"Cut to the chase, or I'm done here." I wasn't in the mood for niceties.
We weren't boss and employee right now—just old friends.
"Are you out of your mind? Sarah's been sobbing all day, and you vanish?"
My response was frosty.
"Her tears aren't my problem."
Classic jerk response.
"You're a real piece of work!"
And with that, he hung up.
I settled back into the car seat, buckling up when a thought stopped me cold.
In my past life, at this time, Sarah and Paul were hardly more than acquaintances.
It was through me that Paul even knew Sarah.
So why was he defending her so aggressively?
A sickening possibility crossed my mind.
Was Paul the man Sarah was cheating with?
No, that can't be right.
Paul was the kid next door, we grew up together, practically brothers.
We were tight as thieves.
If not for a chance meeting with a CEO's daughter a year later, and his good looks and determination to marry up, he wouldn't have become the big boss at Stronghold Group.
Since then, he's been my boss.
But he's always treated me well, never pulled rank, and we still hit up dive bars for beers.
There were several times when I was too plastered to function, and it was Paul who'd call Sarah to pick me up.