by Jolie Day
Until later.
Anthony
P.S. A car will be waiting to take you to work at 7:30 sharp. Don’t be late.
“Great,” Brooke murmured, even as she cradled the note like a love letter against her chest. “I’m stuck here with nothing to wear but my uniform from last night and a pair of ruined panties.”
Just as she said this, the intercom on the wall buzzed and a voice filtered through.
“Miss Abernathy, are you awake yet?”
Brooke blinked at the device for a moment, before standing and walking toward it. She studied the small plastic box for a long moment before she pressed a button on it with her index finger and heard it beep, before turning green.
“Um…hello?” she said into the speaker, before removing her finger.
“Ah, so you are awake,” a man with a posh accent said, sounding delighted. “Would you like something for brunch before you go shopping?”
“Shopping?” Brooke murmured to herself. “With what money?”
As if reading her mind: “Mr. Dunham has several tabs open in the building’s shops and he’s informed them of your presence. He said you might need some new clothing and already ordered a little something for you to wear while you’re down here.”
“He did?” Brooke gasped, looking back toward the bedroom.
“Yes, miss,” the Brit replied. “It’s hanging in Mr. Dunham’s closet. Just a simple frock, really. Nothing fancy. Now, how do you take your coffee?”
*****
“Miss Abernathy?” Brooke tore her hand away from the fabric of the dress she’d just been feeling at the sound of the voice behind her. Turning, she saw a woman just about a decade older than her, with golden hair and perfectly applied makeup. Her smile was dimpled and genuine. “Or do you prefer Brooke?”
“Brooke is fine.” She held out her hand to shake the other woman’s and marveled at the strength of those dainty fingers.
“Nice to meet you,” she said. “My name is Ella. I am the owner of this boutique and the salon next door.”
Brooke’s eyes widened at that. “Impressive,” she commented.
Ella chuckled. “Thanks!” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and spread out her arms. “Well, this is our fall collection, as you can probably tell by the warm colors.” Brooke nodded, glancing around at the deep reds and oranges and the smooth browns, the bright yellows, which added a pop of color to the selection. “We still have some summer stuff up for clearance, if you’re interested. I see you’re already wearing one of our less expensive frocks. And it looks absolutely fantastic on you, let me just say. Would you mind doing a little turn?”
“Not at all,” Brooke laughed, spinning around in a slow circle, cocking her hip out a little bit. Ella clapped.
“You fill it out perfectly.”
“And it helps that the design is pretty awesome,” Brooke pointed out, smoothing the dress down over her curves. It stretched to help her put it on, but then practically molded to her shape, showing off every dip and curve of her body. She loved it.
“You’re too sweet,” Ella laughed. “I can see why Mr. Anthony likes you.” Brooke blushed at that, but the older woman didn’t seem to notice. “So are you looking for anything in particular? Mr. Anthony said I shouldn’t let you leave until you’ve shopped to your heart’s content.”
“Oh, well,” Brooke said, smiling bashfully. “I really don’t need anything. Now that I’ve got this dress and I have some clothes upstairs that I wear for work, so I—”
“Nonsense!” Ella huffed. “A lady can always use more clothes. Especially when a gentleman like Mr. Anthony is offering to buy them for her.” She winked at Brooke. “Besides, your generous friend would be pretty angry with me if I let you leave here empty-handed. So please buy something?”
Ella batted her eyelashes and locked her fingers together, as if in prayer, pleading with Brooke, who finally relented.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Chapter Eight
By the time Brooke walked into work that night at 09:00 p.m., she was groomed, carrying several shopping bags, and incredibly well-fed. She hadn’t meant to spend so much of Mr. Dunham’s money, but Ella had been insistent and had kept pulling out outfits that looked perfect on her. And then Ella had offered to do her hair herself, giving her a beautiful blowout so that her strawberry-blonde curls bounced with every step she took.
And then, when she’d finally escaped Ella’s clutches and gotten back to Mr. Dunham’s condo, she found a silver platter on the dining room table that was warm to the touch. Brooke had put down her bags and reached for a small, folded notecard next to it, flipping it open and biting her lip at the familiar handwriting.
Dear Brooke,
Thought you might need a little something to eat before work. Bon appétit!
Anthony
Under the lid of the tray, she’d found a perfectly marbled steak, with roasted vegetables and a tiny gourmet cupcake. In the fridge, there was a bottle of red wine with her name on it and a wine glass on the counter. Brooke had almost shed tears over the beauty of it all. She’d never been treated so well by a lover before.
But then her heart had seized up. Because Mr. Dunham wasn’t just any lover. He was her boss! The man that had hired her and signed her checks (hell, she hadn’t even gotten her first one, yet) and whose money she had just spent on clothes and food and her hair. What did it all mean?
She’d tried to put it out of her mind as she ate, enjoying the tender texture of the beef and the freshness of the veggies. After that, she dressed and called for Mr. Dunham’s car service, suddenly anxious to get out of there if he happened to return. As much as she wanted to know what they were doing with one another, she wasn’t too keen to have a define-the-relationship moment just before work.
Or ever, if she could avoid it.
