Babygirl and the Mean Boss (15 page)

“Then stay out of the walk-in when you know we’re back there.”  Kendall’s smile widened when Nicole’s footsteps
faltered
.  “You never know what you might see next time.”

Nicole’s blood began a slow boil.  “
Don’t play those
games with me,
l
ittle
g
irl.  Instead of telling me, you need to
be having this conversation with him
!”
  Nicole knew that Kendall was trying to press her buttons
, but despite this she could do nothing to stop herself from reacting.

Kendall smirked.  “Oh I intend to tell him tonight when I see him after work.
”  Thou
g
h she never showed it on her face, Nicole felt as if a knife was being plunged into her stomach.  Marty’s home had been like her home for the past week and picturing the two of them snuggling on the oversized couch
watching tv, kissing, touching…
was sheer torture.
  I could kill this ho, she thought and that thought shook her.

“HEY!” 

Everyone looked up.  Marty was standing at the pass-through
,
a look of fury on his face.  He
had
slamm
ed his spatula onto the counter and now the entire restaurant was frozen.

“Both of you,
BACKLINE
!” 
He bellowed. 
If they hadn’t had the attention of the customer’s before—they had it now.  The waitresses scattered and pretended to find something to occupy them.  Kendall got
up and headed to the back. 
Nicole watched her
. 
As far as she was concerned she could just turn right around
and walk right the hell out of the restaurant. 
And m
aybe she would
even
just tell the both of them to kiss her black ass!
 
When her feet finally moved, she wasn’t sure if it was going to lead her out the front door or
not.  In the end she
followed
behind
the cocky young girl.

Marty was standing at the entrance of his office
as the two women marched past him.  She had neve
r seen
him
so angry in her life.  His face was past red and his eyes looked dark and dangerous.  Even Kendall
hesitated
.  He gestured for them to go in
side.
  Nicole’s head began to pound
in suppressed rage.  Neither
would sit.  Kendall crossed her arms and tapped her foot nervously.  Nicole leaned against the wall and stared at the floor in front of her.
  She hadn’t done anything wrong and had no intentions of
being apologetic
in order
to appease his anger.

Marty closed the door and sat on the edge of his desk.  He was quiet for what seemed like a
long time b
efore speaking.
  And then his voice didn’t match the way his face looked.

“I’m sorry, both of you.  I’m just going to say this.”  He sighed.  “Nicole.  I should have never led you on.  I take full responsibility.”

Still staring at the ground, Nicole did not see Kendall’s grin.  Her stomach plunged to the floor.  This was really more then she had signed on for.  It was one thing to have a secret crush on someone but for his new lover to flaunt
over
it was just much much more then she could bare. 

Marty
looked at Kendall next
.

“
And
Kendall.  I
NEVER
led you on.”

Kendall’s smile faded.  Nicole glanced at her in time to see that happen.  But she only felt
coldness
.  She didn’t want to hear this.  Whether Marty had feelings for the girl or not,
she didn’t want to listen to it, because he had already confirmed that he didn’t have any for her…

“In that freezer, when you grabbed my dick, I told you that a man will only treat you like a whore for acting like that.  But that was not my lesson to teach you.  For that I apologize, Kendall.”  His face began to redden.  It certainly hadn’t had the desired effect.  When he
shoved
her up against the wall and asked her if all she wanted was to be some man’s slut a
nd then he had roughly pinched her tits
and pushed up on her, she had acted like that is exactly what she wanted. 

“It’s not even about being a slut or a whore.”  Kendall
said.  And for once her voice wasn’t whiny, or faux sexy, or wannabe black girl.  She just sounded like a 25 year old girl that wanted something that she couldn’t have.  “Why shouldn’t I ask for what I want?  If you want it too, then it’s not wrong-
”

“Because I told you that I didn’t feel the same a
bout you.  You are a beautiful, smart girl that doesn’t need to be some man’s quick lay.  W
hat I did to you wasn’t desire, it was anger.  But you don’t get that…
Still, I shouldn’t have touched you and
for that I’ll deal with the consequences-”

Kendall rolled her eyes.  “Whatever
,
Marty.  Like you said, I grabbed your dick. 
So am I fired, or what?”

“Do you want to
continue
working here?” 

She looked at
him surprised
.
  “Yeah.”

“Then
we can continue with my original plan. 
I’d like you to take over
the cold bar
during the days and you can work opposite Fred.  I’ll be working mainly nights
working opposite
Nicole.”

Kendall squealed and jumped up and down clapping her hands happily.

