by Claire Angel
We were eating outside within forty-five minutes, and I sipped a glass of wine. Mom smiled at me as I took a bite of my chicken adobo and rice. “This is delicious,” she told me as I laughed.
“It’s made in the instant pot, which does all of the work for me. Thanks for buying that for the kitchen.” I smiled, thinking of two Christmases ago when I started having more responsibilities. It was a practical gift and served us well since I wasn’t the best cook before Mom’s diagnosis.
“That was nice that you got the time off for tomorrow. Was your boss angry?” Mom asked, and I thought about my answer.
“No, he understood. I’m lucky that it doesn’t happen that often. I am on probation, but things happen,” I explained, hoping that it was the truth. “I think he complimented me today.”
“Of course, he did. You’re an amazing girl, Bren.” She gave me a loving smile, and I returned it. “Your father will be home tomorrow so you can get a break. I think you should go out with Jack and some of your friends at work this weekend. I remember being young, you know.”
“Maybe. I’ll need to see what’s going on. Sleeping sounds nice as well.” I smiled at the thought, and Mom shook her head.
“You’re a kind and beautiful woman. Show that to the world.” I gazed at her, feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders.
“I feel like I’ve been going at the speed of light some days, Mom.” I sipped my wine slowly, not giving in to the urge to drink it down.
“You have taken a lot on. Let it go and have some fun. I don’t know how you’re not dating anybody.” She gave me a look that every parent gave their daughters.
“Oh, Mom. I don’t want to date anybody right now,” I protested as I frowned.
“I know, but I want you to do that and a lot of other things. You enjoyed dating Tom, didn’t you?”
“No. Tom was so boring, Mom. I ended it after two months.” I was in the dorms at college then, so they weren’t aware of my activities as much. They did meet Tom over dinner once, but I ended things shortly after that.
“Oh. I thought it lasted longer.” She reached for her water, taking a long swallow.
“Nope. I haven’t found anyone since then.” I shrugged and took another bite. “You met Dad young, Mom. You were lucky.”
“I sure was.” She dreamily smiled, and I chuckled.
After she settled for the night, I took a long, hot bath and relaxed. After that, I dressed in pajamas and relaxed in bed, smiling at the chance to have a more leisurely morning. Mom was still doing well, and this was just a checkup, so I didn’t have too much to worry about.
Chapter 5
Seth
I glanced at the clock on my computer, then to the hallway. It was ten, and there was no sign of Brenna, which made me worry about her. I hoped that everything went okay with her mother, even though I didn’t know the issue. I just knew what I’d feel if it was my mother going to the doctor.
I looked at the ringing phone, then my computer screen. I was busy today and let every call go to voice mail to fix the problems in front of me. Brenna would have a lot of work to do when she arrived.
I checked through a system remotely for a few moments before hearing voices in the hallway. Jack walked Brenna to her office, making her smile as he said something to her. I did hear him mention lunch, which annoyed me since I didn’t want them to do that. I’d have to find a reason to keep her here for lunch, working in the office.
“Thank you for that, Mr. Morgan.” Jack was gone, and Brenna was at my door with a grateful smile.
“I trust that everything went well?” I asked, and she quickly nodded. “There’s several voice mails and likely emails as well. That’ll keep you busy if you want to work through lunch and offset this time off.”
“Of course,” she murmured as she flushed. “Thanks again.” Brenna turned to go into her office with her purse and coffee as I watched her, sitting down, and getting ready to start quickly. I kept an eye on her as she answered calls, went through voice mails, and answered emails for the next couple of hours. She was efficient, and I checked that issues were forwarded to the proper techs, including several for Jack.
I heard he was dating Shelby now, though I used that term loosely. They were more than likely just sleeping together, which was technically against the rules of the company. I never dated anyone at work in my life, and none of the women here were worth losing this job over.
I smiled for a moment before forcing my attention to my screen.
Was Jack interested in Brenna? It would make sense, given her ethereal looks and intelligence. She had more to offer than any woman here, who I found to be mostly shallow. Women did little for me other than in the bedroom, and only in that time frame. A man has needs, but nothing more than the physical was ever there for me.
If he did want her, I’d have to remind him of the rules.
She worked through lunch, looking up gratefully when the delivery driver brought in food from the diner. I saw how enthusiastically she ate the cheeseburger with Jack last week and checked the menu before ordering. “Come here, Miss Blair.” She rose and walked in to give me a curious look. “I took the liberty of ordering lunch. I wasn’t sure if you had a chance to eat earlier today.”
“I didn’t. I was rushed,” Brenna said, watching as I pulled out cartons of food. “Is this from the diner down the street?”
“I’ve always heard they have excellent burgers and thought I’d try them,” I casually pointed out, handing her a carton. “They’re the same thing.”
“I love this place. Thank you.” She stood silently for a moment. “Do I owe you anything for this?”
“No, of course not. There’s a budget for this.” I glanced up to see Jack looking at me with suspicion on his face.
“Oh. Well, thanks again.” She turned to take the food to her desk, and Jack approached her.
“You can’t go out?” he asked as she shook her head. “You can’t always work through lunch, Brenna. That’s against the law.”
