“That scowl on your face doesn’t look like nothing.”

I opened my mouth but nothing came out. I didn’t even know how to respond to my boss even acknowledging I had emotions, much less him apparently being sensitive to that fact. I was still trying to come up with an answer when he spoke again.

“You think I should do it?”

I’d never been exactly encouraged to be candid in this job, but once again reminded myself I was about to quit. “I mean, I’d do it. It’s a good opportunity.”

I stopped there because a more elaborate answer would almost certainly get me into oversharing territory and I’d never told Theo about Bookish Boudoir. I didn’t exactly hide it, but the man prided himself on being honest. More than once his “feedback” had almost brought me to tears, and I didn’t think I could handle him putting down my business. Besides, I knew he didn’t care. I wasn’t sure where this sudden burst of interest came from, but I’d guess boredom. Theo Ganas didn’t care about me or my life in the slightest. To him, my only functions were getting his schedule managed and his coffee done right.

“A good opportunity,” he echoed a long time after. “What kind of opportunity do you think I need exactly?” He didn’t actually sneer, but it came through loud and clear in his voice. “The business is doing fine. I can hardly keep up with the demand.”

I kept the eye roll inside of me because this was par for the course. Humble was not one of his traits. Theo Ganas was the poster child for BTE... Big Taurus Energy. Self-possessed and commanding were his entire personality.

And it wasn’t like he was lying; the Ganas empire had been thriving since he’d taken over for his father two years earlier. He’d made a lot of changes, including building greener, more affordable housing, which seemed to be important to him, even if it made him butt heads with his dad. The senior Ganas only seemed to care about getting as many luxury high-rises off the ground as possible. More than once I’d seen them argue over decisions Theo made that Achilles didn’t agree with.

“Maybe a show like that could be a way of establishing your own brand, separate from your father.” It popped out of my mouth before I had a chance to really think about what I was suggesting. He stiffened at my comment, sitting up straighter as he took me in. Like he was only now getting a first good look at me.

“Is that what you think I should do?”