by Mia Ford
“I think we’ll both be in a padded room come January,” Brandon clapped me on the shoulder, making me laugh.
We had another long day, but it was good. I was growing to enjoy working over the empty life that we were living before, finding it interesting that he built this from nothing. I got a close look at his work over the years through paperwork and the computer. I got a look at the steps that failed and the ones that worked, hearing stories about Dad from everybody. We had Mom taking care of the party and only had to show up, finding the bar ready and the restaurant looking great. I grinned and looked at the staff that was gathering around the bar, laughing, and talking as I glanced at Brandon. We walked in to join them, smiling at Mom as she came in from the kitchen in a bright green dress. She was always at these events, and I was happy to see her since I wasn’t sure that she’d come.
The buffet was soon ready for all of us, and we lined up to fill our plates with the Mediterranean and American food before taking seats at the tables set up around the room. I joined Mom, seeing the blush to her cheeks as she looked at me with tears in her eyes. “They’re all so kind. They gave me presents and told me how sorry they were…they did that at the church already.”
“Mom, this is your company as much as it was his. You worked hard back in the beginning too, with the books and taking care of these parties. They all love you.” She smiled and nodded, wiping her cheeks.
“Remember when they used to call you Mom and then their kids called you Grandma, making us jealous?” Brandon laughed as she nodded. “Then Ash became that to them. It’s a circle, Mom. We’re going to keep this extended family just that, a family.”
“You two are making me so proud. I know that he’s looking down as well, beaming at the job that you are doing. Your father is proud of you.” Mom told us with a nod and shimmering eyes.
I exchanged a look with my brother, knowing we both hoped that he didn’t see everything. We were tainting the company with some of our past behavior, in ways that might harm others. I don’t know how much of a part I played in Veronica’s issues, but I felt some lingering guilt every now and then. We were doing things that Dad wouldn’t approve of.
Brandon
I pushed back from the desk, rubbing my temples. “Now I know why Dad always had an assistant this time of year. It’s so fucking busy.” I glanced up at my brother who looked as tired as I felt. He nodded. “Can we borrow someone else’s for a while?”
“They’re trained for that manager and I don’t want to do that. Let’s get through the next couple of weeks and we’ll get someone to clean everything up, okay?” We were working so much and so quickly that there would be a shit ton of spreadsheets to finalize. “Let’s make it a working situation this time.”
“You didn’t like the other ones?” I challenged as Brent gazed at me.
“I did, but neither seemed to end well and now we’re here working all goddamn day. I just want to be more responsible in the future.” He returned to his work on the computer and I stood to get some more coffee. I made him a cup as well, knowing how tired he was. We were doing dinner out with Mom later tonight with some friends and I didn’t know how I was going to get through that when all I wanted to do was sleep.
The Christmas party had been a great event. The food was good and everyone hit the open bar and enjoyed themselves, talking in groups and dancing once they felt their inhibitions slip. I realized just how beautiful the women on the staff were when they were dressed in their little cocktail dresses and wasted, their flirtations much more obvious when they got me alone. Fuck, it was hard to turn them away. I could easily take one down the hall and into a bathroom or storage closet and fuck her so fast, releasing the stress from work.
I didn’t. I knew where I was and even more than that, who I was. I’d never disrespect Mom that way after all the work that she put into this night. It wasn’t easy, though, and I looked at Brent as I set the coffee down in front of him. “Here, Brent.”
“Thanks,” he smiled weakly at me as he leaned back. “I should get someone in here to massage everyone. Wasn’t that in a movie that Mom liked?” I laughed, knowing which one he was thinking of.
“She said the same thing to Dad.” We shared a long glance and I looked at the clock. “Want to get one before dinner?”
“We have so much to do that I don’t know if we should take an extra few hours on top of dinner,” he replied thoughtfully as I sighed. “I’ll consider bringing someone in next week, since everyone has been working so hard. It would be a nice break.”
