by Lauren Wood
“That’s not good enough. We can’t put all these people out of work. Why would that be good for us or the community?”
Callie blushed and took a drink of water. She seemed to be nervous and with only a few of us in here, I had to wonder if it was her own conscious she was battling, not just her brother’s.
“It’s not the best for the community, it’s the best for our shareholders and sadly that’s what it comes down to. They want bigger dividends and that means that we had to cut costs as we up production. This is the only way and I’ve thought long and hard about this, long before you showed up David. If you have a better way of making this work, I’m ready to hear it.”
“I don’t know. You said you had time. Give me some.”
She blew out a breath like she was irritated and told him he had a month. It wasn’t that long, but it was long enough to shut him up. He seemed happy, but I could tell that the confrontation had not went that well and there was tension in the room.
As everyone was filing out, Callie stopped me, and I asked her what it was about.
“What’s up?”
“I wanted to ask you something.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you think that my brother is right?”
Here I was thinking that she wanted to talk about us, but she wasn’t worried about us at all. Callie seemed to have a one-track mind.
“Um, well I think that you can destroy the area if you fire that many people. This neighborhood isn’t very big and there is nothing else around to pick up the slack. I think you are going to be hurting a lot of people and I don’t know if this is what the area needs, and I don’t know if the city can take it. This factory is the livelihood for a lot of people.”
Callie didn’t seem to like my answer, but she asked a question and I just told the truth. I wasn’t going to argue with her, not when she was already upset with me for last night and Linda. I wasn’t going to rock the boat, no matter how easy it would have been to do. I knew that I was going to have to walk gently for a while until I figured out what was going on and where I stood with Callie. It was a hard line to walk because it was so easy to fall off.
“You’ve given me a lot to think about. Thank you, Ted.”
I missed her calling me Teddy, but I wasn’t going to mention it right now. I wasn’t that stupid. I knew that this was going to be a slow process, but God, I wanted her to call me Teddy again, so badly. I liked the way it rolled off her tongue and she was still the only woman that had ever called me that. I missed it and I wanted to hear it again.
“I don’t wish for your job. Those are the kinds of decisions that I wouldn’t want to make.”
Callie thanked me for listening and I asked her if she wanted to get some coffee from the breakroom, but Callie told me that she was busy. I don’t know if she was, but she wasn’t going to talk with my today. I had to think of a way to get us back where we were. All we needed was a little alone time and I was sure that something would come of it.
Chapter 14
Callie
It was time for the company picnic and it was a tradition that my father started, and I thought that we should continue it. I’d never planned such a big party before and I had a friend from college come in and help me plan it. Brenda was good at that sort of thing and she’d made a job out of it by becoming a party planner. I knew that she was perfect, and she was already in the city and not far away.
When she got to the house, I noticed that Teddy was over shooting pool with David in the game room. It was a new addition to the house, matched nothing, but I didn’t say a word. The house was sort of split in half through an understanding and I didn’t care what he did on his side. I had to double duty the maids over there, so it stayed tidy, but that’s the most I worried about it.
David called to us and wanted an introduction. He was keen to learn my friend’s names and I think it was his way of trying to get to know me. After a minute, I realized that it was Brenda he wanted to get to know better.
“Brenda this is my brother, David. David, this is Brenda from college. This is Ted, his friend.”
They both said hello and I noticed my brother checking her out. He was a bit of a horn dog since the night of the party. In the last month he’d brought several new girls home and they were never the same, some rarely staying for breakfast. We lived very different lifestyles.
Brenda smiled back at Teddy and it bothered me enough that I was ready to get on. I didn’t want her and Teddy flirting, not even with their eyes.
“Come on Callie. Are we really in that much of a rush? We have time for one game, don’t we?”
I sighed and groaned inwardly, saying that we did. It was a party that was still a couple of weeks away, so the planning wasn’t as pertinent as one would think. I knew that I was going to have to agree to it.
“Sure. Just one game though. We have that appointment at one.”
I was grasping at straws. “Why don’t we play teams?”
David was suggesting it and I had a feeling I knew who he wanted as a partner, and it wasn’t his sister. But before he could swoop in, Brenda volunteered to be with Ted and I was the one that didn’t like it. David was easy going and didn’t seem bothered. I was bothered like hell that my friend was smiling at Ted in that way and looking at him in a way that I didn’t like at all. He wasn’t mine, but I didn’t want him to be hers or really anyone else’s either. It was hard to explain how I felt about it all, but I knew that it was going to have to wait, these stupid feelings. I wasn’t going to embarrass myself in front of them, especially since I was wanted to pretend like we didn’t have something going between us.
I tried to ignore the way she asked him to show her how to play. Brenda knew how to play, had for years cause we used to play when we were drunk. Now she was acting as if she didn’t know what side of the stick to use. It was hard to watch, and Teddy was just eating it up. David was bothered too, but his good nature led him to saying nothing.
