by Kayla, Mia
The one word was a plea and my answer.
There was no way I could say no.
* * *
Sonia
“I can’t believe she’s been throwing darts at your face.” Rosa held her stomach, laughing.
We were seated at the dining room table, and Brad was ripping into me, reminding me of how much I’d hated him at one time. Fast-forward to today, and my whole face blushed as I recalled the way he’d kissed me on my parents’ front porch.
It was difficult not to be jealous of him as I watched him win everyone over. Brad could fit anywhere, compel an audience, successfully lead a meeting, and now, at my family dinner, he was the life of the party. Even my father’s lips tipped up in a small smile. If Brad hadn’t completely won him over yet, he was on his way.
“She could have at least gotten a better picture,” Brad chided, as if I’d been concerned about how handsome he was when I was releasing all my fury.
I scoffed, “Please, I made the picture better.” I picked at the last of the broccoli on my plate. Being so close to him and seeing him win over my family did weird things to me. It warmed my heart, but more than that, it turned me on.
Brad’s plate was spotless. He’d eaten like a pro, vegetables and rice and chicken. Judging by my mom’s beaming face, she was a Brad lover.
But she’d loved Jeff, too.
My heart seized, and I wrapped my arms around my stomach. I’d been here before. Right at this dining room table with all my family gathered. The only difference was the man next to me.
I dropped my gaze to the few broccoli florets on my plate, worried. Was I repeating history? I’d thought Jeff was a sure thing, and look how that had turned out. Brad was even less predictable and not long-term relationship material. If someone had asked me a year ago who would be marriage material, Jeff would’ve been my answer without hesitation. Guess I’d have been wrong there.
So, now, was I judging Brad without giving him a chance? Could we be good together? Could we possibly work?
I was confused as hell and still reeling over that kiss. I’d never met a man who had perfected the art of kissing as much as Brad had. I was sure he’d had lots of practice before me. Still, his kisses were unforgettable. I’d had to take a long, cold shower after he left my apartment the other night, and it had taken all my energy to pretend like that kiss hadn’t affected me when it affected every part of me, the hot parts that wanted more.
I squeezed his hand before standing up to grab the dessert in the kitchen. Marco stood also, and on our way in with tiramisu and lemon meringue pie, he bumped his hip against mine.
“I like him.”
I laughed. He never said that about Jeff. “And why is that?”
“He looks at you like you’re his whole world, and he would do anything to keep you in it.”
I stopped and blinked up at my brother. Marco had said the same thing before, but it was how I’d looked at Jeff, about how I’d loved him more than he’d loved me.
That made my heart skip two, three, four beats, and I knew then that I was in trouble.
Chapter 19
Brad
Talk about killing it.
Charles slapped my butt the way football players did as we made our way out of the boardroom. “You nailed it!”
I shrugged before heading to the elevator. “Like there was any doubt.” Because I sure as hell didn’t doubt myself. I had sealed the deal with Titan Press, which would expand our capabilities in the west and would eventually increase our bottom line by twenty percent.
“We’ll need to visit their plant within the next few weeks.”
The buyout and integration of their facilities into our infrastructure would take nine months to a year, and that was being optimistic, but I was determined to get it done.
I raised my fist to fist-bump Charles and walked into the elevator while he proceeded back down the hall to his office.
Boy, did that feel damn good, nailing this deal.
The doors shut but not before Mason slipped in right beside me.
Great.
Mason pressed his floor and moved to the back of the elevator. “Good job in there. You’ve always been good at that.”
“Thanks.”
Our relationship since that day we had our blowup had been awkward. We only spoke to each other during work, and at home, we avoided each other like a married couple in the midst of a bad fight.
“About the other day …” His eyebrows gathered in, and he let out a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry.”
I’d been waiting for an apology, but I had already forgiven him long before. Even when we were younger, my fights with my brothers hadn’t lasted long. Either we’d box it out, yell it out, or it hadn’t been a big deal to begin with.
This time, I was going to do what I wanted to do anyway, so it wasn’t worth the wasted effort.
“I understand your concern, but I’m not going to jeopardize work and what grandfather built for a quick lay.” Maybe, at one time, I had been that guy, but I wasn’t anymore. What Mason had to understand was what I had with Sonia was different. There was no way I was letting her go. “I’m different with her.”
“I know.” He leaned against the elevator and stuck his hands into his pockets.
I faced him directly, but he stared at the door, waiting for it to open.
“Maybe I was just …” He paused. “Maybe I was just jealous.”
What? I reeled back to study his reaction.
“I saw you and Sonia at lunch. I passed that place on Wells, the one you guys always go to. I saw you through the window.” Mason’s gaze dropped to the ground as though he were thinking deeply. “Janice and I aren’t like that.”
Fucking finally. But I held in the reaction. Don’t be an asshole. Don’t say anything. Bite your tongue.
“I don’t think we ever were.” There was a sadness in his tone, a vulnerability that Mason hardly showed.
Charles and I were on the same page when it came to Janice, but Mason would stick up for her until his face turned blue. Hell, my nieces weren’t very fond of her, and those girls liked everyone.