That’s what brought her to the break room, where she attempted to fit all of her purchases into her tiny locker (instead of going out to find her car and risk being officially late for her shift. As she was doing this, however, she heard a familiar voice from behind her and almost fell over in her hast to hide the overly-large boutique bags.
“Shopping spree already, rookie?” Tessa asked, amusement in her voice and on her face. “Did you even get paid yet?”
“Um, no,” Brooke replied. “But, I, um…thought I’d treat myself to some new clothes, you know? And then I can pay my credit card with my first bill.”
“That’s mighty ambitious of you,” Tessa murmured. “Especially with all those bags from…Ella’s? Seriously, rookie?” Tessa reached out and snatched one of Brooke’s bags, opening it up on a nearby table and gasping at what she found inside, pulling it out and looking at the price tag. She let out a low whistle and turned back to Brooke with suspicion in her eyes. “Ain’t no way you could afford this,” she huffed. “Who’s the guy?”
Brooke’s eyes widened and she bit her lip to keep from blurting out his name. She cleared her throat and decided to play dumb, instead. “What guy?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips and trying to look insulted, even as her heart pounded, nervously, in her chest. She swallowed thickly as Tessa leaned closer, searching her eyes for something. The gaze was so intense that Brooke found herself starting to falter, her shoulders dropping and her body automatically. Before she could reveal her hand, Tessa laughed.
“Aha!” she said. “So there is a guy. Who is it? Spill!”
“It’s…uh…you don’t…I mean, he’s…um…”
“Come on, rookie,” Tessa huffed. “I don’t have all day. Just tell me; is it worth it?” She wiggled her eyebrows and Brooke blushed harder, looking away as she ran her hand nervously through her hair, mussing the curls slightly. Tessa laughed. “Oh my god, it so is, isn’t it? I mean, look at your face! Are you good with open relationships? Because I could actually use a little more padding for my closet if you’re not ex—”
“Do not walk away from us, Tony!” Brook
e practically broke her neck as her head swiveled toward the sound of the voice. Tessa followed suit.
Their eyes landed on Mr. Dunham as he stormed out of a room in the back, pursued by several men in suits, all of whom were bickering with one another. One of the men stepped in his path, standing firm in Mr. Dunham’s way despite being significantly smaller than the other man. Like Mr. Dunham, he had slicked back dark hair and broad shoulders. His eyebrows seemed to permanently arch downward, as if he was perpetually angry.
“You don’t own me anymore, Frankie,” Mr. Dunham hissed, turning back around, only to be stopped by three other men that were dressed similarly to this ‘Frankie’. He glared all three of them down. “Now, leave; all of you. Before I call security and have you physically thrown out.”
“Aw, you wouldn’t do that, Tony,” Frankie tutted. “Because, if you did, you’d have a lot more than just me and the boys to worry about. And I’m sure that wouldn’t be good for business.”
“Are you threatening me?” Tony hissed, his voice lowering so much that Brooke had to strain to hear him.
“Would I do that to you?” Frankie huffed. “My good friend?” He gave Tony a look that spoke volumes. “All we want is for you to remember where you came from, my man. And to give back to the community that put you where you are right now. That’s all.”
“And if I don’t?”
Frankie shrugged. “What goes around comes around; that’s all I can say. Have a nice day, Tony.” He clapped a hand on Tony’s cheek while the taller men practically snarled at him and watched Frankie walk away.
As soon as they disappeared from view, Tony turned to walk back toward his office, but instead locked eyes with a startled Brooke, whose mouth gaped just the slightest bit. His own eyes widened and they shared a look that crackled with electricity and heat—and didn’t go unnoticed by Tessa, whose eyes flickered between them in confusion for a long moment, before everything seemed to click into place.
She looked back at Mr. Dunham and caught his eyes flickering toward her before he suddenly cleared his throat and headed for the elevator.
“Brooke,” she asked, “do you know who that was?”
“Hm?” Brooke blinked at Tessa for a moment, before remembering herself. “Oh. Yeah. That’s Antho—um, Mr. Dunham, isn’t it?”
Tessa searched her eyes for a long moment and was about to open her mouth to say something, when she suddenly heard her name being called. She turned just in time to see a manager walking toward her with a clipboard in his hands.
“I have to talk to you about a few scheduling difficulties,” he said, pulling her away from her conversation with Brooke. When she glanced at the other woman over her shoulder, she caught her still watching Mr. Dunham’s retreating back.
She didn’t miss the look they shared as the doors to the elevator closed, either.
Oh boy, Tessa thought, shaking her head as she followed the manager away. This will not end well.
*****
During her break, Brooke checked her phone and saw that she had a single missed text from Mr. Dunham. It contained three simple words:
Meet me outside.
She swallowed thickly and slipped the phone into her pocket as she made her way outside, grateful that Tessa was still covering the floor. Her only scare was when one manager asked her where she was going, stopping her with a stern look as if he expected her to play hooky like a high school student or something.
“I just need a little air,” Brooke lied, easily, giving the manager a smile. “I’ll be back in a minute.” The manager considered her for a moment, before nodding and allowing her past. She was grateful that he didn’t follow her outside, because she had no idea what she would do then.
