Marcus and Tristan shared a look and then a grin.
“You want to fuck her,” Tristan said with a simple shrug. “So what’s stopping you?”
“You know what’s stopping me.”
“You’re not your dad,” Marcus said.
“You’re right. I’m not. And it’s because I don’t act on every fucking impulse that comes my way. It starts with one choice. That’s how you sacrifice your integrity.One choice.His was a different circumstance and it wasn’t over a woman, but it was that first choice.”
Tristan looked skeptical. “What, you mean that thing with the bribes?”
Tristan was incredible at what he did, but the man had the emotional and social awareness of a rock.
“Yes, dumbass,” I said.
“So what?” Tristan asked. “He bribed some senator and got out of some kind of shit, right? Everybody with money does stuff like that.”
“Dominic doesn’t want to be that way,” Marcus said. His voice was soft enough that I knew he at least understood this was important to me. “And good for him.” He clapped me on the back, grinning. “But I’ve always thought the thing about employers not dating employees was overblown. I mean, so what? If you both want it, then what’s the big deal?”
“The big deal is I’m her boss. There’s a power imbalance there. Who’s to say she wouldn’t be dating me to fish for a promotion? And what happens if we break up? How am I supposed to stay unbiased about her employment status if I’m pissed at her for something that happened in our personal lives.”
Marcus pursed his lips. “Yeah, I guess so. But are you unbiased right now? From where I’m sitting, Darcy is getting special treatment already. If you are attracted to someone enough, it’s not going to matter whether you act on it. You’re still going to treat them differently. So why not have a little fun while you’re fucking things up, right?”
“I fucked a girl I worked with at a taco shop once,” Tristan noted. “It was fine. But she did start expecting me to close every night so we could hook up in the walk-in. Our boss thought we were going above and beyond so he actually promoted us both. So, in my experience, fucking employees and co-workers is a great idea.”
“Insightful,” I said with a sigh. “Fuck. I don’t even know what I’d want from her if there were no complicating factors. This is pointless.”
“I think you’d have to be blind to not see what you want,” Marcus said.
“Pussy,” Tristan agreed, nodding wisely.
I shook my head. “So what? I should just fuck her and see what happens?”
“He’s finally getting it,” Tristan said.
“All I’m saying is you are giving yourself a terminal case of blue balls,” Marcus said. “Keep this up much longer and you’ll be carrying those things around in a wheelbarrow, and nobody wants to see that. Actually, that Elizabeth girl with the blue hair might. She seems like a bit of a freak.”
“She doesn’t seem so bad,” Tristan said with a shrug. “I like the hair.”
“So I should pick up some random woman from a bar and fuckher. Is that your point?”
“It’s on the table,” Marcus said. “Or it could be on your desk. Maybe invite her to the office and just close your eyes. Pretend it’s Darcy you’re fucking and get it out of your system.”
“I don’t want to fuck some random woman,” I growled.
“Aw,” Tristan said. “He just wants to fuck Darcy. How sweet. I think it might be love.”
“I need to go get cleaned up.” I stood suddenly, snatching up my gym bag.
“Hot date?” Marcus asked.
I clenched my jaw and decided it would be wisest not to admit I needed to get cleaned up for dinner with Darcy’s parents, followed by a “romantic interview for dessert”.
“None of your goddamn business,” I said, storming off.
13
DARCY