CONTRACT MARRIAGE WITH MY GRUMPY BOSS

“Miss Smith!”

The sound of Apollo’s palm slamming against the mahogany desk echoed through the executive suite. It was loud enough to make Stacy jump. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She didn’t rush to his side. Instead, she offered a slow and weary eye roll from her desk before dragging herself to her feet. 

“Goodness, Stacy, what did you do this time?” Rocky asked. Her voice dripped with mock concern as she meticulously applied a layer of blush to her cheeks. 

Stacy ignored her. It felt like every CEO in the city had an anger management problem, but Apollo Savage? He had turned being furious at her into a personality trait. In his eyes, she was a walking disaster. To be fair, she was a bit of a magnet for chaos. She knew she was skating on thin ice. His favorite mantra lately had been a cold and rhythmic warning that one more mistake would mean she was gone.

"Mr. Savage," she said, stepping into his office. 

Apollo didn't speak immediately. He leaned back while scanning her from head to toe with a gaze so intense it felt like he was reading her soul. Stacy Smith shifted uncomfortably. She wished he’d just start shouting because the silent judgment was far worse.

"Where is Engineer Taylor?" he asked. His voice was low and dangerously sharp. He wasn't yelling, but Stacy knew that tone. It was the sound of a man holding back an explosion. "I told you I needed to discuss the blueprints with him today. Where is he?"

She was dead. She had completely blanked on the meeting.

Apollo’s fingers began a rhythmic tap on the desk. His brow furrowed as he waited for an explanation. 

"I can explain, sir," Stacy started. She reached for her usual deck of excuses. "You asked me to contact Miss Georgia to cancel your date and tell her you’d make it up to her next week."

"Exactly! The date I had you cancel specifically so I could meet with Engineer Taylor!" His patience snapped. The veins in his forearm bulged as he gripped the edge of his desk. 

"Well, sir..." Stacy raised a finger like a student trying to stall a teacher. "I was so focused on the delicate task of canceling your date that I may have technically forgotten to message Engineer Taylor." She whispered the last part and her voice trailed off into nothing.

"Stacy!" Apollo roared. He surged to his feet and slammed the desk a second time.

Stacy flinched as if she’d been physically struck. She wondered if he would actually fire her. He had tolerated her for a year, so she hoped he wouldn't give up on her now.

"You are—" 

"Sir, no!" she blurted out. She cut him off before the final sentence could leave his lips. "Please, listen. You also sent me to the favorite florist and that luxury jewelry store for Miss Georgia. You made me hand pick the gifts and deliver them personally. That task took up my entire afternoon."

Apollo’s eyes narrowed into slits. He clearly didn't appreciate the backtalk. 

"Look, there are still ten minutes before the scheduled meeting time," she pleaded. Her voice dropped into a desperate and puppy eyed whimper. "If I can get Engineer Taylor here right now, can we please forget the firing part?"

Apollo Savage took a long and deep breath with his hands on his hips. He looked like he was one second away from a stroke. 

"Miss Smith, one more mess up and you are out of my life. I promise you. If you want to keep this job, find some competence."

Stacy Smith nodded frantically. She did not dare point out that messing up was practically part of her DNA. She turned on her heel and bolted out of the office to hunt down the engineer.

By the time Stacy reached her apartment that night, she felt like a total wreck. She didn’t even bother changing out of her work clothes. She just face planted onto her bed and let the mattress soak up the sheer exhaustion of the day. 

Working for Apollo Savage was a nightmare. He was moody and demanding. He constantly blamed her for stuff that wasn't even her fault. She only put up with it because the paycheck was the only thing keeping her head above water. 

Her phone buzzed against the bedspread. She cracked one eye open and reached for it. The moment she saw the name on the screen, a real smile finally broke across her face. 

"How’s your day goin, baby?"

She bit her lip while a flush of excitement warmed her chest. She rolled onto her side and hugged a pillow. She had been talking to her online boyfriend for months now. Even though they hadn't met in person, their connection felt legit. They shared their dreams, their daily rants, and tons of photos. 

"Ugh, literally the worst day ever," she typed back. She snapped a quick selfie with her tongue out in a cute pout and hit send.

"Damn. You look so good, babe. You’re killing me over here. I just wanna be there with you."

Stacy’s smile faltered. She blinked at the screen because she was caught off guard by the sudden shift. She wasn't sure if she should be flattered or a little annoyed. She sent back a simple question mark.

"Do me a huge favor, baby. Please? Just for me?"

Stacy hesitated while her thumbs hovered over the keyboard. "Anything as long as it’s not shady or gonna get me hurt. You do that and I’m ghosting you for real."

She watched the three dots dance on the screen while her heart started racing. 

"Well?!" she followed up when he didn't reply right away. "What is it?"

"Send me a nude, baby. I need to see you."

Stacy Smith felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her head. She rubbed her temples. She felt the urge to just walk out of her own room. She wasn't a saint, but she wasn't really that kind of girl either. 

"Baby, you there? Look, I’m sorry. I’m just seriously losing it over you right now. I swear I’ll delete it the second I see it. Please? Just one."

She didn't stay silent because she was mad. She stayed silent because she was actually considering it. They had been together for six months. He was already making plans to fly to the Manhattan for Christmas. Plus, she was a little curious about the thrill of it all.

"Fine," she whispered to the empty room. "Just this once."

She stood up and moved to the full length mirror. Shaking with nerves, she stepped out of her pencil skirt and unbuttoned her blouse. She left only her lace underwear. She looked at herself and had to admit that she looked pretty damn good. 

She took the photo and framed it perfectly in the mirror. She hit send without looking back. She dove into bed and buried her face under a pillow while her skin tingled with a mix of shame and adrenaline. 

She wondered if he liked it or if he thought it was too much. Before she could get an answer, the exhaustion of the day finally won. She drifted into a heavy and dreamless sleep.

Hours later, she jolted awake. A sharp cramp in her stomach reminded her that she had skipped dinner. It was way past midnight. She reached for her phone and expected a string of thirsty messages from her boyfriend.

She opened the app to ask what he thought of the photo. Then she saw the READ receipt on the last message sent. 

Stacy sat bolt upright while the phone nearly slipped through her sweaty palms. Her breath hitched in her throat and the world seemed to tilt on its axis. 

"Oh my God!" she gasped while her voice trembled. "What did I do?"

The photo hadn't gone to her boyfriend. At the top of the chat thread, in bold letters, sat the name of the recipient.

Apollo Savage.