“I knew I liked him.” Turning his attention back to my sister, he reaches for her purse. “We’re on a tight schedule, Gina. We need to leave now if we’re going to make it across town for nine.”
“You’ll call me later?” Gina moves to give me a hug. “I left a recipe for a tuna noodle bowl on the island. If you’re feeling creative one night, maybe we can cook together and talk about your boss.”
“I’ll cook it for you soon.” I pat her cheek. “Go knock the socks off of whoever is taking your picture today.”
Leaning in, she whispers in my ear, “I’m not an ex
pert, but I think you’re in love, Bella.”
Laughing softly, I whisper back, “I think you’re mistaking great sex for love.”
Pulling back just enough to look at my face, she keeps her voice lowered. “I’m not. Trust your heart.”
Stunned, I watch her and my best friend walk out, leaving me with a million questions about what I’m feeling for Barrett and what that means for my future.
***
Nothing can break the bubble of a good sex hangover quite like walking into the middle of a heated conversation between your boss and one of your co-workers.
Dropping my coffee cup on my desk, I move toward the open door of Barrett’s office.
He’s face-to-face with Sonny Barusso, one of the executives who head up the IT department. Sonny has been with Garent Industries as long as it’s been in existence. Word around the office is that he grew up next door to Ivan on Long Island.
“You can go straight to hell.” Sonny pushes a finger into Barrett’s chest. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Barrett’s hand fists at his side. “You’re leaving today. You’ve been terminated.”
Terminated? He fired Sonny?
Taking a step into the office, I look at my boss. “What’s going on?”
The question is enough to shift Barrett’s focus from Sonny to me. He shoots me a look that is meant to shut me up. “This doesn’t concern you, Isabella. Close the door on your way out.”
He can’t understand what he’s doing or the implications it will carry once Ivan finds out what’s going on. Firing one of his closest friends may be grounds enough for Barrett to be the next one on the chopping block.
“If I could just have one moment in private, sir.” I tack that on to the end to appease Barrett. I don’t want him to think that I’m undermining his position.
He throws a hand in the air with a finger pointed at the door. “Out now.”
It stings more than it should. It has nothing to do with the fact that Duke never ordered me around. What I’m feeling is based on what happened between Barrett and me last night. I can’t expect the tenderness and passion we shared to take root in the office, but I did anticipate that he’d at least listen to what I had to say. I only wanted a minute to explain who Sonny is to Ivan.
Turning on my heel, I slam the door on my way out. I bypass my desk and head straight for the elevator. It’s not my place to clue Mr. Garent into what Barrett is up to, but Greer in Human Resources will surely want to step in and defuse the situation.
If she doesn’t, there will be hell to pay when Ivan gets back to New York. Regardless of what just happened in his office, I don’t want Barrett to lose his job over this.
Punching a finger into the elevator call button, I release a heavy exhale. I need to learn how to separate business from pleasure because in his bed I’m Barrett’s equal, but here, in the office, I still have to follow his direction and his orders regardless of how screwed up I think they are.
Chapter 43
Barrett
I wait patiently for my executive assistant to return from her journey two floors down to the Human Resources Department. The new head of HR gave me a heads-up that Isabella is there pleading for not only Sonny’s job but Greer Delacorte’s too.
Their careers at Garent are over. Ironically, I had to fire them for the same reason I fired Daphne Clegg. If you skim from the company coffers, you’ll end up with nothing.
The auditor I hired to look over Garent Industries’ books stumbled on a gold mine, or more specifically, an empty gold mine.
The scheme was foolproof under Duke’s watch.