Best Friend’s Li’l Sis

by Kaylee, Katy

  Just being back in LA, seeing the familiar sites, he felt like he could hear her voice right there in the car.

  Amber had been standing in her parents’ house, looking sparkling and radiant, flirting with him in the corner where no one else could hear. “I saw you standing across the room in that suit, being sweet to an old lady, and my first thought was how could I get you upstairs to my bed without anyone noticing. Oh, the things I would do…”

  Suddenly Jordan slapped Logan on the arm, bringing him out of the day dream. “You know what I’m saying? It’s nuts, really it is. My dad’s pretty much given me full control, but he still struggles to let go. He is there every day, just kind of wandering around until someone asks him for help. His eyes light up like a Christmas tree. He wanted me to originally take his office, but after watching his eyes fill with sadness every time he walked in with no desk to sit behind, I gave in and had them bring up another identical one so that we could share the space. It seemed to make him happy.”

  Logan smiled. “Your dad will never fully let go, but now that I own my own company, I can’t lie; I kind of understand why he feels that way. You kill yourself creating your dream, and no matter who it is, no matter how much you trust them, handing over the reins is difficult. I’m sweating just thinking about leaving this new LA office alone without me.”

  Jordan nodded, letting Logan know he hadn’t noticed his absenteeism. He let out a quiet sigh and glanced up at the gate to the house. The memories there were almost unbearable.

  Amber

  “Come here you little monster.” Amber laughed as she chased Bradley down the hall of her apartment.

  “Nooo,” he screamed, playfully.

  She grabbed him around the waist and flipped him over in her arms, tickling him wildly. “We have to get ready to go. Remember, I have a surprise for you.”

  She took him back into the room and sat him on the bed, putting on the socks that he had pulled off three times already. “I want to stay and play with my trains.”

  She sat back and looked at him, his facial expression sending sparks of recognition to her chest. She brushed it off and grabbed his shoe. “How about I tell you what the surprise is, and then we’ll see if you change your mind?”

  He crossed his little four-year-old arms indignantly. “Okay.”

  Amber smirked and Velcroed his shoe closed. “We’re going to the set at the studio to watch Auntie Taylor film her first ever scene with the new television show.”

  Bradley’s eyes lit up. “I love going to the studio!”

  Amber giggled, putting on his other shoe. “I know. I thought you would like that.”

  He reached over and grabbed his teddy bear, hugging it close. “I get to see PawPaw. I love PawPaw!”

  Amber loved hearing that. Bradley had a connection with her dad that warmed her heart. Though, sometimes, she wondered if it was because Bradley’s dad wasn’t in the picture. Either way, it was good for Bradley and for her dad; she had seen her father soften over the years with her son in the picture.

  She held up his sweatshirt jacket and he jumped down, turning and putting his arms in the sleeves. “I think Pawpaw is going to be even happier to see you then you are to see him.”

  Bradley turned around with a warm smile. “’Cause he loves me?”

  Amber tapped him on the nose. “That he does and how could anyone not? You are the brightest, handsomest, cutest little boy in the whole world.”

  He stood up straight and pulled his coat closed seriously. “I am handsome. I’m a big boy.”

  She chuckled and stood up. “You are, you are. I wish you weren’t, but you are a big boy now. So big, in fact, that I know you can be very, very quiet when shooting starts on set, right? We want them to only take it once, and then we want to make Auntie Taylor feel sooo special.”

  He nodded his head, still clutching the teddy. “Can I take my teddy?”

  Amber smiled and put her hand down for him to hold. “Of course you can. Come, on, let’s go grab the car and head over.”

  They made their way down the condo complex and into the parking garage, where Bradley hopped into his car seat and Amber buckled him in. They rode along, listening to the Sesame Street soundtrack and singing loudly. The gate guard at the studio chuckled as they drove into the parking lot, waving them through. Amber parked and pulled Bradley out of his seat, carrying him inside on her hip.

