buzz flowing through my veins. “Fine. I’ll get ready. But we’ll stay for a little while because I don’t want to be too tired tomorrow.”

Kaleigh cheers as I take the dress and disappear into the bathroom.

It only takes a few minutes to shimmy into the satin material and do my makeup. A quick smoky eye look and a red lip later, I walk out of the bathroom feeling more unsure of myself than ever.

Kaleigh hands me a pair of heels. “You’re hot. Own it. Use it to your advantage.”

I slide on the heels, knowing she’s right. Of course she’s right—I’m just not feeling like my usual self.

Before my ex, Victor, I didn’t have any confidence issues. At least not ones that would have me hidden away in a hotel room with bars and attractive men to dance with.

After him, I don’t know who I am anymore. I lost so much of myself in that relationship.

And tonight, I’m reclaiming a small piece of myself.

I want to go back to being the woman who would go out and have fun, but a thousand cuts Victor left me with when he screwed me over are still healing.

Kaleigh loops her arm through mine and tows me to the door. “Drinks are on me tonight. If I’m going to be the one to drag you away from your work, then I’ll be the one to serve you copious amounts of alcohol.”

I laugh as she opens the door, and we pour out into the hall. She hums with the music playing through the resort as we head for the front doors.

Several of our colleagues are scattered throughout the lobby, having the same meaningless conversations they have at work. They speak about their wives and children as if they wish that they had never tied themselves down in the first place.

Kaleigh leads the way into the night air, the stars shining bright above us. “We’re going to have the best time tonight.”

Though I’m not sure she’s right, this is the first time in a long time I’ve felt like letting my hair down and enjoying myself a little.

We hop from bar to bar, dancing and having drinks bought by men who don’t stand a chance. Kaleigh smiles and flirts with them, wrapping them around her little finger until free drinks come our way.

Once she’s done playing with them, we move to the next bar, and she repeats the process.

By the time we reach the last bar, I’m pleasantly tipsy and can’t feel my feet. Kaleigh makes her way to the bar while I skirt around the edges of the dance floor to one of the open tables.

“Cora?”

The deep voice stops me in my tracks. For a moment, I think I’m imagining his voice. I consider pretending not to hear him above the thudding bass of the music.

“Cora!”

I spin around, eyes narrowing as Griffin towers over me. “Yes?”

“What are you doing here? You should be back at the resort.” His dark eyes bore through me, his jaw flexing. “This isn’t the kind of bar I’d expect to see you in.”

“You were the one who insisted I come on the retreat. If you didn’t want to see me in bars, maybe you shouldn’t have brought me here.”

The liquor makes my tongue loose and curses me into saying precisely what’s on my mind.

Years of hatred towards Griffin have faded, but there is still lingering hurt over the way he used to treat me.

If I had another choice, I wouldn’t be working for him.

My brother, Jake, convinced Griffin to hire me. Jake thought it was a good idea to be the personal assistant to his best friend, the devil incarnate.

Griffin crosses his arms, the sinewy muscles of his biceps flexing beneath the black t-shirt. “If you hate working for me so much, you should have quit before now. I don’t see the point in making yourself miserable day in and day out.”

“That would make you happy.” I glance over his shoulder, but Kaleigh is busy teasing a man at the bar. “I have other things I should be doing right now.”

Griffin steps into my path when I try to step around him. “What things do you have to be doing right now? It looks like you came here alone.”

Kaleigh peels herself away from the bar, two shots of an amber liquid in her hands.

“I’m here with a friend from work.”

He gives me his crooked smile, and my heart skips a beat for just a moment.

I’ll blame my reaction on the alcohol for tonight. In the morning, I’ll wonder whether I'd lost my mind when I looked at him.

“Cora, you don’t have friends.”

Kaleigh steps around him, shoving the shot into my hand.

My glare doesn’t leave Griffin as I toss the shot back, the alcohol burning on the way down. “I’m officially off the clock, and you’re not my boss right now, so understand I mean it when I say piss-off.”

I shove the shot glass into his hand before taking off to dance.

The numbness in my feet is forgotten as I weave through the crowd, finding a spot to dance. Kaleigh joins me a moment later, a wide smile on her face.

She takes my hand, spins me around, and pulls me back against her. I tilt my head back, moving my hips to the beat of the music.

Kaleigh dances with me for a few songs before leaving with a man. I keep dancing, determined to dance away every lousy feeling since the breakup with Victor.

Another song starts, and the people around me shift slightly. That’s when Griffin appears through the crowd, his cheeks flushed and his jaw flexing.

He stops in front of me, looking like an avenging angel. “That’s it, Cora, I’m tired of the s**t going on between us. You’re barely civil at work, and the only reason I haven’t fired you yet is because your brother told me that I had to keep you employed.”

Though I knew Jake had gotten me the job, I didn’t think he had forced Griffin to keep me employed.

I’m a good employee, though. Despite disliking Griffin, I go above and beyond at my job.

There isn’t a better option if I want to pay down the debts.

Although, putting up with Griffin Blake will send me to an early grave.

I stop dancing, blood boiling in my veins. “Fire me then.”