Dear Grumpy Boss: A Brother’s Best Friend Office Romance (The Harder They Fall)

FIVE DAYS A WEEK, at six a.m., I met Elliot Levy and Luca Rossi at our private gym.

If I wanted to be accurate, and I did, I should have said I met Elliot at that time. Luca making it anywhere when he should have was a crapshoot. Today, he arrived at six fifteen.

“Hello, gentlemen.” Luca stopped by Elliot, who was doing leg presses, taking a swipe across his brow. “Working up a sweat already. Very nice.”

Elliot grunted. He wasn’t a big talker, especially so this early in the morning. Luca made up for his silence, regaling us with tales of his debaucherous nights out. He hadn’t changed much since Stanford. Older, somewhat wiser, but still no intention of slowing down.

“How’s Elise settling in?” he asked Elliot.

I dropped the dumbbell I’d been using and wiped my face off with my towel, curious about Elliot’s answer. My first glimpse of Elise Levy since her going-away dinner three years ago hadn’t told me much about her state.

“Fine. She likes her new place.” He turned his head, glancing at Luca then me. “Patrick continues to call me. I would block him, except getting to hear his misery gives me a joy I can’t seem to part with.”

I huffed a dry laugh. “He still has no idea where she is?”

“Well…” Elliot’s mouth hitched, “I think he has suspicions she’s back in Colorado, but since I have continued to deny knowledge of Elise’s very existence, let alone her whereabouts, he’s fairly lost.”

I stared at him, blinking, in awe of the depths of his duplicity. “You’re denying her existence?”

Elliot nodded. “How can I know where she is when I don’t have the faintest idea who he’s talking about?”

I would have said I was surprised by Elliot’s cunning—gaslighting a man into believing his girlfriend of four years was a figment of his own imagination—but I had known him most of my life. There was nothing and no one he cared more about than Elise.

Luca chuckled. “Can I just say how proud I am of your sister? Ghosting that dick is honestly the worst revenge. I wish you’d installed cameras so we could have watched his reaction when he came home and all her things were gone—that’s the only thing that would have made this better.”

Elliot didn’t laugh. “She showed me the screenshots. He deserves every ounce of pain he’s feeling.”

Elliot refused to share exactly what Patrick had done to drive Elise away, and that was fine. Though I wasn’t close with her these days, she was my best friend’s sister, so I was naturally protective. And since my investors wouldn’t take kindly to me murdering a man, even if he deserved it, it was better I didn’t know.

“If he shows, let me know.” Luca cracked his knuckles. “I haven’t scrapped with anyone in too long. I’m feeling bloodthirsty.”

Elliot got up from the leg press and wiped the machine down with his towel. “He won’t show. He didn’t work for her when he had her, so I’m certain flying across the country is too much effort now that she’s gone.”

I climbed onto a treadmill. Luca hopped on the one beside me. While Elliot stayed mostly quiet during his workout, Luca liked to engage. I was somewhere in the middle, at least with them. I had no desire or need to have small talk with anyone else. Fortunately the few other people who were here at the same time kept to themselves.

“Yesterday was Elise’s first day, right?” Luca asked.

I narrowed my eyes at him. He pushed buttons on the display of his treadmill.

“Why are you asking so many questions about her?”

He turned, his brow pinched. “Why shouldn’t I? She’s Elliot’s sister. I care about him, so by extension, I care about her. Don’t you?”

“Of course.”

He tilted his head. “Then tell me how the fuck her first day was, West. It’s not a trick question, I can promise you that.”

I increased the speed on my treadmill. “I saw her once. She seemed to be settling in.”

“Seemed to be? Did you ask?”

“I asked her how her day was going when I saw her in the cafeteria.”

“Hmmm.”

My eyes slid sideways. “What does that sound mean?”

“I don’t know.” His feet clapped on the belt of his machine. “If she were working for me, I’d like to think I’d take greater pains to welcome her, not leave our meeting to a chance run-in at lunchtime.”

“Interesting information. Fortunately for Elise, she doesn’t work for you.”

Luca’s family owned motorcycles. And by that, I meant they owned the company that manufactured the top-selling motorcycle brand in the US. One day, when his father stepped down, he’d take over the business. He rued that day, since it meant he’d have to grow up, be responsible, actually show up at the office daily. For a man who was chaos incarnate, his future was a nightmare for him, so I imagined even attempting to work for him would be equally hellish.

