Free The Boss Lady by Lolah Lace Page A

stabbed.”
    “Cut.”
    “Stabbed.”
    “Whatever.” She tilted her head to the side. “I appreciate you not blowing Kelly off. I never lost a child before so I don’t understand what it feels like so I just--”
    “Listen everything in life doesn’t have to have logic and reason. I will stay with Kelly until you get home. I will see you later.”
    I left before she could protest or bicker with me any further. I still didn’t know why I went to her office. I didn’t know if I even liked her. Sure I sleep with her but I felt compelled to. Sure she’s attractive, more than attractive but she’s not my type. First she’s black. Second she’s not blonde. She’s too smart. She’s too classy and she’s a stuck-up bitch. I believe all those things but I can’t stop thinking about her. Was it the sex? Maybe but I was thinking about her before I took her. Jesus I need to just stop this shit. I blocked thoughts of her while I took the elevator down to the ground level. Then I realized that maybe it was better to think of her then to think of Hailey.
    The traffic wasn’t that bad going back to the burbs. I had one stop to make and then I went right over to Nicki’s. Kelly let me in. There was an expensive security system installed. There were video cameras throughout the house.
    Kelly sort of fibbed a little about the help she needed on her science project. She didn’t need any help at all. I was clear she was ten times smarter than me. I didn’t fully understand the entire project. I was terrible at science. I was more there for conversation. 
    Ke lly left me to have a cell conversation with some girl from her American History class. I started dinner. I stopped off at the grocery store beforehand to grab some real food. I put on some tunes and turned the kitchen into my private sanctuary.
    I was few minutes into my chef master class when the cordless phone on the wall by the refrigerator started ringing.
    I read the caller ID. “Hello.” I answered the phone.
    “I can’t believe you answered my phone.” Nicki’s voice bellowed loud and clear.
    “Why not? I knew it was you. That’s what the caller ID said.”
    “Read.” She corrected.
    “Read, said, why are you calling?”
    “Why? I know, but you are, I don’t know. What are you doing?” She stumbled over her words.
    “I’m in the kitchen cooking dinner.”
    “Where’s Kelly?”
    “Look at the cameras.”
    “I can’t look at the cameras when I’m driving that’s why I’m asking you.”
    “You need to download the app to your phone. Then you can see inside the house when you’re driving.”
    “I don’t have enough memory in my phone for that.” She huffed and puffed through the phone. She was constantly losing her patience with me. It was kind of cute.
    “ I’ll fix that when you get here. Kelly’s upstairs on the phone with some kid named Marie. The last thing I heard when I was eavesdropping was a debate on whether Justin Bieber was too old and so last year.”
    “ I will be there in about ten or fifteen minutes.”
    “D rive safe, dinner will be ready in twenty.”
    “Okay.”
    “Okay.” She hung up and so did I.
    Nicki arrived twenty-five minutes later. I served dinner shortly after she arrived. Kelly came down and we all eat in the kitchen. Instead of the adults making pleasant conversation we just let Kelly do most of the talking. We exchanged fake smiles and it was funny to both of us, being cordial to one another.
    Kelly left as soon as she cleaned her plate. She left her mother sitting across from me.
    “Luke , thank you for dinner. It was pretty tasty.” Another compliment, I should keep a tally. Nicki stood and removed the dishes from the table. She put them in the sink.
    “Just leave the dishes. I will get them.” I made the mess. I could clean it up.
    “No way, I can rinse them and put them in the dishwasher. You cooked. I appreciate it. There’s no way you have to do dishes.”
    “It’s not a