Dirty Boss_The Maxwell Family

by Alycia Taylor

  “Morning, Reagan,” he said and smiled at me. “Coffee?”

  “Always,” I said.

  “Be right back,” he said and came back carrying two mugs.

  “Thank you. Isn’t it weird how normal it feels to be working together now? From college days to this,” I mused. “It’s like a dream come true for me. I don’t think I can ever thank you enough. Do you know that when you called me, I was considering going to work at a café just because I couldn’t find a job? Your call definitely came at the right time for me.”

  “I’m so glad to hear that. It would be such a waste to see you doing something else. You were meant for this line of work. I was thinking the same thing about us just the other day. I like having you here. And you’ve done a great job of the campaign so far. Have you seen the poll? We’re in the lead, and I things are looking much better than they were a few weeks ago. I think you’ve saved our skin, Reagan.”

  I smiled and tried not to feel guilty about the fact that I’d almost messed it up too. “Thanks, Ralph. I appreciate you saying that. I don’t think it’s completely down to me, though. But I’m glad to be part of it. It’s a nice team to be in. And it’s good that we’re all feeling positive again. I still remember how bad the mood was on that first day I joined.”

  He laughed. “I remember that too. What a bad time to start. I felt so bad asking you to start at such a horrible time during the campaign. But you held yourself well, and now you’re just part of the team.”

  “Part of the furniture,” I said and laughed. “It didn’t take me long to feel comfortable. There was no time to be nervous.”

  “Yeah, that’s true. Well, we have a few things to get through today. Time is slowly starting to run out. I can’t believe how quick it’s going.”

  “Tell me about it. I remember saying we still had so much time. But we don’t anymore.”

  “Let’s just make sure we stay on the up and up. Oh, here comes Josh.”

  I tried to act casual as I saw Josh walking into the office. My immediate thought was how attractive he was, followed almost immediately by the fact that I shouldn’t be thinking of him in that way. He said hello to everyone, and then as he got to his office door, he turned to look at me.

  “Reagan, please can you come and see me when you get a minute?” he asked, and I couldn’t make out what his tone meant. Was he happy to see me? Was he annoyed? Was he angry? I had no idea.

  “Uh, sure,” I said, swallowing hard.

  Ralph looked at me and pulled a face. “Ah, a date with the boss first thing in the morning. Unlucky you.”

  Before the night with Josh, I would’ve laughed and made a joke back, but I suddenly felt too nervous for the banter. I was sure that Josh was going to talk to me about what had happened, and I just hoped that everything was going to be okay. I didn’t want to lose my job over one night of passion. I sighed.

  “Be right back,” I said to Ralph and made my way to the office.

  I walked over to the office and closed the door behind me.

  “You didn’t knock,” Josh said as I walked in.

  “You asked me to come,” I said.

  “You still should’ve knocked,” he said, and when I looked up, I saw that he was smiling. Relief washed over me. He was still joking with me like he used to. That was a good sign.

  “Why? Do you have something to hide?” I said.

  He laughed. “Only my good looks and charm.”

  “You’re right—you hide those very well,” I said and grinned at him. He seemed relieved too that things were fine. “So, what can I help you with this morning?”

  “I have a meeting today with the men that are helping with the funding of the campaign.”

  “Oh yeah, I saw that in the schedule. That’s a very big meeting.”

  “Very big. Very important. And, because you’re so much better at these things than me, I was wondering if you could give me some advice as to what tie I should wear. If you don’t mind of course. I know that’s not your only job, but I knew you would be better at this than me.”

  I laughed. “Ah, so you’re finally admitting to the fact that how you present yourself is important.”

  “I’m doing no such thing,” he said.

  I laughed. “Well, I’d be happy to help. And yes, I am better at this than you are. What are the choices?”

  He held up three ties, and after quickly assessing what he was wearing, and trying not to imagine him out of his clothes, I pointed to the dark blue tie. He’d actually look good in any of the ties but I decided not to say that to him. If there was one thing I wasn’t going to do, it was flirt with him. Although it was proving to be a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. It didn’t help that Josh was a natural flirter himself. He just couldn’t help himself, and he made me want to do it right back to him.

  “That one for sure,” I said. “I think that would look great on you.”

  He put it on and smiled. “Thanks. That’s the one I was thinking of too.”

  Once his tie was on, we discussed the upcoming meeting and ran through a few points. I took him through all the work that I had done the previous night, and he seemed impressed by how much I had gotten done in one day. I was glad that he noticed just how much effort I was putting into the campaign. I wanted him to think that it was important to have me around. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was only good for one thing. Also, I really didn’t want to lose my job over it all. I was pleased to see that we were able to talk about work without letting what had happened get in the way.

  Still, I felt strange about the whole thing. I wanted to know that everything was going to be okay and that we’d be able to move forward. I wanted to know how he felt about what had happened between us, and if he regretted it or enjoyed it. I had a million questions swimming through my head at the same time, and I thought that if I didn’t at least ask one of them that my head was going to explode. I was just about to leave the office when I turned around to face him. I had to at least ask him something. Otherwise it was just going to drive me crazy all day.

