Page 508 of Manhattan Bossholes

I tried to walk in unnoticed, but Calliope spotted me and shrieked with excitement.

“I get him first,” she shouted, running towards me holding her phone in the air. “Nobody move, or I’ll hip check you!”

I chuckled at her exuberance. “Hey, Calliope, what do you need?”

She held her phone out to me. “I want your approval to post this. We all decided that this was going to be our lead image for the couture announcement, but since you’re here, you might as well weigh in too.”

I glanced at the photo and wasn’t surprised to see one of Natalie’s sketches on a woman who looked suspiciously like Skyler Honeywell. The executive team hadn’t made the final decision on hiring the model as a house ambassador, but in typical Natalie fashion, she was making her voice heard whether we liked it or not.

“It’s perfect. Post it.”

“This is going to kill.” Calliope bounced up and down and her oversized glasses slipped down her nose. “Yay!”

Natalie was watching us from her position in the center of the room, wearing a tired half-smile that went straight to my heart. I beckoned her to me with a wave of my hand, and she gave me a sassy look and beckoned me right back.

A standoff. A reminder of the give and take that was a big part of our relationship.

I felt a tremor roll through me at my casual use of the word, because it wasn’t a relationship. Anything beyond casual was a dangerous distraction that would take my focus away from my family and the business—the things that mattered most to me.

But casual could still be a hell of a lot of fun.

Natalie finally wrinkled her nose and stomped over to me. “Hey, stalker.”

“What?” I sputtered. “I’m right here in the open. How is that stalking?”

She leaned closer. “I saw you watching us before you came in. Don’t try to deny it.”

I laughed. “Busted, you got me.” I studied her beautiful face. “Hey, what’s up with those dark circles?”

She winced and her fingertips flew up to touch the skin beneath her eyes. “Oof, do I look bad? I need some concealer.”

“Stop. You looked incredible,” I said under my breath. “But a little tired.”

“Someone keeps me up late,” she whispered back with a wink. Natalie took a step away from me in an attempt to remain professional. “Now, what do you need, Mr. Branson? Because I’m busy here.”

I glanced at the chaos surrounding us, then Natalie’s pale face, before making an uncharacteristic decision on the fly. “We’re taking the afternoon off. You’re working too hard; you’re going to burn out.”

Her mouth dropped open in shock as she gestured around the room. “Huh? But I… The deadlines… I can’t! No way.”

“You absolutely can, because it’s boss’s orders. Collect your things and let’s get out of here.” I fixed my eyes on her.

“James, you’re losing it.” She chuckled like she still didn’t believe that I meant it. “Leaving now is a terrible idea. I’ve got six more designs to finalize, Rhea and I have a meeting at three, and I still need to email Christopher back about some stuff. My day is packed.”

“Well, you’re just going to have to delegate. Take a page from my book.”

She snorted. “You? Delegate? Mister I-Can-Do-It-All?”

I grasped her shoulders gently and turned her towards her desk. “Get your stuff. I’ll talk to Rhea and we can call Christopher on the way. No arguments.”

She opened her mouth, and I placed my finger against her lips.

Natalie ducked her head away, glaring at me. “Fine. This makes no sense, but I guess I don’t have a choice.”

“Exactly. I’ll meet you downstairs in five.”

NATALIE

I’d dug my heels in when I’d discovered how James wanted to spend our afternoon of hooky.