I went to the manager’s office for probably the second time since I got hired. He looked up at me, surprised, and I thought he’d only just walked in. It was a bit early, but it didn’t matter.
“What can I do for you, today?” he asked, probably recognizing me from the kitchens since he patrolled around the place sometimes. “Is there a problem I can help you with? Is it something to do with the kitchen? It’s usually the head chef that comes to me with complaints…”
“It’s nothing like that,” I said quickly, reassuring him.
“Oh,” he sighed, looking relieved. “Good, because with the new guy in upper management, I’d have to take any complaints up to him. What did you want to see me about?”
I clasped my fingers in front of me, twisting them together in a moment of indecision. I thought about how I could barely sleep last night and firmed my resolve.
“I wanted to ask for a transfer to another location,” I said. “How soon would that be possible?”
I knew I’d surprised him, but I was more determined in my decision. Just thinking of running into Trent made my heart want to leap out of my chest and run away.
This was the only hope I had if I wanted to get out of this thing between us with some pride left.
13
Trent
“Damn, this is way too much,” I groaned to myself, leaning back in my chair, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples.
“Dude, you’re not the only one working here, so stop complaining,” Mason called out.
“Yeah,” Kevin added. “I only just got here, but you slave drivers are already putting me to work.”
“You should have been here to help out sooner,” Mason griped.
“I was pretty far out. It took a while to clear things up so I could get here,” Kevin retorted.
I let out a loud sigh that had the wonderful side effect of shutting both of them up.
“Could you both keep your mouths shut and keep working? I’ve been here working longer than the both of you. I was here alone yesterday going through meetings, so if anyone has the right to complain, it’s me!”
There were some quiet grumblings of complaint anyway, but it just made me smirk to myself.
I was caught up in work. The first few days there had barely been much to do compared to what we needed to complete today. Even with both my brothers there to help me, there was way too much on my plate, enough to start giving me a headache. It didn’t help that I’d been getting calls from my PA back in Nashville. Something had come up that needed my attention, and I didn’t have the time to deal with it on top of everything else.
My brothers were at least making themselves useful, but I still felt swamped.
I looked up at them. Mason looked the most like me, though he was the least like me. He had the same grey eyes that I did, his hair a darker blond than mine, and he was only an inch shorter. Kevin didn’t look as much like me, with the green eyes he’d gotten from his mother, and light brown hair, though he still had the same features as the rest of us. He was six foot three, a couple of inches shorter than me.
We all had the same physique as our Dad, so it wasn’t like I could intimidate them just because I was an inch or so taller. I saw and spoke to Mason a lot more than Kevin. Mason was the partier, and probably the one person in the family who had the most interest in me. Besides Dad, he was the family member I heard from most. He was the last person I’d seen before my decision to come back to Charlotte.
Kevin, though… he and I didn’t get along as well. I didn’t know how he got along with the rest of the family, but while he was pretty outgoing, he struck me as another isolated soul.
My little half-brother Kevin was what most people would call a free spirit. While I wouldn’t quite put it like that, I knew he liked traveling more than staying in one place. Even Mason the partier wasn’t quite as bad. And he didn’t necessarily go to all the luxurious locations. He'd sent me pictures of the places he visited, and there were about as many pictures of random mountains, forests, and obscure villages as there were cities, hotels, and beaches.
I had always suspected, that of all of us, he would be happy whether he was rich or poor. Kevin was good at finding the bright side of life. Most of his life was spent across the ocean, and he was different from both me and Mason.
“Can I leave you guys with more to do, or will you try to stage a revolt?” I asked.
Their heads jumped up and they sent twin glares at me. They looked a lot more like each other than they looked like me. Besides the slight differences in age, they could have been twins. And they had way more in common. They were both carefree spirits. The difference came in where Mason loved to party, and Kevin just loved to move around.
“You are not leaving us here to go slack off,” Mason said, pointing a finger at me. “I don’t care how much more you’ve had to deal with.”
“Yeah,” Kevin added. “If we’re finishing all of this by tonight, we all need to put the effort in.”
I rolled my eyes. “Why are you acting as if I’ll just drop everything I had on you both? I’m still here and working!”
I sighed and let the matter drop. There was no reason to reduce some of my load by giving it to them. Dad had taught all of us about running a business, but of the three of us, I was the only one who’d been doing it for the past few years. I was used to it so of course, I could work slightly faster.
The only good thing was that there weren’t as many documents for today. It was so much easier looking things up online, though it was a bit of a strain on my eyes. I grumbled to myself once more, remembering I’d left my reading glasses in my office back in Asheville. I’d have to call my PA back and have them sent over.
Or, I could just get a new set. If I could find the time to get out of the office.
I lifted my arms, stretching out. Then I got back down to work.
I wondered what Jessi was doing.
The thought slipped through my tight control, and I flattened my lips to keep it to myself, not to alert my brothers that something was wrong. My ensuing problem was that I’d thought her name, and more thoughts of her followed.
