by Hazel Keys
With no one around she poured the dark, rich brew into her cup, no sugar or cream, and quickly screwed its lid back on. She left the break room as quickly and as quietly as she entered, coffee in hand. Bradley may have been her enemy, sure, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t like his coffee.
Chapter 3
Bradley
Bradley felt Amun’s arm swing around his neck as they walked out of the building’s final set of swinging doors. It had been long day for him. His marketing strategy plans for the new platform had crumbled, the meeting he had with the owner had been postponed, and to top it all off, he was positive that someone had stolen almost an entire half a pot of his coffee.
“Tough break?” Amun asked, his straight, white teeth lighting up a sympathetic smile.
“Bradley rubbed a tired hand over his face. “You could say that.” He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. “Oh well. Tomorrow will be better, right? I’ll see you later, Amun.” He tried to veer right but Amun’s arm stopped him from moving towards his car.
“Um, are you forgetting something?” Amun asked, leading him towards the street.
Bradley suddenly realized that he had nearly forgotten Tristan’s birthday. The three of them had made plans to go for drinks and steaks right after work almost three weeks ago. He even remembered being excited for it that morning. Had his day been so bad that he actually almost completely skipped over what was to be the best part?
“Right, right,” Brad said, already feeling lighter. A night out with the guys sounded great to him actually. A few beers, a chance to unwind, that’s what he needed.
“You forget about me?” Tristan asked, catching up to the group. “I saw you try to veer to your car.” He delivered Bradley a fake punch to the face and attested to the pain of being forgotten.
“Come on man, you know it’s not like that,” Bradley promised. “Drinks on me tonight to make up for it?”
“Now you’re on,” Tristan said with a smile, clapping his friend on the back. The three of them walked the very short distance to their favorite bar, O’Cleary’s.Even though there were at least four other bars on the street that they worked on, O’Cleary’s was their favorite because they serve cheap beer, rare steaks, and a laid back, almost speak-easy style décor. It had a ‘you don’t mess with me, I don’t mess with you’ kind of vibe that all of the patrons, no matter how intoxicated, respected.
Martin O’Cleary, the youngest brother of O’Cleary clan, waved to them from the bar as Brad, Amun, and Tristan walked into the joint. “Hey there boys, got ye booth reserved for ye there,” Martin said, pointing a thumb towards their normal booth with one hand while his other poured a draught of beer.
“Thanks Marty,” Brad called, leading the group towards their table. A few moments later Martin came by to drop off the menus and a round of shots.
“These are on te house, on account of Tristan’s birthday.”
Tristan’s eyebrows went up in surprise. “Thanks man, that’s really nice of you.”
“Och, it’s nothin’, “Martin said, picking up his own shot glass and raising it in the air. “Te Tristan!”
“To Tristan!” Bradley and Amun echoed enthusiastically, bringing their shots in for the toast. All four men clinked their glasses together and poured the liquid fire down their throats before slamming them back on the table.
Martin smacked his lips together and made an ‘ah!’ sound. Normally he didn’t drink on the clock, but when it came to these three, he always made an exception. He looked pleasantly around the table at Bradley, Amun, and Tristan. As per usual Amun and Tristan looked as they normally did after a day’s work. A wee bit tired, but still well put together and handsome enough. Bradley, however, looked a lot worse for wear.
His tie was uneven; his suit jacket looked rumpled, and there was a scruff growing around his usually well-trimmed goatee. On top of that, he was randomly carrying what looked to be a coffee carafe in his left hand. It dangled there like the man had completely forgotten that he was holding it.
“Oy,” Martin said, tapping Bradley on the shoulder. “Ye look like shit. What happened?”
“Don’t ask,” Bradley grumbled, immediately remembering every bad thing that had happened that day. He lifted his hand up, saw that he still had the coffee carafe, and cursed. He had planned on putting it in his car.
