by Mia Ford
“That’s the problem. I fear the rumors are becoming more important than her work here,” I said as Brandon shot me a serious look. “What would Dad do, in this case?”
“Talk to her.” It was an easy answer. It was an easy answer, but Dad never would have slept with his assistant.
“Yeah. That’s going to be interesting.”
Veronica wasn’t in the following day either. She sent another text telling me that she was still sick and I frowned. I knew that we could handle the work, but I wasn’t sure what was going on. Brandon went out after work that night, distracted and restless. I went home and had dinner with Mom since Ashley had plans with a friend. Mom looked at me, asking what was wrong.
“Our assistant has been out the last two days, sick. I hope she’s okay,” I replied as I took a bite of the chicken.
“How is that working out for you? Your father always liked having the help.” Mom looked at me, and I could see the sadness in her eyes for a fleeting moment.
“It’s good to have the help, particularly learning the ropes,” I admitted as I sipped my water. “She knows her stuff, too. I just hope she’s okay.”
“I’m sure you know to keep work professional, Brent. I know that you boys look just like your father and the money makes the women crazy. I remember the stories he told me about the staff there sometimes before he sat them down to discuss it. He liked to keep it business in the office,” she smiled and shook her head. “He was worried about you taking over too young. He was worried about you taking the business as seriously as he did. I can’t believe that man ran the red light and took him away from us.” Tears filled her eyes, and I walked around to hug her.
“The business is great, Mom. We have that under control,” I assured her, holding her close. “We all miss him. I feel like I have to be him every single day sometimes, and then I worry about Brandon.”
“You are doing a fantastic job. They keep in touch with me down there, and I’ve even had lunch with Kathryn a few times. Everybody is pleased.” Mom pulled away and composed herself. “Everybody 's happy.”
“Good. They’ll keep feeling that way,” I promised her as I returned to my seat, watching her carefully.
I went to bed early that night, and when I got into work, there was an email from Veronica. She explained that she was dealing with some health issues and had to leave the job, attaching a vague letter from a doctor. I read through it again, wondering what the hell was wrong with her as Brandon came in with coffee. “What’s wrong?”
“Veronica is gone. She’s sick or something,” I said as he sat down and stared at me. “She sent a fucking email.”
“Any details?” He asked, looking like he had a long night.
“No. I think the note excuses that, though I’ll have to check with HR. I am new to all of this,” I replied as I took a sip of the coffee that he offered me.
“No assistant,” he said, his face dropping. “She was so fun.”
I sent her the last check, and the rumors ran wild once it got out that Veronica quit. She sounded like she slept with every living soul in the office and while I realized that Veronica was fun, she might have ended up being a problem. I knew that I’d miss her presence around here, as well as that hot body. I knew that my brother would miss her, but I made the decision to work without an assistant for a while.
There were rumors that she was pregnant, but I hoped not. I thought that Brandon and I were always careful, but there were so many times that we slept with her.
CHAPTER 14
Brandon
I tried to find out what happened to Veronica, missing her around. She was the perfect woman to have a little fun with, and she did her fair share of the business as well. I knew that Brent and I could handle it and he seemed a little relieved that the drama that came along with her was over.
I also knew that he missed her as well. Brent was somewhere between being twenty-two and the owner of Dad’s company, with Veronica being the women that loosened him up. He was always the more serious one out of the two of us, and she made him forget all his problems.
So now, it was back to business. I still had all the women outside of the office and considered flirting with some in the building just to keep things interesting. I held back, though, knowing that this was more than just a job.
I ended finding out that she went to rehab two months after the final email. I didn’t know what for exactly, but it explained a lot. She was wild, free, and a hidden addict.
I worked the eight hours a day, slipping back into my old party mode after hours. I left Brent in the evening, still working sometimes as I went to dinner with friends or spent time with a woman. I made a point of seeing Mom regularly so she wouldn’t worry about me and I kept up my role at M&P going strong.
It was hard. The holidays were coming up and being the first one without Dad was going to be difficult. Things got hectic around the office during that time as well, and it was all-hands-on-deck. We worked closely with the managers, and I missed having an assistant. Working so much made it hard to get out since I was so tired at night as well as trying to keep up traditions at home.
I went to a club one night on the weekend, even though we were working seven days a week. You’d think a shipping business for primarily businesses wouldn’t be as hectic as UPS, but customers liked to use us for their holiday shipping as well as some of the products.
I was at the bar, talking to a brunette after I bought her a few drinks and looked around the room to see a familiar blonde. Veronica was smiling brightly beside a guy, looking as beautiful as ever. He looked over at her, and she kissed him, making me wonder if she had a real relationship in her life. If so, it looked good on her.
I glanced back down at Kelly and laughed at something she said. The past was the past.
The hours went up to ten at the office every day, and we stayed right along with everyone else. It was insane when I was used to going out every night on the town and drinking with friends for Christmas. I was barely present for Christmas Eve dinner in the years past, something that I regretted now. I missed precious moments with Dad, and I had a lot to make up for now around my work schedule.