“No doubt. But don’t you think you should reach out? Maybe invite her to lunch with you? If you had a sister, Elliot would do that.”

We both glanced at Elliot, who’d moved on to leg curls, and laughed. The idea of Elliot Levy going out of his way for anyone but us or Elise was unimaginable. He barely acknowledged I had a brother. I couldn’t see him ever taking Miles to lunch.

“Elise…doesn’t like me.”

I felt him looking at me but kept my eyes straight ahead as I jogged.

“Elise Levy? Elliot’s sweet little sister with the big dimple in her right cheek?”

“Left.” I cleared my throat.

“Yeah, left cheek.” He reached over and backhanded my bicep. “There’s no way she doesn’t like you. Not that you’re immensely likable. You could do with lightening up every once in a while.”

“Thank you,” I intoned.

“No problem.” He slapped me again. “What I’m saying is, Elise is a nice girl who’s been through the wringer. If she wasn’t overly friendly yesterday, it’s probably your fault, not hers. Maybe you could tone down the big, bad, grumpy CEO vibe and invite her to lunch like a guy who’s known her since she was a kid.”

I smacked the control panel, raising my incline. “I’ll consider it.”

“Consider it then do it. Elliot will appreciate her having another big brother looking out for his sister.”

He would. That was true. If he thought he could get away with bodyguards surrounding his sister, they would have been hired years ago. That wasn’t a role I was willing to play. The days when I looked at her as my little sister and she looked back at me like I could do no wrong were long, long gone.

But she was my employee.

I would welcome her to the company like I would anyone else.

It was the least I could do.

The day started off wrong and had only declined from there. I rubbed my temples after hanging up from a call with one of our suppliers in California. That wasn’t something I normally had a hand in, but I had been working with this particular factory since the very beginning and refused to relinquish my personal relationships simply because my company had grown beyond what I’d projected.

But those personal relationships could be a detriment. My supplier seemed to think our business friendship meant he could delay our delivery with a simple apology and a few stuttered excuses.

No.

I let him know that was not acceptable.

We were not friends.

I would find a new supplier if this happened again.

Now, I was rubbing my temples, not understanding why it was difficult for some people to do their jobs. Why bother doing it if it’s not done correctly? I couldn’t wrap my head around shoddy workmanship in any arena, much less when millions of dollars were at stake.

Renata knocked on my open door. “West.”

“Yes?”

“You have a half hour in your schedule. You should grab lunch.”

Exhaling, I glanced at my computer screen then back to my assistant. Renata would never dream of cutting corners. That was why she still had a job.

Tapping my forehead, I remembered what I’d promised a few days ago. “Do me a favor and call Ellie. Ask her to join me for lunch.”

Renata’s brow crinkled. “I have no earthly idea who that is. Is she in your contacts?”

It wasn’t like her not to know a name. Even a new one.

“She’s our newest employee. She started on Monday. I’ve been meaning to ask her to join me for lunch all week, but…well, you know…”

She rolled her eyes. Renata was the only person who could get away with that around me—and she knew it.

“You’re too busy for your own good. Yes, I know. What I don’t know is who Ellie is. The only new employee who started this week is Lise. She works on the creative floor doing copywriting.”

My head jerked forward. “Lise?”

“Lise Levy. Is that who you mean?”

Lise. Hmmm. “Yes. She’s Elliot’s sister. She was always Ellie to me. I suppose times have changed.”

Renata didn’t move. She stared at me. I blinked back at her.

“Yes?”

She folded her arms across her chest. “You didn’t mention Mr. Levy’s sister was working here. I wonder why.”

I glared at her. She didn’t flinch. “I don’t tell you everything, Renata.”

“Yes you do,” she scoffed, waving me off. “I’ll go call Ms. Levy for you, though it would probably be nice if you did it yourself.”

In her sixties, Renata had no-nonsense, short, silver hair and an impudent regard for my authority. Ten years ago, she’d shocked me with her blunt assessments of me and how I did things. Now, I counted on her to tell me the absolute truth, even if it was a blow to my ego.

