Chapter 21

I correct myself with a wave and a huff. “Well, he actually kissed me. But I let him. I didn’t stop him, I mean.”

“And?” She shrugs. “Did you like it? Did he? Do you want to do it again?” She pauses for an answer that I don’t give. “Then fire him, Eric. Go in there, tell him you want to pursue this thing you’re feeling, but that he can’t work here if you’re going to be involved. It’s pretty simple, he either wants the job or he wants you.”

“I can’t.”

She gives me an eye roll. “You’re the boss. You can do whatever you want.”

“It’s not that…” I flounder for words and come up with: “It’s complicated.”

“Complicated, shomplicated,” Stacy scoffs. “That’s life. You can’t choose when or where you’re going to find yourself interested in somebody. You just deal with the situation when it happens. If it was easy, we’d all be married with four kids. Or, you know, in your case…” She stops, thinks. “I don’t know. Doing whatever you guys do. Buying shoes together. Or watches.”