I pull on my bra and tank top as he turns to face me.
“Do you need a ride home?” he asks, grabbing his wallet off the dash and sliding it back into his pocket.
“No, I have my car here,” I tell him, wrapping my arms around myself. I suddenly feel a chill as the summer breeze blows against my sweaty skin.
He nods once. “Okay, well, I should get going. It’s getting late, and I’m crashing at my brother’s. I don’t want to come in late and wake them up.”
“Okay,” I say, nodding as well. Things feel awkward now. I wonder if he’s realizing who I really am.
“Thanks for the good time. I hope we run into one another again in the future.”
I force a smile onto my face. “Me too,” I reply, backing away from his truck, toward the front of the building where I parked my car.
I turn around to make the journey a little quicker, and I hear his loud truck start up, the roar of the engine cutting into the quiet night. I suddenly realize that I’m not wearing my underwear, but when I look up, he’s turning out of the parking lot. I guess I’ll never get those back.
I wake in the morning when Brad makes it home from work. He walks into the apartment and slams the door closed behind him. I’m asleep on the couch, so I jump awake.
“What the hell, man,” I mumble as I rub my hands over my face.
He looks down at me on the couch and then to his watch. “It’s going on seven. Why are you still in bed? I thought we had an agreement?”
“I know, I know. I was just up late. I have my alarm set for seven-thirty,” I promise. “I’m going job hunting today.”
He snorts. “I hope so. I can barely support myself, let alone you too. You want to crash here, you’re going to have to help out with the rent.”
“I know. We already talked about this, remember?” I roll my eyes as I swing my feet off the couch and onto the floor.
“I may have a roommate. He’s coming to check out the place this afternoon, so get your shit out of there, will ya?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mumble, pushing myself up from the couch and heading for the bathroom.
I quickly take a shower and get out before Brad comes banging on the door. He works midnights at the brewery, and he always comes home in the mornings, eats breakfast, then takes a shower before going to bed. I know me taking a morning shower could really interfere with his routine, and I’ve listened to him bitch enough lately.
I wrap myself in a towel and head to the guest bedroom to get dressed and fix my hair and makeup for the day. I hate job hunting, but Brad is right. He can barely afford this place on his own, and I’m an adult now. I shouldn’t expect him to take care of me. I’ll find a job and help pull my weight around here until I have enough saved up to get a place of my own. I just need a little time, that’s all.
I dress in a pair of skinny jeans and pull on a brown pair of knee-high boots. It’s probably way too hot out for jeans and boots, but I don’t think going job hunting in a pair of cut off jean shorts will help me land a job. I find a cute short-sleeved top and pull it on before checking myself over one more time. I add a little makeup, but not a lot. I don’t want to look like I’m trying too hard.
By the time I’m leaving the apartment, Brad is already in bed and the place is dead quiet. I close the door behind me as silently as I can before rushing down the stairs to my car. When I start my car, I see that I only have a quarter of a tank of gas left. I open my purse and dig out my wallet, finding fifteen dollars and sixty-four cents. That’s all the money I have.
I let out a long breath and shift into drive to hit up the gas station. I put ten dollars’ worth of gas in my tank, leaving me with five dollars and sixty-four cents for breakfast. I know the diner will cost more than what I have, so I settle with a small cup of gas station coffee and a sleeve of mini donuts. After everything is paid for, I have exactly twenty-three cents to my name. I climb back behind the wheel and drop the change into the cup holder.
I pick up my phone, thankful that the bill was just paid, and start looking for any place in town that may be hiring. As I scroll, I sip my coffee and nibble on my donuts. A car pulls up behind me and honks their horn, suddenly reminding me that I’m still parked at the gas pump. “Okay, sorry,” I mumble, even though I know they can’t hear me. I drop my phone into my lap and start up the car to pull away from the pump.
I drive down Main Street, looking at all the businesses. I decide to just pull over and go inside to ask if they’re hiring or if I can fill out an application. I pull to the side of the road and finish up my breakfast before getting out and going into the nearest business.
I spend my morning walking up and down Main Street. I fill out application after application, talking with managers and business owners. All of them promise to call as soon as they have something come up, but nobody is in need of help right now. I feel dejected as I’m walking back to the car down the street. When I look up, I notice a little boutique that I haven’t been in yet. The store looks cute with its dressed-up mannequins in the window. On the other side of the door is another window that holds a big table full of sparkling jewelry. This looks like the perfect place for me.
I look both ways before crossing the street and heading inside the boutique.
“Welcome to Destiny’s Boutique,” a little blonde says from behind the register.
I smile and head for the counter, noticing that the woman behind the register is holding a baby to her chest. “Aw, how cute!”
She smiles. “Thanks, he just fell asleep. Let me lay him down and I’ll be right with you.”
“Take your time,” I tell her, moving down the counter to look at the racks of earrings.
Everything in this little store is adorable. There’s jewelry, shoes, purses, perfume, candles, and clothes. I wish I had my own store like this. I want to laugh at that thought. Maybe I’ll open one with the few cents I threw in my cup holder.