I’d been doing so well not to think about her…
I glanced at my brothers, wanting to keep my thoughts private. I kept it all in, pretending I was still paying attention to what I was supposed to be doing, even though I was barely half-interested at this point.
“I’m hungry,” Mason declared.
“Me, too,” Kevin admitted like I’d expected him to. “Can we take a quick break to eat?”
They both looked at me with pleading expressions.
“You can do what you want. You can get out of the office for a little bit, stretch your legs. Just don’t go too far. Let the secretary know to have something sent up to me.”
They didn’t hesitate to jump out of their seats. I’d had two extra desks brought in for them so I could keep an eye on them and make sure they were working, not just goofing off. I missed the privacy of having the office to myself.
“Are you seriously just going to stay in here for the whole day?” Mason asked, looking a little horrified.
Kevin shrugged. “Probably. You know what Dad is like.”
No different from me, I knew. I’d inherited his work ethic. Only, unlike him, I had no one to go home to, so it didn’t matter much that I spent so much time at the office. The women I usually met didn’t hang around for long.
“Get out of here,” I said, waving at them so they would leave. “You better both be back here in an hour, though, or I’ll be tracking you down.”
They shot me near matching cheeky looks as they left, and I sighed, looking back at my computer.
I groaned to myself after long minutes of not reading what was in front of me. I even gave myself a hard tap on the forehead for good measure. I’d spared Jessi barely a thought here and there before, so how was it that now she was all I could think about?
With my brothers not there to see me lose my mind
, I let out a few of my frustrations.
I couldn’t get her out of my thoughts, even with all the work I was supposed to be doing. I knew it was bad when work wouldn’t distract me like usual.
Jessi… Her beautiful hair, those eyes. The luscious curves of her body that made me want to bury myself in her for hours upon hours…
Focus, Trent! You’re the oldest here, you’re supposed to be setting a good example.
Still.
It had been a day and I hadn't heard from her at all. It wasn’t like she didn’t know how to contact me, either. I’d stopped by her room this morning, then gone through the staff room, and I hadn't seen her anywhere.
So where exactly was she? Maybe she’d had what she wanted from me and she was moving on now. I hoped that wasn’t the case. I hoped she was just busy, too busy to meet for a chat. She wasn’t deliberately ignoring me.
I leaned back in my chair, placed my arms on the armrests, and closed my eyes.
The night we’d had was incredible. She wasn’t the usual kind of woman I went for, but I couldn’t help wanting more. In some ways, she had been inexperienced, and usually, that was a turn off for me. With Jessi, it had been hot. Maybe it had been a while for her, which would explain the spots of blood if I’d been a bit rough. I just knew there was no way she could have been a virgin, not in this day and age…
Could she?
I frowned as the possibility occurred to me for the first time. I didn’t think she could have been, but I’d been thinking a lot about that night we’d been together, and a few more details were coming in clearer.
“It couldn’t be possible,” I muttered to myself.
I was already grabbing my phone to try and hunt down Emily. I didn’t have Jessi’s contact number. It had been in the information the secretary had gotten for me, but it would probably be creepy if I just called her up when she hadn't even given me her number. Not to mention just a tad desperate, and that was one thing I was not.
I called the mansion.
“Hello?” someone answered. Probably one of the maids in the house.
“This is Trent; I’m looking for Emily? Is she around?”
“Oh! Mr. Thompson. Um, about Emily, I know she went to see your father earlier, but I believe that was a while ago, for brunch. I couldn’t think of where she is now…”
I pursed my lips; a bit irked that Emily got in to see Dad and he was turning me and my brothers down. Was the old man pissed because we were the ones that left home, and she’d been the one to stay?
“Can you look for her and let me know where she is?” I asked.
“Of course, sir. Please hold for a bit.”
I was left on hold for a full five minutes before she came back to tell me she’d had no luck.
“Damn,” I muttered to myself as I cut the call. “She’s going to be harder to find than expected.”
If I couldn’t find her at home, then finding her wouldn’t be easy. When she’d called at my office, I hadn't checked her number. I didn’t know if she had my cell number but I didn’t have hers. Mason or Kevin might, but then I’d have to ask them about it, and they might ask why I wanted to see her.
They were back before I could manage, and I was pretty sure they hadn't taken the full hour.
“We’re back,” Mason called out, strutting in first. “Did you miss us?”
Kevin followed after, a kitchen staff member with him.
“We came back with the food,” he called out, moving to sit at his desk as the food was brought over to me.
I put my plans on hold, only making quick inquiries here and there to be told when Emily was sighted.
***
I didn’t get anything by the time I went back to my room—after stopping by Jessi’s place again, only to get no response.
Then there was a knock on my door. I opened it, surprised to see Emily on the other side.
“I heard you’ve been looking for me,” she said as she side-stepped me and walked into the room.