  When they got there, Taylor was just about to do her part. Amber looked at Bradley and put her finger to his lips. He buried his mouth in his teddy and waved at Taylor. She waved back and then pulled down on the blue Armani power suit she was using for the scene. It was a law drama, one that had been on for a couple of years, and Taylor had been cast for the new main part.

  “The legal ramifications of this case are enormous. There hasn’t been a person in the last thirty years that got off with this much damaging evidence against them,” Taylor said walking around the supposed criminal.

  The guy, handcuffed to a table, shook his head angrily. “But I swear to God, I didn’t do it. It was a set up and I can prove it.”

  Taylor turned to him and put out her hands. “Well, go ahead, then.”

  He slowly looked up at the camera. “Talk to Senator Krenshaw. You might find that he has more blood on his hands than anyone else.”

  The camera shifted over to Taylor’s face as her mouth dropped open slightly. The director walked forward and clapped his board together. “And cut! Excellent job, Taylor. All right, everyone, let’s take a lunch break and then come back for the evening scene in the apartment. Taylor, make sure you go over to wardrobe before that.”

  Taylor gave him a thumb’s up and hurried across the set, holding her hands out to Bradley. “Come here and give me some kisses!”

  She buried her face in Bradley’s neck and blew a raspberry. He giggled and looked up at her, grabbing her face with his little hands. “You did great!”

  She laughed, surprised at his grown up reaction. “Well, that’s all I ever needed to hear. Career made.”

  Amber laughed and kissed Taylor on the cheek. “He’s right. You did fantastic. You are a natural out there. When I heard you were taking this part, I knew you would be perfect for it.”

  Taylor laughed and rolled her eyes. “You think? Ugh, it’s so nerve wracking. Come on, let’s grab food from the craft services table.”

  They walked over and got some plates of food, setting Bradley down on the floor to eat the donut and grapes he had picked out. Taylor turned and looked at Amber. “So, how are you? I feel like we never talk anymore. Anything new with the job search?”

  Amber shook her finger, swallowing a grape. “Actually, yes. This new company called RiverRun Technologies actually called me back. I just got the call this morning, and they want me to come in for an interview as soon as possible.”

  Taylor’s eyes went wide and she grabbed Amber’s arm. “Oh my God, Amber, that is so great. Seriously. I mean you deserve it. You worked so hard getting your degree. Taking care of a baby, doing all those online courses, and finishing with your MBA early, it’s impressive.”

  Amber took in a deep breath. “Thank you. I mean, it’s been a struggle, that’s for sure, but one day I will own my own company. Until then, though I need some practical experience, and I wanted to do it outside of the production company. You know, pave my own way.”

  Taylor nodded. “I totally understand. You’ve always been that way, though, and I love that about you. So, when did you apply to this company?”

  Amber chuckled. “Actually, I sent my application in there the day before yesterday.”

  “Holy crap, they must really want you,” Taylor said, impressed.

  Amber shook her head. “I mean, of course I hope that’s why they’re calling back that fast. I really tried to make my resume as impressive as I could for having no real practical experience, except for the internship I did with my dad. At the same time, though, they’re apparently under a larger company based in New Yo
rk, but they didn’t reveal who that is. They’re opening a brand new branch out here in LA and are pretty desperate for help. The woman told me they went through hundreds of resumes in just a couple of days because the boss is very picky about who they bring in.”

  Taylor nudged her. “See? That’s a good sign. They’re picky, but they still called you back right away. And don’t scoff at that internship, they don’t know you’re his daughter, and he worked you. I remember. Having that on your resume is like a golden ticket. This company is highly respected in business because your father is like a genius when it comes to numbers.”

  Amber nodded. “You’ve got that straight. He hasn’t ever hired an accountant, not even to do the taxes. The man is like a genius when it comes to that stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I know that I was incredibly lucky to have that opportunity at my fingertips. I took it without hesitation because of that. And him being my dad pretty much made the internship ten times harder than any other one would have been. My father wanted to make sure I understood every nook and cranny of the business side of things.”

