“You make your special burger for all the Freeman boys?” I asked, teasing her.
“Of course not,” she said. “That special is just for Nick. Unless Vince is around, then I have to make one for him. But that’s only because I see him naked on a regular basis, so I figure he deserves it.”
I laughed as she walked away. Trish was staring at me when I turned to look at her.
“Remember I told you Nick brought me to his best friend’s bar the night he wanted to get together to talk about Justin?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Trish said.
“This is it,” I said. “Isn’t it great? I really like it here.”
Trish looked around, taking in the atmosphere, and then her eyes came back to me. “It’s a good bar. It would be a whole lot better if some of those Freeman boys were already here.”
I giggled and shook my head. “You are shameless.”
“Of course I am. Why shouldn’t I be?”
“Because other than Nick, they’re all spoken for,” I said.
Trish shook her head. “No law says I can’t appreciate the scenery.”
We were still laughing when Lindsey came back up with two glasses of wine. She sat them down in front of us, then handed us menus. “What can I get for you?”
Trish and I glanced over the menus and ordered a couple of appetizers, then the burgers that were on special that night. Lindsey nodded, took the menus, and disappeared again. Her interactions were brief because of the crowd, but even being so busy, she managed to be friendly and charming. I took a sip of my wine, then turned to Trish.
“So, I should probably tell you, Nick and I are now officially working together,” I said.
“Officially?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said. “He’s helping me make back the money Justin lost.”
She let out a sigh and drained the rest of her wine. “That’s all? You’re just working on getting your money back? I’m telling you. This is ridiculous. You have this exceptionally gorgeous, influential, rich man who is being so sweet to you and you’re talking about investments? I would have already thrown myself at him. At least once. Just in the name of womanhood.”
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. Even if I had tried, I’m sure it would have slipped through. She stared at me for a second, and then her eyes grew wide and she let out a squeal so piercing and loud, Lindsey came running over to check on us.
“Trish,” I hissed, half scolding her, half laughing at her reaction. She covered her mouth with one hand, but her eyes were still sparkling.
“What’s going on?” Lindsey asked, her eyes flickering around at all the other customers who were now firmly invested in our conversation.
“I’m sorry,” Trish said, pulling her hand down away from her mouth. “It’s just that my friend… who just went through a really awful breakup with the jackass from hell, by the way… got laid!”
My head dropped and I covered my face with one hand. I couldn’t believe she just did that. Actually, I could completely believe she just did that. That was so Trish. And in that moment, I realized I kind of loved her. She was big and crazy and ridiculous, but she was unapologetically her.
I was shrinking down in my stool, trying to escape everybody around me staring. There was plenty of laughter, and I heard a few comments I couldn’t decide if I wanted to find flattering or offensive. So, I just decided to ignore them. Lindsey patted me on the shoulder and walked off laughing. I looked over at Trish.
“Remember when I said Nick’s best friend owned the bar?” I asked.
Trish gasped. “Oh. That’s right. You did say that. She’s her.”
“Yep.”
“She’s going to tell Nick we were in here talking about him,” Trish said.
“She’s probably on the phone with him already,” I said, noting she had gone off toward the office at the back of the bar rather than going into the kitchen.
“Shit. I’m sorry,” Trish said.
I looked at her, trying to muster up being mad, but all I could do was burst into laughter. “It’s fine. It’s not like he doesn’t know we had sex. And we’re not kids. I’m pretty sure he’s going to talk about it, too.”
Moments later, Lindsey reappeared and dipped into the kitchen. She came out with our food and brought it over to us. I waited for her to say something about Nick while she sat the plates down on the bar, but she didn’t. Maybe she was just waiting for Nick to mention it.
Oh, well. There was no reason to be embarrassed about it. Nick was sexy and successful. I was going to go ahead and consider him a good score.
Trish and I laughed and chatted throughout dinner. By the time I got home, I was in a pretty good mood. I took a shower and checked my email one last time for the day. I went to bed feeling fantastic. Not just because of the amazing sex, though that definitely didn’t hurt. But also because one of my best clients had come through and sent me a good bit of extra work. It would really boost my income for the month and move me closer to the investment seed money goal.
20
Nick
“Is there anybody promising in the pool of applicants?” I asked, walking into Gabe’s office.
The work week had suddenly taken off like a shot. As much as I thought having Gabe back in the office on a more regular basis would cut down on the workload and make things seem less busy, it actually somehow had the opposite effect. Almost like him walking back in signaled to everybody in the area who had interest in investment that we were open for business, our phones were ringing off the hook, our email inboxes were overflowing, and there were so many people trying to get an appointment with us we had booked weeks out. We were definitely going to need that junior investor we were talking about.
By Tuesday, we had finalized the job listing and posted it on a local job site, and by Wednesday morning, we had more respondents than I expected.
“A couple,” he said optimistically. “None that immediately jumped out at me as being who we have to hire. But definitely some that I’d like to call in for an interview.”
