You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 877

Oil from Chelsea's skewer sizzled as it hit the grill, filling the air with the mouthwatering scent of barbecue.

Patricia bit into her skewer, eyes glued to Chelsea with a look that said she was waiting for drama.

Just my luck.

Every single time, he shows up.

“Hey, Mr. McKee, come try this—straight off the grill,” Sara called out, waving Hector over. She and Roger actually got along pretty well with him.

After all, they were all in the same boat, overworked and underappreciated.

Everyone here had been steamrolled by Oliver at some point, so of course they stuck together.

If you suffer together, you bond. That’s just how it is.

Sara handed Hector a skewer, still hot from the grill.

“Here, taste this.”

Hector took a bite and nodded. “This is really good. You could totally sell these.”

“Chelsea made them. She’s basically a pro,” Sara said, grinning.

Hector looked over at Chelsea, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. He nodded again. “She really is.”

Then, like he was just making casual conversation, he asked, “So, what’s been keeping you busy lately, Ms. Lawrence?”

“Nothing much…” Chelsea muttered.

“She’s been going on blind dates,” Sara jumped in before Chelsea could say more. She took another big bite and pointed at a dog lounging nearby. “See that? She even brought her date’s dog. Things are getting real.”

“That dog’s worth about thirty-nine grand, by the way. Super well-behaved,” Sara added.

Hector glanced at the dog, his jaw tensing for a split second. “So, you’re juggling a hookup and a potential new boyfriend? Impressive, Ms. Lawrence.”

Sara’s eyes went wide. Wait, what?

Roger perked up, clearly sensing gossip.

Oliver stayed quiet.

Patricia just looked away. She couldn’t watch.

Chelsea didn’t miss a beat. “Mr. McKee, you act like you’ve got something against me. You said it yourself, we’re just friends with benefits. There’s nothing to string along.”

“If you can’t even get the basics of a hookup right, maybe you’re not cut out for this,” Hector shot back.

Chelsea sprinkled cumin over the skewers, not even looking at him. “What, are you running performance reviews now? I didn’t know hooking up required quarterly evaluations, Mr. McKee.”

“You’re a CEO. You should know that if your service can’t keep up with strategy, you’ll get replaced,” she said lightly.

“Pretty basic stuff, right?”

“Are you sure the problem isn’t with your strategy, Ms. Lawrence?” Hector replied.

Their banter bounced back and forth, sharp and fast.

By this point, if Oliver hadn’t figured out what was going on, he’d have to be blind.

So that’s why Hector had been acting so moody lately. Like a guy going through a midlife crisis.

Of course. It was Chelsea.

Oliver slipped his hand onto Patricia’s waist, giving her a gentle squeeze. She looked up at him, caught off guard by the warning in his eyes. There was a clear edge of irritation there.

Patricia quickly looked down, pretending to focus on her food.

She barely had time to react before Oliver snatched her skewer and pulled her toward the living room.

“Adults who turn into friends with benefits?”

Patricia scoffed, the sound coming from deep in her chest. The movement made the baby wriggle inside her. “You’re questioning me? Maybe I should be asking you some things.”

“Hector’s against marriage. Chelsea having him as a hookup is already making the best of a bad situation. What more do you want? For them to rush straight into marriage? You think he can handle that?”

“And you’re questioning me? Why didn’t you tell me Hector was like this? If I’d known, I would’ve kept Chelsea far away from him.”

Oliver didn’t look convinced.

“Marriage, no marriage, that’s up to them. Some people want kids, some don’t. As a friend, Hector’s a good guy. As an employee, he gets things done. That’s enough for me. But Chelsea? Of all people, she had to pick Hector. Now they’ll keep running into each other. It’s just awkward.”

“She’s already started seeing someone else. What happens when she brings her new boyfriend home and Hector’s there? Who’s going to feel more uncomfortable?”

Patricia glared at him, one hand on her hip. “Don’t lecture me. You should be worrying about what you’ll tell my aunt and uncle. Hector’s your friend. Their daughter got involved with him, and he turns out to be anti-marriage.”

“If he’s really that against it, even if Chelsea made the first move, he should’ve said no. Not talk about his principles and then sleep with her.”

“If his urges are that strong, why not just go make money off them? At least then he’d get paid.”

Oliver winced. “Pattie, can you not say stuff like that?”

“You started it.”

“They’re adults. Can’t they figure this out themselves? Why are you taking sides?”

Oliver sighed. “You really think I’m defending Hector?”

“I’m about to give birth. If I want to focus on you, I need Hector to handle things at work. But Chelsea’s got him acting like a lovesick teenager. How am I supposed to take time off in peace?”

Patricia just stared at him, speechless.

This man really is a capitalist through and through.