The CEO and Fate✔️

Chapter 16

I hated that Josh put her in such a position. I knew he liked her, but I didn't know that he was that desperate to either pin her in a relationship or give up. If only he had told me that was his plan, I could have helped clean up this whole mess before it was made.

"So did you talk to him Sunday?"

She fiddled with the stapler on her desk. "No. I avoided his calls."

This time it was I who comforted her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "You're going to have to tell him. And my advice? From personal experience? It's better to let them down now rather than string it along and make everything that much worse when the kettle eventually boils over."

She took a deep breath. "Yeah. You're right. It's just so hard. I want to just procrastinate it."

I nodded, completely understanding. Her dilemma  with Josh reminded me so much of Graham that it was impossible not to feel like I was back in that same position.

"Hey!"

We both turned, stunned by the loud voice.

It was Ember. She was standing in the doorway of her office and by the crease of her forehead she looked ticked.

"Why aren't you two working?" She demanded. "By gossiping here instead of the salon you're wasting all of our valuable time. Gretchen, I needed the Anderson file three minutes ago.

Gretchen looked torn between fighting back and just giving in to Ember's tyranny.

Go get it yourself, you selfish gold-digger, is what I wanted to say.

But of course, I couldn't say that aloud.

Unlike Gretchen, my job here was temporary with no backup. If I even wanted to use any of them as a reference for my next job when I went home, I knew retaliating against Ember, even for something as small as this, would get me nowhere. And it would even set me back.

I deflated and scooted away from Gretchen, resigned to return to work.

She, however, looked fired up as she reluctantly handed Ember the file.

"Being lazy is better than being you," she snapped to Ember. Her emotions and feelings were on high alert because of Josh. "Don't take me for granted. Plenty of people know I could do much better."

Ember narrowed her eyes. "I made you, Gretchen. You learned from the best. And nobody who says that you deserve better will deny that you could get any better without me."

"Woah," I interrupted, shocked by her harsh words. "Ember, you need to back down before—"

"Before I what?" She scoffed. "Stay out of this, Baker. Don't tell me what to do. Don't put yourself in this conversation. Just because you're the first bitch to walk around with her legs crossed doesn't mean you suddenly have anyone's respect around here."

I froze.

It had been a long time since I had been yelled at in such a way.

Gretchen stood protectively by my side. "Ember, what the hell? What's gotten into you? This isn't high school!"

She shook her head. "No you're right. It's the real world where we don't—"