Page 19 of Boss from Hell

"Hi, Maggie," I said.

“Hello, Lillian. I’m not calling as your friend, but as the owner of the agency,” she said.

“Okay,” I said warily.

"Now that you’ve had a couple of days to assess the situation, how is everything going?"

The day before played out like a video in my head—from Mr. Frost's demon dogs to my outrageous ‘show’ on his bed.

"It’s going good," I replied.

“Are you sure? You can tell me if there are any… er… problems and I’ll try to fix them.”

“No, no problems at all.”

“Not even teething problems?”

“Nope. Not even teething problems,” I said cheerfully.

“Oh! Anyway, I’ve been thinking…”

“What about?”

“Well, our bet doesn’t seem very ethical, does it? As the owner of the agency and your friend, I shouldn’t have pushed you into it. It was wrong. It could place you in a position where you end up putting up with things that you wouldn’t normally tolerate.”

I didn’t buy her bullshit for a second. “Weasel,” I whispered.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing.”

“You said something.”

“I was wondering if you were trying to wriggle out of our bet.”

“Of course not. I was only thinking of you.”

“That’s very kind of you, Maggie, but I’m happy to report that I’m fine.”

“Well, in that case, the bet stands.”

“Good,” I cooed. “I’ve seen a lovely pair of shoes I want to buy with my winnings.”

Maggie laughed suddenly. "You can’t fool me, you know. I can hear the frustration in your voice. It won’t be long before you're ready to quit; just be ready with my hundred dollars because I’ve seen a pair I like too."

"That is so not going to happen," I said.

"Come on, tell me the truth," Maggie's voice softened. “What’s the beast really like?”

Honestly? He's a jerk of the highest order. I want to sock him in the jaw, but I also want to ride him hard from dusk to dawn. But of course, I didn't say that.

“He’s a workaholic and a perfectionist who expects the same of everyone around him.”

“But does he make you wet?”

“Are you asking this as the owner or the agency?” I asked innocently

Maggie sighed. "All I'm saying is, don't drive yourself to madness just to win a bet."