揟hat抯 cool and all, but marrying my bossasaurus梖ake marrying梬as never in the job description. That抯 just too much,?Dakota says.
揃ossasaurus, huh? I like it,?Anna says with a grin. 揝ee? You two already bicker like a real couple all the time. Are you sure you don抰 want to give it the teensiest little try??
The room bursts into laughter and frantic whispers. Even a few of the people who抎 stepped away before are back in here.
Goddamn, do I hate how fast word travels in this office.
Dakota抯 face is painted crimson when I look back at her.
My chest clenches like there抯 a caged animal trying to get out.
This must be killing her.
Sure, it抯 not like the heartbreak in my office when we had that little chat about her poetry. I could bring the color back to her face by letting her know how talented she is and then infuriating her with a few thoughtless remarks.
But we抮e in a crowded room today.
She抯 justifiably mortified at this, the dumbest shit ever, and anything I say will just make it worse.
Anna shrugs and her eyes meet mine. 揑 know it抯 not your style, boss. I respect your concerns. I just hope you might mull it over. This could be the difference between this line doing well and a Vera Wang breakout success.?
Dakota bites her lip. 揘othing will ever tie Vera. We抮e not even in the same category.?
My jealousy bone twitches.
揥hy抯 that, Miss Poe? We抮e a luxury line with a damn fine product, even if we don抰 have their international presence and we抮e a bit more localized,?I say.
揥hen I say Hershey, you think chocolate. When I say Vera, you think bridal,?Dakota explains slowly. 揂nd when I say Haughty But Nice…you think high school mean girl or real housewife of King County. Your other lines are pretty well known in the regional market, but if I mentioned this brand back home in North Dakota? Bridal wouldn抰 be the first word that comes to mind. Until it is, Vera isn抰 your direct competitor.?
Damn her, she抯 right.
Marketing this line could be harder than I realized in a crowded space梕specially when we抮e a mostly local entity native to the West Coast.
I also hate considering that Anna could be right.
We抣l have to flex our creative muscles like never before, but I抦 still not fake marrying an employee.
With Dakota being Dakota, me being me, and our entire working relationship resembling a fucking dumpster fire, that spells one word, and one word only.
Disaster, written out in blood-red.
11
My Bosom抯 Core （Dakota）
揝o, you抣l do it??Anna asks. 揃ecause we抮e not a breakout success until we抮e butting heads with the big boys and girls. Right now, we抮e the dusty back of the rack at an Alfred Angelo bridal store.?
揘ope. Not even if he were the last man alive and this was the last job on earth,?I say, drumming my fingers on the table.
揙h, please. If the rest of the world was in ruins, there抎 be no more of those damn rolls to fight over,?Captain Snarlypants says. 揑 hate it just as much as you, but it would be very colorful marketing, wouldn抰 it??
揥ould you shut up??
揑 could, but I抦 enjoying you flustered too much, Nevermore.?
Ugh. He would.
揗iss Poe can stop panicking, and Miss Patel can quit badgering us,?he continues. 揙bviously, it would be grossly inappropriate for me to marry an employee梖ake or otherwise梐nd Miss Poe has already said she抯 not interested. Keep bringing it up, Miss Patel, and I抦 afraid you抣l be my decoy bride.?
She gives him a horrified look.
I meet his eyes suspiciously. Is he defending me? Really?
Anna folds her arms in front of her chest with an annoyed humph!
揑抦 willing to take one for the team, but I抦 not sure I have Dakota抯 special chemistry with you, bossman,?she says with a knowing smile.
Yikes. Isn抰 that the truth and the entire problem?
揑抦 not sure what chemistry you抮e referring to,?Lincoln lies. 揌owever, this engagement ruse was your idea. Since Miss Poe isn抰 interested, if I抦 crazy enough to let you do this, you抣l have to step up and play ball.?
How is it that something so outlandish makes me feel so jealous?
I stand up, glancing around at the growing audience we抳e collected with worry. I hate being the center of attention almost as much as I like being smiled at by a pack of coworkers who feel like wild coyotes right now.
揗eeting dismissed. This time for real. You can all go eat and stop gawking,?he grumbles.
Thank God.
My cheeks haven抰 felt this hot since he read my poetry about bedding his grumpy face. And he抯 referred to the thing that should never be mentioned like the top-notch asshat he is several times during this joke of a meeting.
Why is this my life?
But I抦 painfully aware I brought some of it on myself. I should抳e kept my mouth shut about Lincoln modeling the groom抯 line.
People walk out of the room around us. Anna starts to leave, but Lincoln says, 揘ot you, Miss Patel. Stay.?
I study his face.
He抯 all simmering emotion, this strange frustration and amusement etched in the shadows of his face.
Naturally, it only makes him hotter, which is the last thing I need.
I hope he isn抰 too harsh with her. It was a fascinating idea, even if it is a little out there. I just didn抰 want to be involved with it beyond stringing words together.
揟hanks again, Anna. It抯 a cool idea, but Mr. Burns is right. Using actors or models would probably make more sense if you guys move forward to avoid any drama.?I head for the door, eager to get the hell out of here before I抦 roped into whatever抯 coming next.
揑t was a whole year before Mr. Burns would even crack a joke with me,?she tells me quietly. 揘othing like the way he does with you. I don抰 think he抎 open up enough with an actress for the sham to be believable. I know you抮e just coworkers, but you two look like a couple. Seriously. You play well off of each other.?
I nod like I抦 swallowing a frog and double my pace out the door.
It抯 a huge relief when I reach my desk梖or all of four seconds.
My phone vibrates before I lay it down. A new message from an unknown number. Frowning, I tap the screen.
Dakota, can we talk?
I抦 going to be sick.
Who is this? I send back, though I抦 sure I have a good guess.
Who do you think? the stranger replies.
I抦 so not in the mood for this. That抯 probably the only reason I respond.
Didn抰 I block your number, dickhead? What, are you on burner phone level stalking now?
I frown so hard it hurts, waiting for his pitiful reply, which needles my hand when it buzzes a few seconds later.
Jay: I hardly think you can call me a stalker. I didn抰 talk to you for months.
See? Pitiful.
Pinching my jaw tight, I reply and hit Send so hard I have to shake my hand out.
LOL. Right. And then you pop up like I owe you something. Bye, Jay. Don抰 waste our time trying this BS again.
New number, blocked.
My phone makes it clear it isn抰 done tormenting me for the day when it vibrates again. Damn how many numbers can one guy have?
But this time, I抦 in luck. It抯 a slightly less annoying, fairly less cruel man.
Lincoln: Dakota, you can take off early today? I抦 not a big enough tyrant to make you hang out for our four o抍lock after the way that meeting went. Also, I need you to pick up a package for me while I have a late call. Take the company car. I抣l send you an address where I抣l need you to drop it to this evening.
Beautiful.
How gracious of you to give me the evening off.