Free Hooked By Love by Cate Lockhart

Amber.’ His words sounded like the prelude to a deal and I perked up to hear what he had to offer. ‘Why don’t you and I discuss the outcome of this building over dinner tonight? Maybe, if you play your cards right, we can work something out.’
    There was no denying what he was actually suggesting and I’d had enough of it.
    ‘I’ll tell you what, Craig. How about no,’ I said plainly, surprised by my reaction and how little I cared for what he thought of me. ‘I’m not that desperate, and I really don’t appreciate you wasting my time with your impotent attempts at flirting.’
    ‘What did you say?’ he sneered.
    ‘I said, it’s a good thing you’re stinking rich, because money is the only thing that could ever afford you sex. The upside is that it’ll buy you just about the right type of woman you deserve, because you’re of low moral fibre, at best.’
    Everyone in the call centre peeked over their partitions, putting their calls on hold to ascertain if what they’d heard was really happening. There I was, the manager of the centre, standing toe to toe with the new landlord and telling him his fortune, and by the looks of them, they must have thought I was a right bitch, but they didn’t know what the arsehole had said to me seconds before.
    ‘Are you sure you want to insult me, girlie?’ he asked raucously, pursing his lips.
    I detected a quiver in his voice and tremors in his hands. Craig O’Neil was livid at my rejection. Odd, since I was sure it was something he was used to.
    ‘It’s not an insult, Mr. O’Neil, it’s an observation,’ I retorted. ‘You’re paying this charity lip service and nothing more. You clearly don’t give a damn about this organisation and you only showed up to solicit your own affairs.’
    ‘You have a slippery mouth for someone who lives on the charity of others, Cross,’ he shouted. ‘Well, guess what? Your charity depends on blokes like me, sweetheart. I can have you on your knees begging just by flashing my wallet.’
    ‘Not likely, pal,’ I said. ‘Not even if my life depended on it.’
    ‘Your life does depend on it and you just pissed all over any chance of this building surviving. Do not fuck with me. I am the master of your fate and your attitude just proved what kind of ungrateful bitch you really are. I hope for your sake you have a cushy job lined up, because you and your centre are done.’
    ‘Get the hell out of here,’ I ordered.
    He straightened and tugged down on his jacket with both hands.
    ‘Oh, don’t you worry, I will. And don’t expect me to give a shit about your lost cause.’ A vein throbbed in his forehead and his face turned scarlet as he glared at me, eyes bulging. ‘No wonder you turned me down. You’re probably a fucking dyke too. No wonder this place is struggling to stay in business. It’s run by a bunch of fags and carpet munchers who wouldn’t know moral fibre if it strangled them.’
    My body literally vibrated.
    ‘Get out, you homophobic prick. There are still some old leftovers waiting for you in Soho. Hurry, ‘cause it’s almost Happy Hour!’ I shouted after him as he ran down the stairs and stormed towards the front door.
    He gave me the finger and left.
    I’d done it—that I owned up to. But now I had to tell the others all our efforts and long hours had run down the drain because of my inability to control my temper.
    ‘Jennifer, please call a meeting … urgently,’ I asked as I headed for the ladies’ room, fastening my blouse buttons all the way to the top.
    ‘Jennifer?’ Jen asked. ‘Oh my God, full name means there’s big trouble.’
    I rammed the door open and rushed to rinse my face with ice-cold water. The mirror, as wide as the wall, was impossible to ignore and I was faced with the cause of Young Minds’ unfortunate fate: me.
    I stared in disbelief at myself, unable to justify what I’d done, disappointed for acting the way I had, but I couldn’t tolerate his insolence and