“Our man’s had a bad day,” Amun said, patting his friend on the back. “And it’s not about to get any easier.”
Bradley looked over at Amun and raised his eyebrow. “What? Why?”
“Because I invited the girls,” Tristan answered, pointing towards the door. “And they just walked in.”
Chapter 4
Rachel
“I think I should just go home,” Rachel said, her brown eyes instantly landing on the familiar group of men sitting in the corner booth. They already had drained shot glasses and nearly full beer glasses sitting in front of them. “You guys will have more fun without me.” She tried to take a step backwards, and glared at Isabella when her sharp talon like fingernails shot out and wrapped around Rachel’s arm.
“You’re staying,” Isabella hissed, pulling her forward. “After getting the news you did today, you need to try and make nice with Bradley. He may the only reason you have a job at the end of this week!”
Rachel wished that it wasn’t true. However, after the meeting with the owner today after lunch, it most definitely was. The company was doing great, he had said. But it wasn’t doing that great. There would be no need for a separate editing department- at least not for the near future. If she wanted to keep her job she would have to find a way to work with Bradley. Otherwise, she’d be out on the job hunt once again.
“He does not look happy,” Rachel whispered, her eyes on Bradley. “Do you think he got the news today?”
“Maybe,” Bella shrugged, walking them forward. Though she empathized with Rachel, she also wanted to get to the guys. She was thirsty, and not just for water either. It may have been a Monday but it seemed like forever since she had been able to let her hair down. She wanted a martini or three, and a way to snuggle up to those warm, chocolate muscles of Tristan’s.
“Hey there boys!” Bella shouted out, a wide smile on her face. “Happy Birthday Tristan!”
“Yeah,” Rachel joined in, putting on a smile. “Happy Birthday. If you would have told us earlier we would have all gotten you a cake.”
Tristan smiled genuinely and got up to give warm hugs to all three women. “Thanks for coming ladies, really. But I’m not much for cake, especially the office kind. Beer is more of my party favor.”
“I’ll drink to that,” Bella chimed in, and turned to Martin to give him an order of one martini and two cosmopolitan’s.
“Comin’ right up, Love,” Martin promised, nodding his head. He went off to go make the drinks and as he exited the booth the Bella’s slid in, locking Tristan and Amun in the center of the half moon seat. Which left Rachel and Brad sitting awkwardly across from one another.
Rachel turned to talk to Isabella, but she was already deep in conversation with Amun about astrological signs, or something along the lines. Her eyes went to Bella, but she quickly saw that she also was lost to the conversation of gym talk and protein advice from Tristan.
“I don’t bite you know,” Brad said, lifting his beer up to his lips. “I may bark sometimes, but I promise- no biting.”
Rachel laughed, relaxing a bit. She did quite a bit of barking herself, especially at Bradley. Perhaps this would be a good moment to bury the hatchet between them; start over. It would make asking for his help so much easier whenever it came to it.
She gave him a smile, a genuine one, and fiddled with the long sleeve of her fitted leather jacket. “You look like you had a rough day.”
Bradley harrumphed. “That’s what they tell me.”
Martin came back then with the martini and cosmo’s. Rachel took one of the hot pink concoctions and downed it in almost one gulp. “I’ll have anoth
er please,” she said, placing the glass on Martin’s tray. The bartender gave her a look of being impressed, and assured her he’d be right back with another. Rachel breathed out of her mouth and felt the fire of the alcohol. She should have changed her drink order to a beer, which was more her drink of choice.
When she looked up, Bradley had a smile on his face and he too had a look of being impressed on his face.
“What?” She asked, honestly not knowing.
“Did you have a rough day, Rachel?” Brad asked, tilting his beer toward her.
Rachel let out a dry laugh. “Ha. Yeah. It was a rough one I guess.” She eyed Bradley’s beer longingly, really regretting her choice to ask for another cosmo.