             
“Thank you, Marty!” 
Nicole had not made a move or spoken once.  Marty had cut back some of her hours but it was the only way that he could see it working.  It would definitely keep the two women apart and it would keep her out of his way.  And maybe it would give Fred something to occupy his attention so that he could stop trying to be the center of Nicole’s.

“That comes with a raise, right, Marty?”  She asked sweetly, as if she hadn’t been completely scandalous just
a few
minutes before.

“
Yes
.”  He said blandly.  He glanced at Nicole.  “
Kendall, go back out on the floor.
Starting Monday you’ll take over Fred’s
old
schedule.
”  Nicole turned to follow Kendall out.

“Nicole, wait.”

She wouldn’t look at him she was so mad
and hurt
that
tears had sprouted in her eyes
.  “My breaks over.  I need to get back on the floor-”

“I wanted to apologize to you-
”

“I don’t need an apology!”  She said sharply.  “Then I have to thank you again for taking mercy on me?  Look, I already thanked you, what
more
do you want?”  She glared at him, rage building in her with surprising
speed, causing her to tremble.
 

Marty
frowned
,
s
urprised.  He was struck spe
e
chless
by her reaction
.
  What had he said to cause her to become so upset?  He’d taken Kendall out of the picture…was it Fred?  He’d taken Fred out of her equation as well.

An angry tear fell down her face and she swiped it away quickly. 
“It made you feel good to help me and I needed the help so we’re even.  And for the record, you didn’t lead me on.
  Because I never thought you wanted anything from me-” she raised a cold brow, “maybe something freaky but
the opportunity you missed with me you took with her, so…whatever.”  She turned to leave.

Swiftly Marty grabbed her arm and swung her toward him. 
He had a strong grip on her sore
arm and although it hurt she didn’t show it.

“Wait a minute!”  He growled.  “
Didn’t you hear what I said to Kendall?  I wasn’t trying
for her
. 
I’m ashamed of what I did to her but I wasn’t trying for her!  And as far as freaky?  Nicole,
I missed a lot of opportunities
with you because I
didn’t
want
that
!
”  She tried to yank away but he held on to her tightly.
 
“Furthermore, I
do
owe you an apology-
”

“Will you let me go?”  She asked in a chilly voice.

He didn’t speak but his eyes grew equally as chilly.  “No.  Because I’m not done and you’ll just run out of here.”

“Just let me go and I’ll listen.”

He released his hold on her.  “I
’m sorry.” 

Nicole spun
away
and quickly pulled open the door.  Marty reached past her and slammed it shut.

“This is crazy Nicole.”  His voice had lost
its
anger.  She kept her back to him.
  “I really fucked this up. 
Nicole
,
please forgive me for everything that
’s
happened.  I honestly didn’t mean for it to go this way
.
”  He stepped away from
the door, allowing her the opportunity to retreat or to stay.

Nicole
turned and
looked at him
curiously
.  “You fucked
what
up?  What is
this
?”

Marty stared into her eyes. 
“
I think I fucked it up between you and me.”
  Despite her resolve to feel nothing, something leaped in her heart.  Nonetheless
she kept her face cool.

“Marty, what are you really trying to tell me
?
 
I’m not going to guess.
”

He had been trying to keep things between them on a friendly basis.  The invisible line that he had set was supposed to protect
his heart
. 
But he was in denial; so much so, that e
ven when she saw him kissing Kendall
,
he had
tried to fool
himself into believing that it would be for the best.
He couldn’t live with another heartbreak and he knew that he could be difficult. Why would anyone in their right mind want to deal with that?
But one day without her was all that he needed to confirm what he was too stubborn to admit; he was in love with her and life was not worth living if he couldn’t laugh with her, and talk to her,
or
just watch her when she didn’t know she was
being watched.  This woman made him want to do better.  And that meant that
he could no
longer go back to that empty life he’d had before sh
e had become a part of it.

“Nicole,
I want you to be in my life.  I want to be with you
.  And,
” h
e shook his head.  “
…
I’m not talking about sex I’m talking about loving you-
-
all of you.
”  She crossed her arms over her chest and felt her eyes grow moist.  She blinked
back the stinging tears and continued to watch
him with the same
angry
expression.  “Nicole, from the moment you walked into this restaurant I saw something in you that
stood out from everyone else and it
drew me.
  It continues to draw me.  You continue to draw me.
”

Nicole’s brow r
ose
in surprise
.  From the moment she had walked into the
restaurant
? 
When he barely looked at her, or when he
blurted out commands?