  Taylor looked up at the clock. “I’m proud as hell of you. When you told me you were pregnant, I saw the despair in your eyes. But you made it all work out so well. And Bradley, oh my God, he is like the best kid ever.”

  Amber looked over at him and giggled, watching him airplane a grape into his mouth. “I know, right? I was lucky. Then again, I pretty much had the best support in the world. This job interview is a good thing, though. It’s time I took my life into my own hands and moved forward with it. It was amazing being able to be his full-time mom the last four years, but I am going to eventually have to be mom and dad too. I think that’s what is making me so nervous about this interview. That, and I am positive I’m going to go in there and freeze up. I‘m going to just start spitting out random words.”

  Taylor laughed. “Hello, Miss Stark, can you tell me about your experience? Uh…frog leg.”

  Amber chuckled, covering her mouth and nodding. “Yes, that is exactly what will happen.”

  Taylor rolled her eyes. “Not in a million years would that happen. You always get so nervous about stuff like this, and then you wow the interviewer. You remember when you were sixteen and you wanted to work at that frozen yogurt place?”

  Amber threw her head back. “Oh my God, yes.”

  Taylor was laughing hard. “You launched into an explanation of the Spanish War and somehow tied it to customer service. The guy hired you because he didn’t know how to tell you no. You were so smart you froze his brain.”

  Amber shook her head. “No, he was a dirty old man who liked to look at my butt.”

  Taylor shrugged. “That too. Oh, shit. I got to get to wardrobe. I love you for coming to see me.”

  Amber smiled. “You are doing amazing. I’m going to take him back to see his Pawpaw and then we’ll probably head out. It’s almost naptime, and we both know what happens when he misses a nap.”

  Taylor grimaced, turning toward Bradley. “Give me kisses, I gotta go to work.”

  Bradley ran over and hugged Taylor tightly before taking Amber’s hand. Taylor blew kisses to them both and walked out toward wardrobe. Amber sighed and cleaned up their plates before picking him up, Teddy in his arms, and carrying him to the back. “Gotta go see Pawpaw, right?”

  Bradley put his arm up in the air. “Yeah!”

  They turned the corner into her dad’s office and Matt stood up, excitedly leaning over as Amber put Bradley down and watched him run full force into her dad’s arms. “Hey buddy. I missed you!”

  Bradley smiled. “I missed you too, Pawpaw. Look, I brought my Teddy with me. You gave him to me.”

  Matt nodded. “That’s right, I did, when you were teeny tiny in mommy’s belly. What have you guys been up to?”

  “Watching Auntie Taylor. Then they talked. Mommy has a job interview,” he blurted out.

  Amber laughed and Matt looked up at her, excited. “You do?”

  She nodded. “Yep, with a new tech company in the area, or at least a new branch of it. I sent my resume in the day before yesterday and got a response this morning.”

  Matt was shocked. “On a Saturday? They must really want you.”

  Amber sighed. “I sure as hell hope so.”

  Logan

  “You look so good. So grown up, but so good,” Lisa said, straightening Logan’s blue button up shirt.

  He smiled. “Thank you. You look fantastic as always. And this… you didn’t have to throw me a party.”

  Matt was walking by with a plate of meat. “It’s a barbecue, not a party. That sounds a lot more relaxed, right?”

  Logan chuckled, raising his beer. “Much more casual. Though this is the first barbecue I think I’ve seen table linens at that weren’t made of plastic on top.”

  Lisa shrugged. “I never get to use the linens anymore. You gave me an excuse to do so.”

  Jordan walked up with Melissa beside him. “Look at this party…”

  “Barbecue!” Matt yelled from behind them.

  Jordan shook his head. “Whatever. They don’t throw me barbecues when I come over to visit.”

  Lisa patted him on the shoulder jokingly. “Because you aren’t our favorite child.”

