Reverie

by Shain Rose

  I stewed over her email for the rest of my work day, which went well into the night. I reread the legal documentation and saw that Mr. Stevie had in fact stated that he wanted to retain his roster of employees through their retirement. It was an odd stipulation and one we wouldn’t normally accept.

  Yet, I called one of my team members to rework our numbers and offer an even higher payout for the company. It wasn’t my practice to adjust stipulations, so I didn’t in this case either. I wanted firing power if I needed it—always.

  Over my late dinner, I pulled up her email again. Outlook let me know she was available on her personal email, the one I’d grabbed from Brey’s contact information, and instead of e-mailing her this time, I messaged her.

  * * *

  Me: You didn’t answer my PS.

  Victory: I replied to you on my business account. I didn’t feel the PS was appropriate work conversation.

  Me: Hm. And a cordial business relationship?

  Victory: Yes?

  Me: In your email, that’s what you wrote.

  Victory: Right. Yes, we want to maintain that. What’s your question?

  Me: Were you maintaining that in Kauai with me?

  Victory: This also isn’t an appropriate work conversation.

  Me: That’s why I messaged you on your personal account.

  Victory: Want to tell me how you got this account, by the way? And your account still isn’t your personal one.

  Me: I run this company and it’s a family business. I’m not concerned.

  Victory: Well, I am.

  Me: Fine, give me your number.

  Victory: Yeah, no.

  * * *

  I opened a new window and signed into my private Gmail account.

  * * *

  Me: This is now my personal account. You happy? Answer my question.

  Victory: Your question is off base and totally rude.

  Me: How?

  Victory: You’re insinuating I slept with you to maintain some relationship!

  Me: No. I was insinuating you can’t have a cordial business relationship after I fucked you and saw you come.

  Victory: OMG, I’m going.

  Me: Give me your number.

  Victory: No and don’t you dare ask Brey. She already feels like shit after you hacked her email.

  Me: You know I couldn’t care less. I will ask her if you don’t give it to me.

  Victory: The number’s in your email … You’re really starting to make it hard to see the good in someone when you’re such a terrible human being.

  I closed the chat and called her.

  “Are you serious?” she practically shouted in the phone. “I don’t want to talk to you.”

  “Well, you picked up your phone.”

  I heard rustling and a sigh. “Yes, because I happen to think you’ll interrogate Brey if I don’t answer.”

  “And you’re right.”

  “What do you want, Jett?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me your name is Victory?”

  “Because it’s a common mistake everyone makes when they meet me. There’s no need to make someone uncomfortable by correcting them.”

  “I’m not ‘everyone’ or just ‘someone.’ I slept with you and spent nearly a week with you on an island.”

  “And that was a great time. Now the week is over. So, we should probably stop bringing it up.”

  “Why?” I asked, not really sure I even wanted the answer.

  “Why?” she repeated, her voice shrill. “Because, as you made abundantly clear, it was just a vacation fling and we’re back to reality now. Like you said.”

  “You didn’t seem to think it was just a fling at first.”

  “But you reminded me it was, and I’m very happy about that.”

  I chuckled at her emphasis. She riled so easily and it made me want to rile her more. This girl, so wrapped up in the whimsical little land she’d created for herself, had no idea how bad life could get. Some part of me wanted to show her, to see her light dim a little and then have her explode under me in my bed.

  I realized right then that I wasn’t done with her and I wanted our fling to last longer.

  “Why are you happy about that?”

  “Because you and I are oil and vinegar. We don’t mix well at all.”

  “Maybe we do. Have dinner with me here.”

  “Absolutely not.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m not a booty call …” she hesitated. “At least I’m not anymore now that we aren’t on vacation.”

  I laughed. “Come on, Vick. Just dinner.”

  “Honestly, Jett, maybe I would have.” I heard her sigh over the phone. “I thought we could be more, but you reminded me we couldn’t. And I’m set on finding something serious. I want a boyfriend and a husband and 2.5 kids with a white picket fence.”

