“What did I say about looking at him? There’s no point.”
“Well, it’s your fault for bringing him here.”
“Who else was I going to ask? Hamilton? Besides, he was willing to do it, so it wasn’t a big deal.”
I watched him walk outside then looked back at my box and sighed.
“Yeah, no big deal.”
***
I looked around at my new room in Simone’s house and exhaled. After two and a half hours of moving everything out of my condo, my stuff was crammed in my room, Simone’s living room, and in her garage. Luckily, she didn't have anything in her guest room, so I was able to place all of my bedroom furniture there.
I was about to lay down on my bed when there was a knock at the bedroom door. I looked over and saw Mark standing there.
“Is it okay if I come in?”
“Sure.”
He walked towards the bed, looking at me. I quickly got up and went over to him.
“I really have to thank you for everything. You even put my bed up; that was really sweet of you.”
“I didn't want you sleeping on the floor. With everything that's happened today, you need a good night’s rest.”
“Well, I appreciate it. I would like to take you out to dinner as a thank you.”
He shook his head. “You don't have to. I was glad to do it.”
I suddenly became nervous as I looked at him. I noticed a little sweat on his forehead, so I slowly wiped it away with my fingers. .
I smiled at his confused expression. “I didn't want the sweat to fall in your face. You know, once it gets in your eyes–”
“It stings. Happens a lot to me while I’m working.”
I quickly walked over to the doorway to grab a box. I lost my balance as I bent to pick it up. Mark rushed over to help me. We stared at each other as he slowly let go of my waist.
“Sorry, I didn't want you to fall.”
“It’s fine; thank you. Where is Simone? Did she leave for work?”
“Yeah, she did. I think you were in the bathroom. She said she’ll call you later.”
“Okay. Well, I guess I better unpack a couple more things before I get some rest.”
“Did you want me to help you?” he asked, moving closer to me. I could feel his presence as he tried to grab a small box beside me. His shoulder brushed against mine, sending tingles throughout my body.
“It’s okay. I can manage.”
“You sure? I don't mind.”
He looked at me while his fingers slowly caressed my arm. My heart started pounding at his touch. But no matter how good it felt, I couldn't let this continue.
“I’m fine, Mark. Thank you, though.”
He nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I smiled. “See you tomorrow.”
He went towards the hallway, and I followed him. He opened the front door and walked outside. Then, he turned around and gazed at me.
“There’s something I have to do though,” he told me.
He grabbed my waist and stared into my eyes before slowly pulling me to him. His lips touched mine. I was completely surprised but very turned on. His hands slowly caressed my lower back, as they were moving to my ass. My hands were in his hair as I pushed my tongue into his mouth. I whimpered when as I felt his hard-on pressed against me. That’s when I knew we had to stop.
I slowly pulled away, and he ran a hand through his hair. I took a minute to control my breathing, and he did, too.
"Now my night is complete. See you, Vanessa.”
I watched him as he went to his truck. He looked back at me before getting inside. I slowly closed the door, not knowing what the hell just happened. I touched my lips, still feeling his on them. My hands went to my breasts; my body was on fire. I completely forgot about unpacking as I headed to my room. I needed to take a shower. A long, steamy shower.
Mark
Today has been one of the strangest, yet most thrilling days I've had in a long time. When I first saw Vanessa, I didn’t know what to say to her because she is absolutely sexy. Missy told me she was Simone’s friend and had come by the store a few times to have her car washed, but I was never around when she was. Now, I wish I had been.
Even though we'd only met that day, I could see myself getting to know her better. I know my dad set a strict policy in place on no employee romances, but there’s something about Vanessa that I wouldn’t mind breaking the rules for.
I took the scenic route back to my house so I could clear my head. Not only would I be around Vanessa every day, I also had to think about my dad and his expectations of me working in the business again.
My father started Suds when I was just 10-years-old, and all of us participated in the business. One thing my dad always told my twin siblings and me was that no one was getting a free ride and that everyone had to do their share in helping run the business. My mom was a cook in the restaurant, and when I turned 15, I immediately became a salesperson.
As soon as my brother and sister turned 15 three years after I did, my brother became a salesperson, and my sister was a cashier. I didn’t mind working since I wanted to earn my money instead of it being handed to me. Everything was going fine until my siblings went off to college, and I decided to stay and keep working at the family business. At that time, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life, but my father figured if my siblings had their career plans set in stone, then I should have as well.
