Need you in my office. Now.
I hit send before I can second-guess it.
A beat later, the dots appear on my screen.
Griff:
I’m busy.
I might’ve done something really fucking stupid.
Griff:
On my way.
I drop the phone on my desk and scrub a hand over my face. For the first time in a long time, I feel like I may have lost control of the narrative.
A few moments later, Griffin pushes my office door open and strides in, dropping into the chair across from my desk.
He waits, eyes narrowed. Griffin’s patience has always been his most irritating weapon. I cave quicker than I’d like.
“I might’ve offered someone a job.”
His brows shoot up. “Okay. And?”
“From my personal email. Last night.” The words taste bitter coming out.
“Who the hell did you hire on a Sunday night?”
I hesitate. “Her name is Mya.”
Griffin’s eyes flash with recognition, and he lets out a low chuckle. “The one you told me about? The boardroom girl you couldn’t stop staring at?” He leans forward, elbows on his knees. “The one you saidnotto hire?”
I shoot him a glare, but he doesn’t flinch. “Yeah.”
He shakes his head, a smile tugging at his mouth. “You’re walking a fine line here, brother. Do you haveanyidea how bad this looks? Andrée will have your head.”
The ache in my temple pounds harder now. “I know. I just—” My voice falters, and I hate myself for it. “She got under my skin. And I just felt like I made the wrong call. She’s good.”
“Under your skin, huh? That’s not like you.”
“No, it’s not. And it won’t happen again. She’s an employee now. Nothing more.”
He lets out a short laugh. “Just like that?”
“I don’t have a choice.”
“Maybe not, but you’re already bending rules. That tells me something.”
My jaw clenches. I hate that he’s right, but I’m not about to hand him the satisfaction of hearing me admit it. “This is business. She’s talented, and we need fresh blood. That’s the end of it.”
Griffin raises a brow. “Then what did you drag me in here for if you claim to know what you’re doing?”
I exhale slowly, leaning back in my chair, eyes fixed on the skyline outside my window. “Because I needed someone to tell me I’m not losing my goddamn mind.”
“You’re not,” Griffin says flatly. “You’re just breaking your own rules. Which, for you, might be the same thing.”
“She’s an employee,” I say again, more firmly this time. “Nothing more.”