  Her declaration shut down my desire to banter with her. The metaphorical bucket of ice water splashed over my head and dick. “Right. I don’t want any of that at all.”

  “Exactly,” she sighed. “We had a good time.”

  “Good enough to maintain a cordial business relationship?”

  She cleared her throat. “That would be ideal. Steven is”—she sighed into the phone in a dreamy way—“such a great guy. I don’t want him concerned that my relations with you were anything more than they were.”

  I hummed. “You told him about us?”

  “I’m not telling anyone about us,” Vick replied quickly. “There’s nothing to tell.”

  “Right. Cordial business relationship. Got it, babe.”

  “Okay. So, hope you have a good night.”

  “Sure. Sweet dreams, Victory.”

  She hung up without replying.

  That night, I couldn’t stop mulling over our conversation. I pictured her pacing as she spoke to me on the phone, her blonde hair swaying. The girl was animated as hell, and I was sure she lived her life the same way, with a level of vibrancy that was too loud to turn off.

  The next morning, I had my team email Samson and Sons. I wanted a sit-down with them all. Vick thought I was coldhearted when it came to business but there was a reason Steven’s company was small and mine was big.

  I had nothing to prove. However, that didn’t stop the idea from bouncing around in my head, impossible to ignore. I had stopped setting aside my own desires long ago. I found it rarely paid off.

  One of my team members stopped in my office. “Jett, Mr. Samson agreed to meet with you next week. He wanted me to warn you that he doesn’t see himself negotiating any new terms though.”

  I leaned back in my chair. “Okay. He say anything else?”

  “He went on to explain that he’s thrilled with his company at this time.” He waved off the rest of the conversation. “He thinks he’s playing hardball. Just doing his peacock dance.”

  I smiled. Jack always had an ear for the ones who were lying or exaggerating. He was one of the best on my team when it came to measuring how well a business would actually do under our name. “So, you think we need to fluff his feathers next week?”

  “I think the guy’s excited to meet you.”

  “Most people are.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Man, get off your high horse. He says he doesn’t want to sell, but he’s bringing his legal team, which means he’s willing to negotiate. I don’t know if it's even worth the investment.”

  “It probably isn’t.”

  He narrowed his eyes a little. Then nodded. “I figured you knew that. Guess you have your own agenda. I’ll follow your lead.”

  “That’s what I hired you to do.”

  He left my office, waving at me over his shoulder.

  I got to work and researched Samson and Sons a little more.

  What was so priceless about his company and their assets that he wouldn’t hand over rights to me?

  I knew of only one asset worth hanging onto, and I was starting to think I’d be willing to pay a hefty price to obtain it. />
  8

  Vick

  “I’m not dating either of them,” Katie yelled across the table over the music. The crowd was loud, but not that loud.

  “You don’t have to scream at us about it.” Brey eyed Katie as if signaling her to take it down a notch. The two were probably having some private, telepathic conversation. They had been best friends since high school and inseparable ever since.

  I understood their bond in the sense that Katie was a sort of fierce protector of Brey’s when they were growing up. They both came from rough backgrounds, but Katie wore her warrior loud and proud. Her hair was chopped at her shoulders with electric-blue streaks through the black. She wore a cut up shirt and even though she was small, her tattoos made her look badass.

  Even without all that, her gray eyes could stare down the biggest man in the room and make him wither.

  Brey was the complete opposite. She had dark, natural hair, dressed conservatively most of the time and always tried to make everyone comfortable by being polite. People would call her well-bred but her new husband made sure to shake her out of that breeding every chance he got. He loved to see her let loose, and I envied their connection every time I saw them together.

  “I’m not screaming about anything.” Katie looked at me for support. “Vick, you know what screaming is. Tell her I’m not screaming.”

  “She’s not screaming, Brey.” I sighed and put my chin in my hand.

