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“Yeah?” Please let Greg say something decent, Freddy mentally begged. The man was like an uncle to him, but he could be moody sometimes.
“You don’t really expect the company to pay for,” he paused to squint at the receipt he was holding, “seven pounds of bulk candy, do you?”
Oops. Freddy’d forgotten that receipt would be in with his official meals from his trip. He and Sabrina loved snacking on candy while they worked, but her favorite was Dad’s Root Beer Barrels. They were hard to find, so when he’d discovered a candy shop at one of the airports they’d traveled through, he loaded up. Of course, he got his favorites too, and while seven pounds sounded like a lot when Greg said it the way he did, it hadn’t been that much to look at.
“Right. Of course not. I didn’t mean to leave that in there. I paid with my card, not the company one. I just grabbed the stack on my way here.”
Greg hummed, “I’m guessing you don’t have the reports to go with this either?”
Freddy tried his best to hide his wince before joking, “I wouldn’t want you to have all your fun tonight. I’ve got the reports and will deliver them the next time I’m here.”
Looking between him and his father, Greg didn’t say anything in response.
Nathan did, though. “You know he’s going to need those receipts for his reports,” he said to Greg. “Besides, he’s barely been back a few days, and I know he’s been busy helping Sabrina move her stuff and get settled. Didn’t we put in the handbook something about everyone having ten business days to submit expense reports?”
Greg clenched his teeth but smiled as he handed the receipts back to Freddy. “Sorry to rush you. I don’t like feeling behind on my paperwork and get a little overeager sometimes.”
It didn’t make everything better, but it helped.
“That’s why we need to hire more people, Greg,” Patrick pointed out.
Freddy couldn’t handle listening to those two argue over this again. They’d been going ’round about it nonstop since Holly suggested adding someone for public relations and someone for human resources.
“Hey, Zach. How your newest alpaca? What did you name him again?” Freddy asked the man he knew would eventually become his brother-in-law.
It led to Veronica and Zach jointly sharing stories about both Rocky and Butthole. Freddy wasn’t interested in the animals themselves, but the stories distracted everyone else enough to end the awkward work conversations. Freddy faded back to invisibility, exactly the way he liked, except when he glanced at Holly, she was staring at him with a curious look. He ignored it and picked at the last of his meatloaf.
They all finished eating quickly, but when Katrina asked Freddy to serve dessert, Holly volunteered to help.
Knowing he was about to face the bossy blonde version of the inquisition, he followed Holly into the kitchen. Maybe if he pretended like he thought she was just being helpful, he could cut the cake his mom brought without answering questions he didn’t know how to address. As he pulled the Boston cream cake covered with chocolate ganache from the fridge and turned to place it on the counter, he came face to face with Holly as she leaned against the counter, blocking his workspace, with her arms crossed.
“So, Sabrina, huh?” She raised an eyebrow.
Freddy shrugged and tried to figure out how to get around her to set down the cake. “What about her?”
Holly stared at him but didn’t move out of his way.
“You spend more time together than most people realize, don’t you?”
“We work together, Holly. Of course we spend time together.” He was still standing in the middle of the kitchen holding the cake in his hands.
“So her moving in with you is completely professional?”
“We’re friends,” he tried. “Could I set this down, please? Besides, you moved in with my brother before you even met him.”
Holly stepped to the side to give him space and pulled out a knife. “We both know that’s different. I had my own apartment here, and it’s not a bad thing. I don’t mean to make this an interrogation, but it’s obvious you like her. I’m wondering why she isn’t here with you right now, and why you’re hiding your relationship from your family.” She flipped the knife around to present him with the handle before turning to pull plates from the cabinet.
“We don’t have a relationship,” Freddy mumbled. He did not want to be talking about this with his brother’s girlfriend or his boss’s assistant. Considering Holly was both, he was doubly uncomfortable.
“What?” Holly froze, mouth and eyes wide up in shock.
Freddy kept his gaze focused on the cake. “We’re just friends. Well, and we’re coworkers, but there is no relationship.”
“Wait, does she know how much you like her?” Holly’s voice softened to a compassionate tone.
“No, and I’d like to keep it that way.” He carefully lifted a slice of cake onto each plate.
“Freddy, you have to tell her you like her. You two are perfect for each other.” Holly added a fork to each plate, but before Freddy could respond to what she’d said, Patrick walked in.