I wouldn’t say she was like a mother. She wasn’t warm and cozy enough for that … and would probably storm out if I ever implied it. Renata was the aunt who came to visit once a quarter, pointed out every one of your flaws, then gave you the building blocks to make yourself better, all while cleaning up your messes.

Needless to say, I would have been lost without her.

She popped her head back in my office. “She said no.”

“No?”

There was a fire behind Renata’s steely eyes. “Lise Levy said no thank you, she’s too busy to stop for lunch. I asked if there was a better time, and she said she’ll be busy all day.”

My brow dropped heavy over my eyes. “What?”

Renata’s thin lips pursed, most likely to hide her merriment. “I don’t think Ms. Levy wants to have lunch with you.”

What the fuck?

One thing about me: when I made a promise, I stuck with it. Elise may have been too busy to stop working, but she had to eat, and so did I.

Ten minutes later, I arrived on the creative floor, a paper bag of sandwiches specially made for me by the cafeteria in hand. Wandering the floors wasn’t uncommon for me, so while people looked up from their desks to nod or greet me, no one ducked for cover or seemed alarmed.

That was how I liked it.

I never wanted to lose that.

Elise was sitting at her desk, headphones on, typing on her keyboard. When I stopped in front of her, it took her a few moments to look up. Her pink lips parted when she realized who was standing there.

She pushed her headphones back. “Weston.”

I held up the bag. “I brought lunch. Take twenty minutes to eat with me.”

“Um…” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Okay. I can—”

“That’s right. You can.”

Knowing she had no choice but to follow me, I started for the break area on the opposite side of the floor. Everything was open on this level. There were no walls surrounding the four tables, snack bar, and refrigerator. One table was occupied, the rest free. I sat at the table closest to the windows, away from the other group.

Turning my head, I watched as Elise wove through desks, smiling at her coworkers. It had been a long time since I’d seen her in person and social media only showed so much. She was the same yet entirely different. Words couldn’t quite capture the changes.

She slid into the seat across from me, and I took a quick, cursory sweep of her. Unlike most people in the office, she wasn’t wearing Andes clothing. Instead, she wore black trousers and a white top with a little black tie around the neck.

Professional.

All of her was. Even her sleek, black hair.

“You cut your hair.”

Her lips parted again, and she smoothed a hand over the ends. “Yes. A few months ago.”

“Oh.” I pushed the paper bag to her side of the table. “Take your pick.”

“Um…” She opened the bag and took the sandwiches out one by one. “This is a lot.”

“I wasn’t sure what you liked. I noticed you were eating vegetarian in the cafeteria, so I ordered meatless and ones with meat.”

She selected a sandwich and pushed the others back to my side of the table. “I’m not a vegetarian. Thank you for being so thoughtful.”

“Of course. It’s not a big deal.”

Like always, Elise ate her pickle spear before she did anything else. On her last bite, her mouth pulled down into a frown.

I placed mine on a napkin and slid it to her.

Her brow furrowed. I shrugged. She took the pickle, just like the hundred other times we’d done this dance.

“How are you settling in?” I asked.

“Really well.” She took a bite of her sandwich, indicating that was the end of her answer.

“We’re not keeping you too busy?”

Swallowing, she wiped her mouth with her napkin. “No. I like what I’m doing. Though there’s a lot of work, it’s interesting.”

“Good. I was concerned since you didn’t have time to stop for lunch.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders lowered. “Did Elliot ask you to do this?”

“Do what?”

She rubbed her lips together, her eyes flitting to the side. “Babysit me? Check to make sure I’m not going off the rails? That kind of thing.”

“Actually, no, he didn’t. But considering you work here and he’s my good friend, I feel somewhat responsible for ensuring you’re doing well.”

Elise raised her chin. She had always had a cute chin, with a cleft right in the center, like someone had pressed their thumb there and left a print behind. There was something elegant about it now. Elegant and stubborn.

“I’m doing well, which I’ve told my brother many times. He didn’t have to send you to double-check.”

“I told you he didn’t send me. This was voluntary.” I took a sip of water. “I’m relieved to know you like working here.”

“I do.”

We were so stilted. It hadn’t always been this way. I was four years older, so we hadn’t been best friends or anything, but up until I left for college, Elise had been something close to a little sister to me. When I came back for Thanksgiving break, she’d barely spoken to me. She’d shut down on me, though I kept caring about her.

