by Ali Parker
"I sure am. I'm sitting on a plane now, waiting to take off. What time did you want to get together?" I glanced up as the flight attendant closed the door and nodded toward me.
"Let's have dinner at six at Landralla. It's in the heart of the art district. Very eclectic place. My wife loves it."
Surprise rolled over me. I'd assumed he was gay, which was asinine of me.
"Is your wife coming with you tonight?"
"Yes, so make sure you bring a date, if you're able to. She'll feel out of sorts being the only one not blabbering on and on about art."
"What does she do for a living?"
"She's a real estate agent." I could almost hear the smile in his voice.
"Great. I'll be there at six and will bring a friend with me. I know just the girl."
"Excellent. Well, safe travels and I can't wait to share with you some great news."
My turn to smile. "Perfect. See you then."
I leaned back in my seat after dropping the phone in the empty seat beside me. Erica was probably busy for the evening, at least she should be. A woman as beautiful as her probably had a million things to do, including a man.
"We're about to prepare for take-off. Feel free to use your cell phone once we're up in the air, Mr. Bryant." The flight attendant smiled and worked to buckle himself up.
"Great. Thanks." I let out a soft sigh and closed my eyes as Erica's pretty face made a guest appearance in my mind. How long was I going to have to keep up pretenses with her? With everyone?
My jokes and silly references to her as a scary bitch were just that. She was honestly everything I could imagine desiring wrapped into one package, and that alone made her dangerous.
My father had been head over heels for my mother, completely taken with her. So much so that he was either ignorant or blind to all the shit she had pulled over the years. The one thing I didn't want to do was end up like him. Completely in love with a woman who was spending her afternoons in the arms of the man she really loved, which wasn't me.
The phone buzzed and I half expected it to be Jonathan again with some small detail he forgot to include. I was pleased to see it was Bethany instead. I waited until we were in the air to call her back.
"This is Bethany."
"Hey Sis." I forced some energy into my voice.
"Hey you. I just wanted to wish you a safe trip. I wish I could go with you. We're headed down to Florida again this weekend, and you know I work for a slave driver." She sounded better than she had in a while, but the sadness still lingered in her voice.
I forced a chuckle. "I understand. I'm excited about meeting up with Jonathan tonight, but he's asking me to bring a date. I didn't want to tell the poor guy that finding a date in three hours in a city I'm not familiar with would be almost as hard as trying to walk up Mount Kilimanjaro, backwards, barefoot, naked."
"Oh Lord." She laughed softly. "Just ask Erica. You guys will have fun, and you know how much she loves art. Give her a chance Matt."
"Easy for you to say. It's not your delicate flesh on the line." I shivered and responded verbally to let her know I'd done it.
"You're so ridiculous, and the funny part is that you know it."
"Yep. You guys just see what you want to see, but your vantage point is a little different than mine. I'm on the ground floor with the troops. I'm in the trenches and you guys are-"
"Watching from lofty towers?"
I smirked. "Exactly."
"Just ask her, you silly thing. You guys could be friends if nothing else. You were meeting up with her today anyway, right?"
"I need to for sure. I don't know about tonight, but I'll think about it. You doing okay?"
"I'm hanging in there."
"Right. It sounds like it. I'll talk to Damon for you this weekend and see what's going on."
"No! I don't want any help."
I pulled the phone from my ear like she'd slapped me. "Okay."
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just want this thing between us to work out the way it should or be over. That's all."
"And what's the way it should work out?" I couldn't help but ask, though I already knew what Bethany was hoping for, but it was a fantasy. My brother had been the way he was since coming out of the womb.
"It should be Damon that puts forth some effort in trying to adjust his go-to response every time something goes wrong between us."
"Sex and touch are his love language. There is nothing to adjust. He's a dick, and he could work on that for sure, but would you really like him if he were a different man? That guy you fell in love with is still the same guy that's hurting just like you are."
"He's hurting?" Her voice softened.
"Duh. I swear for a brilliant girl, you sure are being dense about this."
"Thanks, butt-hole."
"Anytime. You know I care about both of you."
"I do. Let's not talk about my shit anymore though. You need to get emotionally and mentally prepared to meet the woman of your dreams this weekend."
"Oh yeah? You think I'm going to run into her while I'm in Seattle? Did you have a vision or something you want to share?" I was being cheeky, but I loved goading Bethany more than anyone else.
"Really? You know Erica is perfect for you, Matt."
"I know. I've heard it a million times. No is my answer. I don't want a woman like her. Honestly. She's beautiful and leaves my insides shaking with white-hot need, but she's not the kind of woman I want to emotionally tie myself to."
"Why is that? It makes no sense to me."
"Because, my nosy new sister, she's just like Damon. Strong, confident, a bitch and a half, and I love it. I would become her lap dog in public and put a collar on her in the bedroom. She would bring out the worst parts of me. Kinda like Damon's doing to you."
"You think he's brought out the worst of me?" Sadness swept through her tone and I realized the error of my statement.
"No and yes. You're miserable and yet you're waiting on him to come grovel at your feet. Where I think it is quite possible that he would, you're going about this all wrong. My brother works best under the guise of jealousy."