The game couldn’t get over quickly enough and I was more than a little done with it all. Brenda wasn’t looking like such a good idea anymore. I didn’t want her getting with Teddy. I just didn’t want that, and I knew that there was again no reason for those sorts of feelings, but I had them nonetheless. He wasn’t mine, I had to remind myself when I found myself wanting to tell Brenda off. I got in the car and took off, trying to control the gas pedal better than I was controlling my emotions.
“Well he’s nice. Why didn’t you tell me about him?”
I didn’t answer her for a minute. We were on our way to the appointment with the caterers and I didn’t know what to say. She went on about how much she liked Teddy and she wanted to know all kinds of things about him. I was not in the mood to answer a bunch of questions.
“I really don’t know him all that well. He’s my brother’s friend and I don’t even know David all that well yet. So, I can’t really tell you.”
“You don’t even know if he is single?”
I thought about it and then shrugged. “I saw some chick going down on him at my brother’s party about a month ago, but I don’t really know their relationship status.”
“Geez, you really don’t like that guy, do you?”
It wasn’t that. I just didn’t like her talking to him or having anything to do with him really.
“Not really, but good luck with that.”
“Is it bad that I still want to try?”
I told her that it wasn’t, and I don’t know why, but something left the inside of me, something hollow and I tried to suck it up. That’s what I did, but God, this time it was hard.
***
When I got back home, Teddy’s car was in the driveway and I sighed to myself. I was so glad that I’d dropped Brenda off on the way home. She wanted to catch up, but I’d said I was tired, which I was. Though, I was far more worried about getting away from her before I said something that would reveal my true feelings. I didn’t want that, no matter how upset I was. It would be w
orse if people knew how I felt, but God the idea of walking in on a similar position with one of my friends and Teddy was too much to bare.
All this was whirling in my head when I went inside. I stopped at the door when I saw Teddy in the foyer.
“You might want to move.”
“What?”
I didn’t know what he was talking about and suddenly his hand went up and he moved me to the side as something came whizzing past. It crashed into the door and broke into a bunch of little pieces.
“What is that?”
“They are these little cars with remotes, you know like an RC car. They say they are indestructible. Obviously, they’re not.”
Shaking my head, I was sure sometimes that I was coming into another world all together when I came home. It was like the twilight zone half the time and I wondered again if this was what it was like to live with men. Were they all like this?
“You know what, I shouldn’t have even asked. Where’s David?”
“Upstairs somewhere.”
He didn’t seem too interested in finding him and when I started to push against him as he held me still. We were so close, and his breath was in my ear. It made me shiver and I couldn’t help how it made me feel. When I was close to Teddy, it was hard to think of anything else but him.
“What are you doing?”
“Trying to figure out what is going on in your head.”
I giggled trying to lighten the mood and told him that I wished him luck.
“I don’t need luck.”
“No?”
“No.”
“Then what am I thinking?”
He grinned at me before pulling me towards his waiting lips. “In a minute, you’re not going to be thinking nothing at all.”
Chapter 15
Theodore
I had had enough time waiting. I don’t know what was going on in her mind, but I hoped that I could erase all thoughts. I wanted her, and I had to have her. It was a desire that wasn’t going away, no matter how much I tried to push it in the back of my mind. Seeing her, working with her, I just couldn’t help myself and I still couldn’t figure out why I should want to.
Her moan of submission was all that was needed, and I pulled her tight against me. I was so hard, ready to push deep inside of her and I wanted her to feel my desire. She’d liked to be rubbed against it before. I remembered everything that she liked, and I moved to lick and then bite on her shoulder.
I felt her shiver and I smiled to myself. This is exactly what I needed, and I moved my hand to her waist and slid my hand down her pants. They were stretchy, and I was able to twist and then push my fingers in between the wet lips that felt so inviting to me. I heard the whimper of pleasure and the wetness that greeted my digits as I pushed a couple deep inside.
“Damn you’re already so fucking wet Callie.”
She was last time and the heat was the same. She was scorching and before I knew what I was doing, I was pumping into her with my fingers, preparing her for me.
Callie held my forearm as I made her moan. She was close, always on the cusp it seemed, and I couldn’t stop myself from wanting more. This wasn’t the place, with her brother upstairs, threatening to come down, but now was my chance. She wasn’t thinking, she was in my arms and I had to make her mine. It was just that simple.
I moved faster until her body was tightening up against me. It was hard to stop the throbbing that was going on in my pants. Fuck, I wanted her so damn badly. When she came and whimpered my name breathlessly, it was all I could do not to stab her with my cock right then. It felt like I could have done it through her clothes. I was that damn horny and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that we had to get out of the opening area and find some place to have it out. It just couldn’t take that long. She was under my spell right now, but that didn’t mean that she wouldn’t change her mind in a heartbeat. I know how Callie was and I’d already experienced her indecision enough.