  “Uh, Josh . . .” I started.

  “Yeah?”

  “I was just checking to see if you were okay?” I asked. It wasn’t exactly what I wanted to say. But it was the best I could do for now.

  He frowned. “Okay? Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

  “Uh, you know, with uh, with what happened?” Did he really have to make me outline it for him? I was feeling awkward about it in the first place, and I could feel a blush playing at my cheeks. I hated how easily I blushed at things, and I was certain he had noticed it.

  “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Everything is great. I just hope that this meeting goes well today. But at least I know I look the part,” he said and smiled at me. “Thanks for the help with the tie. I knew you’d find the right one for me.”

  “Oh, well, okay then. Good luck. I’m sure you’ll do great.”

  So Josh’s plan was to act like nothing had ever happened between us. I should have been glad; after all, it probably shouldn’t have happened in the first place. Ignoring it was by far the best thing that either of us could do. And yet, the fact that he was so dismissive about the whole thing made me feel uneasy. I told myself that it was for the best, but deep down I couldn’t help but wish he had at least acknowledged it. Does that mean he regretted it? Had I enjoyed it more than he had? I left the office feeling worse than when I had gone in. I had never been more confused about a situation in my life.

  “Everything okay?” Ralph asked as I made my way back to my desk. Ralph was still sitting there, looking through some of his notes to go through with me.

  “Yeah? Why?” I asked. Could he tell that something had happened? Am I that obvious? I felt so annoyed at myself for not being professional.

  “You just look lost in thought. What did Josh want?”

  I shook my head and tried to act casual again. “Oh, he just wanted some fashion advice.”

  R
alph laughed. “You buy the man one suit and now he can’t get changed without your help.”

  I laughed. “Who knew I would one day become a fashion consultant?”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Josh

  Things in the office were busy, and I had never been more grateful for it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about Reagan and what had happened, but the work certainly helped my mind from straying too far. It was a little awkward when she had brought it up in my office. Even if she hadn’t actually said the words, I knew what she had been talking about. I hoped she wasn’t upset about my nonchalance, but it was better if the two of us just acted like it didn’t happen. She was the one that didn’t want to sleep over, anyway, so I knew that she would prefer that we continued with things the way they had been before the incident. Admittedly, I was a little upset that she hadn’t wanted to sleep over, but the moment she said no, I knew that this thing between us wasn’t going to turn into a relationship. I was so lost in my work that when my phone rang I jumped up in surprise.

  “Hello? Uh, Josh Maxwell speaking,” I said.

  “Bulldog!”

  I laughed. I hadn’t been called that nickname in a long time, and I smiled at the sound of my cousin’s voice. We hadn’t spoken in such a long time.

  “Yo, Max. Good to hear from you. Hell, it’s been ages. This is a surprise.”

  “I was in the area, and I thought I’d see if you were by any chance free for lunch? I do realize I’m calling you at a crazy time, but I’d love the chance to catch up with you again. If you’re too busy, I can always come in for a quick coffee or something.”

  I barely had time to think at the moment, but I knew the break would do me good. I looked at the clock and was surprised to see that it was already lunch time.

  “I just saw the time. I thought it was around ten. This morning has gone so fast. I probably need to get out the office for a bit. So yeah, lunch would be great. A man has to eat, after all. Want to meet in about half an hour? I just want to quickly finish up what I was doing, but I won’t be long.”

  “Yeah, half an hour is perfect. Cool. Let’s go to Benton Burgers. I haven’t been there in ages.”

  “Ah, they make the best burgers. Good idea. I haven’t been there in such a long time, either. See you there.”

  My stomach grumbled at the mere thought of a burger. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until he mentioned it. I was looking forward to seeing Max again. The two of us had always gotten along well, but life was so busy that we barely saw each other. I knew it was mostly my fault. The last time we had seen each other had also been because Max had called me up and asked me out. I had promised him that I would be in touch, but I’d completely forgotten about it. I felt bad for not making the effort, but I knew he wouldn’t mind.

  As I walked out the office, I saw Reagan sitting at her desk. She looked up and saw me watching, and she looked like she was going to say something but then changed her mind. I considered going up and talking to her, but I felt strange about the situation. Things had been fine between us, but that was because neither one of us had spoken about what had happened. It was probably better if we kept it that way. Also, the last thing I wanted to do was to cause suspicion in the office. A simple word or strange look between us could easily cause an uproar. I knew how quickly rumors spread in such a confined space, and we did not need a scandal on our hands. I quickly looked away and made my way out the door, and pushed all thoughts of her aside. I was grateful that Max had called. Distractions were just what I needed.

  Benton Burgers was always a very popular place to go for lunch. It was situated right in the heart of the city and was surrounded by hundreds of businesses. Even though it was just one of many restaurants, it remained one of the most frequented by everyone. Nobody knew how to make burgers quite like them. The smell was the thing that greeted me first, and I moved from hungry to starving within seconds. I was grateful to see that Max was already sitting there, keeping a table for us.

