by Lisa Bilbrey
The only person who seemed to care that Callum, Derek, Elle, and Sadie were together was Trixie Maxwell. She’d made several snide comments to the four of them, though she was careful and always made sure that nobody else was around to hear her. Not that it matter. They didn’t care what she thought of them, but her constant jibes were annoying and unprofessional.
Samuel waltzed into the room just before ten, smiling as he looked around at everyone. “Good morning. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m glad today is Friday.”
“We are, too,” Callum agreed as several others nodded their heads.
“Been a long week,” a hefty man with a shiny bald head and deep hazel eyes. He looked at Elle and Sadie before turning back to Samuel, and Elle struggle not to roll her eyes. Jack was just one of the few who hadn’t hidden his displeasure over her relationship with her lovers.
Samuel placed his black binder on the table before he sat down. “Well, let’s see if we can get through this meeting as quick as possible, then, shall we? We’ll start with updates on the McNeal account.”
One by one, each architect provided Samuel with an update on their projects. Some were on time, while others were ahead of schedule, and a small handful were behind due to slow construction crews, delayed materials, poor planning, or failed inspections due to sloppy work and zone violations. Samuel showed incredible patience with each of them, offering time throughout his day to speak with them in private on ways to get their projects up to speed.
He had a wonderful rapport with his employees, and it was clear that everyone respected him. Everyone it seemed but Trixie Maxwell, who made her feelings clear by rolling her eyes, tapping her nails on the table, and huffing every time someone took longer than she wanted.
Why Samuel put up with her was something Elle couldn’t understand. It was clear that the woman held very little respect for her boss or his employees, and Elle thought back to her first day at the company. Derek had mentioned that Trixie made a habit of hitting on every male who stepped foot on their floor. Was it possible that Trixie was so desperate for love that she used work as her hunting ground?
“Thank you all for your hard work. I appreciate the time and effort that you’ve put in your projects,” Samuel said, standing up. “Before we wrap up this week’s staff meeting, I have an announcement to make.” He shifted his eyes to Elle and Sadie, before speaking again. “Yesterday, I bought Elle and Sadie’s company, Reid Williams Design. And by doing so, I’ve decided to merge their company in as a new division within the firm. She and Sadie, along with Derek and Callum, will be running the Reid Williams division, which will be focusing on special projects of their choosing.”
Everyone shifted their eyes to Elle and Sadie, some of them appearing pleased while others seemed unsure how to react. Trixie, however, made her feelings clear when she stood up so fast, her chair flew back into the wall with a loud thud.
“That woman single-handily tore the company apart, and you’re giving her an entire division to run!” she sneered, waving her hand in Elle’s direction.
“Trixie,” Samuel started, but Trixie turned her attention to Elle.
The pure hate and disgust radiating off of the woman had Elle trembling.
“I can’t believe you’d even show your face here again, considering the mockery you’ve made out of everyone here. This company is a laughing stalk because of you and your whore girlfriend.”
“You little —” Callum began, but Samuel interrupted him by slamming his hand on the table and pulling everyone’s attention to him. Normally, a cheerful man, the look on his face seemed to have everyone holding their breath.
“That’s quite enough.” Samuel turned his attention to Trixie, who had folded her arms in front of her chest. “The meeting is over. Everyone, get back to work. Ms. Maxwell, my office.” And when nobody moved, he snarked, “Now!”
Snarling under her breath, Trixie grabbed her binder from on top of the table, stormed out of the office, and made her displeasure clear by barking for one of the interns to “Get the fuck out of my way.”
Elle stood up and grabbed her binder, and keeping her eyes turned from everyone, she walked out of the room and down to their office. She wasn’t surprised that Trixie reacted as she had. She had never hidden her dislike for Elle or Sadie, or the fact that she wanted Derek or Callum, perhaps both, for herself, but to be so callous in front of Samuel … Well, it was obvious that she wasn’t thinking about her future.
“Elle, honey, are you okay?” Callum asked as he, Derek, and Sadie followed her into the office and shut the door behind them.