I gaped at her, and after a second remembered to snap my mouth shut and close the door. I followed her to where she’d moved to drape herself on my couch. I took the single seat that sat diagonally to it and looked at her in disapproval.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, not exactly being polite about it.
She arched an eyebrow at me. “Were you or were you not looking for me all day?”
“I wanted them to let me know when they found you so that we could talk over the phone.”
“Or you could have come to the mansion to look for me?” she said, arching an eyebrow. “You do have a room there, don’t you?”
I sniffed. “I’m set up in both the mansion and the hotel, but I have more work to do here.”
She shrugged. “Fair enough. Now, why did you want to see me?”
I watched her carefully, wondering how to broach the subject. Then decided the direct approach would be best.
“I want to talk about Jessi,” I said.
That had her going on the alert. Her gaze was suddenly intense, and she sat up slowly, almost primly, arching an eyebrow at me.
“What about Jessi?”
I took in a deep breath as I settled back, wondering what to say so I wouldn’t give too much away.
“For one,” I started, “is she seeing anyone? It’s been a while since she and I… saw each other. And I was surprised when Dad told me she was working here.”
She nodded slowly. “That’s right. You’ve probably known her longer than me, right? You’re about the same age.”
“We knew each other as kids,” I said vaguely. I wasn’t very nice to Jessi by the time Emily grew old enough to start to understand things. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”
She considered me through narrowed eyes for a minute.
“Well, for one, I doubt she’s seeing anyone. She’s never had a boyfriend that I know of, though there is someone she likes.” She folded her arms across her chest and sent me an accusing look. “Jessi is sweet and one of my best friends. I hope you haven’t taken advantage of her, big brother, just because the two of you knew each other before. If you’re thinking about it, I would ask that you please leave her alone.”
Her words were polite, but her tone was hard. It was the first time she’d spoken to me while meeting my gaze, and she didn’t look like she was backing down, though neither of us looked away. She held her ground, and I was coming to another realization.
Just what did I think I knew about Emily?
It was all wrong. I didn’t know her very well because I’d thought getting information from her would have been the easiest avenue, yet she was looking at me like she would rip me a new one if I did anything to her friend she didn’t like.
Well, shit.
I couldn’t help feeling impressed at how loyal she was.
“If that was all, brother,” she said, getting up. “I’ll be going back now.”
With a flip of her hair, she flounced out of my room, and I wondered to myself with pursed lips just how much of my life wasn’t how I’d always thought it was.
14
Jessi
When I walked into the kitchen, everyone had already heard the news and I could cut the atmosphere with a knife. I felt a bit self-conscious with all the looks I got as I made my way to my station.
“Um,” I started nervously. “Hello?”
I waved at the others in the room, and they sent back half-hearted greetings as they turned back to their jobs, less lively than before.
“Sorry about that,” the woman closest to me, Mary, leaned over to me to whisper. “Everyone just took the news hard.”
I frowned. “What news?”
“That you’re leaving,” she clarified.
“Ah,” I murmured, even though that didn’t make any sense.
I’d been working with these people for a while, but besides Laura, I didn’t talk to anyone much outside of work. And it wasn’t like I was the only person w
ho had come in and left, I’d just lasted longer. At least half the staff in the kitchen we either there when I arrived or had arrived at the same time I had. The remaining half came months after I was settled.
I didn’t think they would even be attached to me.
My transfer had been approved already, even though it had only been a week. Usually, when someone was transferring, not just quitting, it took anytime between two weeks to a month. But I hadn't been bragging to Trent when I told him just how good I was. In my meeting with the manager, he’d told me that my talents would be appreciated wherever I ended up, and he was sad to see me go. I’d known he’d meant the words genuinely, not just as a polite send-off.
Days later, I got the news that one of the hotels out on the coast needed a pastry chef, and I was preparing to move.
Today was my last day at work, and the manager must have spread the word around. I would have preferred a quiet exit, but it did warm my heart just a little bit to realize I would at least be missed by my coworkers.
But really, a little beach time might be just what I needed to get my spirits up.
In the whole week, I’d managed to avoid Trent. I’d heard someone spread a rumor that he was looking for me, and I worked even harder to stay out of his way. I hadn't been back to my place for more than a few minutes for the past several days.
“Let’s see,” I muttered to myself. “What do I need to do for today…”
I was going to bake up a storm today, so the guys who occasionally helped me wouldn’t have much to do in addition to their duties, but I could only make enough for today and tomorrow. More and I’d have to worry about some of the pastries and desserts going stale.
There was some lingering guilt for leaving on such short notice. The reason transfers had such a long timeline was so a replacement could be found in the meantime. If you were getting fired, chances were your replacement was already in waiting. And if you quit, then there was a scramble to find someone else. For such a big hotel chain, you’d think it would be easy, but with their high standards, even though plenty of people applied for jobs, actually getting one was rare.
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