Taming My Boss

NA

ird-past the cagey glass doors, away from the towering in

ting'wasn't the r

? Bafflin

e for nightma

What started out as a simple 'she's giving the presentation, so ask her the questions,'quickly turned into a bizarre game of cat and mouse-one where I wasn't sure which part I was even supposed to play.

ou characterize

supervisor Ms. Macer, as this is really her area

what you have to

ed sigh. Jamie's initial thumbs-up was wilting b

ll the factors, the risk is too great. I would back out

a charged pause as he stared

taking a risk now an

to the ground, wondering what unholy power struggl

n, and the meeting had adjourned, he'd tried to get my attention. But I'd walked deliberately out the door, not speaking or looking at anyone else, lest they pull me into another interrogation to last for days. Instead, I headed straight to my office and pretended to be

't deserve. It wasn't them who'd tried to humiliate me during my first ever Blackwood presentation. It

ard the last computer shut down then made a bee-line f

ne could quiz me, no one could mess with me for at least

resentation played out, I went straight to the gym. I needed to run off my frustration for a whi

..that wa

a pair of clinging yoga capris and a sports b

ack, shivering a little wh

the waist, not

hing I'd worn more clothes. "What are you.

wn on my feet. "I'm just trying it out for

, and I couldn't help but sha

give up eas

. This time, he

op

nd accepted his arm

to, M

m heading to the treadmill

that's where I'm going as well." His eyes narr

son, that was th

and I erupted in a fit of exhausted giggles. He stepped back when they started, looking wary

aded between gasps. "I ca

e were two people, the same age, flirting/trying-not-to-

" He held up his hands innocently. "

g the one next to me, he sat directly across, casually lifting weights and pretending not

about it. In fact, aside from being entirely too bold, he actually seemed like a great guy. He was for

rent life,

going to happen in this one. Dating t

I ask you

still biting my lip to

making me come off

ed a step, throwing my hands on

can be off-putting to some people." He shook his head as if exasperat

gh, o

, panting. He was up in an instant, standing

nce maybe high school." I shot him a disbelieving look, and he nodd

reaking un

ning smile. "You

ggled, smacking h

ate. It's not fair seducing you like this. I do

looked up, the attendant was already gone. I stared around in wonder as Mark took a long sip. My gym had attendants? I

d your own during th

to whether he was messing with me, a

oe to toe with Tom like that. When it c

e's pret

ly know y

back my hair. "It was a nightmare. I

"I feel that way about st

look. "Yeah, your last name aside, you don't

ld actually wants to grow up in a conference room. Tom was born in a suit. Th

genuinely interest

de of the building. I don't really have a choice.

Mark had followed it up with Princeton, just like me. In fact, I think I'd only missed him by a year. He made the D

his dad was A

fully, "that Ivy League educa

I was stupid. I'm bored. And I don't give

ind traveled back to the pres

only one in your fam

shortly. "Yeah, not like Tom. Tom lives for w

curiously. "Wh

woman and the only thing he not

d my teeth the next morning. Still turning them over in my head when my phone screamed at me from the c

el

s Ha

re was the tongue-lashing for yesterday's perform

started nervous

ed Trask we'd give him the first draft of the formal p

dread began hardening

t bumped it u

ld the phone with both ha

n't be done. There weren't enough hours

g you'll learn about me, it's that I'm never kidding. I

one-handed stripping, simultaneously fumbling around in

ina

l in the air. The entir

does tha

d this. You just spent the last night learning all of this by heart, and you certainly proved you knew your stuff at the pre

to be a human piña

I just don't

riting the section on all future contingencies, and me and the rest of the team are mapping out past and present risk ass

ite the

fusals and denials caught in

ckw

s what

ies of what I could do suddenly stretched beyond the horizon

d I'm going to need constant access with whatever regional director has been assigned to this part of the project.

ut commands like a season

ng was that Macer

need. The papers are a

e living room, followed by the sound o

is is technically Michael's territor

rk grinning up at me from beneath the weig

there's a problem, but if

d to it. I'm texting you his number. Call his cell and arrange

the moment decision to just make the best of it. Mark was

l get on it

oice echoing again through the phone -as

ar

ught off guard by he

reciat

line cl

know that there's a mountain of papers piling up in the living room?" I heard her start the co

te!" I called, still roo

er a moment, I decided that he would appreciate a more casual take on the day, and went from my closet to my dresser-pulling out a pair of black jeans and a s

I decided that 'grunge chic'would have to be acceptable and whipped out my cell phone again as I pulled

gs, there was finally a

oice, half muffled by a pillow

? It's m

om the

en, Trask bumped up the draft for the merger to Monday, and I'm

use, and I heard the

this?" Aloud yawn. "I th

definitely a job for the older Blackwood brothe

o won't go out with you. You need to put your feet on the ground and have someone get you coffee because this is

..Je

ar, Mi

uckling on t

I'm up. And yes-I'll help y

xasperation. As i

went through all this trouble just to get

was trying my best not to shout. "What

ing it serio

eyes in relief. At least I knew he wasn't g

thing," he

sked, the smile fa

office today. I'll send a

hands in utter

Where d

I'm send