"Oh, hell no. I'm not working to make him jealous. That's dangerous for everyone involved."
"True, but it works. Just something to think about. If we're looking for effective here, then you gotta make a move. He doesn't feel like he's done anything wrong."
"He told you that?" Her voice gained back some strength. I'd hit a nerve.
"No. I'm just telling you his normal MO. If I'm wrong, then I'm wrong, but he is my brother. Start working on a plan to get him back or walk away."
"You're right. When you get back, let's devise a plan."
"Not willing to give up?"
"On Damon? Never. I love him with this fiery passion that leaves me breathless just thinking about him. Hell, no. I'll never give up."
"Then stop sitting on the sidelines and go get him. You're leaving the door open for any other woman who's wanted a shot at him to slip in by waiting on him to make a move. He'll grow up eventually, but don't lose him in the process, and keep your eyes on that bitch, Delilah. She's wanted Damon since they were kids." I shivered again, this time without forcing it.
"I knew it! She's so damn mean to me."
"Yeah, there's a reason for that. You have, or had, something she wants." I ran my hand down the front of my face.
"All right. When you get back, we'll figure it out."
"Sounds good. Have a great weekend and wish me luck. I'm going into the viper’s nest."
"Oh brother."
"That's me." I smiled and dropped the call, enjoying the lingering effects of talking with my new stepsister. She was good for all of us, and her mother was the best healing for my dad's heart. He still wasn't over my mom's death, not that any of us were.
I closed my eyes and tried to relax as the plane turned slowly. The movement and the hum of the engine lulled me into a daydream state where everything was warm and cozy, safe a
nd welcoming.
The living room wasn't mine, but someone who had taste, no doubt. The colorful painting that hung on the wall behind a brilliant red couch caught my attention and I walked toward it, stopping to let my eyes take in the emotion trapped behind the textured paint.
Passion.
"You like it?" Erica's voice was soft and startled me a little.
I glanced over my shoulder and almost swallowed my tongue.
"Love it," I whispered hoarsely and turned to face the beautiful vixen.
She stood in the doorway to what appeared to be a bedroom, her shoulder pressed to the doorframe and body clad in nothing more than a translucent nightie that brushed the top of her thighs. There wasn't a part of her that I couldn't see. From the smoky rose color of her nipples pressing against the fabric to the dark patch of hair between her thighs. Every part of me woke up and screamed for connection.
"Come here, Matt."
"I can't." I crossed my arms over my chest and tried to breathe past the burning desire lodged in my stomach.
"Why?"
"Because you scare the fuck out of me."
"I won't hurt you." She lifted her arm and tilted her head to the side, stealing my heart if it wasn't already hers. It had been for the last few years as much as I hated to admit it.
"I'm not worried about you hurting me."
"What are you worried about then?" Sadness brushed across her face, and I dropped my arms and moved toward her.
"I'm worried that you'll wake me up from the deep sleep I've been in."
My eyes fluttered open as I crashed into her. A groan left me as I clenched the handles of the seat I was sitting in and the flight attendant walked toward me.
"Mr. Bryant, are you okay?"
"Oh yeah. Just need a glass of whiskey. Now, please."
Chapter 6
Erica
Mandy walked beside me down the hall the next morning, rattling off a list of things that we needed to get through before our Monday afternoon meeting with Kent. I nodded and took note of the important ones, but didn't interrupt her until we were in my office, seated across my desk from one another. I had on my favorite grey slacks and a tight blue shirt that left me feeling powerful and pretty.
"E-mail that list to me, and you make sure you stay focused on the new service campaign. Kent is going to start offering a new line of advisory services to our customers in Dallas, and we need to make sure the imagery is spot on. Find a few pictures of men in the oil field, or grab the right models and get the photos ourselves."
"Of course." She nodded and scribbled something down. "When do you want a mock up?"
"By Monday if you have stock imagery that you can use. Actually, use stock photos for now, and if we need to take our own pictures, we'll just make sure Kent knows that." I turned and typed in my password on my computer to find forty new messages waiting for me. Corporate jobs paid the bills, but what a fucking drag to have to sit behind a desk all day and create drama out of nothingness.
"Will do. Anything else you need me to focus on?"
I leaned in a little as one of the e-mails caught my attention. "Oh nice. Blink-182 is back on tour? I didn't even know they were coming to Seattle."
"Oh yeah. Lewis has tickets that he was trying to get rid of. You want me to send him in?"
Excitement pumped through me. I hadn't been to a concert in forever, but I knew without a doubt that Lanie would love to go with me.
"That would be great, actually. I need to do something fun before my head explodes." I leaned back in my chair and studied Mandy, wondering what the girl's life was like outside of the office. The sad reality was that I knew very little about my staff, but it was a protection mechanism to keep everyone at arm’s length. It allowed me not to be invested emotionally and then crushed when something went wrong, which it would. It always did in my life. My relationship with Lanie was the only solid friendship I had, or wanted.
Mandy chuckled and brushed her long brown hair over her shoulder. "All right. I'll send Lewis in. We're ordering sandwiches today. You want me to get you anything special?"