That’s when everything fell apart with me and my dad. We never saw eye to eye on anything and always argued about the smallest things. Initially, my mom was the peacemaker, but when she passed away 10 years ago, there was no one to referee us. We bumped heads on a lot of things and even came to physical blows a time or two.
There was a period in which I didn’t want to be associated with him at all. While everyone looked at Enrique Fernandez as this great guy and wonderful business owner, no one saw the things that I'd seen. Throughout my 29 years, he'd always been a bit ruthless and judgmental, especially when it came to my career choices. When he asked me to come back and work for the company for a brief time, I didn’t want to, but like I told Vanessa, he’s my dad. So despite our rocky relationship, I'd always help him. He might not have been there for me throughout the years, but one thing I couldn’t deny was successful: He had a small dream and turned it into a huge money maker, expanding one store into four around the city, and providing jobs for various people. I thought it was amazing, especially for someone who had a rough upbringing with his Puerto Rican parents. That’s something I always admired about him.
I pulled in my driveway and saw my dad’s truck. I sighed and turned off the ignition. I didn't know why he was there, but whatever the reason, it probably wasn’t a good one.
I got out of my truck and saw him standing near his.
“Hello, son. Where have you been? I’ve been sitting in the truck for almost an hour,” he said with a heavy accent. Even though his parents were Puerto Rican, he was born and raised in the states, but he never lost his accent.
“Sorry I didn’t inform you of my whereabouts. I am a grown man, so I don't need to tell you where I’m going every five seconds.”
“What’s with the attitude, Mateo?”
I glanced at him and sighed. He was the only person to call me by my middle name, his father’s name.
“I don’t have an attitude, papa. I just had a long day, that’s all.”
“This won't take long. I needed to talk to you about the business.”
I glanced at him before opening the front door. I went to turn off the alarm, while my dad went to the couch and sat down.
“What about the business?” I asked.
“You do know that I’m thinking about retiring soon, and I thought that maybe we could find some way to keep the business in the family.”
I went to the kitchen to grab bottled waters. I handed one to him, then I opened the top to mine. “What does this have to do with me?”
&n
bsp; “I’m getting to it, Mateo. Since Sebastian and Carmen doesn’t want to take part in the business –”
I interrupted him, “You're asking me, your oldest, the screw-up, to take the reins. Am I right, papa?”
“You're not a screw-up, Mateo. You just never found your niche like your siblings have.”
“You asked Sebastian and Carmen before me? You knew they wouldn't have taken over anyway. They have businesses of their own.”
“That’s why I asked them first, because they know how to run a business. I taught them everything they know, unlike you –”
“Who decided not to watch and learn your every move. It's not so much that I didn't want to learn, Dad. I just wanted to do things my way.”
“And look where it has gotten you? Back at the business, being a salesman.”
I laughed. “Por supuesto.”
“Why would you say 'of course?' I’m just speaking the truth.”
“You think I’m a failure, and that’s how you will always see me. I was never a role model for the twins, and I did whatever I wanted. You tried to dictate all my decisions, from what school to go to to which woman to date. That’s why I moved to Austin after Mom died; she was the only one who believed in me and the dreams I had for myself.”
“Which you never told me about.”
“Why would I? You couldn't have cared less.”
“Why are you back then? You could have stayed in Austin and made nothing of yourself.”
“Because I wanted to help you! Despite how you've treated me in the past, I’m still your son. When you called and asked me to come back to help you, I didn’t hesitate. I will be loyal to you. Always.”
My dad looked at me, and I looked down at the hardwood floor. Even though I was close to 30, I still felt like a little child around my dad.
“Mateo, I always wanted what’s best for you and your siblings. I just didn't want you all to have to struggle like I did growing up. That’s why I always pushed you so hard to be the best you could be. It was all love.”
“I get that, but sometimes, it was too much to bare.”
I walked over to the couch, and my dad looked at me. “I just want you to think about taking over the business. I would rather it stay in the family, but if not, I'll have to sell it. I want to be able to live my life, and now, I’m able to.”
I looked at him and sighed. “Just let me think about it.”
“Okay. I’ll let you go, but please take your time and consider it.”
I nodded as he came over and hugged me. He pulled away and went to the door. I closed and locked it, trying to process what my dad had just said. I leaned my back against the door, wondering if I should accept his request, but it’s not what I want. I have other dreams and owning my father’s business was not one of them.
