Page 32 of Boss Abroad
I stand by everything I said. It’s the fucking truth, but yes, I framed it like that to get her as distressed as I am right now. It’s only fair, isn’t it?
“Physiotherapy Guy. The doctor throwing a fit changes nothing. I need something to work on.” I stand up and signal Mia to follow me. “It’s in your interest too, Maxwell. I’m trying to save you millions in contracts that will be voided if you’re not playing.” We leave the room and step into my office, where I close the blinds and keep working with Mia like nothing happened. If only.
After long minutes of pretending to type anything non-April related on my laptop, an idea comes to mind and I guess no one is getting any work done around here today.
“Mia, get George and go to the closest Apple store now. Buy the latest iPhone with a new SIM card and bring it back to me.”
From the corner of my eye, I see Mia checking her watch. She attempts in vain to keep me on schedule, unaware that nothing is going according to plan today, so we might as well just blow the whole agenda. “Mr. Gunn, we need to head to?—”
“Change of plans, Mia. Move things around.” My sharpness tells Mia not to push me on this.
“Yes, sir.” Always the drama queen, she huffs the words out, uncrosses her legs in an exaggerated fashion, stands, and excuses herself out of my office.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
april
How dare he? What a disrespectful, condescending, patronizing bastard! Urgh. I pace around my office after I asked directions from about five different people to get here. By the time Dom walks in, I must’ve burnt a trail across the carpet.
“What an asshole,” I scream as a poor welcome to my colleague.
“Yes, he kind of is.” That’s comforting. Makes me feel a little bit better that it's not just me that thinks so. I can’t pretend I don’t have a biased opinion of the man, can I? So having Dom saying it too helps me feel saner, more entitled to my wrath. I’m fuming, burning hotter than the fire in hell, wondering how the Liam I met yesterday is the same one I just left behind in that stupid meeting. The difference is so stark, I wouldn’t discard the possibility of a multiple personality disorder.
“So, what do you want to do?” Dom asks.
“Choke Liam Gunn to death. No last words for him.”
“Okaaaay…” He smiles and watches me pace some more. “Do you have a plan B?”
“Not really. Could you be a dear and do it for me?” I make my best attempt at puppy eyes, but he just laughs and plops himself down on one of my couches, patting the space next to him for me to sit down too.
“Fuck him,” Dom says, and I think to myself, Done that. Multiple times.
I bite into my bottom lip to suppress the naughty smile that wants to come out to play. Stop it, April. The man is a jerk.
I sit on the couch opposite Dom, instead of next to him. I’d probably accept a hug from Calista or Preston right now, but that’s about it.
Dominique watches me as I get lost in my thoughts. He’s every bit as French as his name. Wavy brown hair disheveled to perfection. Tall and lean, with blue eyes, a big and thin bony nose that might look ugly on any other man but him. The accent just makes him even more attractive.
He’s the best physiotherapist I’ve worked with, doing groundbreaking work in athletes' recoveries and I’m lucky to have him here. We had a fling a few years ago, back when I was an intern. It was just fun, on call, harmless, good sex—and that pretty much sums up all my ‘relationships’—but it ran its course and we’re just friends now. It’s not weird or anything.
“Okay, if you’re not willing to commit murder to make my life easier, we’ll just have to fall back onto medicine and do our jobs. Like we said we would when Li— Mr Gunn wasn’t paying attention.”
I get up and turn on my laptop to check my emails. I sit in the comfiest office chair ever and almost purr as I sink further into it while I rub its leather arms. As my screen comes to life, I see dozens of messages from Callie threatening to go to MI5 with Liam’s Tinder profile.
I smile as I read her theories about me being abducted then chopped to pieces and her threats that if I don’t call her back immediately, she’ll have the Scotland Yard searching for my limbs in the Thames. I write her back to let her know that I’m alive, all members attached, but still phoneless, and will update her on everything as soon as I can.
What ever happened to the Liam from the app that she chatted with? Was he at the restaurant last night? What are the odds of this happening? I start calculating it for fun when the phone from my desk starts ringing.
“What happened, April? We’ve been calling non-stop since yesterday.”
“Hi, Daaaaaad.” Dom scrunches his face in question from the couch. “It’s Preston,” I mouth and he cracks a laugh. “I went out to dinner last night and left my cell in the Uber. I’m hoping they can locate it and bring it back to me. If they don’t, I’ll get a new phone tomorrow.” I cross my fingers and cling to hope as I say it.
“I was about to email you with a report on today’s meeting with the board. It went fine apart from the club’s owner being a dick and demanding a date for when Max will be back on the field. I didn’t give him one. More to follow on that. But I need to talk to you about something else.”
I cover the phone with my hand and ask if Dom could give me a minute.
Laid-back Dom rises from my couch with ease and a sincere smile. “Of course. Come get me when you’re done. And send Dr. Jett my best.”