Karmen leans back in her chair and sighs. “Well, actually, come on in I want to show you something.”
I leave the door ajar as I walk into her office and take a seat across from her. She hands me a packet of papers stapled in the corner. I flip through the pages one by one. There are numbers and charts, but none of it makes any sense to me.
“Looks like Doug was right,” she says.
I look up at her, my brows furrowed. “About what?”
She points at me with her pen. “You. Since you started your show a few weeks ago, the station’s ratings have gone up.” An easy smile lifts her cheeks, and her eyes have this gleam in them that resembles happiness.
A sense of pride fills me knowing that people are actually listening to what I have to say. My word means something to them. Since I’ve come back home this is the first time that I’m actually proud of what I’m doing. All the ideas I’ve come up with have been my own. Karmen didn’t meet me with much hesitation if she thought something needed to be changed.
“You’re a great asset here, Brayden.”
“Thanks.”
“Now the question is how do we make the rating rise higher and higher? We keep it fresh, edgy to a sense. Know what I mean?”
I purse my lips and nod. “How about if we do an interview portion twice a week? We could do a call-in show with the fans and their favorite sports stars.” My fingers drum on the armrests of the chair as all the different ideas pop into my head. “We could do a poll through social media, on the station’s Facebook page. We’ll pick three different athletes and let the listeners decide.”
Karmen folds her arms and leans forward on her desk. “That could work. Of course these three athletes you’ll have to get in contact with and make sure they’re okay with everything, make sure they have all the details.”
“That’s not a problem. I can also see if they’d be willing to donate signed memorabilia for us to giveaway to the fans. We could do a bi-weekly giveaway or something along those lines. I’ll announce it in a few days on my show.”
“You seem like you have it all under control.” She smiles. “See? I told you, you were an asset.”
“Well, it helps when my boss is pretty laid back and listens to my ideas.”
Her eyes widen. “Really. I heard she was kind of a bitch.”
“Naw.” I shake my head. “She’s pretty quiet and likes to avoid me, but other than that she’s cool.
She looks away from me and says softly, “I don’t try to avoid you on purpose.”
I lean forward and place my hand on top of hers. “It’s okay. I understand.”
“It’s just I don’t know how to be around you, Brayden. I wish I could be different and forget everything that’s happened in the past, but I don’t know how to.” The corners of her lips fall in a frown.
“Let’s try this then. Let’s be friends, okay. Real friends. Let’s try to overshadow the bad between us with good memories.”
“What do you mean?” she asks, confused.
I lean back in my chair and wave the report in the air. “Are you done here tonight?”
“Mmmhmmm.”
“Well, I’m hungry and need to eat. What about you?”
Karmen chews on the corner of her lip while she contemplates my proposal. “I could go for food.”
“All right.” I push up from my seat. “That does it then.”
Karmen follows my lead and grabs her purse from the side of her desk. “Do I get to pick the place?” she asks.
“For the sake of our new found friendship, sure.”
She comes around her desk, laughing. “Well how kind of you.”
I sigh dramatically as I switch off the light and shut her door behind us. “You’ll come to find that I’m a very accommodating man.”
“Mmm… I’m sure you are.”
As Karmen and I walk out of the building, I think to myself friendship with her might be fun. She’s snarky, and I like that. She’s someone who can joke around with me and take in my sense of humor, but at the same time be honest with me and not hold back. If only all women were like her.
The past few hours have flown by. Brayden and I have been finalizing his ideas for his show. It’s taken us a couple of weeks to get it done, but I think it’s going to rock. His ratings are going to soar through the roof.
Since we went out to eat three weeks ago things between us have been different. We’ve fallen into an easy friendship. Sometimes me, him, and Tammy will grab lunch together. Sometimes we’ll stay late to work on his ideas, but then it turns into us laughing the night away. I feel awful that I judged him so quickly. I’m sad that we worked together for a month and a half before I finally gave him a chance, a real shot at being my friend. I can honestly say it’s working out. He makes me laugh, and I haven’t done that in a while. My smiles with him are more genuine than they’ve been in the past, and that has to say something.
It’s funny to think that back in high school I thought he was just some dumb jock, a total prick who probably had his girlfriend doing all of his homework for him. But I was wrong. He’s smart. Really smart, and I feel like an idiot. Silently, I complain to myself about how everyone judged me and didn’t know a damn thing about who I really was. But here I am, no better than any of them.
I’m a hypocrite, and I don’t like it.
I rub at my temples, exhausted from going over accounts and reports. “Do you have plans tonight?” I ask and immediately go to explain further, but I’m cut off by his remark.
“Asking me out already, huh?” Brayden teases.
“Nope.” I shake my head and grin up at him.
“What would you say if I asked you out?” he asks.
