by Mia Ford
We slept in late the next day, working out in the afternoon and taking Mom and Ashley out to dinner. We seemed to eat in a lot during the week and thought that they might enjoy it, choosing their favorite bistro in Manhattan. It was fun, and though we were all missing Dad, we seemed to slowly be getting through it.
At work on Monday, Veronica came into the office and closed the door. “Tracy was dying to know who it was that night. She begged me to tell her, but I swore secrecy. She even mentioned you two since I worked for you, but I laughed that idea off.” She sat down in the soft pink dress and sipped the coffee that she picked up on the way to work. “Did you boys have fun?”
“Absolutely. Do you have any other friends?” Brandon asked boldly as I glanced at him.
“Jesus, Bran.” I shook my head. I knew that this was right up his alley and her eyes gleamed wickedly.
“You like a little group action?” She teased as I felt my cock come to life in my pants. We both did.
“Who doesn’t? We just need to watch it, Brandon. We need to stay under the radar, especially with Veronica,” I spoke and they looked at me.
“You must be the responsible twin,” she smiled at me as she leaned back, playing with the loose braid over her shoulder. Veronica was teasing me as I shrugged and looked back at her. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”
We assigned her some stuff at her desk to make it look like we were separate and Brandon glanced at me once she closed the door.
CHAPTER 10
Brandon
“You were as into that night as the rest of us. Why are you acting like a damn monk now?” I asked as Brent pulled up some emails.
“I don’t want anyone knowing about Veronica, much less Friday night,” he told me with a sharp glance. “Tracy can never know that it was us.”
“I get that. I completely agree with that.” I threw up my hands. “I was giving her a hard time since she has a good sense of humor.”
“Just be careful, Bran. We need to keep this professional. It’s getting close to being careless,” Brent told me as I sighed. “With Cici, she didn’t want to be caught. I think that that one wouldn’t mind.”
“Do you think that she’d try to fuck with us?” I leaned forward as he gave me a worried look. “What do you know about her?”
“She caused some trouble in college. Nothing criminal, but she liked drama. I think that she still might, and Veronica is just twenty-three. We need to be smart about this, especially since she is sleeping around the office.” Dad would have never tolerated that and I was reminded of that by the way that my brother looked at me. He looked so much like Dad, which meant that I did as well. Brent just had his look down so well that it freaked me out sometimes.
I laughed when I came back from lunch and heard noises from the bathroom. Brent had been seduced, and I smiled at the sounds of Veronica’s contained moans as I took a seat at the desk. I met up with a friend at her apartment, getting mine there today after the serious talk this morning.
There was laughter and Veronica slipped out of the door first, fixing her dress. “Did you two kiss and make up?” I asked as she stared at me.
“He needs to stop being so serious,” she replied as my brother came out, buttoning his slacks.
“Don’t say a word,” he warned me as I held up a bag from a local deli. “You didn’t go to lunch?”
“I had an errand to run. I got this on the way back for all of us.”
“Thanks,” Brent said as he stepped forward to search the bag. He pulled out a sandwich for himself and a salad, offering it to Veronica. “Want it?”
“Absolutely. You sucked the life out of me.” Her delivery was clean as I laughed and he cocked an eyebrow at her.
“I think it was you that was doing the sucking.”
She took her salad to her desk after some joking back and forth, and he and I ate our sandwiches. “Who did you see?” Brent asked me as I grinned.
“Car,” I replied as he nodded. "I didn’t plan on it, but we ran into each other and took advantage of it. Kind of like you did.”
“She came in after you left when I was getting ready to. Before I knew it, we were naked in the bathroom, and she had me. Veronica knows what she’s doing.” He shook his head and sipped the water on the desk.
“She just wanted you to relax.” I shrugged and took another bite of the turkey sandwich. “This is fun, Brent. Nothing more.”
“I think Mom inadvertently made me feel guilty at lunch the other day. You know that she’s never approved of our lifestyle. At work, she’d do that even more.” I looked at him, taking a bite of his sandwich. “This is important to the family, our running this place.”
“I get that.” I stared at him. I always had, but this was a good balance for us, and we were successful at it. We were doing great.
“No more shit like Friday night. I told Veronica the same thing. Just us.” His eyes were firm as he looked at me, so much like Dad that sadness washed over me for a little while. “We can’t risk it.”
“Agreed. I have shit on the side, so I’m fine. You did too, last I checked,” I reminded Brent as he nodded. “Now were successful business owner man whores instead of some spoiled rich ones.”
That made my brother laugh, relaxing him as I joined in. We finished our lunch and looked at some new clients, getting input from some of the managers over the course of the afternoon. I liked this work, this power that we held. I sensed a different vibe out in public, respect. People talked to us like they used to speak with Dad, sharing advice or talking stocks. That shit used to bore me to death, but now, it was interesting. I knew what I was saying in a conversation.