  “I didn’t think we’d get a table,” I said as I walked up to him.

  He smiled. “I got here a little early just for that reason. I remembered how busy this place always was. I’m glad to see it’s still just as busy as before. The burgers must still be amazing then. It’s good to see you, Josh. You’re looking good. And I’m glad you didn’t take too long because the longer I sat here, the hungrier I became.”

  I laughed. “I know, the smell is insane here. I’m starving. And thanks, man, you too. It always feels weird complimenting you because it feels like I’m complimenting myself. I still think you and I should’ve been brothers. I’m still certain that one day there will be this big family scandal and we’ll find out that we were brothers all along. The family hasn’t had a scandal in a long time; I think it’s about time.”

  He laughed too. We were both so used to getting mistaken for one another. It had been like that ever since we were little. We looked so much alike that from a distance, we could easily be mistaken for twins. The only difference was Max was a lot more serious than me. I had always been the joker, while he did everything by the book. He worked as a detective for the narcotics division, and he said it was his job that had caused him to be so serious about everything, but I knew that he had always been this way.

  “You won’t believe how many times I get mistaken for you,” he said. “I know we look similar, but it always amazes me that people actually confuse me for you.”

  “Well, if we ever feel like switching jobs, we know what to do,” I said. “Although, I think I’d make a terrible cop.”

  “Yeah, and I’d make a terrible senator. There’s no way I could go up there and talk in front of a crowd the way you do. You’ve done well, though, Josh. I saw the mess that you guys were all in recently, but I’ve only been hearing good things about you lately, so I think you managed to get yourself out of it. I have a good feeling about this one.”

  “I hope so,” I said. “Good to hear, though. I’m starting to feel better about the situation too, and I also have a good feeling that it’s going to work out for us. It was a little scary at one stage. We all thought we were doomed. Luckily it didn’t happen right before the election because having a month to sort ourselves out has done us good. How about you? How have things been on your side? Work going well?”

  “Oh, things are pretty much the same as usual on my side. Busy. You won’t believe how hectic my division is.”

  “The narcotics division? Oh, I believe you.”

  The waitress came around and asked us if she could get us something to eat. We ordered a burger and a cup of coffee each, and the waitress commented on how cool it was to serve such handsome brothers. We laughed and didn’t bother correcting her. I forgot how much fun it was to hang around someone that looked like me. When we were younger, we used to prank people, but we hadn’t done that in such a long time.

  “So, did you hear about Uncle Paul?” he asked when the waitress was gone.

  I sighed. Our uncle Paul had just recently being diagnosed with cancer. It was a horrible shock to everyone in the family because he had always been so strong. I nodded.

  “Horrible. But I hear he’s doing well. Have you gone to see him?”

  He shook his head. “I haven’t. I feel terrible. I’m definitely going to have to go to Arizona to see him soon.”

  “Yeah, me too,” I said. “I’ve been so busy with the upcoming election, but afterward I think I should make a trip to visit him.

  “Sort of crazy how life can just change all of a sudden like that. I never would have expected something like that to happen to Uncle Paul. Never. But then again, you don’t exactly get a warning for cancer. And I bet you he’s just telling everyone that he’s fine even when he’s not.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. If there’s one thing the men in our family are known for, it’s keeping things to themselves,” I said and immediately thought of Reagan. I wondered if I’d feel better talking about it, but I wasn’t going to try it.


  “That’s for sure. How often do you talk to everyone in the family?” he asked.

  “Admittedly, not as often as I should. I am terrible at keeping in touch.”

  “Yeah, but it’s not like you’re not busy. You’re one of the busiest people I know.”

  “All the men in our family are busy,” I said. I was certain that all of us had been told that at least once in our lives by someone. We might have all chosen different paths in our lives, but if there was one thing that always showed us as a family, it was the way we dealt with our work.

  “We’re workaholics that keep to ourselves,” he said and laughed. “Yeah, that about sums us up.”

  “Do you still go to any of the motorcycle club meetings? I guess they’re kind of far away, though, eh?” I asked. “I know they often move around, but I personally haven’t been to any in a hell of a long time.”

  It was strange talking about something that felt like another part of my life now. Our uncle didn’t just run a motorcycle shop, but he also ran a club, and for a while, all his sons and all the cousins were a part of it. Things had been different then, and certainly very carefree. We’d all enjoyed riding bikes back then, and while some of us had continued on that path, most of us had gone our own ways.

  “No. I hear from them from time to time, and I saw they were in the newspaper recently. Some big scandal involving Ian, but you know how the media is. I doubt there was much truth to it. The guys at the club have a bad reputation for nothing. They’re all great guys who just happen to have a common interest.”

  I thought of Kason and sighed. “Yeah. Trust me, if there’s one person that knows about the media blowing things out of proportion, it’s me. I always felt sorry for that club. Just because they wear dark clothes and like to ride bikes doesn’t make them bad people. Most of them are just normal members of society with real jobs and real families. It’s so frustrating.”

  “I know. I used to tell people that I was a part of it once and they would look at me differently suddenly. As if I had just admitted to a crime or something.”