  Brey stared at me longer than I wanted her to. “What’s wrong, Vick? I wouldn’t ask except that … well, something is bothering you, isn’t it?”

  “I shouldn’t have e-mailed your business account,” I admitted. I still felt bad about our conversation. She had run to the bathroom immediately after leaving Jett’s office to warn me that he’d hacked her email.

  “Water under the bridge.” Brey waved me off. “Jax said Jett won’t hold that e-mail against me.”

  Katie blew a raspberry. “Jax is lying.”

  Brey sighed. “I know he is. But I decided I don’t really care. Jett shouldn’t have done that.”

  I smiled. Brey held everyone to her own standards, and I was happy to see her stand up for herself when they didn’t meet those standards. “Your boss is something else.”

  “Is he now?” Katie asked and raised an eyebrow.

  “Why are you asking me like that?”

  “You still haven’t disclosed what you two were doing half the time in Kauai.”

  “And you still haven’t disclosed what you are doing with the two Armanelli brothers,” I quipped.

  Katie narrowed her eyes. “I said I’m not dating either of them.”

  “That doesn’t give us any information. You never admit to dating anyone. Ever.”

  “Brey knows I’m not dating either of them.” Katie nudged Brey.

  She sipped her drink before she agreed. “She isn’t, but I think Bastian wouldn’t mind …”

  “Bastian wouldn’t mind with anyone.”

  I whispered what was bothering me. “Aren’t they in the mob?”

  Brey rolled her lips between her teeth, and I knew the answer immediately.

  “You can’t date someone in the mob, Katie.” I grabbed her drink as she reached for it to buy time. “No. You date questionable guys all the time, but I think we need to put our foot down with the freaking mob, you guys.”

  Katie leaned in and widened her gray eyes at me. “Keep your voice down. Jesus. It isn’t the mob, per se.”

  “‘Per se’?” I threw my hands up. “What does that even mean? Brey, you tell her.”

  Brey winced. “I can’t tell her anything. I love those boys.”

  “You love them? You can’t love people in the mafia. They … wait. Do they do business with the Stonewoods?”

  Brey looked toward the ceiling of the club. “This isn’t something we should talk about.”

  “Well, Katie is dating one of them!” I yelled and stood up from my stool. “And you just married Jax. If his business is associated with—”

  “Stonewood Enterprises is associated with every business in the city, Vick,” Brey stated matter-of-factly.

  I pictured guns, violence, murder. The Godfather reel started playing in my head, and I blurted, “You guys need to figure your shit out. We could be killed.”

  Katie—who never seemed to worry about anything—eyed me like I was a lunatic. “You do realize that we aren’t in a movie, right? Organized crime isn’t what it once was.”

  “I don’t know if you’re downplaying the situation or being honest.” No one ever really did with her. “And, anyway, you don’t think anything is a big deal.”

  She rolled her eyes. Brey jumped in. “No one needs to worry.”

  I pursed my lips. “Does Rome know you're dating someone in the mob?”

  This time, Katie’s eyes bugged out and she stood up. “He doesn’t get a say in who I date.”

  Her words were measured. She narrowed her eyes at me like she was telepathically communicating to keep my mouth shut.

  She didn’t want me blurting out that I had found Rome and her tangled in the sheets a while back. Rome and Brey used to sleep together too but never had feelings for each other. I had a pretty good suspicion that Katie and Rome’s story went deeper and Katie didn’t want anyone finding out.

  I shrugged my shoulders and crossed my arms. “Then he won’t mind if I tell him you’re dating one of the Armanelli brothers.”

  “Don’t be a bitch, Vick,” Katie spit out.

  Brey rubbed her forehead. “You guys, come on. This is a girls' night out. Let’s not fight.”

  “Fight about what?” A deep voice rumbled behind me, and I felt the Stonewood presence before I turned and saw them.