“Hey, that’s something,” I said. “Definitely the beginning of the battle done. Go ahead and narrow down the options to the ones you find most likely to fit the position, then get in touch with them and start setting up interviews. I know we’re really busy over the next couple of weeks, but we need to carve out some time to find the right person so we aren’t completely crushed.”
“Sounds good to me,” Gabe said. “Especially with all the new clients who’ve been getting in touch with us, having a junior investor around will make it a lot easier. They’ll be able to take on the initial work and even help with some minor investments.”
“Exactly,” I said. “We can focus on our existing clients and more aggressive new clients.”
That settled, I went back to my office to take on the challenging day ahead of me. With everything going on, I managed to make it all the way until Thursday afternoon before the constant thoughts of Bryn made it back into my mind. But when they did, they came on with a vengeance. I wasn’t just thinking about her or musing about our time together.
I desperately wanted back in her bed.
The thoughts were particularly inconvenient when one of my longest-standing clients came in for his appointment looking drawn and exhausted. I’d been working with Jeffrey Adams since even before I opened my own firm. He was one of the clients who jumped ship with me.
Fortunately, my former boss had been very understanding about me wanting my own firm. He didn’t throw a fit when the clients I had been working with agreed to come along with me. He said I was the one who had put all the work into building their portfolios, so they deserved to maintain me as their investor, and I deserved to keep gaining the benefits.
Jeffrey was one of the clients I’d started working with at the very beginning of his interest in investing. Unlike some of the people who came to me just starting out and wanting to dip their toes into the idea of investment, Jeffrey was ready to dive in head
first.
I was able to keep Bryn out of my mind for the rest of the workday.
She ended up right back in it when I went to my favorite rock-climbing spot after leaving the office. With as much stress and pressure as had been on me all week, I needed something to let off steam and help me relax. Rock climbing was always that activity for me. I was away from everybody, surrounded by the beauty of the cliffs, having to push my body hard let my mind clear so it seemed to be able to work through things more easily.
That was definitely what was happening as I pushed myself up one of the more difficult areas of the cliff. I hadn’t really had the time to dwell on Bryn, but now I couldn’t stop thinking about her and what was going on between us. If anything was going on between us. And that was the real sticking point with me. The morning after our spontaneous night together, I hadn’t wanted to talk about anything. I didn’t want that uncomfortable, stilted conversation people tried to have when they unexpectedly found themselves tumbling into each other.
But now after several days of not hearing from her, and not reaching out to her myself, I couldn’t help but wonder what would have been said if we did have that conversation. Obviously, I didn’t think it would include any dramatic declarations of love and longing. That was going a bit too far. Just talking about how we were feeling and what it might mean moving forward, though, would have been nice.
Even if we had gone through with that talk, I wasn’t even sure I would have been able to answer that question. The incredible chemistry between us, not to mention the mind-blowing sex, was enough to completely fog my thoughts. The night together was spectacular, but was that it? Could we consider it just me helping her out when she was stressed out and worked up over her ex showing up at her house?
It was something I hadn’t really thought about. By the time I got to the top of the mountain, it was all I could think about. And I knew how I felt about it. I wanted more. The only problem was that was as far as those thoughts went. I wasn’t exactly sure what I meant by wanting more. It was uncharted territory for me, and I wasn’t positive where I landed. Or where Bryn did.
From everything she’d said about her relationship with Justin and how she saw her future, she struck me as a woman who put a lot of significance on commitment. That made me think she might not be okay with a fuck-buddy sort of arrangement. But I still wasn’t sure if I was ready for a solid relationship. That would be something new and strange for me, and the thought kind of scared me.
All I could do was leave it up to her. She was going to have to be the one to make the final decision about where we were going to go. It wasn’t just about me being confused and conflicted, or not knowing where she stood. It also wasn’t lost on me that we were in kind of a tenuous position.
If I decided to pursue her, it could make things uncomfortable and awkward between us. We were still in a business relationship, and if things didn’t go my way in terms of wanting more from her, it could create massive tension. And not the good kind that would have us toppling into bed together again.
Not helping her with her investments wasn’t an option. She was obviously looking forward to the idea, and I was still pissed about how she was swindled and wanted to help her. I wasn’t going to just tell her the plan was off or transfer her over to Gabe so I could try to start something up with her. That would look even worse.
Leaving whatever future we might have up to Bryn took away the pressure. I wanted her. That wasn’t even a question. And if she wanted me in return, I hoped she would make it known. I wouldn’t pressure her or make anything weird between us. If she didn’t seem interested and didn’t bring it up, we’d just stick to investments and I’d chalk up our night together as fantastic memories.
Feeling good about my decision, I turned my thoughts back to the cliff I was climbing. When I was done, I went home and fell into bed exhausted and ready to sleep in late Saturday morning.
Except that tomorrow was Friday.
Damn it.
