Backing You Up

by Weston Parker

  “Nah, I better not.”

  “Would you like to stay?” I asked, trying not to sound too hopeful. “I could use the company.”

  He touched my cheek, looking into my eyes. “I can’t. It’s not a good idea. I don’t want to make things any worse than they already are.”

  I nodded but not too much. I didn’t want him to move his hand from my cheek. I wanted the contact. I needed the contact. “Okay.”

  “If you need anything, do not hesitate to call me. Whether it’s personal or professional, you can call me. I will be here for you, no matter what happens.”

  “Everything is going to be fine,” I said, using his own words against him. I didn’t like the way he was talking. It sounded very permanent. “You’ll be back in your office in no time.”

  He offered a small smile. “I hope so.”

  I decided to take a chance. I leaned into him and kissed him. He sighed, giving into the kiss, but before it could grow into anything more, he pulled away.

  “I should go,” he said.

  I released him, letting him go even though everything was telling me to hold on. I walked him to the door and managed to resist the urge to grab him again. I didn’t want to put him in a difficult situation. I closed the door and locked it. I walked back to the kitchen and finished tidying up before going to sit outside.

  I hated what was happening to him. It was him that was paying the price, which was so unfair. I talked with our public relations department and suggested we put out a statement. I wanted to defend him and me. I wanted to explain the situation. I was told no one cared. My statement would only make people want to dig deeper.

  It was infuriating but I had to trust the experts. That was another thing that really sucked. I was so damn green. I didn’t have any experience to fall back on. I had to listen to what they said even if everything in me was screaming at the injustice.

  I grabbed my phone to call Leslie. She had called earlier but I was in a meeting. I knew she wanted to ask me about the picture. She would understand my dilemma.

  “Finally!” she exclaimed.

  “Sorry, it’s been a little hectic.”

  “What is going on? Is this thing official? I thought you were keeping it a secret.”

  “It isn’t official. It was a stupid spur of the moment thing and now I’m going to pay for it. I am paying for it and so is Rogan. It’s a mess.”

  “Why? It was a kiss. It isn’t like you are twelve.”

  “You know why. He’s basically being forced to take a leave of absence.”

  “Uh, why?”

  I filled her in on the situation, listening to her sounds of disgust and surprise.

  “I wish I could take back that kiss,” I said finally.

  “It seems silly that they’re making such a big deal out of something so little. How many people kiss on those stupid things? There’s like a whole website dedicated to awkward kiss-cam photos.”

  “They think I’m just playing, like I’m not taking the job seriously.”

  “Because you kissed a dude? It wasn’t even a sexy kiss. Unless I missed something, I didn’t see any tongues or groping.”

  I laughed, feeling a little better. “There was no tongue.”

  “Can he quit?” she asked.

  “No! No way. He worked too hard to give it up for this.”

  “He could be your house husband,” she said. “You have enough money to support him.”

  “You are getting way ahead of yourself. We’ve had sex. We aren’t dating or anything like that. It’s an attraction and we are really good at sex together. That’s it.”

  “Oh, girl, you keep telling yourself that. You like him and you know it.”

  I did know it, but I was going to continue to deny the feelings that kept creeping up. “I like him, but I will not ruin his life. I don’t think he is willing to give up his career.”

  She was quiet for a few seconds. “You could take a step back. Make him the CEO and you be the housewife.”

  “You have a very vivid imagination. That isn’t going to happen either.”

  “It’s just a thought. Don’t deny yourself happiness because some old farts can’t pull their heads out of their asses. You have money. It isn’t like you have to work. If this guy is the one you want, you go after him. Don’t let anyone take that from you.”

  I smiled, a tear sliding down my cheek. “Thank you. I don’t know if we are there yet, but I will keep that in mind.”

  We finished our conversation. I felt a little better. She was way ahead of where I felt we were in our relationship, but she made a lot of good points.

  Chapter 31

  Rogan

  I finished the last bit of painting in the guest room and took a step back to admire the handiwork. I wasn’t thrilled to be off work, but I was happy with the progress I had made on the house. Hell, if I did lose my job, maybe I could start flipping houses. I certainly had the experience with all the work I had done on my house.

  I washed my hands, wiping my hands on my paint-splattered shirt before grabbing a beer from the fridge. There was a knock on the door. I expected it to be Granger. He’d said he was going to stop by after work to hang out.

  I opened the door and was surprised to see Oakley on the stoop instead of Granger. “Hey,” I said with surprise.

  His response was a fist to my eye. My head snapped backward, pain erupting through my eye and cheekbone. I didn’t swing back. I did step back. I wasn’t an idiot.

  “You asshole!”

  I stepped inside and gestured for him to come in. Most people wouldn’t invite their attackers into their homes. I did because Oakley wasn’t going to beat the shit out of me. He was defending his sister. I’d expected as much.

  “Want a beer?” I asked him.

  “Yes!” he angrily shouted.