We stayed in the office until five, leaving to take Mom and Ashley to the restaurant with our friends. They asked Brandon and I everything about the company and we answered, faking enthusiasm through the exhaustion that we were both feeling. I didn’t know how Dad did it year after year with a smile on his face, but it kept me going. There were times I thought he was crazy for giving us the run of the company so quickly but it was safe to assume that he thought he had years left with us.
We talked about Dad over the meal, sharing memories and laughter as I made sure that Mom was okay through it. She seemed to enjoy talking about it with everyone and I felt guilty for working so hard and not being home. Jesus, life was difficult. I missed the days of travel and parties, where the hardest decision was what girl I was going to pick for the night.
We took them home just before ten, ready to drop. Our day started at eight the following morning and I personally knew that I could sleep for a day right now. I didn’t know just how Brent felt but it was probably similar. We hugged Mom and Ashley before heading upstairs and changing into something to sleep in, not talking at all.
I told a friend I would meet them Saturday night, needing something other than the office in my world. They chose a popular nightclub and I pulled on some black slacks and a button up shirt as I thought about Brent back at the office. He’d chosen to stay at work while I skipped out. Mom was out with a friend and I left the house, taking one of the cars as I headed into Manhattan.
The club was crowded and brightly lit in the blue and pink lights all over the building. I got right in, knowing every bouncer in town and clapped Marvin on the shoulder as I headed towards the bar. The guys were there, drinking beer and chatting up some girls as I walked up, and they all greeted me with sarcasm and humor about being a working man now. I shook my head and ordered from the pretty bartender before I turned my attention to the girls gathered around. “Hello, ladies. I’m Brandon.”
The night passed with dances and drinking as I let myself relax. There was a lot of women there tonight and I found myself off in the corner making out with a platinum blonde with great tits. She said that she was a paralegal assistant when we were dancing but that thought skipped my mind as her tongue slipped into my mouth, igniting my desire for her touch.
We made plans to leave and go to her place, and I sent a quick text to friends telling them I was leaving. I needed a night with a woman in her room, reminding myself what sex was since we lost Veronica. I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t touched anyone since then and we walked down the street to an impressive brownstone before she unlocked the door and led me into a large foyer. I locked my lips back on hers and pressed her hard against the wall before kissing her neck and asking where her room was.
Brittany led me down a hallway and through a door, and I glanced around to see a big bed in a very lavender room. Jesus, it was girly in here but I looked back at the girl lifting off her dress and decided that I could get over it quickly. She had a body to die for. I stepped forward, unbuttoning my shirt, and letting it slip from my shoulders as her bright blue eyes shimmered with desire. “You’re so hot,” Brittany breathed out as I reached forward to unclasp her bra before kissing her deeply. We stumbled back to the bed where I kissed her lips senselessly before moving down her neck. Brittany gasped and clawed at me while I teased her, pushing my leg against her core. Fuck, she was so wet.
I sucked her nipple hard as she screamed for more, holding my
head in place. I moved down her flat abdomen, slipping off the barely there thong before licking her glistening pussy gently. She ripped my clothes off after I made her come and her mouth was locked around my needy cock before I could blink. I slipped my hands into her thick hair and fought the urge to fuck her mouth.
I took her from behind, slapping her ass in between hard thrusts as Brittany cried out my name. She wasn’t as tight as I liked but it was better than the times I’d used my hand recently when I wasn’t too tired. I pumped into her, feeling her come before I shot deep into the condom that sheathed me. I dropped on the bed beside her and looked around the room again. It was the epitome of feminine and I took a deep breath. “You felt great, baby.” I fed her the words that I knew girls liked, though I wasn’t lying. Not entirely. She did feel great but I knew I’d never see her again.