“I’m fine,” she told them, sitting her binder on her desk and looking at them. “That woman clearly isn’t, though. She’s bat-shit crazy.”
They laughed.
“No kidding,” Derek snickered, plopping down in his chair. “Samuel’s warned her numerous times about her attitude. Shame, too, because she’s not a horrible architect. Just too busy flirting with every man she sees.”
“Including my father,” Callum grumbled.
“Well, if she comes near either of you again, I’m gonna scratch her eyes out,” Sadie muttered. “I hate that bitch.”
“Aw, look at our little protector,” Derek snickered, earning him a one-fingered gesture from Sadie. “Honey, that was rude!”
Sadie winked at him. “I may be tiny, sugar, but I’m scrappy.”
A knock on the door caused them to sober up in an instant. Callum walked over and opened it, letting Samuel in. There was a mix of expressions on his face: sorrow and relief. Before they could say anything, he turned his attention to Elle.
“I’d like to apologize for Trixie’s outburst. She was out of line and unfair. Neither you nor Sadie have done anything to smear my companies name.”
“Don’t apologize for her, Samuel,” Elle said. “She didn’t upset me. Did her words sting? Yes, but only because of the hate and malice behind them. She’s made it clear all week … Hell, for the last two months, that she doesn’t like me or Sadie. She isn’t worth my time or effort.”
“Well, you won’t have to worry about her again, anyway. I fired her.”
“You did?” Callum asked, and it was clear based on the look on his face that he was both happy and relieved.
Samuel nodded. “I’ve put up with her antics for far too long. When I brought her into the company, I thought she just needed a chance to grow up, mature a little bit. She was young and naïve, but I can see that all she’s looking for is a husband. She won’t find one here. So, I fired her and had security escort out of the building,” he explained.
“It’s about damn time,” Derek bristled. “I know you’re all about giving people a chance and everything, but in my opinion, she overstayed her welcome by a couple years.”
“Yeah, yeah; I know.” Samuel sighed. “Anyway, I just wanted to apologize. I’ll let you get back to work now.”
“Thank you, Samuel,” Elle said, sincerely.
He nodded before he turned and walked out of their office, leaving them to sort through the stack of potential projects in a vain hope that there would be one worth their time and effort.
—FA—
Just after five that evening, Elle, Sadie, Derek, and Callum locked their office and made their way to the elevator, joining Samuel and a few other late-dwellers that were waiting to go home.
“How’s it going?” Samuel asked. “Narrowed your selections down yet?”
“We’ve cut the list in half,” Elle told him.
“And set up meetings next week with the rest,” Callum added. “We should have a better idea for you by Friday.”
Samuel nodded as the doors slid open. He waved his hand in front of him. “Ladies.”
“Thank you,” Elle murmured, stepping past him and into the elevator. Sadie, Derek, and Callum followed with Samuel and the other three men behind them. As the elevator began to travel to the lobby, each of the three men turned and looked at her, letting their eyes drift down her
body. It wasn’t until they looked at her face that they realized that she’d caught them gawking at her. Their faces turned bright red and the moment the elevator stopped and the doors opened, they bolted.
“What was that about?” Samuel asked, placing his hand up so the doors wouldn’t close on them as they followed him out.
Callum opened his mouth to tell his father what had happened, but Elle wrapped her fingers around his and said, “Nothing.”
Callum clamped his lips together, though she could tell he wasn’t happy that she was blowing off the way they had looked at her.
“Hmm, okay,” Samuel said. “Have a nice weekend.”
“You, too,” Sadie said.
As the four of them walked through the lobby, the few stragglers that were hanging around watched them. When they reached their cars, Derek wrapped his arms around Sadie and dragged her toward his truck, saying, “We’re gonna grab dinner. Meet you back at the apartment.”
“Okay, don’t take too long,” Elle laughed, winking at them. “I’m starving.”
“We won’t.” Sadie cackled as Derek lifted her up and put her inside the truck. He kissed her before rushing around to the driver’s side and climbing in.