Dragging her into one of the side sitting rooms that didn’t look to be used, I bent her over the couch as I shut the door behind me. It made a loud banging sound and it made her jump a little bit. She looked behind herself and moved her ass a little bit as an enticement. I don’t know what the hell had changed with Callie, but I was riding this wave out. There was no way that I was going to be able to ignore it. It didn’t matter why, not really. What mattered was that I was pulling my dick out inches from her soaked entry. She was so ready for me. Almost as ready as I was for her.
Her legs went out a little wider to put her just at the right level. I grabbed each side of her waist by her hips and slammed home in one quick lunge forward. I was immediately taken in with the tight heat that surrounded my cock, choking it out. I had to close my eyes and grit my teeth for a moment as I tried to get used to the new sensations. If it was any other woman, I would have came right then and there, not worried about how she was going to feel when I was done.
This was Callie though. I couldn’t be so callous for several different reasons. Callie was someone I was going to see tomorrow and the next day. She wasn’t a girl that I was going to drop off and move on from. That’s just not how it works. It hadn’t worked like that before and I knew better than to think that it was going to happen again like that. I was stuck with the knowledge that it had to be perfect, so she would keep coming back for more and more and more.
When I started to move inside of her, it was hard and fast. There was no other way to be inside of this woman and I didn’t want it any other way. I’d fucked her slow before, long ago and she’d asked for more. Now she was pushing back from my torso like she was going to be able to slow me down. That wasn’t going to happen. It just wasn’t. There was nothing that I could do but push deeper and harder with each pass.
Callie came hard and my name was on her lips again. I pulled her up for a kiss and pulled her body back against mine. I could feel her ass cheeks jiggling and wiggling as I slammed into her. I had to cover her mouth when her sounds became high-pitched and hysterical. My other hand was playing with her clit, prolonging her pleasure just a little bit longer.
It was all music to my ears, but I wasn’t ready for it to end. I could feel the wetness I’d created as she came, and it was so damn hot. I wanted to fuck her forever if I could, but that time was cut short by the sound of David’s voice. He was coming down the stairs and we were not that far out of view.
Covering her mouth so that no sound at all came out, I pumped into her repeatedly before I blasted inside of her. I could hear footsteps and I was able to pull out and pull her skirt down before I left out the other door. She was disheveled, but so was I and I didn’t want David to guess what was going on. It wouldn’t have been hard to figure out.
Chapter 16
Callie
I could barely stand once Teddy ripped out of me and left me empty. I didn’t understand why he did it, until I heard my brother calling out my name. He must have heard me come in and it was clear that Theodore didn’t want my brother to know what was going on. I didn’t blame him of course, I didn’t want him to know either, but he could have warned me. He could have said something as he left me exposed and literally shaking.
“Hey David. I’m in here?”
“What are you doing in here? I don’t think I’ve ever seen this room being used.”
He had this weird look on his face and I asked him what he meant. I was afraid that my sins were writing across my face and that he somehow knew.
“I just don’t think I’ve ever seen you in here. Are you okay? You look a little frazzled and blotchy like you’ve been running.”
I’d just came harder than I ever had before, even since last time I shacked up with Teddy. This time was more intense, and it was rushed. I was still trembling, and David was eyeballing me like I was going to tell him what was wrong. I wasn’t going to do that though. I didn’t have it in me. There was no way that I was going to tell him his friend just fucked me silly because that was exactly what
he had done to me.
“Just been a long day brother. That’s all. The client list is getting longer and I’m starting to wonder if we need to do the party here. What do you think?”
David thought about it while I gazed in the mirror across from me and tried to fix my hair without him seeing it. It was in a disarray and I was sure that he was going to know what was going on. If not, I was just lucky.
“I don’t know. After the last time we had people here, there was a huge mess to clean up, but it was a good party.”
I thought back to how I caught Teddy at the party and I can’t say that I liked that part of it all that well. I hadn’t liked the mess either, but I knew that it was going to be better that way. Here I would be able to invite even more people, some that we don’t work with, but want to. It needed to be big for those reasons and here was the best place. This was going to be a party to impress people.
Brenda wasn’t going to like the change, but I didn’t mind that either. If she wanted to back out of it, it wouldn’t have hurt my feelings all that much. I didn’t want her around Teddy. It was that simple. I felt like he was mine and I didn’t want to share, not even in the least bit.
“I think we should have it here. It will be better and bigger this way. But it’s your house too, so what do you think?”
I wanted to include him in the decision, as well as give him a distraction and me enough time to convince him that I wasn’t in here having sex. It was so improper and not like me at all, but this is what Teddy did to me. He was going to be hard to forget with now fresh memories to go off.
“I think you know then I know about it sis. If you think we should have it here, then we’ll have it here.”
David was always so easy to get along with and I worried about if that ever changed. We got along good now, but what would happen if we didn’t? Our fates were now tied together in a way that I’d never experienced before. He was a stranger to me in more ways than one and it made me nervous. I mean, really nervous.