There were a million things that I wanted to say, tons of reasons Mason and Janice shouldn’t be together. I wanted to list them out and highlight each and every one—the most important being that she was a selfish gold digger who only cared about him because of the status he could give her. But I didn’t.
“You should be happy, bro.” I placed a heavy hand on his shoulder. “You already know how I feel about her, but in the end, it doesn’t matter. It’s your choice to make.”
I understood it all in that second. How everyone could tell me that Sonia and I wouldn’t work and her father could intimidate me and she could still possibly want her ex back. All the forces could be against me, us … but in the end, it was my choice to pursue her.
“We’ve been together for years, and, yeah … she’s put on the pressure of marriage,” he said when the elevator pinged open.
“She’s not too shy about it,” I muttered, stepping onto my floor.
He followed right behind me.
If the bridal magazines and Tiffany and Cartier catalogs were any indication. I bit my tongue before some asshole comment slipped.
“And I realized, she’s right.”
I winced. Please, for the love of God, do not make her my future sister-in-law. My parents would be turning over in their graves.
“That’s the only step now, but when I think of it …” He stopped in the middle of my floor, where I would turn to head down the hall to my office, and stared behind me into the air. —“… I can’t picture myself with her forever. Can you see Janice as a mother?”
I laughed. Yeah, the evil stepmother.
“So, I’m breaking up with her.”
I stared at him, dumbfounded. What is going on? “You sure?” I was tempted to take my brother’s temperature. “You’re breaking up with her?” I asked again, almost like I couldn’t believe it to be true
.
Mason frowned. “I thought you of all people would be happy about this.”
I blinked, still shocked into silence.
“But, yes, I am sure.”
* * *
Brad
After work, I headed to the only place I wanted to be—Sonia’s.
Just when I’d thought my day couldn’t get any better, Sonia opened the door of her apartment. I didn’t think I’d ever met a woman who could make jeans and a T-shirt look so damn sexy. It was double-date night, which I wasn’t too excited about, but spending time with Sonia would make up for it.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” She stepped into the hallway and let the door shut behind her. “I heard someone did good today.”
“It’s all in a day’s work.”
Then, she poked my side and locked the door before leading us to the elevator. “You were never one to be modest.”
Is she flirting? I cocked my head. Shit, I think she is.
We entered the elevator, and I inched up beside her, our shoulders touching.
“If I’m being honest, it was a slam dunk.” I threw her my cockiest smirk. “I’m just the best at my job, which is why Charles and Mason wish they were me. The company would be in ruins without me. Bankruptcy.” Her laughter fired me up to keep on going. “People would lose their jobs. I could never have that on my conscience.”
“Of course not.” She rolled her eyes and angled toward me, and shit if I wasn’t having the best day of my life, just being by her.
I kept on bragging about how I was God’s gift to Brisken Printing Corp. and how everyone needed me. I proceeded to tell her how lucky she was to work with the finest and smartest man at the company. She scoffed playfully, and when the elevator pinged open to the lobby, I took the leap and risked rejection as I reached for her hand.
Her smile faltered a little, but she didn’t push me away, and I continued to keep up my banter while my insides soared. Baby steps were good.
We held hands throughout the drive, and when we parked in front of the pizza joint, I faced her. Her eyes looked outside, scanning the area, her knees bouncing. It reminded me of the day at the church when she had been fidgeting in her seat, nervous to see the ex. I realized I didn’t want to do this, have dinner with Jean and Jeff and pretend I was having a good time, when all I wanted it to be was Sonia and me, alone. I didn’t want to share her.
Thinking of him and her and the past they’d shared had me itching to jump out of my skin.
“I don’t even know why I’m here.” Sonia bit her bottom lip. Her stare skittered outside, watching the people walk past our car.
My sentiments exactly, but today, silence seemed like the key. The key with Mason and now with Sonia.
“I didn’t want to be the loser. I didn’t want it to seem like I was too hurt to meet up. I didn’t want him to know that he’d hurt me … that he’d broken my heart so badly, so that’s why I agreed to come.”
I wanted to ask her again why it mattered. Why she cared about his feelings or what he thought months after they had broken up, but I was afraid to hear the answer.
“Do you want to go home?” I so badly wanted her to say yes. To ditch this fool and his blow-up Barbie. So that I could take her on a real date, to a movie and dinner, something better than second-rate pizza.
“It’s too late. We can’t.” Her voice was so achingly low, hopeless even.
I tipped her chin my way, staring at her pink lips and needing so badly to kiss her. “You can. We’ll do whatever you want to do. I know this Italian restaurant that makes a cloud of tiramisu.”
All she needed to do was say the word, and it would be done; we’d be on our way.
Come on.
The knocking on the window had her jumping and me giving a death glare to the culprit—Jean.
Her wave turned frantic as she bounced on her toes. “Hi, guys!”
Jeff was right behind her, looking … pissed?
Whatever he was, he wasn’t happy, but it wasn’t my concern.
Sonia rolled down the window. “We’ll be right inside.”
