by Robin Stone
Everything faded away as she rode me—all I saw and felt and wanted was Brooke. Only Brooke. I wanted to sleep next to her every day. I wanted to make her coffee every morning. I wanted to come home and kiss her at the end of a long day.
“Oh Evan! I’m so close.”
I grabbed her hips, helping her grind her clit against me, and she suddenly came, squeezing my cock until I exploded. She rode me until she finished, crying out and pulsing and squeezing my shaft.
And then she collapsed on my chest, panting.
I wrapped my arms around her and closed my eyes. We were just two broken people, coming together and trying to feel whole.
Our two weeks were coming to an end. I didn’t want to lose her, but if she wanted a clean break, I’d give it to her.
“Evan?”
“Mmm?”
“I love you.”
I sucked in a breath. “I love you, too.”
She kissed me, and I held her so tight against my chest, I didn’t ever want to let go.
I was sluggish all morning at work. I went back to the coffee pot in the break room way more than usual. By lunchtime, I had pretty much come out of my fog. I ate with the guys, and then I brought my mop and bucket out to the lobby to mop. It was raining outside, and people had been tracking in dirt and water all morning.
I was halfway through mopping when I heard some raised voices.
“That’s not good enough!”
“Sir, please lower your voice.”
“Incompetence! Complete and utter incompetence!”
I knew that voice.
Brad. That asshole.
I put my mop into my bucket and rolled it to the wall. Then I walked through the lobby and over to the desk. Carly was standing there scowling as Brad shouted at her.
“Hey,” I said. “Simmer down, Brad. You’re out of line!”
Carly looked relieved to see me.
Brad, however, was not.
“Don’t tell me to simmer down! This woman lost my package. She’s incompetent!”
“I haven’t received a package for him in days,” she said. “I checked the list. I checked the package closet. Nothing.”
“Walk away,” I told him, getting close to his face. “She doesn’t have it.”
His face turned red, then purple.
“The building manager will be getting a phone call from me.”
“Good,” I said. “You can tell her that you harassed the staff here, and she’ll take our side and kick you out, I assure you.”
I barely knew the building manager and had no idea if she’d stick up for us, but it worked. He straightened his blazer, then stalked out to the lobby and left.
“He’s gone,” I said, and Carly let out a long sigh of relief. “Do me a favor? Let me know when you get a package for him. I want to deliver it myself.”
“Thank you, Evan,” she said. “I owe you one.”
“No problem,” I said.
I finished mopping the lobby, then helped Frank change some light bulbs. Half an hour before my shift ended, I was touching up some paint in a hallway when Carly called me on the radio.
“Evan? Can you come down here when you get a moment? That package is here.”
I picked up my radio and answered. “I’ll be down in ten.”
After I finished touching up the paint, I brought my supplies down to the maintenance room and put them away. Carly was smiling when I went over to her desk.
“Here it is,” she said. “It just came about fifteen minutes ago. Thanks for offering to do this so I don’t have to.”
“Got it.”
I picked up the small box and carried it to the elevator. I was practicing what I was going to say to Brad on the ride up. When I reached his door, I knocked and braced myself.
He opened the door a few seconds later. I held the box up.
“Here’s your package. Carly said it came fifteen minutes ago.”
He reached for it, but I pulled it back.
“Listen, you can’t talk to people that way. It’s rude as hell, and if you want to get along with the building staff, this isn’t the way to do it.”
He looked down. “Alright.”
I shoved the package in his hands and started walking away
“Evan?”
I stopped and looked back. “Yeah?”
He opened the door a little more. “I apologize. I’ve had a really tough week, and I’ve been awful.”
Wow.
That wasn’t what I was expecting to hear.
“Okay, but you really need to apologize to Carly.”
“I will,” he said, and he closed the door.
I walked back to the elevator, shaking my head.
That night, I headed over to Cooper’s for another few games in our dart tournament. Liam was all wound up when I got there.
“Drew’s half in the bag already, so he’ll suck. And we just need to win two games tonight to advance to the semi-finals.”
I nodded, checking my phone. “Yup.”
Brooke had sent me a text earlier, and I was responding.
“Hey. Are you paying attention?”
“Huh? Yeah, sorry. I am. Drew’s half-drunk already.”
I shoved my phone in my back pocket and tried to pay attention to Liam. It was noisy as hell in the bar tonight, and crowded with all the guys here for the dart tournament. I lifted my beer to my lips and took a sip.
Liam sat back in his chair and shook his head.
“Man, you’ve got it bad for this girl. You’re not even excited about tonight.”
“Sorry about the phone, but you’ve got my full attention now. We’re going to kick their asses. We’ve been practicing.”
“I’ve been practicing. You’ve been gallivanting around in a tuxedo.”
“Hardly.”
“Look at you tonight. You’re not even wearin’ jeans! We’re in a bar!”
I looked down at my dress pants and blue button-down shirt.
“So?”
“Well, you clean up real nice. It’s just strange, seeing you all dressed up like this.”