Life was so different.
I was glad when we got to rest for four days on Thanksgiving, enjoying a meal mostly cooked by mom with a little help from Monica, and I loved hearing them laugh in the kitchen. Brent and I were watching a game while Ashley chatted on her phone. There was a significant presence missing in the house, but we were all here, focused on each other. That’s what mattered. We had a great dinner and watched a movie together, but Mom went to bed so she could get up and go shopping with friends in the morning. She was crazy for doing so, but it made her happy. I knew that the next day she would want to set up the tree and decorate the house, which was what she usually did but seemed to be in a rush this year.
Both Brent and I could see her trying to keep busy to keep from thinking about Dad. We went along with it and pulled the holiday things from the attic after she went to bed, trying to keep quiet about it. We slept in the following morning, waking up in time for some lunch and sports scores before Mom came home with bags of stuff.
She looked happy, though.
I helped Brent take her to get the tree at a corner lot, settling on an eleven foot Douglas Fir that we had delivered at an extra cost. That was always a process for us, but I learned from Dad how to go about it when we were younger. Mom unpacked the ornaments and started to get the house going as we waited, with Monica and Ashley stepping in to help.
Brent and I chuckled as we watched, listening to the stories about past holidays. It was Mom’s way of purging as she worked and we allowed it, listening closely. I knew that we’d be spending a lot of time at work over the next month, so I enjoyed this quiet time.
I spent the following night under Carlie’s Christmas tree on a rug, watching her come in just the colored lights. She was pushing for more with me, but I didn’t know if I was ready for that. I didn’t know
if I’d ever be ready for that, so I kept her happy with sex and the occasional dinner out. I had a few others for sex, but I knew that I’d be working a lot. I might not have them after this month. I finished the night in her bed, falling asleep with Carlie as I looked around the room.
The next week started with a ton of projects. Brent was stressed as he entered one order after another, along with myself and the rest of the staff. There was another room where everything as being packaged and shipped several times a day. This was the competitive time for shipping companies, the time when publicity could be good or bad. I grew up with that saying in my head and worked harder. I knew that it would slow down after the first of the year, at least back down to the normal flow of business that was consistently steady at best.
Brent grumbled about missing Veronica one day as he looked over another order. “Do you want another assistant?” I asked him as he glanced at me. “We could place another ad.”
“I don’t think that now is the time to hire anybody. We’ll just pay out the overtime to everyone else’s assistants and deal with it after that,” he mumbled as I shook my head. I remembered Dad being a little salty this time of year and Brent mirrored that as I got back to the computer.
“I saw her at a club. She looked happy,” I said as he looked at me. “Veronica. She was in rehab, you know.”
“Did you talk to her?” He asked as I shook my head. “Rehab, huh? For what?”
“I just found out that’s where she went. I don’t know what for,” I told him as he nodded.
“I guess that explains a lot. She was a little crazy.” Brent chuckled as I laughed with him. “I hope that she’s okay.”
“I think so. She looked good,” I assured him as I looked at another order. “How the fuck did Dad do this every day?”
“A great staff. They’re busting their asses off just like we are. I think we need to do something for them. Didn’t he throw a party?” Brent looked at me.
“Mom is already planning that,” I said as he laughed weakly. “It’s going to be at one of the restaurants nearby. We’re closing it down and letting loose. It’s on the fifteenth, a Saturday. Everyone is taking that day off.”
“I forgot that she did that each year. It’s been so busy, but she always did that. Dad was a lucky man…hell, we’re fortunate to have her.” His stomach growled, and he ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Take out?”
“Yeah, sure. I’m starving.”
CHAPTER 15
Brent
The days started to run into the nights as we ate at the office, going home to sleep. Mom always kept some dinner in the fridge in case we were hungry when we got home, just like she did for Dad. I still took her out to dinner on Sundays, making a point of leaving early to do so. Brandon joined me, and we made a good night of it, seeing that she needed us to be around. It also gave us a break.
I had Brandon take Mom home, getting away to see Nina. We’d met a few months ago, at a bar with friends and hit it off, spending the night together. I was at home every night for I don’t know how long and I needed some release.
I thought about Cecile and Veronica as I parked on the curb. I missed having a woman around the office, and I got out of the car, and I mulled over Brandon’s suggestion. Another assistant. We could use the help, and I could use the sex since I was twenty-two and not fifty. It was slammed right now, and we could use another warm body, but there was no time for an interview.
I knocked on the door and grinned as the pretty raven-haired woman opened it. “Brent, I’m so glad that you came.”
“Hello, beautiful,” I greeted her, stepping inside, and closing the door behind me. The brownstone was lit up by strings of Christmas lights and I glanced around as she pressed her body against mine. “Miss me?”