  I walked to the fridge and got him a beer before opening the freezer and grabbing a bag of peas for my face. I flopped down in one of the dining chairs. Oakley took his seat, glaring at me while he sucked down the beer. I took a long, healthy drink from my own bottle.

  “Did you want to say something or was that it?”

  “I want to say you are an asshole, motherfucker.”

  “Do you want to be more specific?”

  “Why in the hell would you do that to her? Why would you do that to my father’s company?”

  “It isn’t what you think,” I told him.

  “You know better. You know what this looks like. Do you know what people are saying about her right now?”

  I winced, shaking my head. “I’ve been holed up here.”

  “You’ve ruined her reputation. For what? What’s your endgame here? Did you do this with the idea it would somehow get you promoted? Are you pissed that she got the company? Is this you trying to take her down?”

  I held up my hand, looking at him with my one good eye, the bag of peas on the other. “No. None of that. It was an innocent kiss.”

  I didn’t tell him she kissed me. I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell him about the other stuff we did. I probably wouldn’t be getting up off the floor if he knew how far things had gone between us. I didn’t blame him. He was looking out for his little sister and I wasn’t going to begrudge him that.

  “You fucked with her life,” he growled. “She’s trying to fix the damage you caused.”

  I nodded, not arguing with him. “I understand.”

  “I don’t understand why you would do that to her. To me. To our family. We’ve been good to you.”

  “Yes, you have, and I appreciate everything your family has done for me. Trust me. I really never meant for this to happen. The picture is taken out of context. I realize that doesn’t matter, but it is true. It wasn’t a big deal.”

  “It sure as hell was a big deal.”

  Wrong choice of words. “What do you want me to do? I’ve apologized and I’m doing what I can to make it right.”

  “You can make it right by leaving. Quit so she doesn’t hav
e to fire you. Move. I’ll make sure they give you a good recommendation.”

  I stared at him. “You want me to quit my job?”

  “That’s the only way this goes away. Every time a client has a late shipment or there is something that goes wrong, they are going to blame her. They are going to assume she’s off fucking with you and not doing her job. It’s different for her. She’s young and female. They are going to walk all over her if she lets them.”

  “I would never let that happen,” I told him. “Never.”

  He finished his beer, slammed it down on the table, and got to his feet. “Good, then we won’t be having this conversation again. I don’t want to see you when I come back to town.”

  I said nothing. I didn’t bother getting up to see him out either. He could find his own way out. I held the bag of peas to my face and sucked down my beer. Oakley could be pissed at me all he wanted. I would be too if I were in his shoes. I wondered if he’d talked to Cora yet. I didn’t think she would tell him what happened between us, but then again, I couldn’t say for sure.

  No, if he knew, he wouldn’t have stopped with one punch. I was confident of that. I felt like I was being run out of town. I was being run out of town.

  If I was fired, there would be very little keeping me in Houston. I needed a job, and if the company blackballed me, I wasn’t going to find one in town. I would be forced to move.

  There was another knock on the door. I wasn’t going to get hit again. “What!” I shouted without getting up.

  The door opened, and Granger’s big head popped in. “That’s rude, man. You should at least answer the door.”

  “I wasn’t sure if it was you.”

  He walked inside carrying a twelve pack of Bud Light. He walked toward me, grinning like an idiot. “Didn’t your mama teach you that you eat through that big hole in your face? You can’t absorb peas through your face.”

  I pulled the bag away. “I’m not interested in eating the damn things.”

  He let out a whistle. “Damn. Please tell me that is the result of an argument with a nail gun or some shit.”

  “Nope. Fist.”

  “Who did you piss off?”

  “Oakley.”

  “The boss’s kid?”

  “You mean the boss’s brother,” I corrected. “The one and the same.”

  “What the hell is that about? I thought you guys were tight.”

  “We were friends. We might still be friends, or we might not be. I’m not entirely sure.”

  He sat down in the chair Oakley had only recently vacated. “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your friends don’t usually knock your lights out. Not the good ones.”

  “I probably deserved it.”

  “Why? Did he find out you were banging his little sister?”

  I rolled my one good eye. “I’m not banging his little sister.”

  “Let me be more politically correct. You are hooking up with his little sister.”

  “You are close, but not there yet.”

  “Man, I don’t know. You are having sexual intercourse with her. Oh wait, I know. You guys are making love.”

  “No. That would mean it was a thing. It isn’t a thing.”

  “I heard you are on vacation,” he said. “I also saw that cute little picture in the paper.”

  “I suppose people are talking shit at the yard?”

  He shrugged. “I don’t think it’s anything they didn’t already suspect.”

  “Do they think less of her?”

  “No. You have to understand they are not like all those uppity-ups that work in the office. They don’t give a shit about who’s fucking who.”

  “Too bad the rest of the world doesn’t think that way.”

  “So, what’s going on? What’s with this vacation? You don’t take vacations.”

  “It wasn’t really a choice,” I told him.

  He ripped open the box of beer and handed me a bottle. “Are you getting canned for banging the boss?”

  “I really wish you would stop saying that,” I said with a sigh.

