Book Boyfriends Wanted 12: His Curvy Boss
Autorzy
Mary E Thompson
Lektury
110K
Rozdziały
25
In the small town of Cedar Cove, Goldie, the tourism director, faces budget cuts, romantic entanglements, and professional sabotage. As she navigates her strained relationship with her assistant Patrick and the fallout from a disastrous event, Goldie must uncover the truth behind the sabotage and fight to reclaim her job. With the support of her friends and family, she learns to balance love, career, and personal growth in a town where secrets and relationships intertwine.
Chapter 1
Book 12: His Curvy Boss
Goldie
Deep breaths. I needed to just take deep breaths. In and out. It would all be okay.
“Who is this band? I’ve never heard of them. Are you sure they’re any good?” Mayor Levine asked.
Deep breaths. Dear God, help me not strangle the self-righteous ass who decided I’m his enemy.
“They’re very popular right now. They’ve grown a solid following in the area. Teenagers love them, so they’ll draw in a younger demographic.”
Mayor Levine held my gaze with his angry one for a beat too long. He didn’t like that answer. He didn’t like any of my answers.
I knew when he was appointed as the new mayor of MacKellar Cove it was going to be painful to deal with him. The previous mayor stepped down for health reasons, and Mayor Levine stepped up to finish the term. He positioned himself as an everyday kind of guy, but he was anything but. The truth was, he was ultra-conservative, to the point of still believing a woman’s place was in the kitchen. He hated me for nothing more than the fact that I lacked a penis.
I had a lot of reasons for hating him.
“Well, I hope they show up. Bands like that can be unreliable. People need incentive.”
“That’s why this band is perfect,” I said. “They want to increase their exposure and get some experience playing for live audiences. When we spoke, they were very excited about the opportunity.”
Mayor Levine pursed his thin lips until they disappeared into each other. When he wasn’t scowling at me, I could almost see where he was an attractive man. A few years older than me, he had a full head of dark hair and a lean build. He was married and blessed with two daughters, which made me endlessly happy because I knew there was nothing more he wanted than a son. I felt bad for his daughters, though. They would never get support from him to do anything in their lives. He was a misogynist if there ever was one.
“I guess we’ll see how everything goes. This summer is very important for MacKellar Cove, and for you,” Mayor Levine said. His pointed look said far more than his words.
“Could you elaborate on that?” I asked. I knew where it was going, but I needed him to say the words.
“The town budget can’t support ineffective leaders. And since you’re the tourism director, we need to see some value from you and the position.”
“Well, the events I created for last year increased town revenue by thirteen percent, and filled local hotels to near capacity for the summer. What my team and I have planned for this year—”
“Your team is not in question, Ms. Spear. You are.”
“Are you saying you’re looking to fire me, Mr. Mayor?” I asked the question he was dodging.
“I’m saying your department should not be paying you the salary you have. I’ve been looking at your budget and your resume and I’m unclear why you were given the position you have. Something isn’t adding up.”
I seethed as I struggled to keep my composure. If I yelled at the little weasel, I would seal my fate, probably immediately. I couldn’t give him a reason to fire me, even though he seemed to believe he didn’t need one.
“My experience matched the position, sir. Your predecessor was confident in my abilities, and my performance speaks for itself in terms of what I’ve been able to deliver.”
“You or your team? Because it seems to me your team is the brains behind your operation.”
My team was amazing, but damn. How dare he make it sound as though I was nothing more than a figurehead? “My team is talented, and no team functions well without a strong leader who can keep them on track and guide them in the right direction. My team has been on budget and ahead of projections since I took over this position. Even with the changing leadership I’ve worked under.”
It was a low blow, and probably not a great idea, but I couldn’t resist the dig. It was common knowledge he’d blown through the town budget in half the year, adding shit no one needed and doing things no one wanted. Like the new stoplight outside town hall that caused more traffic issues than it solved. Or the brand new custom furniture he had hand-crafted in Italy and sent over. Or the boats he wanted to bring into the Cove to take tourists to the local castles and on tours of the area. That was the worst one. The boats were too big for the Cove and would get stuck. But he was convinced it was a great idea no matter how many people told him it wouldn’t work. I didn’t know how much money he’d spent trying to find someone to tell him it was possible.
“Well, if you’re so successful, then I guess you can handle a fifteen percent decrease in your operating budget for the rest of this year.”
“What? I need that money. This is the busiest time of the year. We spend eighty percent of our budget in the summer months.”
He shrugged and stood. “If you’re unable to meet the new budget, you will be replaced with someone who can. Have a good day, Ms. Spear.”
He walked out of the room like he hadn’t just dropped a bomb on me. What the hell was I supposed to do?
A minute later, I finally stood. Mayor Levine’s secretary, not assistant he said, was outside the door waiting for me.
“He asked me to give you this,” Jane said. She was young and pretty and far too good for Mayor Levine, but she worked for Mayor Sanchez before Levine and had no choice.
“Do I want to know?”