“I just got here at ten. You know that.” Her voice was low and strained, and I gripped my desk to remain seated. Jack was an asshole and needed to stay away from Brenna.
“Whatever.” He shot me a dark look before leaving, and Brenna flushed a deep pink for several moments. She finally opened the carton, dipping a fry in ketchup before taking a bite.
She took a bite of the hamburger, and our eyes met, hers filled with curiosity. I watched as she returned to work, alternating between typing, and answering calls. She looked stressed out a few times, and I realized that she might be using Skye and talking to Jack. Everyone in the office had it for work purposes, but was he using it to criticize her further?
I took pity on her later, telling her to take an extended break. I also let her off on time, knowing the nights I should hold her up were closer to the weekend. I assumed that she needed to take care of her mother for now and watched as she hurried towards the elevator.
I took that chance to look through the messages on the chat app. Jack did message her several times, telling her that I worked her too hard. He told her that I was essentially an asshole, yet she kept things light. Brenna wasn’t the kind of girl to gossip at work and later be responsible for it. She was intelligent and mature beyond her years. If I checked everyone else's chats, I was sure I’d find things that were not appropriate for work.
I checked between Jack and Shelby, and they were indeed sleeping together. She expressed jealousy over Brenna, and he assured her that they were just friends. Their messages alternated between arguments and things too hot for work, but I closed it without further action. I planned to keep him away from Brenna.
I’d keep every man away from her.
My nights were spent with Abby, eating dinner, and playing until bath time. Mom was often there as well as Andie, and I loved those family moments. I kept them close to my heart, unlike many things.
“You seem a bit distracted these days,” Andie told me, walking out on
my balcony after Abby fell asleep.
“Do I?” I asked, alarmed that it showed so much to my family. I shouldn’t be surprised since we were all so close.
“Yeah. Is Abby okay? Is her mom getting on your nerves?” Andie asked as I shook my head.
“No more than usual. She’s been good about the schedule with Abby, who is just fine,” I replied, gazing at her.
“Is it a woman, big brother?” A knowing smile crossed her face, and I groaned.
“No. Why do you ask that? You know that I have a lot on my plate,” I told Andie a bit harsher than planned.
“Life has a way of throwing more on when you need it the least. Who is she?” Andie dropped into one of my chairs as if I was going to tell her a story.
“There isn’t a woman. I’m married to work and focused on raising my daughter,” I told her as she shook her head.
“I know that you’re an ass a lot of the time, but someone is going to break down those walls. Chris didn’t manage to do it, but someone will. I’m just shocked that you slept with her more than once.” I chuckled, knowing it was a weak point in my life.
“She was good in bed. I got a great daughter out of it, even if Chris does get under my skin sometimes,” I agreed, and Andie arched a perfect brow at me.
“Perhaps a mom in your life for Abby might be a good idea,” she suggested, and I sat down across from her, taking a slow breath.
“Andie, I don’t want a mom for Abby. I don’t want a girlfriend or wife for me. I’m fine the way things are.” I stared into her eyes, so much like Mom’s and mine. Dad didn’t contribute much to the looks department or with support.
“I just want to see you happy, dear brother.” She grinned, and I rolled my eyes.
“Not that. You used to call me that all of the time, Andie. Do I have to start pulling out my Andrea card?” I asked as her eyes narrowed. She hated her full name, having used Andie as soon as she was old enough with friends.
“No, you don’t. I get it.” She stood and bumped my shoulder before looking at the view. “Want a beer?”
“Yeah. Why not?” I asked as she returned into the house to grab one. The condo was big enough for guests to stay, which they often did to care for Abby when she was with me. We enjoyed them outside before it got too cold, returning inside when I knew I needed to sleep for work. I bid them good night and checked on Abby before going to my room to shower for the morning.
Lying in bed, I thought about Brenna. I didn’t know what to say about her to anyone since there was nothing there. I felt drawn towards her, but she was my assistant, and I didn’t sleep with women that I worked with. I also didn’t have the right to prevent others from doing so, but she was mine on some level. I also sensed her innocence, and the men in my company would eat her alive, primarily Jack. Shelby wasn’t the first woman he slept with, and if it were up to me, I’d make sure that Brenna was never on the list.
That being said, I closed my eyes and imagined her curves. Brenna was not a thin woman but knew how to dress for her assets. I ran a hand down my taut stomach, realizing that I hadn’t slept with a woman in four months. That made sense as my cock was hard as steel, and I slipped my hand under my briefs to stroke it. I hadn’t slept with anyone, but there had been a lot of jerking off to images of Brenna. I knew that it was on the side of hypocritical to do so, but I wasn’t hurting her in any way. I pictured her eyes as she’d come with me, wide and dark with lust. Her full mouth might fall open as she cried out my name or beg me to go harder and deeper.
“Fuck,” I grunted softly, moving my hand faster. I should have done this in the shower but rushed through it with the hopes of getting to bed. I finished with a hiss, dropping against my mattress as I caught my breath.