There were invitations to business dinners within the first year. We’d go, meeting up with Veronica at the hotel for some sexual relief afterward if we didn’t have plans with some other women. Now that we were doing well in the business world, we were even more attractive to the female population. I couldn’t keep up with the number of times that we were hit on, even though our reputation was still out there in the papers and gossip magazines. I guess working a real job just made them seem less important.
It seemed like paradise. We had Veronica at work and even at the hotel and some social events if the opportunity presented itself. I saw Carlie and a few other girls on a regular basis, keeping away from the party scene far more than I did before. I missed the traveling and all the fun without responsibility, but I missed Dad as well. I had to do all of this for him. We planned to take some time off to go to the Belize house with Mom and Ash come Summer, but it was still the beginning of Fall for us. Summer seemed like a lifetime away.
I wanted to schedule a Winter getaway to Aspen, just Brent, me, and some friends. I hadn’t been skiing in a while, and it sounded great just to let loose for a few days. Now that everything was going smoothly at the office, I hoped that we could get away.
The chance to go to a conference for work came up. It was all about the new standards to shipping and a lot of business talk, but I knew that it would be a good idea to go. I suggested bringing Veronica with us since it was in Los Angeles and we could have a little fun while we were there. Brent gave me a look, but I explained that she was our assistant. We’d book her a separate room even though we knew that she wouldn’t be sleeping alone. There were a couple of dinners and gatherings that we could all attend, and it would be perfect.
Brent agreed and called her in to ask if she was interested in attending with us. We could send some of the managers, but as owners, we got the first shot. Veronica agreed, mentioning friends in the city that she could meet up with on her down time and I went online to book a hotel.
I went with the Hilton in Beverly Hills. It was close to the venue, and I always liked that place, choosing three rooms, and finalizing the reservation. Dad always went to this and sometimes brought Mom, depending on where it was. The conference was at the end of the month, but the weather in Southern California was generally good, so it shouldn’t present an issue.
We had a meeting with the managers, telling them about our plans. Ted glanced at us, verifying that we were bringing Veronica along. “Yes, she’s learning a lot about the business, and it would make sense for her to be up with the changes. She’s our go-to in the case of an emergency, though she would work with all of you in the process. I just don’t want to bother you unnecessarily.” Most of the managers were married with families and leaving for a long weekend wasn’t always possible.
We had nobody apart from the casual sex partners we saw. We hoped that nobody knew about what was going on with Veronica, but she was a free woman and was passing through the office from person to person. She was perfect for a casual affair, but we had to always remind her that what happened with us was to be kept private.
“I’d just make sure that she goes to the meetings. That’s a wild one,” Mark joked as he reached for his coffee. “She’s going to cause some issues if she keeps up the way that she is.”
I glanced at Brent, and he sipped his water. “She’s a great help to us. That hasn’t seemed to get in the way of anything.” He spoke easily, and Mark chuckled.
“I’m surprised that she hasn’t tried with you boys. All of the women are frothing over you around here,” he said as Ted laughed. “I think you’re going to be the newest bachelors in the magazines next year.”
“They can long for us for all they want. This is Dad’s business, and I am going to treat it as such.” Brent left no room for argument in his voice, and I nodded as I glanced around at their faces. We went over a few other things, making a point of that at least once a month. Communication was essential even as we lied about our recreational relationship with Veronica.
Brent sat down in our office, looking at me for a moment. “Do you think she’s causing herself problems?”
I thought about the question for a moment. Veronica was sleeping with women and men, and if she chose the wrong person, it could get ugly. I was mostly bitter that I couldn’t join in with the girls that she was with per Brent, shrugging after a few moments. “If she does, it’s not on us. We replaced Cici, right?”
“We can’t blow through assistants and have them keep being gorgeous women, Bran. It’s going to be so obvious at some point what we’re doing.” He gazed at me as I smirked.
“Good luck telling her to change. She is happy being who she is.” I got off on the fact that she told me about the others, particularly the girls. Last night we’d been together at the hotel, just Veronica and I and the talk alone kept me going for longer than usual. She was a try anything kind of a girl, and the stories were fantastic. I was careful to use a condom with her every time, but the girl pushed my buttons.
“Just be careful,” he reminded me as I nodded.
“Always am,” I assured him before we settled back into the work day.
CHAPTER 11
Brent
The weeks passed, and we were soon flying to California for the conference. Veronica left the day before to meet up with friends so it was just Brandon and I seated in first class that Friday morning. I thought about it, realizing that we’d never flown coach. Dad gained his wealth quickly and took good care of his family with it.
Brandon sent one last text before takeoff, shoving the phone into his pocket as he leaned back. He was out late the night before, and I’d noticed that he was going towards his old ways a little more over the last few weeks. He was still actively sleeping with Veronica; we both were, but he seemed like he was moving towards the old lifestyle. “Where were you last night?” I asked him as he closed his eyes for a moment.