"Nope. I'll just eat whatever you guys are eating. I'm not picky."
She bit her bottom lip and studied me for a minute. I lifted my eyebrow and chuckled. She had something on her mind.
"Can I ask you something?" Her expression softened.
"Absolutely." I leaned back in my chair and gave her my full attention.
"How do you stay in such great shape? You're here all the time with us and eat what we eat, but you look like a million bucks. I don't mean to be too forward, but-"
"No, it's fine. I run a lot late at night, and I have enough exercise videos to fill up this office." I snorted and stood. "It's all about balance, right? I eat better for the other meals during the day and just let myself go for one meal a day at most."
"Very cool." She smiled and nodded before standing up too. "Thanks, Miss Hall."
"Erica, Mandy. I think I've told everyone to call me Erica at least ten times in the last year." I walked around the desk and opened the door to my office for her.
"It's just hard to call your boss by her first name. I'll remind them. Thanks again."
I watched her go and leaned against the doorframe of my door for only a moment before the phone buzzing behind me pulled me from my thoughts. Maybe I needed to loosen up a little. Maybe being more relatable to my staff wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Turning, I walked quickly toward my desk and picked up the phone. "This is Erica Hall."
"Erica. It's Kent. Do you have a minute?"
"For you? I guess I could make time." I sat down and smiled as he chuckled on the other end of the phone. My boss had a special place in my life. He was a good mentor, a semi-father figure and a friend.
"Well, thank you, kindly." He cleared his throat as I looked up to see my secretary, Joan, stick her head in the office. I shook my head at her that I wasn't to be disturbed and to close the door. Whatever she needed could wait.
"Of course. What can I do for you, Kent?"
"You know that Matthew is headed up to Seattle right now, and from what Damon tells me, he's planning on meeting with you one more time over the job offering up there."
"It's not the same position as that one has been filled, but yes, he's going to stop by the office this afternoon to chat for a little bit. I figured we would work to open a position for him after I worked to understand what he was looking for."
"He's not really looking for anything, unfortunately. I wish he would grow up and realize the value of the opportunity before him, but you know how he is."
"He's a right brained guy. Much like everyone else in my department. I'll work on him today and see what I can do."
"I was hoping that would be your response. Damon and I had dinner last night, and we were thinking that maybe the way to go about getting Matt to come join us isn't to push him into it, but to have you just bind him to your side a little."
"I'm not sure I understand. Matt's not exactly fond of me."
"Yes he is. He's just being dramatic about you with all of us, but he's attracted to you. I saw the way he watched you in Jamaica."
Warmth filled my chest and raced up my neck to coat my cheeks. "Are you asking me to use that attraction to reel him into the company?"
"Nope. I would never do that. I'm asking you to not talk about business while you guys are together. Instead, take him to see the city this weekend. Have fun with him and maybe show him around some of the art galleries. Just make him see that there is far more for him in Seattle than he's giving the city credit for."
"Why are you and Damon trying to get rid of him? Seems odd to me."
Kent chuckled. "We're trying to give him a fresh start away from Dallas. We love him to death, you know that. He just needs to grow up and find himself, and to be completely honest, I just don't think that's going to be here. He grew up here and has planted his roots in deep, but it's never been him. I wanna see him fully bloom somewhere,
Erica. I just can't shake the fact that he should be there. You can help me get him there. I know you can."
I let out a soft sigh and closed my eyes. Kent didn't know what he was asking of me. Matt did belong in Seattle, but having him reject me and then move up to my city where we could bump into each other ten times a day sounded like hell on earth, but like most things... this wasn't about me.
"I'll see what I can do."
"Excellent. How are we doing on our advisory campaign ads?"
"We're working hard on them. I'll have a mock up ready by Monday for you to review."
"Just one or two ads this time. I know you like variety, but I don't. Just put forth what you think would be best, and I'll choose from the limited options you give me."
I laughed. "That never works for us, but we will try it one more time."
He chuckled as well. There hadn't been a meeting in the last two years that he hadn't asked for at least one more drawing. It was a running joke between them.
"I'll do my best to choose from what you bring."
"And if you don't, I'll bring more. It's what we do." I finished up the conversation and got up to walk down the hall to Lewis' office. He glanced up from his computer and gave me a warm smile.
"Boss. Did you come down here to scalp my tickets to the concert tomorrow night?"
"I'm almost positive that scalping means to sell the tickets, so you would be the scalper." I awarded him a quirky smile and stopped in front of his desk.
"And you would be the scalpee? That sounds horrible." He pulled out two tickets and handed them to me. "Have fun. You'll have to update me on how the band does."
"I will. How much are they?"
"Nothing. It was a gift. I'm good paying it forward."
"No. I'm not taking the tickets for nothing, Lewis. I'll just get the market value of them and pay you on Monday."
"I really wish you wouldn't. They're great seats and you need to enjoy life a little more. You're a great boss and we're always trying to think of ways to get you to get out and enjoy yourself."
"You are?" Emotion raced up my chest and lodged in my throat. Had they been trying to help me live a little more? Maybe so. I hadn't noticed, but the thought of them caring brought me to tears.
