If he's that cute, he should get a pass." Sloane shrugs from her seat on the couch.
"He's not cute. He's smoking hot." I say.
"Hotter than your boss?." she aks raising her eyebrows at me grinning.
No-one's hotter than coffee bastard, especially when he has his glasses perched on the top of his nose, his shirt rolled up to his elbows showing ink that stand out against his skin acting as a perfect easel and his eyes focused on a document.
Several times I think the tattoo artist who drew on coffee bastard's skin should be grateful for no-one else will present a perfect skin as his.
If I were the tattoo artist, I'd never let go of ----
Fuck it! No way I'm falling for that.
"He's got his head stuck up his ass as well. Must be why they are good friends."
"They're childhood friends." Sloane says.
"Childhood friends?"
"They grew up together going to the same boarding school in Switzerland. Xavier got into Harvard while Alexander took a gap year working in Dunn Industries under his father to learn the ropes before he went to Harvard. They are both Harvard graduates and have always been considered as friends even in the business world.
Do you not know anything about your boss? Even the little-lest thing that's online?" Sloane eyes me quizzically.
"I would if I'm not drowned in work every minute of it." I roll my eyes.
Sloane squeezes her nose, "Sorry. Any idea when you stop working so late everyday?."
I sigh, "I have no idea."
"The amount of work should be shared among two people. He should employ more secretaries."
"At this point, I'm doubling as a personal assistant." I groan.
"Nah." Sloane laughs before continuing, "Personal assistants travel with their bosses, attend functions with them and go as far as knowing and taking care of their trysts. Trust me, you know nothing about Xavier Steele not even the information on the internet which is widely available for you to use from any point in the world."
"Whatever. That's still his fault."
"It could also be that you aren't used to secretarial duties."
"Well, coffee bastard should have checked my resume before deciding to punish me." I say raising my fingers in air quotes.
Sloane shakes her head at me, "You haven't changed your term for him."
"I call him by what he is. A coffee spilling bastard."
"Aside from the fact that he's not a bastard at all, I'm concerned that you might make a mistake and call him that at work."
I stare at Sloane for a good minute.
"Doubt it. He's Mr. Steele to everyone at work. Unapproachable and untouchable, but for me? A hotter version of hell."
"Indeed he's hot. The things one can do to that body ---" Sloane says, staring into space with a dreamy look on her face.
"Sloane!"
"What?!" she jumps.
"The goal here should be finding me a new job because I cannot work for a condescending, insulting, petty, coffee spilling, work piling person. My mental health is doing a nose-dive. It's nerve-racking to even be on the same floor as him."
"It's that serious?" Sloane stares at me in disbelief.
"How much more of battle of nerves do you think I feel when I have to go report something to him and he is always ready with a painful barb or jab somewhere? Or maybe I'm just too sensitive?" I sigh.
"Absolutely not. You are not going to start feeling sorry for yourself. If hot, handsome, wealthy Xavier Steele is going to be a douchebag, you are not going to feel less of yourself. Money does not define you. You are pretty, smart, resilient, dedicated, discipline, stunning and lots more!"
A sniff escapes my nose involuntarily and I raise my knuckle to wipe the lone tear that managed to escape my left eye.
"I didn't mean to make you cry, Hazel." Sloane leaves her seat to come join me on the couch I'm on, raising her hand to pat my shoulders gently.
An image flashes through my mind and I burst out laughing.
"Are you okay?"
"No --- no---. I remembered something."
"What is it?" Sloane looks at me nervously.
"Earlier today Mr. Newcomer and coffee bastard called themselves idiot in a playful way and were okay with it. I thought it couldn't be us. Here's how we comfort each other."
Sloane shakes her head, a smile appearing on her lips, "It's perfect for us."
"Yes, it is." I whisper.
"By the way, must you make everything about your boss?"
I ignore her question, "I'm going to stick this through for more time, Sloane. I'll be the most badass secetary Coffee bastard has ever had."
"You might want to start by calling him by his name and stop with the name calling."
I sigh dramatically, "That would be tough."
Sloane laughs, drawing a chuckle from me.
"By the way, who's Mr. Newcomer?"
"Who else? Alexander Dunn of course."
"Even Alexander gets a name?"
"He's equally infuriating, so --" I shrug.
"Isn't Coffee bastard more infuriating?"
"I'm the only
one allowed to call him coffee bastard but indeed he is more infuriating." I groan into my hands.