“I met a new bartender at Scores. We spent the night at her place,” he replied as he settled back in the seat. “I knew that I could rest on the flight and we don’t have anything until the thing later.” There was an appetizers and drinks gathering tonight so everyone could get to know each other, but the actual conference didn’t start until the morning. “Hell, we could probably miss that.”
“We should establish ourselves, Bran. Let’s go for a while and see who else is there.” I knew that we had some big shoes to fill. Veronica was aware of it as well, even though she sounded busy.
“Yeah, sure,” he grumbled as he let out a sigh. I knew that he was tired and I dropped the subject as we took off for the flight, thinking about the last several months. It had moved so fast even though I still missed Dad so much. Mom seemed to be easing back into life, spending time with friends and laughing a bit more. I never expected her to date, though, which was a shame. She was beautiful and had a lot of life left, but she and Dad were in love. She couldn’t replace that, and he saw that she would be set up for any kind of life she wanted years ago. I knew that she wanted to focus on Ashley and the fun things that were scheduled for the next couple of years of her school, not making her lose out on anything.
I yawned and closed my own eyes. My sister was at a party, and I didn’t sleep until she got home, well aware of the types of guys at those parties. Brandon and I were them once, and we didn’t always have a lot of compassion for the girls that we hooked up with. She came in at one as expected to find me on the couch, shaking her head with a scowl on her face. “Waiting for me?” She asked in a low tone as I rubbed my eyes. “I’m sixteen, Brent.”
“You know that he always did, right?” I asked as we shared a sad look. “I just like to know that you’re safe, Ash. I worry about you.”
“I know to stay away from the kinds of guys that you and Brandon were…are…whatever.” I gave her a sharp look, and she shrugged, a frown marring her beautiful face.
“What? You have a reputation.” I shrugged, knowing that she was right. “I don’t see Brandon waiting for me.”
I’d made her promise to be careful. I told her to call me if she needed anything and I would drop everything to help her.
We left the conversation on a positive note, and I finally collapsed into bed for a few hours of sleep.
We landed just after noon and rented a car to drive to the hotel. I think we were both still tired, but we had time after we checked in to rest if necessary. I was surprised when the rooms were three right beside each other, with doors in between. That would be convenient, reminding me to send Veronica a text to see when she would be arriving.
I selected the room on one end to get my things put away, hanging some things up and putting stuff into the drawers. This was a luxurious room, spacious with a huge bathroom that offered a bathtub meant for relaxing. It would be a nice place to rest with Veronica later, a thought that made me laugh. Would we take turns? I dropped onto the bed after piling up the pillows, closing my eyes again as I wondered how this was going to go.
I woke up to laughter coming through the door, blinking as I looked around. I looked first at the clock, seeing that I had over an hour to get ready as Veronica laughed again. I stood up and walked into the other room, seeing her straddling my brother on the bed as her fuchsia-tipped hair brushed against his shoulders. She was wearing a pair of tight denim pants and what looked like a white shirt as he pulled her face to his for a long kiss. “Nice hair,” I remarked as she giggled against his lips.
“I think it’s hot,” Brandon murmured as he kissed her again. He let his hands drift down to her back, sliding up under the shirt as he pushed it up over her body.
“Don’t we have something to attend?” Veronica asked as he laughed. He unclipped her bra and pushed that off, revealing her firm pink nipples as I walked over to the bed.
“Plenty of time,” Brandon assured her as he rolled her onto her back. He leaned down to suck on her neck as a hand unbuttoned her jeans, that I tugged down her legs as she laughed at us. This woman drew me in no matter how many others I slept with and Brandon gave her one more kiss before he scooted up her body. She took him into her mouth eagerly as I crawled between her legs to taste her, finding her already wet for us. I made her come as Brandon shot into her throat before moving beside her on the bed. Veronica rolled to her knees, offering herself to me as I reached f
or the box of condoms and slipped one on before taking her.
We got ready for drinks after we rushed it along, and Veronica dressed in a black cocktail dress and heels, fixing her make up as Brandon and I slipped into suits. We left our individual rooms to keep things looking normal and headed down to the bar, where I recognized a few faces from the magazines. While there were a lot of shipping companies in the world, only a handful of them were as successful as M&P. There were about fifty people there, and my brother and I made the rounds, meeting a lot of friends of Dad while we watched Veronica flirt her way around the room. She was beautiful with the bright hair, charming the room as we talked shop and sipped whiskey.
It wasn’t the party that we were used to, but it was pleasant for the few hours that we were down there. I felt like we knew enough about the other attendees to have a good weekend of this before we headed back to the room. The next morning started early, and we wanted some rest, hearing Veronica slip into her door. We were in the middle bedroom, feeling enough of the alcohol to want her again when she walked into our room dressed in a something lacy and tight. “Do you know how many men were drooling over you in that bar?”
“I’m here, aren’t I?” She asked as she closed her door and walked over to us. “I have to hear it from every woman in the office at home about how gorgeous you boys are, you know.”