Being brave for the first time in a long time, I lean back in my chair, cross one leg over the other and only hope that I’m giving him a seductive look. It’s all for the show, of course. The cocky ass bastard is about to learn a lesson. “Maybe?” I ask. My tone low but direct.
To my delight, I watch his eyes widen just a hint and his posture straighten. I knew he wasn’t expecting that approach from me. I’m reveling in it. Now that I see this new side of Brayden, a part of me wonders what it would be like to spend time with him, to see what it would be like to be a part of his life. For the first time in well, ever, I’ve rendered Mr. Stephens speechless.
“Just maybe?” he smirks. “Well then… what would you say if I invited you out for dinner and drinks and then if the evening went well, I invited you back to my place?” His voice is low and laced with desire.
I have to stop myself from rolling my eyes because that wouldn’t happen. As nice as the scenario is, Brayden and I would never mesh well in the romantic sense because I don’t think I could ever trust him, not like that at least.
“Well…” He stands from his chair, his eyes scan my office nervously, and I can’t stop the little laugh that escapes from me. My hand flies to my mouth in an attempt to cover the noise, but it’s too late and it’s useless. Brayden looks at me, mischief shining brightly in his green irises, and for a moment I allow myself to think what it would be like to be the woman wrapped in his arms. What it would be like to feel him on top of me, to feel his strong, broad shoulders beneath my hands, to feel his lips on mine. My eyes widen as he leans down, cages me in my chair, his hands support his weight on the armrests. The frantic rising and falling of my chest pulls his eyes from mine to my ample cleavage, but only for a second. A string of fear courses through me for a moment, the easy vibe between us has vanished.
“No?” My answer is more a question than a firm statement. It’s all thanks to him for confusing me.
He shakes his head and repeats my answer. “No?” Leaning in closer, his nose runs the length of my jaw and up to my ear before he whispers, “Are you sure about that?
I shake my head. All efforts of trying to speak—gone. “After dinner and drinks what would happen?” I ask, breathless from the close contact.
“I’d let you fuck me.” He
pulls back, his green eyes smoldering as he stares back at me.
My breath catches from his actions. I’m not sure what it is he’s doing, but I won’t be a victim of his charm or evil ways. But I can’t say I don’t like the feel of his warm breath fanning out against my neck and cheek. I can’t sit here and say it hasn’t turned me on. Then like a bucket filled with ice-cold water being dumped on me I’m pulled out of my Brayden induced fog by his words. And now I’m disgusted with him and myself.
I meet his stare and say, “See, that’s where we’re at an impasse.”
“Oh yeah? And why’s that?” he asks with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“I’d have to like you to fuck you. And I simply… don’t like you.” I smile at him sweetly. “Now get the fuck off my chair.”
Brayden steps away from my chair and laughs a knee-slapping, bellyaching laugh. I don’t know if I should be offended or not. I thought I had pulled off sexy really well. In comparison to what he’s used to: supermodels, actresses, and Playboy Bunnies. I’m not some fancy escargot or high dollar caviar, that is not my world. I’m just…Karmen. And I’m okay with that even if right now him laughing has me second-guessing myself.
“Are you done laughing at me?” I snap.
Brayden looks at me in surprise, his laughter no longer present. “I wasn’t laughing at you. I thought we were just messing around.” The confusion in his tone has me backpedaling.
“Oh…” An awkward laugh bubbles up from inside of me, and I point at him. “I knew that.” My voice is completely off and it sounds weird. “I was just uhh…”
Brayden scratches the back of his head and looks around my office. “I’m sorry if I upset you.”
Awkward tension fills the small space. I’m not sure how to get out of this situation other than to change the topic. “You’re good. Okay? I’m fine, we’re fine no worries. But I was wondering if you really would want to go out and eat with Tammy and me tonight? We have this whole Friday night girls’ night ritual thing we do, but she has plans tomorrow night, so we decided to do it tonight.” I fiddle with the strap of my purse as I rush out.
“Are you okay?” he asks. He tilts his head to one side and looks at me skeptically.
“Yeah,” I breathe out.
“You’re sweating.”
I reach up and wipe at the dew on my forehead. “It is hot in here.” I chuckle. My hands clench a hold of my purse to keep from pulling at the collar of my blouse and shaking it to cool off.
He stares at me quizzically for a moment longer before he says, “Sure I’ll come out to eat with you guys.”
My shoulders hunch forward and my grip on my purse loosens as I breathe a sigh of relief.
“You sure you’re okay?” he double checks.
“Perfect.” I give him my biggest smile and say, “Let’s go.”
Thirty minutes later we’re at the restaurant, seated, our menus in hand. Tammy and I each have a glass of wine while Brayden sips on a Manhattan. When Brayden and I arrived separately, Tammy was already here and waiting for us. She took one booth to herself forcing Brayden and me to sit together. His large frame practically takes up the whole damn seat. We’re shoulder-to-shoulder, thigh-to-thigh, and I can smell his intoxicating cologne. His presence affects me, and I have to fight myself not to revel in it.