Jane winced. “Probably not.”
I took the folder from her and opened it. It was my new operating budget. One he already had prepared for me. Which meant he always intended to screw me over. Long before he asked for a meeting to discuss the Memorial Day Kick-off event happening in only two weeks.
“He’s insane,” I muttered.
“I know. And I’m really sorry.” Jane looked up at me with sympathy in her gaze. “He was telling someone on the phone the other day that he wants to get rid of you. That you don’t deserve the job. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you or not.”
“It’s okay. He’s made that clear to my face. He doesn’t think a woman should be running a department.”
“Or working outside the home,” Jane whispered. “He said the dress code is skirts or dresses only. That I have to look professional.”
“Why do you put up with him?” I blurted.
Jane winced at the question.
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t fair of me to ask. I know finding a new job isn’t always easy, and leaving this job for another one could end up with you blackballed because that’s the vindictive asshole he is.”
Jane nodded. “Pretty much. Mike is working full time again, but it’s not easy keeping things together. No one knows yet, but I’m pregnant again, so I really need to keep this job so I get maternity leave.”
“Congratulations!” I whispered. “I’m so happy for you. And I promise, I won’t tell anyone. But I will let you know if I hear of anyone hiring who isn’t afraid to tell the new mayor to shove his opinions up his ass.”
Jane smiled. “Thanks, Goldie. I really appreciate it.”
Mayor Levine shouted something that had Jane jumping from her seat and waving. I sighed and watched her go, wishing I could hire her. She was smart and organized and excellent at her job. Too bad she’d never get the praise she deserved working for a man like Levine.
I left town hall and waited at the endless light for it to finally turn green. I debated running it, but with my luck, Levine would be watching me out his window and recording so he’d have a reason to fire me. A legitimate one.
I parked outside the tourism office and carried the offending budget inside. I needed a meeting with my team so we could make some changes to the plans we already made for the summer. Maybe if we could talk some of the local businesses into donating, we could make it all work.
Maybe.
“Meeting, now,” I shouted as I walked in. I knew anyone who was there would hear me and follow me to the conference room at the back of the building.
The front side was the Welcome Center for MacKellar Cove, a low traffic center that was wasted space in the worst possible way. I had no idea why it was constructed the way it was, and I’d been trying to come up with ways to change it since I took the job as tourism director. So far, I hadn’t figured anything out.
The back of the building was where my team worked. Five of us were housed from those offices. Besides myself, there was my assistant Patrick, the website manager Eve, the outreach manager Theo, and the maintenance manager Howard. We were an eclectic group and worked well together.
“Hey, Boss,” Theo said. He was the first into the conference room. “What did Levine say?”
“Nothing good,” I told him.
Theo was the first person I hired when I took the job. Howard was there as maintenance manager already and stayed on to work with me. Theo was next because I quickly realized I needed someone to get to know the other business owners in the community and collect all the events information for the area. I hired Patrick not long after Theo when the job kept getting bigger and I realized I couldn’t do it without someone to help keep my schedule and my priorities in order. Eve only came on board in the last few months, taking over managing everything online, including updating the website and making sure all online visitors had access to whatever information they needed. If something wasn’t on the website, Eve went out and found it and added it.
“Did Levine push back on the band?” Eve asked. Her dark hair was spiked up in all directions, a product of her hands running through it all day. She had a piercing in her eyebrow and another in her nose to go with the five in each ear. She was no more a fan of the mayor than I was.
“No. He questioned it, but he didn’t say we couldn’t book them.”
“Good. I’m really excited to hear them play. I think it’s going to be an amazing show.”
Eve was the one who brought the band to my attention. I was listening to them online one night when Paul, my fifteen-year-old, walked in and asked how I knew them. If they had his seal of approval, in addition to Eve’s, they were good enough for me.
“What’s going on?” Patrick asked. “Howard’s up front. Said to fill him in later. A tour bus just pulled in.”
My heart skipped at his voice, which I hated. I was not supposed to be attracted to my assistant, even though he was gorgeous.
“Does he need help?” I asked, hoping my voice sounded normal.
Patrick shook his head and gave me one of his grins that I couldn’t help but return. “Howard’s in his element. He’s all good. What happened?”
Down to business. That I could handle. “Levine cut our budget by fifteen percent.”
“He did what?” Theo blurted.
Eve and Patrick both gaped at me.
“He said since we were under budget last year, we should be able to operate under budget this year.”
“We were under budget by three percent, not fifteen,” Patrick argued.
Was it bad to be turned on that he knew that? “I know, but he doesn’t care.”
“He needs to pay for that stupid furniture he wanted. And to dig out the Cove so he can get bigger boats in here,” Eve snarled.
“He is not,” I blurted, staring at her. She had to be joking. That would ruin the Cove and destroy the fish and animals that lived there.
Eve shrugged. “That’s what I heard. He’s found some group that said it would be possible if the Cove was deeper. He asked if they could make it deeper, and they said in theory yes. So, now he’s holding on to that.”