  “Are you getting fired?” he asked again. This time, he was very serious.

  I didn’t want to lie to the guy. “I have been invited to find a new job.”

  “Fuck,” he mumbled. “Ain’t that some shit? After all you have done for the place, this is how you are going to get repaid.”

  “It isn’t like that. I don’t want to drag her into a shitstorm. She is just getting her footing in the company. I know she is going to do great things but if people think she is sleeping with her staff, it undermines her. Right now, they are working their asses off to keep the investors from bailing. It’s stupid, but they think she is just playing CEO and amusing herself with the help, and when she gets bored, she moves on. They are worried she can’t lead and will topple the company.”

  “That’s fucking stupid.”

  “It is.”

  “So, what now? What does she say about it?”

  “I haven’t talked to her in a few days. I told her we need to keep our distance. I don’t want to make the problem any worse than it is.”

  He took a drink of his beer. “You’re in a real pickle.”

  I smirked. “Yeah, something like that.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t know. I know I don’t want to be a detriment to the company. I worked too hard to make it better to ruin it now. She needs this company, not for the money, but for her and her family. She needs it to make her dad proud.”

  “And what about you? I know you were tight with the old man. You want to do him right too.”

  “I do, but if I stay there, I think I’m going to end up doing more harm than good.”

  “Shit,” he breathed. “You’re serious.”

  “I am.”

  “Well shit,” he said again. “You don’t think you can work this out?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I would like to but I’m not going to do anything that ends up bringing more shit on the company’s reputation. It’s a cutthroat business. Reputation matters. Once clients start bailing, it’s all over.”

  “All right then, I guess we are drinking.”

  “I need more peas,” I said and walked to the freezer. I rummaged around and found a pack of frozen strawberries. It would have to do.

  “You are going to have a nice shiner,” he said with a laugh. “How long has it been since you got your ass kicked?”

  “I didn’t get my ass kicked. It was a sucker punch.”

  “You got your ass kicked.”

  I ignored his teasing. “Let’s go outside. I need some fresh air.”

  He brought the beer. I stared out at the backyard that I had worked so hard on. To think I might lose it all was sobering. I had spent the last few days thinking about my actions. I didn’t regret what I did. I didn’t regret what we had done. I wasn’t quite sure if it was worth the cost, but then again, nothing was supposed to last forever. I had the experience and would surely find another job, but it wouldn’t be as sweet as the one I had. It wouldn’t mean as much either.

  “It will all work out,” Granger said after a while. “It always does. You are one of the strongest guys I know. You can do anything you put your mind to.”

  “Thanks,” I said, appreciating his support.

  Unfortunately, I wasn’t quite so sure it would. At least not the way I wanted it to. I wanted it all. I wanted my cake and my ice cream too.

  Chapter 32

  Cora

  It seemed silly to be on the phone with Beau when he was less than fifty feet away, but it wasn’t supposed to be a long conversation. It just kind of turned into that. My stomach was in knots. Everything felt wrong.

  Nothing had been right since that stupid picture was published. I was still considering tracking down the so-called journalist and slapping the shit out of her for spreading such blatant gossip. What gave her the right to destroy my life? Granted, she may not have
realized that would happen, but still, she did it and I felt like she owed me an apology.

  That was for another day. Today was about me facing down the investors without Beau by my side.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to go?” Beau asked again.

  “I have to do this on my own,” I told him. “If they see me leaning on you or you protecting me, it isn’t going to help the situation. It is only going to cement their belief I’m incapable of the job. I’ll be fine.”

  “Cora, this is my job. I always went to these meetings with your father.”

  “I understand that. This is different. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  “Do you really want me to tell you?”

  “No,” I quickly answered. “I’ll call you when I’m done. Hopefully, it will be a quick meeting. I’ll reassure them everything is fine and their investment is not going to implode, and then I leave. Period.”

  I heard his sigh and knew he didn’t like it. It wasn’t like I was going across town. I was going to be in the conference room right down the hall. I made it very clear it was a closed-door meeting. No interruptions. No secretaries. Nothing. Just me and them.

  “Please call me the minute it is over.”

  “I will. Now, try not to worry. I need you pulling in more customers. Did anyone get Rogan’s proposal to John?”

  “I’m going to his office today.”

  I closed my eyes. “They rejected it?”

  “Initially, but that doesn’t mean I can’t save this thing. You let me worry about it. You handle those investors like the pro I know you are.”

  “Thanks, Beau. Good luck.”

  “You too,” he said and hung up.

  I got to my feet and walked into the private bathroom. I chose to wear one of my fancy pantsuits today. I wanted to look powerful and confident and I wanted to look a few years older. Not many women strived for that, but just then, I needed them to see me as an adult and not as some wild party girl.

  I didn’t want to keep the crotchety old bastards waiting, so I left my office. I kind of felt like I was on the Green Mile. Dead woman walking. I held my head high, refusing to be ashamed of a little kiss with a gorgeous man. People really needed to get over themselves.