Vanessa
It was a brand new day, and I was getting ready for my first day at Suds. I was a bit anxious to get there, only because I would be seeing Mark again. After last night, I hadn't been able to get him off my mind. I kept thinking about the kiss we'd shared, which still had my body on fire. Even a little self-pleasure couldn't extinguish it; hopefully, I’d be able to control myself when I saw him again.
I headed into the kitchen and heard Simone turning on the coffeemaker. I don’t see how she was up at the crack of dawn when she got in from the club at 3 AM. She gave me a dazzling smile before grabbing two mugs from the cupboard.
“Good morning, V. How did you sleep?”
“I slept pretty well, thank you.”
“Sorry I didn't get to call. As soon as I got to the club, I was busy. Anyway, did Mark help you unpack anything?”
I shook my head. “Nope. He wanted to, but I told him he'd done enough.”
“That’s probably for the best. If he would have stayed, there's no telling what you two would have done.”
“We’re not that bad, Simone.”
“Why are you blushing then? And I heard you moaning his name when I came in this morning. So, I have to wonder what happened when I left here yesterday?”
I sighed. I really didn't want to tell her we kissed, but I had to tell someone.
“We sort of kissed.”
“Back up. You two did what?”
“He was leaving, and he grabbed and kissed me; now, I can't stop thinking about him.”
Simone's face fell, and I sighed. “See, that’s why I didn’t want to tell you.”
“Because you have to be careful, V. You haven't even started your job yet, and you're already kissing the owner’s son.”
“Technically, he kissed me; and damn, it was good.”
Simone shook her head. “You’re heading for trouble.”
“If I am, it's my decision to make. I’m sure there are a lot of relationships happening at that place that no one knows about.”
“Say you do get involved with him, what happened to your vow that you would never get involved with someone from your job? Remember Hamilton? Your boss who you had an affair with? The man that you fell in love with and who broke your heart countless times? What makes Mark any different from him?”
I stared at her, realizing she did have a point. I did make that promise to myself about not getting involved with anyone from work. Sure, it’d be fun and exciting, but it could also lead to heartbreak and pain if the relationship did end.
“Okay, so you have a point. Thanks for looking out.”
“No problem. You’re my girl, so I have to look out for you. You would do the same for me, right?”
“Of course.”
“Since I couldn’t give you the rundown last night, I’m going to give you the short version. The person you work with today, Maya, is a bit of a hot-head. She’s a know-it-all and will try to one-up you if you try to get in her way; so, always remember that when working with her. In fact, just keep your eyes on her at all times.”
“Why do I get the feeling that you’re not talking about the job anymore?”
Simone sighed. “She's tried to get with Mark a couple of times. I know for sure she's gotten with Dominic, hell, probably even Avery.”
I shrugged. “If she has, then she has. There's nothing I can do about that.”
"Are you sure? I know what I said was a huge blow, but I’m sure in the back of your mind, you still want to jump Mark’s bones. Admit it.”
“Like I would tell you,” I retorted, grabbing an apple from the fruit bowl. “Will you be at work later?”
“Nope. The club is closed tonight for inventory, so I’m free.”
“Cool. We can have a girls’ night in. Popcorn, Idris’ movies…”
“I'm definitely down. See you later.”
I smiled and went to the garage. I looked at my car for a second, wondering if I should just sell it. I couldn’t really afford it now, but I did need some sort of transportation to get to work.
I sighed and got into the car. This was something I'd have to figure out later.
***
After driving through Houston’s traffic, I made it to Suds in 20 minutes. I looked at the clock on the dashboard then at the long line of cars waiting, wondering if I was late or something.
“Wow,” I whispered. The store didn't open until 8 AM, and it was only 7:30. I knew then that it was going to be a long day.
I parked in the designated parking lot and saw Mark getting out of his truck. My heart started pounding as I gazed at him. Something was different about him today. He wore a tiny smile as he approached me.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
I blushed as he came closer. I didn’t know whether to back away or move closer to him and his sweet smile.
“How did you sleep last night?” he asked.
“Pretty well. How about you?”
He shrugged. “Okay. Just have a lot on my mind.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t want to bore you.”
“You won’t.”
He studied me, probably wondering if he should say anything. He sh
ook his head. “I'd rather not talk about it.”
I nodded. “Okay, no problem.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you about it, it’s just that I’m trying to figure the issue out myself.”
“You don't have to explain anything to me.”
He took my hand and looked into my eyes. “I know, but it’s only right if I do.”
Into You Page 4