The guys had all whistled and laughed when I walked in wearing my nice clothes. They were all wearing their usual grubby and paint-stained work clothes and jeans. I’d raised my middle finger to the room and ordered a beer from Jenna.
“So, how’s it going with her?” Liam asked.
“It’s going well.”
“Did she give you the money yet?”
I looked away. “No.”
“Then it’s not going so hot, is it?”
“She’s gonna pay me.”
“Uh huh. Did you sign a contract?”
“Well, no, but—”
“That’s what’s wrong with her. She’s gonna stiff you, and then you won’t have your down payment.”
“She’s not like that, Liam. She’s gonna pay me.”
“Well, I’ll believe it when I see it.” A roar went up, and the guys cheered and clapped. “Get ready, we’re up next.”
Liam went first and got a high score, but I choked.
“Shit,” I said.
Our turn ended, but when I was up again, I did better, and we just won by a point.
“Damn, that was a close one,” I said.
“No kiddin’. We gotta practice a lot before the semi-finals, okay?”
“Yeah, I know.”
We sat down at our table again. My phone beeped, and I fished it out of my pocket. I read a text, grinned, and then put it back.
“That was Brooke. She said she left her hair thingy in my truck. I need to give it back to her. She likes to have her hair up when she goes to bed.”
Liam was bringing his beer bottle up to his lips and paused.
“Oh, no,” he said.
“What?”
“Oh, shit. This is terrible. You’ve fallen in love with her.”
“What? No. I’m just talking about a hair thingy.”
“No. I’ve seen that dopey look on your face
before. You love this girl.”
“She’s not a girl, Liam. She’s a woman. And yes, I care about her.”
Liam took a swig of his beer. “Okay. Remember what I said, though. It just never works out between a woman like that and a guy like us.”
We finished our beer, and I took out some cash and put it on the table.
“Here, that’ll cover our bill. I gotta run.”
Liam turned to me as I stood. “Just be careful, okay? I hate to see you get hurt.”
“I know what I’m doing. I’ll see you soon.”
“Sure,” he said, turning back to his beer.
I hated to see him sitting alone like that, but I knew the other guys would notice I left, and they’d draw him into their conversation.
When I left the bar, I stood outside on the sidewalk looking in for a minute. The bar’s lights were dim, but I could see the peeling paint on the walls through the grubby windows. I could almost smell the dank bathroom from out on the sidewalk.
I walked away, knowing Brooke was just humoring me coming to the bar, and that she was used to nice, clean places where your shoes didn’t stick to the floor.
But in less than a week, I’d stop seeing the insides of nice restaurants and hotel suites. I didn’t care about the nice restaurants or the hotel suite, but about the woman who belonged in them.
Nineteen
The rest of the week passed quickly. I got my tux back from the dry cleaner for the awards ceremony.
On Saturday, Brooke and I sat at the table in the suite eating breakfast.
“Are you wearing that same purple dress tonight?”
“No,” she said. “I have a red dress for tonight.”
“I’m wearing the same thing.”
“Yes, but women can’t get away with that. Especially since the fundraiser is so close to this ceremony.”
The awards ceremony was a big deal for Brooke. She was up for Agent of the Year, and she was receiving an award for top sales in the region. The event was put on by a real estate association Brooke belonged to, and it was being held at the newly renovated ballroom at the hotel.
“What should we today?” she asked.
“Dunno. How long do you need to get ready for tonight?”
“Not as long. I won’t need Julia to help me since I’m wearing a much simpler dress and hairstyle.”
“I can help zip you,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows.
She laughed. “I’m not sure how you feel about this, but there’s a new kitchen store downtown I want to check out. I could use some new pots and pans.”
“I don’t mind,” I said.
Half an hour later, we walked into the kitchen store. There were rows and rows of colorful cookware, dishes and kitchen tools. Brooke spent several minutes comparing the pots and pans, but I didn’t mind. I was just happy to spend time with her.
“I really like this one,” she said. “What do you think?”
She handed me a small pot with a lid. It was heavy as hell, and the price tag said ninety-five dollars.
“Ninety-five dollars? For one pan?” I asked.
“It’s a good brand. Very high quality.”
I handed it back to her. “Are you going to buy them today?”
“No, because I don’t want to lug a huge box back to the hotel. I’ll order them once I move back into my condo.”
“Oh, I saw the workers going in to work on your carpet. Frank let them in. I like the color you chose.”
“Thanks. You’ll have to stop by and see it.”
I stuffed my hands into my pockets. I wasn’t sure how I could go into Brooke’s condo without a work order. I didn’t want any of the guys to see me.
“Sure,” I said.
We spent some time window shopping, then went into a bookstore. The day was sunny and getting warmer, so we bought subs at a sandwich shop and brought them over to a small park with two picnic tables.
Brooke’s hair blew in the wind. Flowers were starting to bloom, and the breeze had a fresh scent.
“I like this,” I said when we finished eating.
“Me, too.”