“You know,” Bradley said, playing with his glass of cold, frothy, golden beer. “I’ve never tried one of those cosmo things. Any good?”
Rachel, picking up on his bit, nodded her head enthusiastically. “Oh yeah, they are! They make you feel fancy too.”
“Fancy, eh?” he said, nodding his head. “I could use some feeling fancy right about now. Would you, uh,…I don’t know? Maybe wanna trade?”
Rachel knew Bradley was giving her an out of her incorrect drink order, and she smiled at him appreciatively. “That would fantastic.”
With little effort, Brad pushed the nearly full glass of beer towards Rachel, who quickly picked up the glass and took a long, slow pull of the tangy, golden nectar.
“Ahhhh,” Rachel said, taking a breath. “That’s the good stuff.”
“Here, here,” Bradley said. Martin had dropped off the cosmo while Rachel was drinking her beer, and he had quickly picked up the dainty glass. He clinked to Rachel’s glass. She giggled as he took a sip of the hot pink concoction and wrinkled his nose.
“Not your thing?” She asked. She was beginning to enjoy the evening, and with a little alcohol in her system, she was starting to even feel a little flirtatious. She batted her long, black eyelashes twice, and pulled a few curls over her shoulder to toy with as she stared over to Bradley. He was a lot cuter than she had first thought, she realized. Up this close, and with no reason to look away, she could really take a good look at him.
She had thought that he was blonde at first, but he wasn’t. Blonde was too normal of a word. His hair, which fell to his shoulder blades, was more of a golden honey. Dark, with hints of amber and sunlight. It was an extraordinary color, one that brought the tan of his skin and the blueness of his eyes. She looked down to the chiseled curves of his lips, thinking about their warmth, when she realized that they were moving.
“I’m sorry, what?” She asked. He had been talking to her, and she hadn’t even realized it.
Bradley had an amused look on his face, and he repeated himself.
“I just said that this is most definitely not my thing.”
“Oh. Right. The cosmos,” Rachel blushed. She mentally kicked herself for being so out of it, and told herself to focus.
“The Bella’s like them, but they’re not for me.” She tried to think of more things to say, but couldn’t. She hit a brick wall and Bradley wasn’t doing anything to pick it back up. The fact that he didn’t soon began to agitate her, and she squirmed uncomfortably. If she hadn’t been focusing on how handsome he was she wouldn’t have lost focus. It was all his fault!
~
“You have no idea what you’re talking about!” Rachel shouted, slightly slurring her words. “The Ewoks were a very, very important part of the Star Wars Trilogy!” She pointed an accusing finger at Bradley, as if he blasphemed the lord himself.
“Pssh, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bradley shot back. “They were just stupid fuzzy bears meant as a distraction from the already ongoing plot.”
“They are not stupid!” Rachel said, fire in her eyes.
“Okay, time to go home I think!” Isabella chimed in, wrapping her arms around Rachel. “Come on honey, scoot on out.”
“We’re not done here!” She tried to argue, but Isabella strong hips scooted her right out of the booth and onto her feet.
“Bye guys, thanks for having us out!” Bella called back to the guys as she helped lead Rachel out the door. Though she was a little tipsy, she wasn’t completely wasted, and was walking steadily on her own. They made it out of the warm bar and into the cool evening streets of the outside world.
“See Rache, I told you you could have fun!” Bella laughed, shortening Rachel’s name as she led them towards a waiting cab.
“Fun? I argued with Bradley the entire time!” Rachel slid into the back of the cab, happy to be off her feet again. She suddenly felt very tired, and wanted nothing more than the soft, unmoving steadiness of her bed.
“You might have been fighting,” Isabella agreed, “but you two were smiling at each other the entire time.”
Rachel raised her eyebrows in surprise, realizing that yes; she’d had quite a lot of fun yelling at Bradley. “I guess so.” Then, her stomach turned, and she leaned her head onto the cool window. She should have stopped after her second drink, not her fifth. “Ugh,” she said, “just get me home.”