Her lips against mine were my answer, and I pulled her closer. We had a great thing going as little as we saw each other, and I lifted her up to carry her back to the bedroom. I suppose we were getting right to the point. I dropped her onto her bed and moved to kiss her, slipping a hand up her thigh. Nina was gorgeous and willing as she unbuttoned my shirt and slipped if from my body.
We were naked within moments after several deep, long kisses and I moved down to her hard nipples to suck one into my mouth. My cock was straining towards her as she arched her back and spread her legs for me. “Fuck me, Brent.”
I cocked my head at her as she reached for the box on the nightstand. I sheathed my cock and slid inside of her, groaning at the tight feel of her body around me. Her green eyes shimmered as she looked at me, inviting me to go harder as I dropped over her mouth and kissed her. The release felt fucking fantastic as I jerked inside of her with it as she flooded me with her warmth. “I needed that.”
“You’re working too hard, baby. Why don’t you just pay someone to run the place?” She asked as I frowned.
“I have managers that could run it, but it’s my Dad’s business. He wanted it to stay in the family.” Nadine watched as I rolled beside her and propped myself up on one arm. “I like working there.”
“You used to party, Brent.” I saw the look in her eyes, seeing the woman that didn’t work or earn a dime of her money. She was hot as hell and easy to get along with, but she didn’t understand who I was. She didn’t know me.
“I did, but I was forced to grow up.” Most of the families in my social circle weren’t close to one another, so a lot of the people that I hung out with didn’t know my father the way that I did. Some of their parents did, but my close friends are the ones that spent valuable time with us. They knew the man that I missed and worked hard for, but most of the women didn’t.
I stayed until the early morning pleasing her since she was beautiful and I was a man, a young man. I needed to take care of my needs, but I knew that I wouldn’t end up with Nina. I wouldn’t end up staying with her or anybody like her, but I could fuck her. I left and went home, finding the house dark as I walked up to my room. It looked like everyone was home and I took in the feel of the place for a moment as I started up the stairs, pausing for a moment.
I thought about Cecile and Veronica, who were beautiful women that were involved with my job. They understood the office, and we managed to mix it up, and I wondered what the chances are we would have of getting another good worker. Hell, I wondered if I’d find a woman that could handle my work schedule, assuming I ever wanted a woman.
It would have to wait, whatever the case. I had a lot of work to do. I looked around the house, remembering how hard Dad worked for all of this. He was lucky that he had Mom, who understood his schedule and worked with it.
In the morning, on the way to work, I felt Brandon’s eyes on me. “So, how’s Nina?” He asked as I stopped at a light and sipped my coffee.
“She’s fine. Hot as always, but I realized something.” I took off, and he leaned back in the seat.
“What’s that?” Brandon sounded amused as he pressed me for more information.
“She doesn’t get it. None of those girls do.” I looked at him as I stopped at another light. “They don’t work and never have.”
“We were that way once, Brent. We partied the day away as well as the nights. No responsibilities at all.” He shrugged. “This is a new thing to us, as much as it is our…friends.”
“Yeah, I just saw it a different way last night. Maybe all of these hours are making me crazy or something.” I pulled into the garage and parked, stepping out of the car as he opened his door.
“I think we’ll both be in a padded room come January,” Brandon clapped me on the shoulder, making me laugh.
We had another long day, but it was good. I was growing to enjoy working over the empty life that we were living before, finding it interesting that he built this from nothing. I got a close look at his work over the years through paperwork and the computer. I got a look at the steps that failed and the ones that worked, hearing stories about Dad from everybody. We had Mom taking care of the party and only had to show up, finding the
bar ready and the restaurant looking great. I grinned and looked at the staff that was gathering around the bar, laughing, and talking as I glanced at Brandon. We walked in to join them, smiling at Mom as she came in from the kitchen in a bright green dress. She was always at these events, and I was happy to see her since I wasn’t sure that she’d come.
The buffet was soon ready for all of us, and we lined up to fill our plates with the Mediterranean and American food before taking seats at the tables set up around the room. I joined Mom, seeing the blush to her cheeks as she looked at me with tears in her eyes. “They’re all so kind. They gave me presents and told me how sorry they were…they did that at the church already.”
“Mom, this is your company as much as it was his. You worked hard back in the beginning too, with the books and taking care of these parties. They all love you.” She smiled and nodded, wiping her cheeks.
“Remember when they used to call you Mom and then their kids called you Grandma, making us jealous?” Brandon laughed as she nodded. “Then Ash became that to them. It’s a circle, Mom. We’re going to keep this extended family just that, a family.”
“You two are making me so proud. I know that he’s looking down as well, beaming at the job that you are doing. Your father is proud of you.” Mom told us with a nod and shimmering eyes.
I exchanged a look with my brother, knowing we both hoped that he didn’t see everything. We were tainting the company with some of our past behavior, in ways that might harm others. I don’t know how much of a part I played in Veronica’s issues, but I felt some lingering guilt every now and then. We were doing things that Dad wouldn’t approve of.