He closes his menu, leans in closer to me and looks over my shoulder. I look at him out of the corners of my eyes. “What are you doing?” I whisper.
“Looking at the menu.”
My eyes cut from him to his closed menu on the table and back to him. “Umm…you know you have your own.”
He shakes his head. “There’s not enough room.”
“I’m sorry. I can go sit with Tammy.”
“No, you can’t,” Tammy says.
I turn my gaze to her. In the middle of the booth, she sits, leaning back her arms crossed over her chest.
“What do you mean? We barely fit in this damn booth.” I turn to Brayden. “No offense.”
He laughs and shrugs. “None taken.”
“Then I won’t have any room,” Tammy smirks and waves her hand in mine and Brayden’s direction. “Plus you two packed into that booth like a can of sardines is a real show for me. I can’t wait to see how you’re going to eat.” She claps her hands and laughs. “Maybe you’ll have to feed each other.”
I shoot her a pointed stare. “Or maybe I’ll stab you with my fork.” I smile sweetly and flutter my eyelashes.
Brayden laughs beside me, and the vibration of his deep timbre is like an electric shock through my body. After what happened in my office earlier this whole situation is not good for me, my health, but more importantly my libido.
“Well, while you ladies figure this out, I’ll be indisposed. If you’ll excuse me?” He slides out of the booth.
I watch him walk away until he’s far enough out of earshot that he won’t hear what I’m about to say. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I whisper yell at Tammy.
“What?” she shrugs and purses her lips. “I really do need space in this big seat. You know I need elbow room.”
“Please. That’s bullshit, and you know it.” I roll my eyes at her lame attempt at an excuse.
“Speaking of bullshit…how are things going with Brayden?”
“Fine. I think his ideas for his show are going to be excellent.”
“Uh…huh… I mean how are things going with Brayden?” she drawls out.
I take a sip of my wine and wave her to continue on. “Just get to the point.”
“There’s no point really. The two of you spend an awful lot of time together.”
“We work together.”
“You don’t work with Doug the way you work with Brayden.” I open my mouth to counter what she’s said, but she’s right. “See there’s the bullshit I was speaking of. Regardless of what you think, I can see there’s more to the two of you than you think. I can see it, anyone who’s around you can see it.”
Her words take me right back to my office when I was sure I wanted there to be more than a working relationship. I’m not going to fill her in on that though.
“Tammy, Brayden and I are friends. That’s what you and everyone else sees. I don’t want that to change. I like the friendship we’ve built.”
“Me too,” Brayden says as he slides in beside me. I startle from the sudden intrusion.
I shake my head. “I’m… I’m sorry.”
He gives me a lopsided grin. “I agree with you.” He turns to Tammy, slings his arm around my shoulders and says, “Is this what the two of you have been discussing since I’ve been gone? Me?”
I squirm under his hold, but he only grips me tighter. My eyes find Tammy. With wide eyes and her mouth hanging open, she stares at him for a second before she bursts out laughing. When she doesn’t stop, Brayden leans down and whispers in my ear, “Is she okay?”
“I think she’s lost it.” I chuckle.
“I like you,” she says, pointing at Brayden. “If I weren't madly in love with my boyfriend I’d make a play for you.”
“You would?” he asks, shocked.
“Oh yeah, you’re the male version of myself. I think we’re going to be good friends.”
“We are?” he asks.
Tammy nods as she takes a sip of her wine. “Definitely. You just wait and see.”
“I’ll hold you to it.”
Brayden and Tammy break into laughter. I smile at them as they go back and forth with each other. Sitting here it’s hard to believe I’m hanging out with my best friend and Brayden. This is something I never thought would have happened. For once I feel like I fit in. And I realize I don’t want this feeling to fade.
As I pull up in front of my parents’ antebellum-style home, azalea bushes line the front of the house. Large pine trees litter the landscape. The home is beautiful, sure. To me, it’s a prison that I can’t seem to get out of soon enough.
Getting out of the car my mind goes back to Karmen. The
se past couple of months I’ve seen a side of her I never knew existed. In high school she was timid and standoffish. She really only stuck to herself unless she was with Tammy. But now she’s sassy, and to me that’s sexy as hell. Not once during work have I caught her looking at me in any other way than professional. Her eyes don’t roam over my physique. She doesn’t flutter her eyelashes in hopes that I’ll notice her. Her clothes are modest yet sexy, only showing just enough skin.
And I like it.
Pushing open the front door, my parents’ voices stop me in my tracks. I may be twenty-seven¸ a grown ass man, but my mom’s cries and my dad’s hatefulness still has some hold over me.
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