by Coco Cadence
***
Age 14
I walk through the school hallway with books stacked on top of my arms, swaying from the force of gravity pulling on them. I can hardly see where I’m going with the books in my arms as I head to my locker. God, I wish I hadn’t taken them all out to read prior to my classes starting. I’m such a nerd. I can’t help myself, but I have to admit that it wasn’t one of my brightest ideas.
However, the fact alone that I’m now at least three chapters ahead of everyone else makes me smile. I put the books down on the ground, wipe my forehead, and open the locker. Right as I pick up the giant stack, someone runs into me, pushing me over. The books scatter on the ground, and so do I.
Kids around me laugh—some out loud and others behind their hands, as if it could hide their grins.
“Sorry!” the guy who ran me over yells as he runs off, not even looking back to see if I’m all right.
I crawl up and stare straight into Chris King’s eyes as he grabs my arm. Holy shit. Chris King’s strong, rugged hand is wrapped around my arm.
“You okay?” he asks, helping me up from the floor.
I’m completely zoned out, staring at him as if he’s not real. I’ve never been so close to him before, and I have to admit, what they say is true. He’s so sexy, with that cheeky grin, that stubbly chin, and those half-raised brows. He kind of looks like James Marsden, only a younger, even more handsome version.
I tuck my brown hair behind my ears as a flush appears on my cheeks. “Yeah, thanks,” I stammer, pulling my arm away quickly.
A lopsided smile appears on his chiseled face as he looks down at my frozen frame. Shit, why did I pull away so quickly? Now it’s as if I didn’t want him to touch me at all, even though I’ve only dreamed of a day where a guy like him would put his hands on me.
Oh lord, I’ve gone and done it. I’m one of those girls now. Those girls who pine over unattainable guys.
Well, it’s not as if I’m in love with him or something. I don’t even know him. I only watch him … every other day or two.
“My buddy was in a bit of a rush there,” he says. “He doesn’t pay attention to where he’s walking, but it’s especially bad when he has the runs.” He laughs out loud as my eyeballs almost pop out of my skull. I can barely contain my laughter. “He just ran straight off the fields, didn’t even finish the race.”
“Well, shit happens,” I muse.
He laughs some more. “Good one.”
“Chris, what are you doing?”
I turn my head to the sound and notice three guys coming up behind us.
He brushes his short brown hair with his fingers. “Oh, just talking.”
“With her?” one of them says as they approach. Something about the way that he says ‘her’ makes me wince.
“Dude, c’mon, we have to get back to the tracks. Coach wants us to do one more round.”
“What? Now? We just finished.” Chris stretches his muscles.
One of them steps forward. “Morris ran off, and Coach won’t accept it. He’s calling us all back because of his anal leakage.”
Chris bursts into laughter again, and his teammates slap him on the shoulder, dragging him away from me. “No time to talk to girls like her.”
Again, that word, her. As if they find me unworthy or something. Despicable.
I frown as the guys walk off, dragging Chris with them.
“See you!” he says.
I wave, not sure what to think of this random encounter. My heart is still fluttering at the thought of Chris King talking to me and grabbing my arm, but those friends of his left a sour taste in my mouth that’s hard to swallow.
***
Present
An hour later, the race is over and Chris is celebrating his victory in the backroom. Our family bursts in with their excitement, which is not the least bit tempered as we join in on the joy. Tricia hugs Chris and says, “You did wonderfully!”
His father, Frank, is next, patting him on the back after a bro hug. His brothers both give him fist bumps and hugs, wide smiles adorning their faces. I’m trying to hide my smile, but I can’t help but feel a little happy. Except when Chris walks up to me and says, “Proud of me, lil’ sis?”
It immediately dampens the good mood.
“I’m not your lil’ sis,” I say as he wraps his arm around my neck. “But you did well.”
“Aw, finally some recognition,” he muses, winking at me.
I lift his hand and slide his arm off me. “Don’t get cocky now. You won. Good job.”
“Oh, I won all right. And how.” He laughs. “Saw me in that corner, Leo? Fuck, my heart was almost jumping out of my chest back then.”
“Yeah, it was a tight one, but you made it!” Leo smiles.
Chris seems overcome by adrenaline, his muscles still tightening with every move as if he was still on his motorcycle. He makes cheering noises and pumps his fist in the air, unable to contain his excitement. It’s cute to watch, until I remember what a douchebag he really is.
I turn around and attempt to sneak out the door as the rest of them drink champagne until Chris says, “Where are you going?”
Shit. I stop in my tracks and glance over my shoulder. “I just got a call from work. I need to get back.”
“Nonsense; you were free for today. You told me yourself,” Tricia says, spoiling my plans.
Dammit, why can’t she just let me lie for once? I don’t want to be here, but I won’t say it to their faces.
I frown. “Well, plans change.”
“No, no, hold up,” Chris says, walking to me. “Don’t leave; you haven’t even finished your champagne yet.” He pushes a glass in my hand. The smile on his face demands attention, especially when he places a warm hand on my shoulder. I feel a slight tingle where he touches me that I quickly dismiss. “Just thirty minutes, okay?”