“Yeah, somehow, I don’t think I believe them,” Callum snickered, leaning over her shoulder and kissing the side of her neck. “Do you?”
“No,” she moaned. Callum placed his hands on her hips, pressing his body against hers, and she could feel his desire for her against her back. “Oh, my … Callum!”
“I don’t like it when they look at you,” he growled, and she knew he was referring to the men in the elevator. “Only Derek, me, and Sadie get to ogle you, baby.”
Elle reached back and grabbing his hips. “You’re the only ones I want watching me.”
“Promise?” The vulnerability in the single word had Elle turning in his arms. For the first time since she’d met him, she saw doubt in Callum’s eyes.
She brought her hands up to his face as she leaned up and kissed him. “You’re all I need, Cal. You, Derek, Sadie — you’re it for me. My future, my forever.”
“I love you,” he murmured, pressing his lips against hers again and again.
“I love you, too,” she whispered.
By the time they got to the apartment, Sadie and Derek were already there. Though the two of them gave them a questioning look, Elle reassured them that everything was okay. She knew Callum would be embarrassed if they knew he’d had a moment of insecurity and left it for him to decide to share with them or not. Instead, they changed into shorts and T-shirts and settled around the almost empty living room and ate the Chinese Derek and Sadie had picked up.
“I’m gonna miss this place,” Elle murmured before popping a piece of cashew chicken into her mouth.
“You are?” Callum asked, and she nodded. “Why?”
She smiled, feeling her cheeks warm. “Because this is where we started.”
“If you’re not ready …” He trailed off, shaking his head as if the words burned his tongue.
“Hey, I’m not having doubts about moving in,” Elle was quick to clarify. “After Leo, I kind of locked myself away in here, and it became my refuge. But then we met you and Derek, and I found that you’re my safe haven. I want to be with you.”
“You’re safe with us.” Callum leaned his forehead against hers. “You know that, don’t you?”
“I do.” And she did, with every fiber of her being. “But sometimes I still get scared, and I have to fight the urge to hide. Every day is getting easier, though.”
“Good,” Derek said, and they looked at him. He had Sadie in his lap, his arms wrapped around her and a smirk on his lips. “Because, beautiful, we ain’t letting you go.”
Before Elle could respond, the phone rang. Sadie scrambled to her feet and rushed over to answer it, but when she looked down at the caller ID, her shoulders sank. She looked at Elle. “It’s my parents.”
Just like that, the room was filled with tense anticipation. Elle had wondered how long it would take before Helina and James told Sadie’s parents about their relationship. To be honest, Elle had expected the phone call days ago, but perhaps Helina was just too embarrassed to admit to anyone that her daughter was a sinner.
“Hello,” Sadie said, putting the call on speakerphone.
“Sadie, what’s this I hear about you and Elle being … involved?” Claudia Williams asked.
“Well, hello to you, too, Mom,” she grumbled. “How nice to hear from you.”
“Don’t be flippant, young lady,” Claudia sniped. “Helina Reid came over today and told me that she’d caught you and Elle … being intimate together. Is that true?”
Sadie shifted her eyes to Elle. “Yes, Mom. Elle’s my girlfriend.”
A warm blush filled her cheeks, causing Derek and Callum to moan softly.
“What do you mean ‘your girlfriend’?” Sadie’s father Bruce Williams groused, making his presence known.
“Of course you’re both on the phone,” Sadie groused. “I think it’s pretty clear what I mean. Elle and I are in love. We’ve been together since we were sixteen.”
“Oh, my Goodness!” Claudia sniveled. “I had hoped it wasn’t true. I’ve been praying for you all day. I just cannot believe you would do this to me.”
“Don’t be so dramatic, Mom,” Sadie quipped. “And this isn’t about you; it’s about me and Elle.”
“Don’t use that tone with me, Sadie Anne,” her mother snarled. “You’ve lied to us for years. I think I have every right to be upset.”
Sadie sighed. “I’m sorry, but we didn’t have a choice. We had to keep our relationship a secret.”