“How can I help you?” she asks, moving back to the register. “Are you looking for anything specific?”
“Yes, actually,” I say, heading back her way to stand directly in front of her. “I’m looking for a job. You wouldn’t happen to be hiring, would you?”
“Actually, I was just about to start looking. One of my girls had to leave, and I’m looking for fill her position. Have you ever worked at a clothing store before?”
I nod. “I’ve worked at a few stores in the mall back in Denver.”
“Denver? Are you planning on staying here a while?”
I nod again. “Yeah, I recently made the move here. I’m staying with my brother right now, but I’m wanting to get my own place…sooner rather than later.”
She holds out her hand. “I’m Destiny. This is my place.”
I shake her hand. “I’m Deven. It’s nice to meet you. I’m really loving your store.” I look around at all the cute clothes I wish I could buy.
She smiles sweetly. “Thank you. Would you like to come back to my office? We can have an impromptu interview?”
“Yes, thank you,” I say, following her back to her office where the baby is asleep.
“Don’t worry, he’s a deep sleeper. You have any kids?”
I shake my head. “No, no kids.”
“Married?” she asks.
“Nope, not that either.” I laugh out.
“Boyfriend?”
I press my lips together. “I hope this isn’t me failing your quiz,” I joke.
She laughs. “Not at all. I was just trying to determine how busy you are. Most people who have kids or are married prefer to work only Monday through Friday only so that they can enjoy a little time with their loved ones on the weekends.”
“I will take anything you have open. I’ll work nights, weekends, it doesn’t matter. I just really need a job.”
She smiles and holds out her hand. “You’re hired.”
I smile wide. “Really?” I ask, lifting my hand to shake.
“Really. Can you start right now? I
can walk you through the register.”
“Yes, please,” I say, standing back up to follow after her.
I notice an envelope on her desk that reads: Destiny Slade. I can’t hold back my burning questions. “Are you related to Hudson Slade?”
She nods. “That’s my brother-in-law. How do you know him?” she asks, glancing back at me as she heads toward the register.
“Oh, he and my brother used to be really good friends back in high school. Which one are you with?”
“Wyatt,” she answers.
I nod. “I was so young, I barely remember Hudson,” I lie. “I never met any of his brothers.”
“How old are you?” she asks.
“Eighteen. I just graduated high school in Denver.”
“Any plans for college?”
I shrug. “I still haven’t made up my mind yet. I can’t really afford it right now, and I don’t want to worry about student loans. If anything, I might pick up some online classes or something until I make my decision.”
The rest of the day, Destiny walks me through using the register and how to open and close the store. We talk and get to know one another throughout the day. She’s super nice, friendly, and funny, and I can easily see myself becoming good friends with her. The store closes up at five, and she walks me through everything that needs to be done before giving me a key to open in the morning.
I get back to the apartment around five-thirty. I open the door and rush inside. “I got a job!” I cheer.
Brad is sitting on the couch, a beer in his hand. Another guy, I’m assuming the friend who’s looking at the apartment, is sitting in the chair with his back to me.
Brad’s eyes stretch wide. “What? That’s great news! Where at?” He rushes up to hug me.
“Destiny’s Boutique,” I answer, hugging him back.
When he pulls away, he says, “Dev, this is my friend, Hudson. You remember him, right?” He points toward the man, who turns his upper body around to see me.
I’m face-to-face with Hudson Slade. His blue eyes stretch wide and his jaw drops as he looks over at me. I watch as his eyes take me in from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Finally, he stands and moves to Brad’s side. “This is Deven? Your little sister?” he asks, eyes bouncing back and forth between me and Brad while his index finger stays pointed at me.
Brad smiles. “Yeah, it’s been a while, I know. She’s really grown up, hasn’t she?” Brad puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to his side. “She just graduated high school and moved here to be with her big brother.”
“High school…” Hudson says, eyebrows skyrocketing. He holds out his hand to shake, a little smirk playing on his lips.
“Good to see you again,” I say with a knowing smile as I reach out and shake his hand.
He shakes his head so lightly that only I see it, and he lets out a little puff of air as the corners of his mouth stay turned up. “Yeah, you too. It’s been a long time. I didn’t even recognize you.”
“Hey, let’s celebrate. How about some pizza and beer?” Brad offers. He nudges my side. “As long as you won’t tell Mom that I’m letting you have a beer.”
I scoff, my eyes never leaving Hudson and his never leaving me. “I don’t even talk to Mom,” I reply.
“Good. I’ll be right back. Hudson, you good?” he asks as he starts to turn for the door.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Hudson says, finally forcing his eyes off of me.
Brad walks out and leaves the two of us alone. You could cut the tension between us with a knife. He watches as I slowly walk around the chair and sit on the couch. Slowly, he sits back down in the chair.
“Danielle, huh?” he asks, brows drawn together in anger or annoyance.
“Deven Danielle,” I say, trying to prove to him that I wasn’t exactly lying.
“Did you know who I was last night?”
This time, I do lie. “I knew you looked familiar, but I couldn’t place you. It wasn’t until later when I connected the dots.”
“And you haven’t told your brother?”