I sigh. Maybe I could stay for a while. The alcohol is sure a bonus. I take a sip. Yep, I definitely need that if I’m going to stay around my family for another thirty minutes.
“Chris is actually still looking for a spokesperson,” Tricia suddenly says, casually swaying her glass.
“So?” I say, taking another sip.
“Well, we thought you’d be the perfect candidate.”
I almost choke on my champagne. Trying to lick my lips to keep it from spilling onto the floor, I sputter, “What?”
“You work for a PR company, right?” Chris says.
“You’ve got to be kidding me, right?” I say to the both of them.
“On the contrary, I’m as serious as can be,” Tricia says. “After Chris’s recent … appearances in the media …” She raises her eyebrows at him disapprovingly. “Well, let’s just say that he could use someone with a brain.”
I smile and frown at the same time. “I know he could use one, but that doesn’t mean he needs me.”
“Hey!” Chris says, cocking his head. “I’m not that bad.”
“Oh? Remember that time the media found out about that girl you were seeing? The one who was already married to one of the richest guys in town? The same girl who had journalist connections?” Leo smirks, taking a drink of his champagne. “I remember that didn’t go too well. What a mess. Had to avoid looking at the newspapers for weeks.”
“Who cares? Why does anyone care?” Chris says. “Screw the newspapers.”
“Well, unlike you, I actually like reading the news from time to time,” Leo muses.
Chris shoves him. “Oh, fuck off.”
“Calm down, boys,” Tricia says. “The point is that we need someone to manage whatever comes in and out in terms of communication. Someone like you.” She looks at me directly, and I’m pointing at myself as if I can’t believe she’s actually talking to me.
“Me? You want me to work for Chris?”
“Well … yes.”
I laugh. Then I laugh some more until it feels like I’m breaking ribs. I can’t believe this shit.
“No. Oh god, no.”
“What’s so funny, sis?” Chris says.
“Stop calling me sis,” I say. “I’m not working for you.”
“Why not?” Tricia says.
“There’s no way I’d ever be able to fix … that.” I circle my finger around in the air where Chris is standing.
“So much hate,” Chris says. “I can almost feel it burn.”
I make a face at him. “Come here and I’ll give you some heat.”
“Oh, I like that challenge,” he jokes, licking his lips. “Bring it on. I can take your sizzle.”
God, he can get so infuriating sometimes with the way he tries to get me all riled up. I don’t understand why people can’t see it, but then again, his good looks must blind them. All those muscles are in the way of seeing the truly despicable character hidden underneath.
“Emily,” Tricia says. “I’m serious.”
“About what?” I say, feigning ignorance. The thing is, I don’t want to talk about it, but she won’t let it rest.
“You should be Chris’s PR lady.”
With a completely blank face, I say, “No.”
She frowns. “Well, why not?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “That’s my business.”
“Yeah, why not, sis?” Chris muses, rubbing his lip with his thumb.
He’s taunting me, and it makes me want to punch him, but I’m not going to ruin my day by fighting him. Oh no, I’m going to walk away from this one, starting right now.
“I have to go,” I say, putting down my glass.
“Hold up,” Chris says.
“I’m not going to be your spokesperson, Chris,” I growl, looking back over my shoulder.
“Too late,” Tricia says. “I’ve already asked the company you worked for.”
My jaw drops as I turn around. “You did what?”
Her eyebrow rises. “You heard me. Chris needs someone with your expertise. You should see it as a compliment.”
“I don’t. I’m not going to work for you.” I look at Chris. “End of story.”
“Oh, c’mon, Emily. Don’t be such a party pooper,” Chris says, cocking his head while frowning.
“Leave her alone, Chris,” Leo says. “She said no.”
“Thank you,” I say, directing my attention toward Leo. Taking a deep breath, I say, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have real business to attend to.”
“Why are you walking away, Em?” Chris says. “You never used to do that back in the day …”
I ignore his taunt, holding my head high. Not for a second do I think of what he means or what ‘back in the day’ implies. Nope. Not at all.
As I walk out, I can’t help but almost trip over my own shoes as Chris says, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Something tells me that they’re not going to let this rest.
Chapter 3
Emily
“Happy birthday!” I say, kissing Alyssa, my coworker, on her cheeks. Then I hand her the bouquet of flowers I was hiding behind my back.
“Oh, wow, you didn’t have to do that,” she says with a bright smile.
“Yes, I did. It’s your birthday!” I say, as she smells them.
“True; I just hate the number that’s attached to it.” She sniggers.
“One more day to feel alive,” I say. “Don’t tell me you’re not celebrating …”
“Hmm …”
I give her a soft nudge. “Oh, c’mon! We gotta celebrate. Let’s go for a drink after work.”
“Maybe. I still have a buttload of work to do.” Alyssa peers at the stack of papers on the other end of her desk.
“Oh, forget about them. One day won’t hurt.” I shrug. “This is more important. It’s your birthday. You need to have a good time, too.”
“Hmm, maybe. I’ll think about it.”