“And why is that?” Bruce asked.
Elle reached over and took hold of Sadie’s hand. “Because you both, as well as my parents, made your opinions of homosexuality clear, Mr. Williams. I’m in love with your daughter. I always have been. She’s everything to me. We were afraid to tell you because we didn’t want to lose you, or my parents, but I guess it’s too late.”
Through the phone, they heard Claudia and Bruce sigh. Derek and Callum looked shocked and unnerved by the conversation. Neither of them understood just how demanding and unforgiving Elle and Sadie’s parents had been with them since they were young girls.
“Momma, Daddy,” Sadie whimpered. “I don’t want to lose you. I really don’t, but Elle, Derek, and Callum are important to me. I’m in love with them.”
“Oh, yes, the boys Helina told us about,” Bruce grumbled. “She said the four of you were … together. Is that right?”
“Yes, Daddy,” Sadie murmured, bringing the phone closer to her. “They make me happy. Every day they tell me I’m beautiful, that they love me. And I love them. Don’t you want me to be happy?”
“Of course I do, darlin’,” he replied. “But not like this, not by turning your back on the way your momma and I raised you.”
“You raised me to believe that love was more important than anything,” Sadie wept. “I guess that only matters when I was living my life by your rules, doesn’t it?”
“They aren’t our rules, honey. They’re God’s. You’re turning your back on him by choosing to live a life of debauchery. Do you not care about your soul?” Claudia added.
Sadie brought her hand up to her mouth. Elle wrapped her arms around her, holding her lover as tight as she could. This was one battle she couldn’t fight for her, even if she wanted nothing more than to tell both of them to go to hell and leave them alone. She’d lost her parents already, and from the sound of it, so was Sadie, but that didn’t make the pain any easier to handle.
“Sweetheart, we love you, but we can’t just sit back and watch you ruin your life like this,” Bruce told her.
“Then I guess you have a choice to make, Daddy,” she whimpered. “You can accept me for how I am, accept that Elle, Derek, and Callum are a part of my life, or you can turn your back on me and lose me forever. But know that no matter what, I’ll love you, Dadd
y. And you, too, Momma. That will never change.”
Before Bruce or Claudia could utter a sound, Sadie ended the call and allowed the phone to fall from her fingers, hitting the floor with a bang. Elle tightened her arms around her, letting Sadie’s tears seep into her shirt. Callum and Derek nestled them in their embraces, both of them whispering how much they loved them. Together, the four of them would grieve this loss, too. While Elle knew their love was worth fighting for, she wondered how many others would turn their backs on them.
Twenty
A week had passed since Sadie and Elle packed up their apartment and officially moved in with Callum and Derek. Seven days since the four of them listened as Sadie’s parents told them they wouldn’t support her decision to be true to herself and love Elle, Derek, and Callum, and once again, Elle found herself the first one out of bed.
However, instead of camping out on the front porch or losing herself in the sensual ambiance that the backyard offered like she had before, she found herself settling in front of her easel, with her paints open and a blank canvas resting on the brass tray. Derek and Callum had insisted that she use the room just off the kitchen as a studio, encouraging her to begin painting again. While she hemmed and hawed about pursuing her art, she graciously accepted the space, but hadn’t painted anything yet.
She was scared to start painting, afraid to allow that part of herself to be freed, only for someone to snuff it out. Elle’s art had always been an extension of herself, but so much had changed for her. She’d finally began to heal after Leo’s attack, and allow herself to be loved, but at what cost? Their unique relationship had caused them to lose two sets of parents already. Would Derek’s be next? Was it selfish of them to bend the rules and build a life together? Get married, have children, grow old together. Was it all just a pipe dream?
“This is beginning to become a habit, beautiful.”
Smiling, Elle looked over her shoulder, unsurprised to find Derek standing in the doorway. Arms folded against his chest, ankles crossed, he had a smirk tugging on the corner of his lips and, God, was he gorgeous. The night before he had spent hours touching her, kissing her body, loving her with every inch of his body.
