Mr. Badass ✔

04 His heart is as big as a soybean

Gemma's POV.

The bar is lively as always on this rainy day, filled with young people relaxing after work. Charlotte and I are sitting at the bar. I down my mojito in one go.

"Amazing, it's amazing," Charlotte nods, clapping her hands. "The man you accidentally harassed turns out to be your boss? This story is too crazy; I need to put it in a novel."

I frown. Her occupational habit is acting up again.

"Are you here to comfort me and help me figure things out, or are you just gathering material for your writing?"

Charlotte gives an embarrassed smile and nudges me with her elbow. "Why don't you just quit?"

"You're in sales; taking your clients away might be a bit unethical, but there's nothing legally wrong with it. You could easily work at another dealership," she continues.

I sigh softly. "I've thought about it."

"But Allum is a big company. To be honest, their employee benefits are the best in the industry."

And I still have a mortgage to pay. If Luke doesn't dock my bonus next quarter, I'd actually prefer to stay here.

A tall young man walks over at this moment.

"Hey pretty, may I ask you for a dance?" he says to me.

I look up. The man is backlit, so his features aren't very clear, but his silhouette is handsome. He's definitely good-looking.

I remain silent for two seconds, then shake my head. "Sorry, I'd like to be alone."

"Well, alright then." The man walks away.

Charlotte leans in closer to me. "Wasn't that a perfect way to forget your troubles? Why did you turn him down??"

I shake my head. "I feel like I've suddenly become immune to men."

"Thanks to your boss?"

"Yeah." I start counting on my fingers. "Now whether they're handsome, ugly, tall, short, fat, or thin, I find them all annoying."

"Hey, you can't judge an entire group because of one person. That's practically discrimination."

"Maybe," I shrug, freely admitting it. "But I'm sick of men right now."

"You can be sick of them, but I'm not," Charlotte says, taking a sip of her drink, her eyes landing on a man on the dance floor.

She glances between me and the man a few times. "Gemma, you-"

"Go ahead, go ahead." I wave my hand helplessly, then point to my empty glass and shout at the bartender, "Another mojito, please."

I drunk too much, and by the time I get home, I can't even walk straight. I have to lean against the wall to get into the elevator, and after getting out, I continue to support myself against the wall.

I live on the 4th floor, where there are only two apartments on the same floor.

The complex is near the dealership, located in the suburbs, so the housing prices are relatively low. But the property management is excellent, well-regulated, and the landscaping is beautiful.

I've always dreamed of having a home in New York, so I took on a mortgage right after graduating from college.

While my peers spent their money on travel and exploring the world, I worked hard to pay for this little home where I can relax and breathe.

I reach my door and take out my keys.

But I might have drunk too much because it takes me two or three tries to fit the key into the lock.