“You do that. In the meantime, I’m going to throw my own party over there,” I point at my desk, “and make you so jealous, you’ll have no other choice but to say yes.”
She smiles. “Ha, good luck!”
“I’ll happily take that challenge.” I wink and then walk off.
Just as I sit down behind my desk, the door to my boss’s office opens.
“Emily, I have a new one for you!” she shouts across the office.
I turn in my chair. “Really? Who? It’s been a while since I got a new client.”
“Yeah, well, you’re the only one they’ll take.” She throws a stack of papers on my desk. “Looking at the amount of shit that comes with it, I wish you good luck.”
Frowning, I grab the papers and sift through them. When I see Chris’s face flash by, I freeze, drop the papers, and look up at her.
“Nuh-uh. No. No way.”
My boss raises her eyebrow. “What’s the problem?”
“I’m not taking this guy.” I push the papers toward her so she’ll pick them up again.
She puts her hand on her side. “Look, I know he’s probably loads of trouble to manage, but at least you’ll have another client.”
“Hey, I have clients,” I say, folding my arms.
“You mean that one wannabe star who grabs every petty job she can find?”
“She’s not a wannabe star.”
My boss now also raises her eyebrows.
I sigh. “All right, fine, yes, she’s the only one I have right now, but I’m working on her to improve her business, okay?”
“Mmhmm …” My boss rolls her eyes. “You do realize this is your chance to prove yourself, right?”
Oh, shit. Does she mean she still doesn’t think I’m capable of performing this job? Crap, I don’t want to lose my job.
“I’ll do more, I promise,” I say, grabbing the phone. “I’ll call her right now to schedule some new interviews.”
My boss presses the button on the phone, canceling the call. “I didn’t mean your previous client.” She leans forward on my desk. “You’re gonna take this job, whether you like it or not.”
“So, I don’t have a choice?”
“If you put it that way … I guess not.” She shrugs and then smiles. “Look, I’m sure it’s not as bad as it sounds.”
“You don’t know that.”
“And you do?” She stares me down again.
“As a matter of fact, yes; he’s my … stepbrother.” I clear my throat.
She nods. “Right …”
“You already knew that?”
“Of course, I did. I brief potential clients on everything. The funny thing is that I wasn’t going to give this one to you, but he insisted.”
“That bastard,” I mutter.
“What?”
I look up at her and cough. “Ah, nothing.”
“I know you don’t want to be bothered with your brother’s stunts, but at least I know you’ll take good care of him,” she says, pushing the papers back into my hand. “You’re his sister. You know him better than anyone does. Just take it.”
“But …” I rub my lips together. “I worry that our personal relationship might get in the way of our professional one.”
“Then so be it. He asked for it. We give our clients exactly what they want. As long as it doesn’t damage their reputation, of course.”
I mull it over. “I’m not sure I’m the right person for this.”
“He specifically requested you for his PR contact, and I’m not losing out on this job.” She taps the papers. “You’re taking this. End of story.”
“Or else?” I say jokingly, but when I see her stern face, I lean back in my chair.
“You know what else. This is your chance to prove yourself. That’s all I’m giving you.” She nods and then walks off to her office.
I take a deep breath and look through the endless stack of mishaps my brother’s had these past few years. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many negative articles about one person—unless they were a goddamn criminal, which we don’t work with of course.
Well, my brother is just one stop short of being a criminal, if you
ask me. To this day, I’m still surprised he isn’t behind bars after what he did.
Letting out a breath, I pick up the heavy stack of papers and place them on the other end of the desk so I can start sifting through them and find the problem areas as well as the very limited positive notes.
Suddenly, my phone rings, and when I pick up, I immediately hear someone laugh in the background. Oh boy, this better not be one of those prank calls because I could cut a bitch right now.
“Hey, sis.” His voice is low and deep, like he’s uber-serious. Or just making fun of me.
“Oh, god,” I say.
“What?” he says, chuckling.
“What do you want?”
“I’m just calling you so we can talk. What’s the problem?”
“You are my problem.” I sigh. “Chris, I don’t have time for your prank calls right now.”
“Aww … you don’t have time for your stepbrother now?”
“Stop saying that word,” I growl.
“Why? Don’t like it?”
I bite my lip to prevent more ammo from spilling out that he’ll happily use against me. It’s as if he enjoys this.
“Why are you calling?” I ask with the nicest voice I can muster.
“I wanted to see if you got my package yet. It’s big, you know.” For a second, my heart stops beating because, for some reason, I think of another big package. I’m sure that was his intention.
“Yeah, I got it.”
“Good, because I don’t want you to feel like I’m leaving you hanging. I never leave my ladies hanging.” My skin heats up, and I don’t know why, but I hate it. I can almost hear him smirk on the other end of the line.
“Stop it,” I say.
“Stop what? I’m talking about the delivery to your work address.”
“Right …”
“What did you think I was talking about?” he muses. “Oh … sis, you know that ain’t right.”
“Chris, seriously? Yes, I got your package.”
He snorts into his phone, and something tells me he’s trying to contain his laughter. Jesus, he’s such a kid.