She reached across the picnic table and held my hand. Her phone rang.
“Damn,” she said. “I should take this. I told my team I was taking the day off.”
“Go ahead. Take it.”
She took the phone call, and then we slowly walked back to the hotel. We talked on the way back, and I looked at our reflection in the glass fronts of shops we passed.
We looked so normal, like a boyfriend and girlfriend out on a normal day.
When we got back to the hotel, Brooke opened her laptop and checked her email.
“I got an email from the carpet installer,” she said. “The carpet is finished.”
My heart sank, but I knew they had to finish it eventually.
“Oh, and I’ve made a list of some homes to show you. I can email the listings to you, but I printed them at work.”
She handed me a folder.
“They’re in your price range. One is a little higher, but I think we can get it for a lower price since it needs some work.”
I shuffled through the papers, looking at square footage and prices.
“Thanks, I’ll take a look at these.”
Brooke went to the kitchen to get a drink. A few minutes passed, and Brooke’s computer screen turned to a screen saver. It was an enormous white house with black shutters and a red door. The front lawn was perfectly manicured, with decorative, trimmed shrubs.
“That’s a nice house,” I said, nodding at her computer. “That one you’re selling?”
“No.”
“It looks like one of those houses over on Lilac or Greenbriar.”
She came over and sat next to me on the couch.
“That’s my parents’ house in Connecticut. That’s my childhood home.”
I turned and stared at her.
“That’s where you grew up?”
“Yes.” She closed her laptop. “I didn’t mean for you to see that.”
“Why not? Did you have a butler?” I joked.
She sighed. “Because of questions like that. People make assumptions about you.”
“Sorry,” I said.
“It’s okay. My parents are both lawyers, and they have family money they’ve inherited. That’s how I was able to afford the schools I went to. Private high school. Ivy league college.”
“Yeah, I know all about people making assumptions. You should have seen the way those salesmen looked at me in the suit store when I went in wearing my work uniform.”
“I’m so sorry about that. Julia told me about it.”
“There’s a guy that lives on the sixth floor on your building. He’s a real asshole to the staff, especially Carly, who sits at the desk.”
“Yes, I know Carly.”
“He was rude to me, too. He seems to think we’re his personal staff to order around. I had enough, and I called him on it. He finally apologized.”
“People make a lot of assumptions based on appearance. It’s not right, but we all do it.”
That was something to think about. I had pre-judged Brooke, and so had Liam, just as people made judgments about guys like me and Liam.
“Do you remember Diane thanking me for helping with the renovations at the Carlisle?” she asked.
“Yeah, I was wondering about that.”
“I gave the hotel a donation, and told my parents about it. They sent in a donation for triple the amount I gave. I just didn’t want to make a big deal about it.”
That made sense. I leaned over and kissed her, pushing her down on the couch.
“You like having a grungy maintenance man kissing you, don’t you?”
I tickled her and made her shriek, which dissolved into more kissing and tickling and laughter.
Later that night, I headed to the main hotel bar again. Since it was a Saturday night, the restaurant and bar were a little more crowded, but I found a seat at the bar. Amanda was t
here again.
“Hey, handsome!” she said. “Getting some more wear out of that tux, I see.”
“Yeah, another event tonight. She’s got a different dress this time.”
“I’ll have to look and see when she comes down. What can I get you?”
I ordered another soda, and a while later, she texted me that she was coming down. I tossed some bills on the bar.
“Thanks, Amanda. She’s coming down now.”
“Okay. I’ll watch for her.”
“I will. They’re having the event in the ballroom tonight.”
“Oh, that’s right, that’s tonight! That explains why I’ve been seeing tuxedos and nice dresses tonight. Have fun!”
I walked into the lobby and waited for the elevator to come down. When it opened, she came out, and several people stopped to stare at her as she walked toward me. She wore a fitted red knee-length dress and silver heels. The top of her dress was off the shoulder with short sleeves. Her dark hair was straight and sleek, and I felt a rush of warmth, affection, and lust for her.
“Hi,” she said.
“You look so beautiful.”
“Thank you. Ready?” she asked.
I realized we weren’t going to pass the bar, so Amanda wouldn’t be able to see her.
“Hold on,” I said. “Can we just step over here for a minute?”
I took her hand and led her over to the entrance of the bar. I waved at Amanda, and one of the patrons told Amanda to look up. She did, and gave us a wide smile and started applauding. I did a ridiculous bow and put my arm around Brooke. Some of the patrons laughed, and I heard scattered applause from the bar.
“What’s all this about?” Brooke asked.
“I’ll tell you later.”
In the lobby, we saw more people dressed up and heading for the ballroom. Inside, they had an easel displayed with a list of tonight’s dinner menu.
“Looks good,” I said. “I can even pronounce most of those words. But I don’t think I’ve ever had a croquette. Is that something I’ll like?”
“Probably,” she said.
The ballroom had been divided into a slightly smaller room with round tables set for dinner. We barely took a few more steps when Diane came up to us.