21
Bryn
The nurses answering the after-hours line in the middle of the night were surprisingly friendly. I wouldn’t think somebody up at the ghastly hour of three a.m. dealing with people complaining about a multitude of illnesses and other issues would be as perky as Sandy was, but she made me feel much less guilty for my call. I had been lying awake, my stomach turning for hours, and it just didn’t seem right. The doctor’s office was long since closed, but the after-hours line meant I could get in touch with an on-call nurse to tell her about my symptoms.
“I went to see my regular doctor about a month back for this same issue. It turned out to be a stomach virus, but I thought it would be over with by now,” I told her.
“Did you take all the medications she prescribed?” Sandy asked.
“I did everything she told me,” I said. “And I felt better for a few weeks, but then it came back. Now I’m feeling sick again, I’m exhausted, and I just don’t feel right.”
“Are there any new symptoms?” Sandy asked.
“No. Just the same ones. It’s like I went right back to the beginning of the illness.”
“I noticed in your chart it mentions stress. Have you been going through a stressful situation recently?” she asked.
“That’s putting it mildly,” I said. “The last few months have been pretty difficult on me, actually.”
“That could also explain your symptoms,” she said. “Going through major stress can manifest itself as sleeplessness and gastrointestinal distress. You definitely could be experiencing physical signs of what you’re going through. I know it’s probably the last advice you want to hear right now but try to find ways to cut down on that stress. Relax or find an activity that you enjoy that will help to take your mind off what you’re going through.”
“Um, okay,” I said.
“I know it sounds a little bit dismissive and possibly even a bit of crunchy granola to be coming from a nurse, but I promise sometimes just a little bit of self-care can be the most effective treatment for a wide range of ailments,” she said. “It’s always a joke when people say their doctor prescribed them a vacation, but it’s not so far off base. Everybody today is under so much pressure, and the first person you forget is yourself. Just taking some time to reverse that can make a world of difference.”
“That makes sense,” I said.
“Good. Now, you find some time to relax and try to get the stress down a bit. See if that helps you. And if it doesn’t, make another appointment with your doctor. She can test you for other things like ulcers, or help find some ways to manage your symptoms,” the friendly nurse said.
“I’ll do that. Thank you,” I said.
Talking to Sandy put my mind at ease a bit. Part of me had started thinking something horrible might be going on with my body. But now that she emphasized the stress I was under and how it could manifest as physical illness, it all made sense.
I wanted to think I was handling the situation with Justin extremely well. I had my flip out that first night, then the other one the night Nick came over. Other than that, I was keeping it together. But maybe I was keeping it together too much. Shoving everything down rather than expressing it was making it come out in different ways. Currently that way was making me feel completely drained most of the time and sick to my stomach a good percentage of the week.
As much as I tried to follow the nurse’s advice and find ways to let go of the stress, my life turned into a series of vignettes. It broke down to its most basic of elements, with me working and sleeping. Occasionally I emailed Nick to keep him up to date on how I was doing building up my seed money. Once or twice I met up with Trish. Then I worked more and slept more. Then I worked more and slept more again.
Before I knew it, it had been a month and my last deposit into my bank account showed I had finally reached my goal. The full amount of the seed money I needed to start my investments was there. I could barely believe it. But some of the excitement and enthusiasm was dulled
by my continued issues with my stomach and my energy. I believed Sandy about the stress, but I was also back to wondering if the stomach bug had never really left, or if I had managed to reinfect myself. Maybe it was a combination.
Whatever the reason, I was done dealing with it. I reluctantly made another appointment with my doctor for later that afternoon. It gave me enough time to go by Nick’s office and let him know I was primed and ready to get investing. I could have called him, but this was something I’d been working toward for so long now, I really wanted to share that moment with him.
It seemed like the perfect bookend to the entire experience. Storming into his office unannounced and unexpected was what had started the whole journey, so that seemed like the right way to tell him I was done saving. And if I was being really honest, I would admit I wanted to see him.
It had been more than a month, which made me nervous. It also made me make sure I arrived at his office with just enough time to go in, tell him about the seed money and give him my check, and leave. Cutting it close to my doctor’s appointment meant I wouldn’t have the chance to linger there with him. That wasn’t something I could trust myself to do.
If I stayed in Nick’s office with him for more than a couple of minutes, I might not be able to control myself. Whenever I thought about Nick, the first thought that came into my mind was how much I wanted to drag him back to bed with me again. That wasn’t something I needed him to see in my eyes.
What happened between us was completely unexpected. Not that I didn’t want it. I wanted Nick like crazy. I just thought I had better control over myself. At least, I did until I had to deal with Justin again and Nick offered to do something to make me feel better. And that certainly made me feel better.
But I figured it was just a one-and-done thing. He didn’t want me again, or even think of me that way. If he did, I would have heard from him more than just the cursory responses to my emails. Because of the weird situation we were in with our professional relationship and the fairly recent end of my relationship, I wanted to put the ball in his court. If he was interested in more with me, he’d let me know.
The Freeman Brothers: A Secret Baby Romance Collection Page 74