Beautiful Bastard
Chapter 87 : Pippa nodded and took the chair opposite me. 鈥淓verything going okay?鈥?/p> I nodded a

Pippa nodded and took the chair opposite me. 鈥淓verything going okay?鈥?/p>

I nodded as I slipped out of my coat. 鈥淵eah everything鈥檚 fine.鈥?I looked up to see the message indicator light blinking on my phone. Picking it up, I punched in my pin and then covered the speaker, telling her, 鈥淚t鈥檚 not even nine and today has done a lot. I just had a mental meltdown so epic it was like something out of a bad sitcom . . .鈥?I paused, listening to the message and then swearing as I hung up the phone. 鈥淎nthony wants to see me as soon as I get in. s.h.i.+t. Why is he here so early?鈥?/p>

鈥淚t can鈥檛 be that bad. I saw the email congratulating the New York team. And that bridge redesign you worked up went off without a hitch. He probably just realized it鈥檚 still raining and hasn鈥檛 seen you in that top before.鈥?She grinned and rolled her eyes. 鈥淗oping for a little wet T-s.h.i.+rt action, if you know what I mean.鈥?/p>

鈥淕ross,鈥?I said, dropping down into my chair. I reached into my bottom drawer for my cosmetics bag and emergency cardigan. 鈥淥kay, I鈥檓 going to clean up a little and then get this over with.鈥?/p>

鈥淕o get 鈥檈m,鈥?she said.

鈥淵ou wanted to see me?鈥?I asked, peering in through Anthony鈥檚 door.

He鈥檇 been arranging something near the bookcase, and turned to look at me. 鈥淢iss Miller, yes. Come in.鈥?/p>

Miss Miller?

I stepped inside the office and he added, 鈥淐lose the door, please.鈥?/p>

My stomach dropped.

I did as he said and crossed the room to stand in front of his desk, stopping just on the other side of the extra chair. 鈥淵es, sir?鈥?I asked, the sentiment setting off a shudder down my spine.

鈥淚 need to talk to you about something very serious, I鈥檓 afraid.鈥?He pushed a heavy, leather-bound volume back onto the shelf and crossed to the desk. 鈥淵ou have a bit of a choice to make here.鈥?/p>

I鈥檇 seen Anthony like this before: serious in an oddly coy way, trying to get me to draw the answer out of him.

I stood across from him, smiling. 鈥淲hat is it, Anthony?鈥?/p>

He looked up at me, eyes narrowed. 鈥溾€夆€楳r. Smith鈥?is probably best.鈥?/p>

I choked on the words I wanted to say, On my first day here you stared at my t.i.ts and told me to call you Anthony, but instead said, 鈥淪orry. Um, Mr. Smith.鈥?/p>

Anthony unfastened the b.u.t.tons of his suit jacket and took his seat, pulling a stack of papers toward him, contracts that had been flagged with red and yellow tabs where he should sign. 鈥淕iven your rather unprofessional behavior in New York and since . . .鈥?he began and my stomach evaporated. 鈥淩ather, given your long-term fascination with a vice president of the firm and your recent pursuit of him鈥斺€?/p>

鈥淢y pursuit?鈥?/p>

He flipped through some files, not even bothering to look up at me as he spoke. 鈥淚 am required to ask you to either keep your relations.h.i.+p with Mr. Stella purely professional, or leave your interns.h.i.+p with Richardson-Corbett.鈥?/p>

鈥淲hat?鈥?I gasped, lowering my shaking body into the chair across from him. 鈥淲hy?鈥?/p>

鈥淚t is clear to several of us in management that you鈥檝e behaved unprofessionally,鈥?he said, reaching for a pen. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e been distracted, and your efforts have been mediocre at best. Beyond that, I needn鈥檛 elaborate.鈥?/p>

鈥淏ut that鈥檚 not f鈥斺€?/p>

Fair, I almost said it, but snapped my mouth shut tight. I wouldn鈥檛 add behaving like an adolescent to my growing list of transgressions.

Trying again, I said, 鈥淲ould you please explain why on earth this has been a topic of discussion beyond just between myself and Mr. Stella? We haven鈥檛 broken any rules!鈥?/p>

鈥淢iss Miller, please do not presume you have the right to question any decision I make regarding this firm, and whom I choose to employ.鈥?He scribbled a signature across a page and the sound was enough to put my nerves on edge. 鈥淎s an intern, you qualify as a temporary worker in the UK, and therefore I am not obligated to explain anything to you. But seeing as you鈥檙e young鈥濃€攁nd there was that thing he did, where he packed a gut punch worth of insult into a single word鈥斺€淚 hope this might be an opportunity for growth. Your conduct of late, though not necessarily qualifying as gross misconduct, has been lacking. Having had this latest . . . distraction with a vice president of the firm brought to my attention鈥斺€?/p>

鈥淚 haven鈥檛 done anything wrong,鈥?I repeated. 鈥淣ot smart, I鈥檒l admit. But not outright against the rules. I do not report to Niall.鈥?/p>

鈥淣iall,鈥?he repeated, smiling down at his papers. 鈥淵es. Well, regardless, this is the type of situation that has a tendency to run away from all of us, and we in management think it best if you end your relations.h.i.+p, or forfeit your interns.h.i.+p.鈥?