That point hit me in the gut when I dressed and left after a second round, feeling her behind me in the hallway as I headed towards the living room. It was brightly lit and I glanced in, freezing as Brittany bumped into me. One of the assistants was sitting there with a couple other girls and her dark brow raised at the sight of me. “Mr. Moyen,” she said slowly as I ran a hand through my hair.
“You know him?” Brittany asked behind me as the girl laughed.
“He owns the company that I work for, Bri,” she replied as I felt my skin heat up. The sex had not been quiet and I wondered how much they heard. I wondered how much talk there would be Monday about my sexual prowess after working on taming the rumors. Jesus, this wasn’t good.
“You own a company?” Brittany asked as her arms slipped around my waist. Great. I didn’t tell her that on purpose so I could avoid her being clingy, since she seemed to think I was just a guy that worked for a shipping company. We didn’t talk that much before coming here, fueled by alcohol and lust.
“Yes,” I replied shortly as I stepped out of her embrace. I turned to look at her and forced a smile. “Thank you, Brittany. It was a great night.” I kissed her cheek chastely and headed towards the door, needing to be out of the line of vision of all the mouthy girls currently staring at me.
I walked down the empty street to the club to retrieve my car and head home, shocked into sobriety over the night’s events. The club was long closed and I slipped into the sports car and let it warm up for a moment as I closed my eyes. “Fuck. Why did she have to live there?” I’d enjoyed all that Brittany had to offer and I didn’t realize that she even had a roommate that entire time. Maybe I should talk to women before fucking them.
I headed home, hoping that it wasn’t a total disaster at work. It wasn’t like I slept with one of my employees and I was entirely unaware of the hot brunette’s name, much less the fact that she lived there. I didn’t do anything wrong but based on the looks on the faces in that living room, their tongues were wagging.
Brent was watching television in the living room, catching up on some sports as I gave him a curious look. “Why are you up?”
“I think I’m too tired to sleep like a normal person and I also gave everyone tomorrow off. We all need some rest,” he replied as he tore his gaze away from the screen to look at me. “Have fun?”
“Shit, Brent. I went home with a girl and her roommate works for us.” I dropped onto the couch, knowing that nobody else was up right now. It was too late.
“Bran, did you do her as well?” He asked, irritation in his voice.
“Fuck, no. I came out to leave and she was sitting in the living room. She didn’t say that she lived there but I gathered as much. There was a group of them on the couch and I expect some gossip.”
“It would be worse if you slept with her too, so don’t worry about it. It’ll die down if it starts at all. Did they hear you guys or something?” He asked as I smirked. “That bad?”
“She was vocal. I was vocal. End of story.” I stretched and looked at him. “Get some rest, buddy.”
“Brunch at noon tomorrow with Mom and Ash,” Brent told me as I almost groaned. “Christmas is next Friday so the rush is almost over.”
“Yeah, I hope so,” I told him as I headed upstairs for some sleep. I woke up in time to shower and head downstairs to take them to eat, catching up with Mom since it felt like I never saw her. Ashley spoke about school and new boyfriend as I gave Brent a dark look. She was too young for that shit and I was going to meet this guy as soon as I could.
We took them home after a couple of hours and I took a nap, since I had the day off and all. I didn’t want to go out again tonight so sleep sounded like a great plan, and Mom told me to come down for some soup later if I got hungry. She’d thanked us for working so hard at the end of brunch, hugging us both tightly before Brent drove us all back to the house.
I woke up in my dark room, seeing my phone lit up on the table beside it. I blinked and yawned before reaching for it, seeing a text from one of the regulars. I knew that I wasn’t going anywhere tonight and sent a text back responding to that.
I decided that I felt like forty-two more than I did twenty-two right now as I rolled back over and sighed. I hoped that things would slow down after the holidays and I could find some of my old life again.
Brent
I was up early the following day and ready to go to the office. The house was decorated for Christmas and I looked around, realizing that it was Friday. It would be the first Christmas without Dad and pain filled my chest for a moment as I heard footsteps on the stairs. I didn’t know how it was going to be, but we had a lot of family coming over to spend it with us. The office was closed for the weekend and I was going to use it catching up on rest and seeing the people that I missed right now.
