Unlikely Places

Chapter 3 Meeting The Boss

Stunned silence greeted that announcement. Five heads swiveled to look down at my frowning face. I didn't have a clue what the stranger was talking about. Worked for him?

I stared a long moment at the chuckling man. He was very much enjoying our confusion and for the first time I felt a glimmer of anger spark somewhere beneath all my anxiety. I didn't like that he was laughing.

"You work for him?" Archer asked.

I shook my head. "Not that I know of," I muttered. "You know I work from home and only have contact with Mr. Jones."

I worked behind the scenes so to speak, running analysis for a big corporation, troubleshooting their investment strategies, watching the market, projecting and rejecting profitable options for the company. It was a specialized job. Actually, it was a made-up job if truth be told.

I had a knack with numbers and investments. While in college one of my professors had told his friend about me and I had been immediately offered an internship within the company. The internship had turned into a part time job while I was still in college and then a fulltime career directly upon graduation. Like I said. I had a knack.

I looked up again at the stranger. His brows were raised as if asking me if I had figured it out. His piercing blue eyes kept watching me and suddenly I thought I knew who he might be.

"You're Pierce Lucciano?"

He winked.

I guess I was right.

He continued to watch me before his eyes wandered over my friends.

"I was surprised to see you here tonight. I didn't expect this to be your scene." His eyes lingered on each man before settling back on me. "Are you theirs?"

It took me longer to figure out what he was implying than it did my friends.

Percy kept his arms up preventing anyone from moving forward while two bodyguards suddenly exited from the front of Pierce's car. They made to move forward but Pierce held his fist up, signaling them to stay back.

"That shit coming out of your mouth right now, isn't right. Apologize to Jackson!" Percy ordered.

I could tell Percy was worried. He knew this man was an unknown factor but Percy was strong on right and wrong. Bodyguards or no bodyguards, he would defend his friends.

The guy's angry grumbles seconded Percy's demand.

I blanched. I couldn't believe this guy had just implied what he had implied. They were my friends not my...

Words failed me.

I pushed forward between Noah and Archer. They made room for me but Noah's hand on my shoulder prevented me from walking any closer towards the man I now knew was named Pierce. My boss? My boss who was insinuating I was in some sort of...

Words still failed me.

I swallowed. I was uncomfortable. I was so out of my element that I knew my body was trembling and I knew Archer and Noah could tell as some part of them was touching me. But despite my fear, I couldn't stand here and let this man say such foul things about my friends. I wasn't tough like the guys or Percy but what kind of friend would I be if I didn't say something?

"D... don't apologize to me. A... apologize to them!" I demanded, looking at the face of the man with the dancing eyes.

And they did dance. They twinkled and twirled with humor. They were lit up from within. I could tell he was enjoying himself very much, at my expense. At our expense.