Page 20 (1/2)

Matt laughed and took a step closer before spoilsport Krysta said, "Lydia needs soive us some space?"

"Space The final frontier," Lydia reen eyes tore into her soul as he looked at her, then Krysta, and took a step back Daht she needed an alpha male to take her home and drain every drop of frustration and need froets Mr Decent

As the doors closed she turned to Krysta and said, "I' home with any elevator trophies"

Mike already kne the night was going to go and it wasn’t going to go his way Lydia was the kind of drunk he felt protective about, not attracted to It’s not that she wasn’t sensual, and lovely, and delicious, and certainly wanting right now – which ness difficult to tauy He didn’t take advantage of drunk women, no matter how incredibly luscious they were

While he understood her friend’s protectiveness (which he shared), he wished he could reassure her that he wasn’t going to take her home and fuck her when she could barely stand without help He was long past any of that and, frankly, he had never been into any of that The walk back to the booth gave him a chance to breathe and relax

Barely

"Next round's onat him in confusion This wasn’t the reception he’d expected

Finally, so you a hell of a lotthe rest of us if you can afford that!" A few derisive laughs, a few genuine laughs, and a couple of shouts of "Thank you!" and "Aweso about the overpriced fruity drinks that they would get

Joe, one of thethis on the coonna love that!"

The tone of the laughter that came from the crowd told hiure Ouch He took this as a chance to find out just how not-well-loved Mike Bournhaet aith it?"

More full-throated laughter, the wo at him "No way, man Do you knohat Bournham did to me – to our whole department?" asked Joe He looked like he was about nineteen with an Adaht blue eyes that seemed a little too small for his face He had that thick Southie accent that still rin with how stereotypical that was – and yet everyone he knew froht?

"Yup Bournhao out for merit’ Knohat as tank?" said souy

"I think I was able to buy a couple cups of coffee So, that’s my ‘merit bonus’"

Matt frowned "I don’t know, Joe"

"Those stupid rankings HR does, where they evaluate you and tell you which quartile you fit into? Exceeds expectations, meets expectations, that shit?" Joe shook his head ruefully and opened his mouth to say more

"Where were you, Joe?" A slow simmer started in Mike as he looked at each person, really looked at their faces, their features, engaged in the conversation

"Yeah, I fell into the top quartile in the cohter, but this tiy, roup

Someone else said, "I heard Bournham made 42 million last year And then another 17 ets – what’s that? Thirty-eight percent? So like that I don’t know, I’m too drunk to do math," Joe said "But that’s souy and screw the corporation, I’reelad that Jonah’s caht now ‘Mike cam’ would have been a disaster But even without ‘Mike cam,' this was a bloodbath When he’d told HR to set up that bonus structure it had never occurred to hiers would do that "Joe, who is your boss?"

"Dave"

"Dave? Dave, as in coears started turning in Mike’s head "And when he told you you were in the top quartile – "