“He’s insane,” Patrick breathed.
I shook my head in disbelief. He really was. How he thought that was a good idea was beyond me, but that wasn’t the biggest issue I had at the moment. “Regardless of all of that, we need to find ways to save some money. We already have most of it spent, but there are some events later in the season we might be able to pull back on.”
“We need to go through everything,” Theo said. “I’m not sure we can do it.”
I nodded. “I know. I’ll order lunch for everyone and we can get started. It’s going to be a long afternoon. I’m sorry to be doing this to you guys.”
“It’s not you,” Patrick said. “This is all Levine, and we know it.”
I smiled at him in thanks and left to order food.
* * *
Lunch was long gone and so was our patience. We were tired, crabby, and far beyond done for the week.
“Go home, everyone. We need to put some distance between us and this. We’ll pick it back up on Monday.”
“You sure, boss?” Eve asked.
I nodded. “You guys have lives to get to. Things are going to get busy for us in a few weeks. We need to get our rest when we can. Go home. I’ll see you all on Monday.”
“Good night,” they said as one-by-one they filed out of the room. I smiled and waved, then carried everything we’d been working on to my office and dove in again.
I couldn’t walk away without some sort of idea of where we could cut some major money. Fifteen percent was huge. A little here and there wouldn’t do it.
“You’re not leaving?” Patrick asked from the doorway.
I jumped, not realizing he stuck around. “I need to figure this out.”
“You need to get some beauty rest so you look your stunning self come Monday,” he said. He walked over to me, leaning against the side of my desk. His spicy scent filled the air between us. His easy smile made my lips turn up.
“I’ll rest eventually,” I told him.
He chuckled and shook his head. “You need to stop letting Levine get to you. You’re too strong to let him twist you up like this.”
“You don’t know what he’s like behind closed doors,” I admitted.
“Did he do something?” His tone bordered on deadly.
I laughed. “No, of course not. He’s not that stupid.”
Patrick paused and held my gaze, his tracing my face. “You really have no idea how gorgeous you are, do you?”
I snorted and shook my head. Patrick was good for my ego, but sometimes he took it a little too far. He pushed a little too much. Like in that moment when he wanted me to believe his flirty words.
“Wow, you don’t. For all your confidence in the boardroom, I thought for sure you would be the same in the bedroom.”
“Patrick!” I gasped.
He shook his head and moved closer to me. My office was big enough that I didn’t feel crowded, and it was Patrick. He might be the office flirt, but he was a good guy. Polite and considerate. He wasn’t afraid to stand up for others and was quick to shut down anything inappropriate.
Except for the way he was looking at me. He was only turning that up.
“Goldie, you’re beautiful. I know you went through hell when you got divorced, but I hope you know whatever happened, your husband was an idiot.”
“He’s bisexual and fell in love with someone else.”
“How anyone could even notice another person when you’re around amazes me. You’re all I see.”
“Patrick, you don’t have to say these things.”
He chuckled and shook his head. He removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. It was something he did when he was frustrated. When the other person wasn’t listening to him.
“I really thought you were right there with me. That you knew I was flirting with you because I’m attracted to you. But you really don’t know. You don’t see yourself that way. That’s the biggest shame for me. Because you’re the kind of woman who makes a man forget everything. Who makes me forget everything. I’ve been waiting for you to ask me to dinner, or to stay late one night, but I see you’re not going to because you don’t think I’m interested. Let me tell you, boss, I’m very interested.”
I rolled my eyes. “Patrick, I know—”
“No, you don’t, Goldie,” he said firmly. He was close enough that I could see the truth in his gaze. The conviction. “I haven’t dated anyone since I started working for you because I found myself fantasizing about you when I went out with other women. I knew you were single, and watching the way you handle things here made me sure you would make the first move. You’re scared. I see that now. So, I’m going to make the first move.”
He ran one fingertip down my arm as he spoke. He drew little circles on my wrist, then inched closer.
“I want you, Goldie. I want whatever you’re willing to give me. But you need to know, I’m serious. And now that you know how much I want you, it’s up to you to decide if you’re interested in the same thing.”
“Patrick,” I whispered, sounding breathy even to my own ears.
He shook his head and stood, stepping away. “Don’t answer me now. Because I know you’ll say no. Think about it this weekend. Have a glass of wine and take a bubble bath and think about me. Think about how I would touch you if I were there with you. Think about where I’d kiss you. Think about how I’d feel inside you. Then on Monday, you can tell me what you want from me.”
I sucked in a breath. My entire body felt like it was on fire and my skin was too tight. I wanted to lean into him and give in. Do all the things he said. I wanted to touch him and taste him and…
Who was I kidding? I was fourteen years older than him. I was having a baby when I was his age. There was no way he was actually serious about dating me. And I wasn’t sure I could have a fling with my assistant.
He walked out without looking back, leaving me in the office with wet panties and a throbbing core.
Well, he did say to think about him. Maybe it was time for that bubble bath he mentioned.