“And…how is everything else?” I asked carefully.

She clasped her hands together on the table. Her nails were short and painted baby blue. She’d always kept them painted, usually some shade of blue. A lot had changed, but some things never did.

Lips rolling inward, her long lashes brushed the apples of her cheeks when she lowered her eyelids. “Being back here, for the reasons I came back…it’s taking time to adjust to.”

That was all she gave me.

Shut down.

She was reminding me of Elliot.

The Levys were experts at blocking out their emotions when they needed to.

“You’re unhappy.”

She raised her eyes to mine. Mostly brown with generous flecks of green and gold. In the sunlight, they sparkled. This wasn’t the first time I’d noticed the captivating color. It had just been years since I’d been close enough to really appreciate them.

“I’m adjusting to being single after four years in a relationship. So sometimes I’m unhappy, but not always. I know I’ll be better soon.”

I didn’t like that answer. “Does Elliot know this?” It came out gruff, but that’s how I was feeling.

A tinkling laugh burst out of her. “That I’m unhappy sometimes?”

I nodded.

She tilted her head, and the sun caught in her hair, turning it reflective. Almost too shiny to be anything but glass.

“Well, I haven’t explicitly told my brother I’m not always happy, but since he was the one who helped me move and knows what ended my relationship, I think he could guess I’m not sunshine and daisies every minute of the day.”

I folded my napkin into a square and tossed it on the table. “He should do something about it.”

Another laugh. “It’s going to take time. Contrary to what Elliot believes, he doesn’t actually control every element of the universe. This is something that has to work itself out.”

That answer was unacceptable, but Elise was laughing, so I wouldn’t argue with her. Laughter was a lot better than the flat nothing she’d been giving me.

“Renata tells me you go by Lise now.”

Again, her pink lips parted. Was I that shocking?

“Yes. Most people call me that. Elliot refuses to change, which isn’t surprising, knowing him. Elise or Lise is fine.”

“No Ellie?”

Her eyes met mine. There was something there, beneath the surface, but she blinked, and it was gone before I could catch it.

“No. You were the only one who called me that, you know. I haven’t gone by that since high school.”

She pushed back her chair and gathered the remnants of her sandwich. “Thank you for taking the time out of your day to check on me. You can tell Elliot you did your duty and I’m fine.”

I stood too, perplexed at the sudden ending of our lunch. Granted, it hadn’t been the most comfortable time of my life, but I hadn’t been ready for it to end.

“I told you, Elise, it wasn’t my duty. I wanted to have lunch with you.”

She tucked her thick hair behind her ear. “That was very nice of you, Weston. I appreciate it. I have a lot to get done today, so I’ll just—”

I held my arm out. “Of course.” She passed me, and I followed her out of the break area. She glanced over her shoulder at me.

“You’re coming with me?”

“I’m escorting you to your desk.”

“Oh.” Turning around, she wobbled on her booted feet, righted herself, and marched the rest of the way to her desk. Then she swiveled around, her cheeks flushed. “Here we are.”

“Yes.” I picked up her pink headphones. “These are cute.”

She took them from me, holding them against her middle. Her shoulder lifted. “I like them.”

“Pink’s still your favorite color?”

Her chest rose as she sucked in a breath. “I guess it is since I keep buying pink things. I’m surprised you remember that.”

“I haven’t forgotten a thing about you Elli—Elise.”

She glanced at her desk. “Well, thank you for lunch. I should get back to work.”

I tucked my hands in my pockets, rocking back on my heels. “I should too. Renata’s probably seconds away from sending out a search party.”

Given I was ten minutes late for a meeting and had been ignoring Renata’s calls, it wasn’t an exaggeration.

“I’ll see you around, Weston.” Elise sat down at her desk, her hand going to her mouse to turn on her computer. “Thanks again.”

Dismissed.

Just like that, Elise ended our encounter.

I had a thousand things to do before I went home for the night. I should have been relieved our lunch had been brief and my promise had been fulfilled. But as I rode the elevator up to my floor, Elise’s admission of unhappiness clung to my mind.

Problems were like puzzles to me. I had to solve them before I could relax.

If Elise Levy wasn’t happy, I would find a way to make her so.