I leaned back in my seat, letting my head relax against the headrest, watching Jean and Jeff walk down the street. I rarely went where I didn’t want to be, yet, for Sonia, I was going to go into that pizza joint.
“If we’re going to get out of this, now would be the opportunity,” I none too subtly reminded her.
She laughed, her eyes trailing the two bobbleheads walking into the pizza joint. “Now, we can’t for sure. We’ve been spotted. There goes my excuse that I’m sick, and life is over.” She bit her fingernail, watching their retreating backs. I wished I could read minds to know what she was thinking. “Do they match?”
“What do you mean?”
“Never mind.” She shook her head. “Maybe it’s true what they say; opposites do attract.” Then, she turned my way. “Is she your type? Do you think she’s attractive?”
I scoffed, “No.”
And, from my one answer, I knew she didn’t believe me.
“I’m being serious. You walk down the streets of downtown Chicago, and you’ll see five Jeans.”
“You’re just saying that because I’m here, and you’re trying to get in my panties.” The corner of her mouth lifted into an almost smile.
Now, it was my turn to laugh, and then I angled closer. “Even though I am wanting in your panties, my answer would still be the same. Not interested.”
She let out a low sigh and then stared back at the pizza joint. “Then, why do you think he picked her over me?”
I tilted her chin to face me, and I spoke with all the conviction and truth I had in me. “He messed up, Sonia, because what you don’t understand is that Jean’s not the upgrade; she’s most definitely the downgrade.”
Her eyes flashed for a second, and then she placed her hand on top of mine that was holding her face. She smiled and then pulled my hand down. “You …” She squinted. “… are really, really good. So good that I almost believed you.”
“I’m going to make a believer out of you, Sonia.” And that would be my goal for the evening—or weeks or months if it took that long.
* * *
The date was horrible, and I’d been on plenty of bad ones. But this was by far the worst because I didn’t want to be there.
Somewhere between walking into the pizza joint and after shaking Jeff’s hand, I’d determined he was my enemy. Shit. He was the dumbass for leaving Sonia, so his misfortune was my fortune, but Sonia hadn’t satisfied the burning question in the back of my mind. Was she still in love with him? My insecurity made me hate this guy that I hardly knew.
I pushed the half-eaten pizza farther away from me.
Chicago was known for its pizza, but not soggy pizza. Whatever this place was, it was horrible. With its bland red chairs and black-and-white-checkered floors that gave the vibe of an older soda shop, there was nothing spectacular about this place or its service or its food.
The pizza was cold and tasted like a box, bland and without flavor.
Jean kept talking with animated hands, and while I was not impressed and not even trying, what was surprising was, neither was Jeff. He looked above Jean, never at her when she was speaking, as though he were watching a television show he was not even remotely interested in.
“That was one of the best weddings I’d ever gone to,” Jean said, eyes bright.
She reminded me of a sorority girl—the lilt of her voice, the way she talked with her hands. Maybe it had been cute in her early twenties, but it was annoying now. Like watching one of those talking baby dolls that you wanted to lock in the closet.
I pushed two fingers into my temple, feeling an oncoming migraine. If it wasn’t for Sonia, I’d up and leave.
“Right?” Sonia nudged my shoulder and threw me a smile.
Shit. I’d missed the whole conversation, and I wasn’t sure what I was saying right to. Immediately, I reached for her hand, needing to touch her.
&n
bsp; “It’s so romantic. Like Pretty Woman,” Jean added.
“The dress at the wedding. How you surprised me and took me shopping. You tricked me, remember? Saying we were going for you.”
Ah, that. See, I could be romantic, even when I wasn’t trying.
“You wouldn’t let me take you shopping otherwise.” I kissed her hand.
And that was the truth of the matter. If I’d told her I was buying her a very expensive designer dress, she would have refused. Because that was just how she was, simple and happy with wearing one of her old dresses.
“Oh my God. It’s like pulling teeth when I ask Jeff to go shopping. I’m always like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s go. It’ll be fun.’” Jean bounced on her seat as she talked, and I was surprised her seat didn’t tip over.
“Jeff hates shopping. He’s the type who will wait outside the store, looking at his watch the whole time,” Sonia stated. “I don’t think I’ve met another male who hates it more.”
They both laughed, and I added my ugly laughter, the one meant to come out for Halloween.
I clenched my teeth. Who cares about Jeff? I could hate shopping. I didn’t because I had a personal shopper to do it for me, but I could.
“I do,” Jeff stated, not even arguing. “You still know me so well.” His laser focus was on Sonia, and my shoulders stiffened.
In my line of business, during a takeover or a buyout, the number one quality that I possessed that always worked in my favor and guaranteed that I won the deal 99.9% of the time was my uncanny ability to read people. And the way he’d uttered those words and the way he was looking at Sonia made me want to get up, reach for his collar, pull him in, and punch his pretty face until I messed it up.
For the next thirty minutes, he stared at Sonia, laughed at her jokes, and leaned in as though he could get closer.
How did I miss this earlier?
I only noticed how Jeff was annoyed by his date, not how much attention he was paying to mine.