Page 16 of Knotted their Beauty

“Now I know you’re working too hard,” I mumble without thinking. My eyes return to the screen dismissively, and I finish filling out the online paperwork.

“Excuse me?” This man is more patient than he thinks. He waited until I was completely done before responding to me. “My work schedule is fine. Why are you saying I work too hard? Check your email, confirm everything, and then give me the details so I can transfer money to you.”

Mr. March is going to kill me with the whiplash he’s giving me. Opening another tab, I log into my email to do as he demands.

“No one offers to buy their employee a car when they’ve barely worked for them for three weeks,” I say slowly. “There must be something wrong with you if you mean what you’re saying.”

“Fuck off. I always mean what I say. I am very direct, thank you very much,” he growls.

“Mmhmm. I see that.” Logging back into my new banking account, I turn the screen around so he can read the direct deposit details. “You’re serious about everything we just talked about?”

Rolling his eyes, he taps on his phone and shows me the amount of money he’s planning to transfer. “Does it look like I’m serious? I am also leaving a credit card here I expect you to use while I’m gone. Order groceries, take a ride share to activities with Calista, use it when you buy train tickets to bring her to come visit me. It’ll be the equivalent of a company card. I don’t want you to worry about money while I’m away,” he explains. “Calista also enjoys going to the store. If you don’t want to order through the grocery app, feel free to take her to buy food. I will say, she will hustle you into buying things you don’t need. That’s just a gamble you have to be willing to take.”

My lips twitch at that because my sisters used to be like that. Everyone’s eyes are larger than their stomachs at the grocery store.

“I don’t want you tethered to this neighborhood while I’m gone. Calista will get bored and she’ll make your life hell, okay?”

“Yeah. I get it, sir. This is just…really generous.”

“Generosity is a social construct, Arlo. Everything I’m doing is necessary for your job here. I’m going to take Calista with me for a couple of hours so you can order what you need for your bedroom. She loves going out to breakfast. Have everything delivered to the apartment. This is the address you’ll put in so it’s sent correctly.”

There’s a yellow legal pad beside him and he writes out the address before he tears the bottom off and hands it to me. I can’t see anything else and something tells me I shouldn’t snoop anyway. I’m also very careful about not touching his shit while I’m cleaning. I simply work around it.

“Thank you.” I’m overwhelmed. I have more money than I ever have at one time in my entire life in my bank account, and my boss is casually offering to open my world up.

I’m aware it’s not a big deal for other people, but this is huge for me. I left a lot of my things at my previous apartment because I needed to get the fuck out quickly, and it would have taken me ages to replace if I was still working at the record company.

This job is almost too good to be true.

“I understand and respect your need to be private about your affairs,” he says quietly. I’m so in my head, I flinch as he speaks, but he thankfully doesn’t say anything about it as I meet his hazel eyes with mine. “Sometimes, it just takes one really good thing to turn your life around, Arlo. Calista adores you. She’s had a lot of nannies in her life, but she’s really clicked with you.”

“She makes it easy,” I grin. I need to get this conversation back on safer ground. His daughter is definitely the best way to do that. “Cali telegraphs her needs, I simply follow along based on that.”

Now, if her father could just do this, I’d be happier than a pig in shit.

“No one before you was able to figure this out. Expect more of these little meetings as you continue to work for me. It seems we need to communicate better. Good night, Arlo.”

Freedom! Nothing like being dismissed by the boss man. Standing quickly, I mumble good night and high tail it to my room. The second I close the door, I feel exhaustion pulling at me. It feels as if I’m walking a tight rope around that man.

I should not be attracted to my boss!

Turning out the light, I fall face first into my bed, already dreaming about the sheets and pillows I plan to buy tomorrow.

Chapter

Five

BARON

Fuck. This

“It’s another seventy-five before you’re caught up, plus another fifty for the weekend. If you plan on staying,” the asshole says as he grins. “Beyond that, I’m not sure we can keep allowing you to stay here as our guest.”

Guest, my ass.

Calling anyone who stays here anything other than what they are is ridiculous, and nothing about this motel screams be our guest, we’ll take care of you like you are one.

This place is one step above a shithole, only a little better than the shelters I’ve been bouncing around, but sadly, it puts my last apartment to shame. Mainly because of my roommates, then again, I could have been shacking up with wild, rabid wolverines and it would have been better than living with those assholes.