Tell Me Something (The "Something" Series Book 1) by Aubrey Bondurant Read Free Book Online Page A

it’s escalating to HR, and that’s crap.”
    His gaze slid to mine and he gave me an amused smile. “Maybe Carmen doesn’t want to hurt his feelings by telling him that she’s not interested. What then?”
    My stomach dropped and I swallowed hard. He’d moved to lean back onto my desk so that I had to swivel my chair to look up at his face. Now I wondered if I was misreading the situation entirely. I didn’t exactly have a lot of experience with men, especially older powerful ones who-could-have-any-woman-in-the-world kind of men. All of a sudden, every ounce of my self-confidence was on the brink.
    “She could just tell him that she has a boyfriend. That would keep him from asking again, and it makes him feel like it was nothing personal.”
    “So she should lie?” The question was posed innocently enough, but I could feel an edge to it.
    “I guess it depends on how close she is with him. If she sees him often and is a friend, I guess you’re right. She shouldn’t lie. If he’s some random guy she has met on a work trip or only sees sometimes, then…”
    “It’s not a lie if she doesn’t know him?”
    Uh, oh. I was failing whatever test he was giving me. “I didn’t say that. What I’m saying is sometimes a white lie to someone who would never know the difference but can walk away without the sting of rejection is better than hurt feelings.”
    He seemed to acknowledge the difference but pressed on. “And if he is someone she is going to see every day? What then?”
    “Well, I guess maybe Carmen needs to figure out if she’s been giving Jose mixed signals or not first.”
    His brow arched and I felt like a foolish teenage girl. Perhaps I had misunderstood him when I’d been drunk.
    “Or maybe Jose figures out that Carmen was just being nice and he was misinterpreting the situation. In that case, Jose just needed a reality check.” My voice had gotten soft, and I couldn’t maintain eye contact as I laid out that depressing scenario.
    “Haylee, I didn’t mean—”
    Thankfully, he couldn’t finish his thought as Nigel came in.
    God, I was humiliated. I would not cry, I would not cry. “Mr. Singer, can I pick you up anything for lunch since you’re back early?” I was on my feet, gathering my purse and trying to act nonchalant.
    Josh gave little indication that he heard me, and Nigel just looked between us.
    “A sandwich would be fine, Haylee, thank you. Nigel, if you would call Alan from accounting up here, I’d like a few minutes with him.”
    “Yes of course,” Nigel said and Josh went back behind closed doors.
    “I guess I should ask you what kind of sandwich he likes.” I turned towards Nigel, hoping he wouldn’t read anything into the awkwardness.
    Thankfully, he just smiled and handed me a three-page typed-up document. “Everything personal is in here, but do me a favor and don’t let Josh see it, all right?”
    Nodding, I tucked it into my purse.
    ***
    After making my way a block down the street to the post office, I had to wait in line. By the time I was done setting up my PO box, half my lunch hour was gone. At least I had some interesting reading as I glanced over the personal document Nigel had handed me. I skimmed over the basics and honed in on the surprises.
    No soda. Cigarette brand was Marlboro Red Box. Holy crap, he was a smoker. I hadn’t noticed, so he must take care with the scent. I was disappointed, but moving on I read that he worked out three times per week with a trainer, doing mixed martial arts. His various charities were listed as well as his personal properties, which included the condo in New York and a house in Charlotte, North Carolina.
    The second page listed his pet peeves. Laziness, gossip, insincerity, rudeness, pettiness and dishonesty. I could talk with the man for ten minutes and figure that out. Musical tastes included country music. Huh, I didn’t see that one coming. Did not like dance clubs or loud music. DOES NOT DANCE. Okay that was in