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She laughed, elbowing me lightly. “Mierda, I tell you a thousand times, you don’t hear it once. I’m not your boss, technicalities be damned.”
The new firm had grown beyond just the two of us by now, but not by far, and as far as the rest of the staff were concerned, it was me and María as the bosses, but—important part was that I liked not having to be the boss. Even if we both managed the same duties with the firm, María was infinitely more suited to the role than I was. Being her right-hand woman suited me better.
But more importantly still was just that it annoyed her to call her boss, so boss she was.
“Cameron do something to earn your ire?” I said lightly, picking up my drink as the bartender set it down next to me with a here you are, London. María took a sip of hers, leaning back further against the bar.
“Not about her. Not about you. About the two of you together. The way you look at each other, it’s like you’re making out with your eyes every two seconds.”
“Not that I’d ever dream of pointing this out, but you sound just a little jealous, María.”
She laughed, setting her drink down. “Ah… you know I gave up on love long, long ago. But seeing you two be all sickeningly cute sometimes gives me some hope again. I hope it doesn’t give me too much, or I might do something stupid like fall for a man.”
“I don’t want to be corny, but…” I let my eyes drift across the space, catching Cameron at the edge of the pool laughing with a few old friends of hers. Ones I knew, too. Ever since our worlds merged, and she was the single most important fixture in mine… she said I was the most in hers too, and despite how incredible it was, I think I actually kind of believed it. “Love can be worth it,” I said, finally, and she snorted.
“Ah, you’re thoroughly ruined,” she said. “You do better work than ever, though, so I guess I can’t complain. How’s the Wright account?”
“Coming along well. He’s not exactly jumping into our arms, but we’re taking our time.”
“A whole suite of complexes like that, and we’ll be rolling in it. Of course—what does that matter to you? Already have your girlfriend to spoil you.”
I laughed, pushing away from the bar. “It’s not about spoiling me, it’s about spoiling the cat. He’s very annoyed I take him on so many car trips these days, but I’ve got to do something when I’m spending a week at Cameron’s place…”
“Ah, you and the damn cat. Well, get on, then, your girlfriend’s making eyes at you. Oh—before I forget—just to dampen your spirits a little, Miguel heard you and Ruth and I were attending this place, and he sends his regards.”
I laughed. “I hear all about the guy from Adam Garcia… best buddies, apparently. You miss having Miguel on board?”
“What, telling me to hire him again?”
“Ha. Think I’ll pass.”
“Not like I didn’t like working with Miguel, Ruth, all the others, but I’ve been enjoying running a lean ship. Feels right for the job.”
I elbowed her lightly before I stepped away. “You just like running a ship. Nothing sadder than a grounded captain. Hasta luego, María.”
“Taking a shot and running away. Unbelievable. Hasta luego, hija.”
I barely left Cameron’s side the whole rest of the night, just hanging onto her, looking at her with that stupid lovesick expression I was carrying everywhere I went these days—no matter how hard I tried to focus on work, I never went long without having to stop into an office or a café if I was on the road just to talk to her. Honeymoon phase, or were we just that obnoxious couple? Didn’t mind either way—I was just enjoying the ride.
And I especially liked the look in her eyes when she was moving forward, that confident look where she knew the world was laid out for her to walk it. Of course turning the dispute with the parent company into a promotional campaign had worked—everything worked when Cameron went into it with that look in her eyes. Got anything she wanted.
Including me, when, at the end of the night, after the music had gotten thumping and everyone who wasn’t staying in the pool was dancing like it was the last night of their lives, we finally managed to corral the last of them away—Ruth played it coy as I walked her back to her car, but that dreamy smile she had on said she had Julio’s number and would cherish it until her dying day—and when I got back up to the suite, it was just me and Cameron, and nothing spoke to the juxtaposition of it all quite like the way I found her in that jaw-dropping dress leaning against a shelf trying to convince Earl to get down from the top.
“Drop it,” I said, sidling up next to her side, slipping a hand to the small of her back. “Royalty does what it wants.”
She pouted, which, I think was always going to be so unbearably cute it made me want to kiss the life out of her. “How can something so small be so difficult?”
“Ah, good question,” I said, putting up my chin to emphasize the inch and a half I had over her. She laughed, giving me a scandalized look.
“London.”
“Yes, darling?”
She put her hands on her hips. “I hope you remember what I told you,” she said. “Up to the bedroom. I have the pieces from the new collection there. Change into whatever one you like.”
I swallowed, everything else melting out of my head as soon as she used that commanding tone. Was I that simple? I didn’t need to ask… I blushed, but I wasn’t giving it to her that easily. Not when I knew she liked me being difficult. “Sure you don’t need to guide me? Can we really trust me to pick the best one?”
“They all look good on you, London, I designed them around you. Now go… upstairs,” she said, punctuating every word, “get changed, get in bed, and let me fuck all this pent-up energy out of you. Be a good girl.”