  They all laughed. Jordan snarled. “Thanks a lot.”

  Logan took a sip of his beer. “It’s actually because they try to get rid of you, and they think if they tempt you with beer and steak, you’ll move back in.”

  Melissa smirked. “He wishes. Then he wouldn’t have to pick up his own socks off the floor all the time.”

  Logan gaffed. “How is the house building coming?”

  Melissa sighed, exhausted. “Half the time it’s exciting, the other half I’m arguing with the contractor because he put the wrong tile in the bathroom.”

  Logan grimaced. “Was it bad?”

  Jordan let out a loud bellow. “Dude, she was so excited, and she ran upstairs and just screamed. I came rolling up thinking there was a dead body or something, but it was worse.”

  Melissa nodded. “Way worse.”

  Jordan shook his head, still laughing. “The whole thing, top to bottom, was tiled and finished in hot pink shiny tile. It was the most horrible thing I’ve ever seen. I don’t even know how they screwed things up that badly. But, thanks to my future wife’s balls, everything is as it should be.”

  She poked him in the side and he kissed her on the nose. Logan looked down at his beer, trying to keep the smile on his face. Watching them together brought back all kinds of confusing feelings, and he couldn’t help but glance over at the door every time someone walked through. He was hoping so badly that Amber would show up, even though he had no idea what he would say to her. He figured if she at least came, that meant she was willing to speak to him again.

  Things were busy for her, he knew that. Jordan had given him the rundown of her life when they patched things up. She had graduated from college with her MBA, and she had done it all after having a baby. The kid was probably about four years old, plus or minus a couple of months, by this point. He could still remember the sting he had felt when he found out about that. He had done the math, and had felt the heart wrenching realization that she had almost immediately moved on from him.

  Logan had told himself over and over again after he moved to New York that he wanted her desperately to find happiness. He didn’t want her to linger on him forever. He didn’t want her to be heartbroken like he was, because he cared about her too much. However, knowing she had almost immediately met someone else made him feel like shit. He hadn’t even been able to look at another girl after he left LA, much less jump into a relationship with someone.

  At the same time, though, he knew that she was raising that little boy on her own. The father, whoever he was, had decided not to be a part of Bradley’s life. That hurt Logan, too. He had no idea how anyone could just decide to up and leave their child like that. He knew the pain of losing parents, and it wasn’t even by their choice; they
had died. He couldn’t imagine how heartbroken and devastating it was for Amber to go through that and then have to raise a baby on her own. Not to mention the fact that he would never understand why anyone who had the option of having a family with her would turn that down. She was amazing. He had walked away, and he felt like it was one of his biggest regrets.

  Jordan slapped Logan on the back. “You alright, dude? You just got super quiet.”

  Logan cleared his throat. “Oh, yeah. Just thinking about the old times here at the house. I can’t help but do it every time I come back.”

  Lisa sipped her wine. “I do the same thing every time one of you kids comes rolling back into the house. I can’t help but remember you guys as little boys, playing in the back yard and raising hell. Even you, Logan, when your parents would bring you over. We would sit right out here and watch you play, talking about the trials and tribulations of motherhood. They were wonderful days, but man I miss that little boy laughter.”

  Jordan smiled. “You still get that. Bradley is like the cutest kid on the planet.”

  Lisa nodded heavily. “Yes. Yes, he is. He brought youth back into this household, let me tell you. All you kids were running off to start your own lives and I was feeling like it was time to get a walker and join a local bridge club. Then along came Bradley, a surprise, but one of the best kinds. He just lights up this whole house when he is here. A showman, that boy is. He got the Stark genes that’s for sure. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that kid won’t go into the business with Pawpaw when he gets older. He’ll be vying for your slot, Jordan.”

  Jordan lifted his beer. “And I would give that kid the world. But I will put him through rigorous testing, like Dad did to me. He can go into the Stark bootcamp with our kids.”