Chapter 5
Bradley
A headache pounded in Bradley’s temples as his alarm clock went off the next morning. The very first memory that slipped into his mind was arguing with Rachel about Star Wars and Star Trek. They’d been talking at one another furiously, each working to argue their point. But what had started off as an argument had started to somehow turn into a competition, of what he couldn’t quite remember. What he did remember though, was that he had been smiling. So much so that his cheeks still hurt from it. It was an odd, but a good way to end the day that had gone so rough.
Getting up, he turned off his alarm, and found that he was smiling again. By the time he was out of the shower and getting into his clothes, he found he was still smiling. Had something changed with Rachel last night? She hadn’t felt like her shrill, normal self. Well, of course she had, but somehow it had seemed cute to him then. She was so fierce, so passionate. He could definitely get behind that.
His mind quickly switched from Rachel to work when he ran into Ryan Miller, founder and president of the company.
“Bradley, good morning,” Ryan greeted. He stepped up to Brad and shook his hand firmly, a casual smile on his face. “I see you have your coffee.”
“Good morning Sir!” Brad quickly replied. “Ha, yes. Well, the others complained about how I make my coffee, so I figured I should bring my own.” The two began to walk towards the office together, and to Bradley’s surprise, Ryan made a suggestion.
“Listen, why don’t you stop by my office and talk to Marcy, my secretary? If you’re going to be stepping up as Vice President, you should at least get your own coffee maker, right? Just pick one out online and show it to Marcy. She’ll have it overnighted and here for you tomorrow morning. How does that sound?”
Brad was baffled. Since when was he going to be VP? Was that was yesterday’s cancelled meeting supposed to be about?
“Um, thank you Sir, that’s very gracious of you.” They stepped into the elevator. Bradley pushed four; Ryan pushed five, the top floor. “However, I’m a little confused. You see, when you postponed that meeting with me yesterday I thought”-
“Ah, yes, sorry about that,” Ryan said, interrupting. “My four year old fell off the jungle gym yesterday and broke her nose, poor thing. The nanny hasn’t been on top of her game lately, and her mother is, well, to be honest, I have no idea where her mother is.”
The surprises just kept on coming, Brad thought. He’d been working for Ryan for nearly four years and he’d never heard about his personal life. Now he was finding out he not only had a daughter, but also had an estranged wife. As he looked at the young millionaire, handsome, and well polished, he started to see past the refinement and into the cracks, where his real life was.
“Are you- are you all right, Sir?” Brad asked. Bravely, he put a hand out on Ryan’s shoulder, grasping it lightly. The slightly older man s
ighed, and put on a smile.
“I’ll be fine,” he reassured Bradley. He looked down at his watch as the doors opened to Brad’s floor. “Listen, I have a phone call I have to hop on here in ten minutes, but in an hour I have a twenty minute window. Why don’t you come up then and I’ll give you more details about your promotion.”
Bradley stepped off the elevator, still confused. “What promotion?”
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” Ryan asked as the elevator doors began closing. “I’m closing down Rachel’s department, moving her to yours, and making you Vice President.”
~
Bradley walked into the office, dumbfounded. He had left work yesterday so sure that he was going to get reprimanded, maybe even demoted. But instead he found himself in a promotion and in charge of not just one department, but also the entire company.
“Hey man, you all right?” Tristan asked, walking up to him through the bullpen. “You’re never late.”
“Um, yeah, sorry. I was just talking to Ryan.”
Tristan’s eyebrows went up in surprise, and he listened intently as Brad relayed the conversation that he’d just had with everyone’s boss. He left out the part about why Ryan had rescheduled the meeting yesterday. If the roles were reversed, he was sure that he’d want to keep his private life just that. Private.
“Well that’s great news man,” Tristan congratulated, patting him on the back. “See? You were worried about nothing. Everything is going to be fine!”