I cleaned up and changed before sliding underneath my covers. I had a monitor in my room to hear if Abby needed me for any reason, since I wasn’t an asshole who expected his family to deal with my kid.
Andie’s words about giving Abby a mother played back through my mind, making me wonder if they might be right. Brenna was young and likely not suited for the job, but I hadn’t wanted a woman like this for some time. I chuckled, knowing it would never happen.
I rose for work with enough time to eat the breakfast that Mom prepared and spend a little time with my daughter. She was rested and happy, talking about their plans to go to a museum later today. I kissed them all goodbye once I dressed, driving quickly to work and my usual spot on the second tier in the corner.
I headed inside to make my coffee in the break room, listening to the conversations to see if I needed to prod anyone to finish their projects. I knew this annoyed everyone, but they spoke so freely that I couldn’t help it. There were also some whispers that I was sure were about me, but I didn’t fucking care. I was here to work and went to my office with my coffee to get started with my day.
I paused when I saw Brenna walk into her office. She was dressed in what appeared to be a vintage plum dress with black heels, fitting every part of her body perfectly. Her hair was in a ponytail in curls, and I told my body to calm down as I proceeded to walk to my office. She held a coffee from the stand downstairs, making me wonder if she already spoke to Jack today. I knew he frequented that place often to flirt with the girls that worked it, adding more to my list to hate about him.
She glanced up to see me, and I could tell that her makeup matched the dress style. “Good morning,” she told me, warming up her computer. Who was she trying to impress?
“You look especially lovely today.” The words slipped out, and she blushed as she gazed back at me.
“Ah, thanks.” Her voice was soft, and I wanted to press for more. “New dress. I couldn’t wait to wear it.”
Chapter 6
Brenna
Holy shit. He noticed my dress.
Had Seth ever complimented anyone in his life?
I bought it shopping with Mom, and she gushed so much that I couldn’t help it. It felt good to dress up and put a little time into my appearance, even if I was only going home to dinner with my parents. It certainly perked Jack up, and I had a coffee in my hand before I could count to five.
“Brenna, you look incredible,” he told me as I thanked him. “Are you going out after work?”
“No,” I replied, tasting the drink to see that it was to my liking. I knew that Jack was with Shelby now without needing to do too much digging. She talked about every single thing, and news traveled. I didn’t care, though I also worried that he’d tell my secrets that I freely shared when we clicked so well. I regretted that and looked at him for a moment as we paused in front of the elevators. He was too good looking for his own good.
“Can I take you to dinner? Do you have the night free?” he asked as I frowned at him.
“What about Shelby?” I asked as he flushed a deep red.
“We’re not serious, and she isn’t even here today,” Jack stammered as I nodded slowly.
“That makes sense with the coffee and the invite,” I murmured, stepping into a car when the doors opened. Jack followed but said nothing as we moved up in the crowded elevator. When we steeped into the office, he pulled gently on my arm to stop me from leaving.
“I miss spending time with you. Please have dinner with me, just friends?” he asked as I looked into his eyes. I shouldn’t hold it against Jack that he was young and handsome. Of course, he would have women jumping at him since not everyone had my life.
“Sure. Dad is home, so that would be nice,” I finally agreed before glancing towards my desk.
“I’ll message you later in the day. Don’t eat a big lunch!” Jack told me before he turned to go to his desk. I mulled this over on the way to my desk, caught completely off guard when Seth complimented me.
I was completely shocked as I logged into the programs that I used daily, glancing at Seth across the hall. I’d never heard him say anything nice to anyone here, even though some gorgeous women worked here. He’d said a few things to me that weren’t cruel, and I re
ached for my coffee as something clicked in my head.
I didn’t wear this dress to impress Jack. I did love it when I saw it just for me, but impressing Seth was in the back of my mind. Was it merely a challenge since it seemed so difficult to do? I loved my body and bought clothes to accentuate it over hiding it, still keeping it on the conservative side. I just loved clothes and could buy them here and there since I lived at home.
I started checking emails, setting up appointments in between answering the phone. It was a busy day, and I ended up ordering a salad from the deli down the street with dinner in mind. I didn’t know what Jack had in mind as far as a place, or how much he wanted to keep this at just friends. I knew that he liked me when we met, but Jack liked all females. I wasn’t the only one he spoke to, but I felt like we went a little deeper than most of his other relationships. Maybe we could examine that over dinner, and I could feel secure in my choice to share so much with him.
Jack messaged me in the afternoon, asking if seafood was a good choice for dinner. I responded with an enthusiastic yes. I loved it while my family did not, and any chance to eat it made me happy. The idea left a smile on my face, and I worked through my break, needing to feel like I was leaving here with work completed.
“Brenna, I need a little extra time from you tonight if that’s okay. I’ll order in dinner of your choice if you stay.” My heart dropped as I thought about Jack. I stared at Seth, seeing little room for argument in his eyes.
“I have plans after work, Mr. Morgan. Can we do this tomorrow?” His jaw tensed as he stared at me, and I wondered if he knew what I was doing.
“It’s a critical client that I need to help, and I’d like your assistance. Consider it a learning experience. I know that you want to move up in this industry.” His words held a threat, and I sighed.