  Jax and Jett approached with a few enormous men in suits.

  Security.

  The club was packed tonight, and they didn’t need problems with Jax being here. Jax slid his arm around Baby's waist.

  “This is a girls’ night,” she glared at him.

  He smiled. “Peaches, we’re newlyweds. I get you every night.”

  Envy shot through my veins. I wanted a man to want me like Jax wanted Brey. Love me like he loved her. Always. Even at her worst.

  I glanced at Jett. The man who would never ever want or love like his brother. He stood there staring back at me with nothing in his blue eyes. He didn’t feel a sliver of emotion for any woman, not even me, who he had slept with multiple times. Still, even with that coldness, or maybe because of it, he looked lethally gorgeous. Muscles stretched his collared shirt, his rolled cuffs revealed impressive forearms, and his dark jeans screamed casual but expensive.

  He didn’t smile or nod as we eyed one another. His eyes held that look of control, but I knew what was beyond that wall. He covered up how he eyed the crowd, how he was constantly scoping out the weaknesses of a situation.

  Jett wanted to keep everyone safe, everyone in his circle protected.

  A club was not the place to protect and still his nature to do so made him seem even more appealing to me. Yet, I knew from just the way he broke our stare, he was completely unavailable.

  “So, guess the party’s over,” Katie mumbled and downed her drink. “I have to meet someone anyway.”

  I glared at her. She glared back because we all knew who she was going to meet.

  “We’ll talk more about this later,” I enunciated every word, making it clear I meant what I said.

  She singsonged in a ridiculous Disney princess voice that didn’t suit her, “Sure we will.” Then, her tone dropped. “Bye, bitches.”

  With that, she sashayed away.

  I wanted to scream at her for leaving me and Jett as third wheels to Brey and Jax, but she knew exactly what she was doing.

  I glanced at Jax and Brey who were already in a deep conversation, whispering to one another. I gave in and looked at Jett again. “I guess we’re the odd men out.”

  He tilted his head a little. “Are we now, Victory?”

&nb
sp; “Can you not call me that?”

  “Why not? It’s your name.”

  “Yeah, but no one calls me that. Everyone calls me Vick.”

  “I’m not everyone.”

  “Oh, please. Don’t act like you’re someone to me or I’m someone to you.” I downed the rest of my drink and realized I needed to take a note from Katie and leave. “I should get going, Brey.”

  She looked away from Jax like it physically pained her to tear her eyes away. “I’m sorry, Vick. My husband is rude.”

  “That’s right. Husband.” He emphasized the word and Brey smiled. She couldn’t help herself, and seeing her that happy made me smile too.

  “It isn’t a big deal. I should catch up with work anyway. Steven has a big meeting next week.”

  Brey eyed Jett. “Yes. One I hope goes well for every single person in the room.”

  Jax glared at Jett. “Don’t be a dick next week, man.”

  Jett didn’t respond to either of them. He kept looking at me. “You drive here?”

  I grabbed my purse. “No. I didn’t move to Chicago and bring a car. The street is one of the most amazing places in the world.”

  His face scrunched up like he was smelling garbage. I rolled my eyes and hugged Brey goodbye, then Jax, who offered his driver to me. I shook my head no, telling them I would get an Uber.

  I glanced at Jett and mumbled, “Have a good night.”

  With that, I wove through the crowd. No one readily moved for a girl trying to leave, but I swayed in and out of the dancing masses and patted a few backs while I smiled on. I didn’t jostle anyone out of their partying. This was someone’s night to remember and another’s night to forget. I didn’t want to take them away from that.

  I made it outside about twenty minutes later after stopping a few times to dance with a stranger or cheer on a few shots being emptied.

  I pulled up the Uber app on my phone, but someone grabbed my elbow.

  “I’ll take you home,” Jett grumbled behind me, and when I looked up to see his jaw ticking up and down, I tried my best not to be turned on.

  “Are you following me?”