I’d been asked over to dinner by a girl that I used to see frequently, Dahlia. She was a socialite in Manhattan with dark hair and a yoga body and very tempting, if I could get away. I had to get through this week first and then deal with it. “Morning.” Brandon greeted me as he walked to get some coffee. “Back to it, I suppose?”
“Yep,” I replied as Mom walked in. “Hi, Mom.”
“Morning, boys. You look nice.” We dressed in slacks and button ups every day, even ties sometimes. Dad always told us growing up to look professional at the job if we were going to be working with employees. In his mind, that was the first step to professionalism. Too bad we already messed that up by getting involved with two assistants, causing a little bit of chatter in the building. Now Bran might have caused more but he didn’t know who she lived with. Bar girls weren’t the ones that we got to know before sleeping with them, and that was just bad timing.
“Thanks, Mom. It makes them fear us,” Brandon teased as she laughed. We headed out, driving together quietly as we watched New York wake up. “Friday, man. I can’t believe that he won’t be there.”
“I know. Mom seems to be handling it pretty well so far,” I observed from the passenger seat as he shrugged. “I am glad that everyone is coming to our house this year. I don’t feel like driving to Boston in holiday traffic, though it might be better for Mom to do that.”
“That’s what she wanted. We all checked with her, so she deserves this. If she falls apart, she’ll be with people who love her. Ash invited the new boyfriend so she’ll be supported but he is in for a surprise.” I chuckled at Brandon as he looked at me. “She’s only sixteen, Brent.”
“Do you remember our view on girls in high school?” I asked him as he snorted. “Even Ash is aware of our reputation, Bran. She isn’t proud of it so I think she’d choose someone quite different than we were.”
“Figures. It wasn’t that long ago,” he muttered as he turned into the parking garage. “There is so much work waiting up in that office for us.”
“I lined up a masseuse to pop in this week. She’s reasonable and hot enough that the guys will like it while being sweet enough that the women won’t hate her. That along with the holiday bonus should keep everyone in good moods.” I assured him as he nodded. We got out of the car and headed up to our floor, just a bit earlier tha
n the rest of the office. I liked the quiet and when it was not slammed, it allowed us to be home a little sooner. Right now, we were generally here later than anyone else. I reminded myself that we made a lot of money doing this and kept Mom and Ashley in the life they were used to as I walked to our office to warm up the computer. I made coffee while that happened and took a deep breath as it brewed, filling the room with the scent of the dark roast. I got my brother a cup as well and brought it to him as we got set up at our desks for the day.
The office filled with voices as the next hour passed and I knew that we were at full capacity. The number of orders we all had to process was absurd, and I longed for personal help again. I took a break and looked at Brandon for a moment as he sipped his coffee. “What if we place an ad?” I asked as he glanced at me.
“For help?”
“Yeah, but let’s keep it at that for this week at least,” I joked as he grinned. “We have orders to catch up on and there’s a good chance that we won’t have someone right away anyway.” I shrugged. “I’d rather get caught up sooner rather than later and try to focus on other aspects of the company.”
“Let’s do it,” he agreed as I nodded and pulled up the former ad. It said everything that we needed and I posted it in one of the job sites before getting back to work. I laughed at the emails coming in about a beautiful girl giving shoulder massages and assured the managers that it was legit and to enjoy.
One of them mentioned that his personal assistant had a friend that was looking for a job, since her company of seven years closed due to bankruptcy. He said that Breanna assured him that she was smart and a hard worker that just had a bit of rough luck and she’d mentioned how busy she was at work. He knew how hard Dad worked and wanted to help and I told Brandon about it. “We can talk to her, right?” He asked as I nodded and told the guy to have her call us. If she was a good worker, she could pick up quickly and get this mess caught up.