Anthony was leaning against the side of the building, a cigarette between his fingers, unlit.
“You know,” Brooke said, walking closer, “that’s pretty bad for you.” He looked up and grinned at her, pushing away from the wall and pulling the pack from his pocket. He tucked the cigarette back in and replaced it, shaking his head.
“I quit a long time ago,” he said. “It’s just a habit, I guess. I never actually light it.” He took a deep breath. “It gets hard, though, in great times of stress, you know?”
Brooke nodded. “My dad goes to the shooting range when he’s stressed,” she informed him. Anthony’s jaw clenched and she took a deep breath, holding it in for a moment as she waited for him to say something. When he didn’t, she did.
“What has you stressed?”
“Nothing you should concern yourself with,” Anthony said. His words were slightly clipped, but the smile he gave her was soft, if just the tiniest bit forced. “I’ll be fine,” he assured her. “Just a little worked up.”
“Do those guys owe you money or something?” Brooke tried to joke. He didn’t laugh. Instead, he reached for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket and pulled one out, rolling it between his fingers. “Other way around?” Brooke asked.
“We’re not talking about it.”
Brooke sighed. “Okay,” she said. They stood there in silence for a long time. “I’m sorry if I spent too much money today.”
Anthony furrowed his brow as he looked down at her. “What?” he said.
“I mean, between the clothes and the hair and the food…sorry. Ella just wouldn’t let me leave until I—”
“I know,” Anthony interrupted. “I planned it that way.”
“Excuse me?”
He chuckled and placed the cigarette behind his ear. “I knew you wouldn’t take any money if it was just me that suggested it,” he said. “So I had Ella do her best to convince you. Sounds like she did a pretty good job of it.” He tilted his head to the side. “Your hair looks gorgeous, by the way. And that blouse makes your breasts look amazing.” Brooke blushed, but couldn’t help the smile that spread over her lips. “I’d like to see you again tonight, if you’re interested. You free tonight?”
“Oh…I, uh…sure. I just…do you mind if I go home first? My father was really worried about me last night and I’m sure he’ll be even more nervous if I spend a second night out without checking in with him first.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s very over-protective.”
“Can’t say I blame him,” Anthony said. “With such a beautiful daughter out and about in a world like this…I’d want to keep you under lock and key, as well.” There was heat in his eyes as he said this and Brooke was almost certain that he was going to kiss her right then and there, in front of the casino filled with his employees (and her co-workers) but instead, he backed off. “I’ll follow you to your apartment,” he agreed. “How about that?”
“Sounds good to me,” Brooke flirted. “But only if you give me about a twenty-minute head-start.”
“I have some work to do anyway,” Anthony said. “You can just send me the address and I’ll meet you there when you’re ready. Deal?”
“It’s a date,” Brooke purred, sneaking a tiny peck to his lips, before making her way back inside to continue her shift.
Chapter Nine
“Pop, I’m home!” Brooke called as she walked into the apartment with all of her bags. She found her father in the living room, lounging on the couch with a novel in his lap and a steaming cup of coffee at his side.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” he called back.
“Morning?” Brooke asked, checking the time on her phone. It was nearing six in the morning. “Do you have an early shift?”
“Yes, I certainly do,” he replied and she heard his grunts as he moved from the sofa into his chair. Before she knew it, he was wheeling straight into her bedroom as she stowed her bags into the closet. “Did you and your friend go shopping?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Brooke said. “Just for a few things. You know, a kind of girls’ day.”
“Sounds nice,” her father said. “I see you got your hair done, too.”
“Oh,” Brooke said, straightening up and running her hand through her locks. “Yeah. Tessa did this. She is
super talented with a curling iron and a little mousse, don’t you think?” She posed and her father laughed.
“Yes,” he agreed, “she certainly is. Well, I’m glad you had fun, sweetums. Just remember to call me next time and let me know you won’t be coming home. I only got sleep last night because I knew you’d be at work until I woke up, but that won’t be the case every day.”
“I know, I know,” Brooke sighed. “Sorry, Pop. I’ll do better about keeping you in the loop.”
“That’s all I ask,” he said. “Now, do you have any plans for today? Besides sleeping, I mean?”
Brooke laughed and rolled her eyes. “Yes, actually,” she said. “I have a date.”
“Oh?” Her father’s voice took on a protective tone. “With whom, may I ask?”
“A guy from work,” Brooke informed him. “His name is Tony and he is very sweet. We’re just going to get breakfast and maybe to see a show.”
“Are you going to stay with him until you go to work tonight?” he asked and Brooke knew exactly what he meant by that.
“I might have him drop me off at Tessa’s,” she lied. “She lives a short walk from the casino, so I can nap at her place before going in.” Her father seemed pleased with this answer.
“What did I do to deserve such a good daughter?” he asked.
“Knocked up mom?” Brooke joked.
“Brooke Elizabeth Abernathy!” her father scolded, laughing.
“I’m just kidding, Pop,” she laughed. “Besides, it’s me who doesn’t deserve such a wonderful father.” She leaned down and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Have fun at work, okay? Don’t stress yourself out too much worrying about me.”