“Tell my brother that his eighteen-year-old sister has a fake ID that I used to get into a bar and then to fuck his friend? No, that must have slipped my mind.” I roll my eyes. How stupid does he think I am?
“Good. He can never know.” His eyes are wide. “Understood?”
I nod once. “Agreed.”
There’s a long silence between us for a couple of minutes. Finally, I feel so awkward, I have to break it. “So, you’re moving in here too?”
“Too?” he asks, eyes bouncing back up to me, surprise filling them. “You live here?” He points at the floor.
I shrug. “Well, I’m staying here for the time being. Just until I have enough money saved up to get my own place. Brad kind of saved me when I got kicked out of our mom’s boyfriend’s house.”
He hangs his head, shaking it as he rubs his eyes. “This is just fucking great,” he says under his breath.
“What is?”
“You. Me. Both of us living here with this huge secret between us.” He balls his hands into fists, causing his knuckles to crack. “He’s going to find out, you know?”
I laugh. “How’s he going to find out? I’m not saying anything. You’re not saying anything.”
“I’m going to have a guilty look on my face every time you walk into the room.”
I shake my head. “Oh, come on. What’s to feel guilty about? I’m legal. It was consensual. Nothing has been broken here. It’s not like you were my first.” I flash him a quick smile. “You were my favorite though. I can’t wait until we do it again.” I’m only teasing him, partly.
He jumps up and paces the floor. “Oh, no! It can never happen again.”
“Why not? Didn’t you enjoy yourself?”
He scoffs. “Of course I enjoyed myself.” He comes to a stop as he slides his hands into his jean pockets. “You’re…I mean, look at you.” He pulls one hand out and gestures toward me. “Any guy would be lucky to have a night alone with you. But me…us, it can’t happen again.” He shakes his head just as Brad walks back in with a box of pizza and a six pack of beer.
“Time to eat,” he says, passing us to head to the kitchen to set everything down.
I get up and walk past Hudson, shaking my ass a little more than necessary. I open the box and grab a slice of pizza. I take a bite and let out a long moan as the cheese pulls into strings from my mouth to the slice in my hand. I look over at Hudson, and his eyes grow in size as he watches me.
I set the pizza down onto a paper plate that Brad hands me and grab a beer. I twist off the top and take a long drink from the bottle. When I look back at Hudson, he’s swallowing something down, his Adam’s apple bobbing in this throat.
“Help yourself, man,” Brad says, stepping past him and taking his plate and beer to the living room.
The three of us all sit in the living room, watching TV and talking while we eat. Brad and Hudson have a lot to catch up on, and I sit back and listen as they talk about what each of them have been doing since they last saw one another. Hudson tells us about his time in the army, and Brad tells Hudson about living in Denver, finishing school, our dad passing away, and having to stick around to support Mama and me until she ended up with the loser boyfriend she has now—the one that kicked me out.
As their conversation comes to an end, I look up at Hudson. “So, you have a girlfriend?” I ask, putting him on the spot.
He looks like a deer in the headlights. “Oh, um, no. No girlfriend. I haven’t been home long enough for all that.”
“Shit, man. All you gotta do is say the word and I can hook you up. There’s plenty of single women that work at the brewery with me,” Brad states.
I watch Hudson closely. He looks at me, then back at Brad. “Nah, I’m good, man. Thanks. I think, right now, I need to get my life in order before I bring anyone else into it.”
Brad nods. “Alright. Just say the word when you’re ready. I can have the
m lined up outside the door.”
I stand up. “Think I’m going to call it a night. Gotta open the store tomorrow.” I dispose of my trash in the kitchen before heading for the bathroom to shower. Now that the guest bedroom is going to be occupied, I’ll have to sleep on the couch. I hope that they clear out of the living room soon. I really do need some sleep. I haven’t had to get up early since I lived back at Mama’s. I have a feeling my life is about to change in more ways than one.
Three
Hudson
Fuck. She’s beautiful. I knew she was beautiful last night when I took her out to my truck, but seeing her with sober eyes, she’s even more beautiful than I remembered. Her long, dark hair, rich chocolate eyes, and olive skin is enough to make any woman jealous. It’s enough to bring any man to his knees, even men like me who like to do the right thing by women. Last night, I did not do the right thing. I took her out to my truck and bent her pretty ass over the seat while I fucked her like a porn star. I guess this is what I get for making that terrible decision. Karma is paying me back. Now I have to look at her every day, but I’m not allowed to touch her.
Brad has always been the overprotective brother. Hell, when we were teenagers, he scared off little boys that didn’t do anything but chase her on the playground. I can’t imagine how he is now that’s she’s old enough to date and have guys sniffing around her. And I don’t want to find out. I’m going to keep my distance. I’ll ignore her. It can’t be that hard.
“I’m sorry about my sister, man. I really needed a roommate and she won’t be here long. She can crash on the couch while she saves up and finds her own place.”
I wish I hadn’t already agreed to move in. When I did, I didn’t realize the girl from last night was his sister and that she was living here. “Don’t worry about it,” I tell him, tipping back my beer and taking another swig.
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