by London Casey
“Are you talking to me or your cock?” she asked.
“Both,” I said. “I’ll be right back with those drinks.”
“You do that,” Callie said. “I’m not moving until morning.”
“It’s not supposed to be our night here.”
“Oh well,” she said. “Can’t get into too much of a routine, Jackson. It makes life boring.”
“Yeah? Luckily we really aren’t together then. Imagine living in the same place together? All the time?”
She shook her head. “Walk away before you ruin my sex high.”
I laughed. “You float, sweetie. I’ll be back in a minute so we can fuck again.”
Callie rolled her eyes.
I jogged out of the bedroom.
I was almost dancing on my toes.
I caught myself and stopped.
What the fuck am I doing here?
Tip-toe dancing after sex? With Callie? She and I had been going at it like rabbits for a while now.
I mean, the sex was that good. Sure. It was mind blowing. There was just something about Callie… she didn’t fit the mold. Each time we slept together there was always something new to be discovered about her body.
That would eventually run out.
Which was fun.
When that happened, the marriage would have run its course. I’d have my bonus.
We’d…
“Who the fuck cares, man?” I whispered to myself.
I opened the fridge and grabbed two beers.
I twisted the caps off and walked back to the bedroom.
“So, sweetie, how is this for service?” I asked as I stepped into the room. “What are you going to grab first, the beer or… my cock…”
My voice trailed off when I saw Callie asleep.
I put the beers down on the dresser and approached the bed.
Her head was to the right and she was out cold.
I smiled and reached down, moving her hair out of her face.
I found my shorts on the floor and took the two beers and left the bedroom.
Callie had always been the biggest pain in my ass. The voice that would never stop talking and annoying me.
I had found the secret to silencing her.
Hours of hot sex.
I sat on the couch and put one beer bottle on the table and kept the other for myself.
I was wide awake.
In reality I could have just gone back to my apartment.
Another benefit of the marriage.
I could go home and do whatever I wanted when I wanted.
I could stay there too, or come back when I was tired and sleep in Callie’s bed.
All in all, it wasn’t too bad.
To my right I noticed something on the end table.
It was a messy stack of papers and folders.
With curiosity in my veins, I flipped the top folder open.
“Hmm,” I said.
It was a bank statement for Callie’s mother’s business.
I wanted to see what the hippy shop was bringing in.
I grabbed the folder and put it on the table and opened it.
As I sipped my beer, I flipped through the statement. Then came the monthly financial reports. The revenue, expenses, order receipts, what was paid and what wasn’t paid yet.
It was very intriguing to see.
I sat back and reached for another folder.
I drank the first beer while going through the last quarter’s reports.
The second beer I had already opened came in handy as I soon had folders spread open across the entire table.
I sat on the edge of the couch and leaned over the paperwork, my eyes racing left to right, up and down, tracking down purchase orders to inventory to when the product sold. How long it sat on the shelf. What it was sold for compared to what it was purchased for.
It took me all of a few minutes to realize that the business was the most unorganized I’d ever seen in my life.
Callie’s mother was buying some items higher than she was selling them for.
She was missing out on bulk discounts and she was missing out on discounts by paying earlier.
The receivables and payables were all mixed together.
There was no float either, showing what needed to be paid and when.
And there was no record of taxes.
Collecting taxes. Paying taxes.
That wasn’t good.
Then there was the one supplier - which looked to be the biggest and best price. Callie’s mother was behind on payments more than one hundred and twenty days. They were coming after her hard too, threatening to take her ordering ability away.
When I started to match up those orders to products sold, I realized if that happened, then Callie’s mother would easily go out of business.
It was a fucking mess.
And then I noticed something.
Checks from Callie to her mother’s business.
A lot of them.
I lifted the paper off the table and stared at it.
Callie’s old address was on the checks along with her scribbled yet bubble like signature.
Sometimes it was only fifty dollars. Other times it was as high as two thousand dollars.
Then I found the paperwork for the back taxes.
Along with notes from Callie.
She liked to jot down ideas on what to do. Who to call. How to work out a payment plan. Or she was just going to pay it all herself and have her mother’s business pay her back. There had to have been twenty different math equations on the paper, trying to make sense of it all.
I put the paper down and stood up.
I walked away from the table feeling pissed.
At Callie’s mother.
And at myself.
It explained perfectly why Callie was the way she was.
She wasn’t just taking care of herself and trying to advance her career.
She was also taking care of her mother. She was keeping her mother’s personal life and business afloat. No wonder she was so cynical with the rocks and the energy talk. No wonder she was so vicious at work. The promotion for her wasn’t just about money. It was about keeping lives moving forward.
I swallowed hard.
I looked toward the bedroom.
Part of me wished she would have told me about this… but at what point did I ever give her a chance to do so? At the office, it was all about competition.
Callie versus Jackson.
Jackson versus Callie.
Our frenemy relationship was the backbone and driving force for the entire company.
Without us competing with each other, Vince wouldn’t have had half the business he did.
Yet, it obviously came at a price.
And I was just too dumb to realize or care enough to see it.
I finished my beer and immediately went to the fridge for a third one.
Tonight was going to be a long night.
And it wasn’t going to be me fucking Callie all night.
After I put the last folder back together, I snuck into the bedroom and crawled into bed with Callie. I scooped her up and held her in my arms. She curled up on my chest and sighed. Like she was meant to be there for the rest of my life.
I passed out pretty quickly and was the first to wake up.
Callie had since rolled away from me, curling up in the covers.
I got out of the bed and made coffee.
I smiled at the folders on the table.
I nodded.
I had this thing all figured out.
After the coffee was ready, I poured two cups, but didn’t make it back to the bedroom in time.
Callie was already shuffling out of the room, yawning and playing with her messy hair.
I sucked in a breath at the sight of her in my t-shirt.
She must have grabbed it off the floor.
“Morning,” I said. “I was just bringing you some coffee.”
“What happened last night?
”
“I fucked you to sleep I think,” I said.
“I guess so,” she said. “Wow. I haven’t slept like that in a long time.”
“I guess we can add that to my list of talents,” I said.
I was close enough to hand her one of the coffees.
She took it and smiled. “I’ll take that anytime you want to give it.”
“Sex? I’m always ready for sex. Just look down and I’m hard.”
Callie rolled her eyes. “Let me wake up first.”
“Oh, come on, sweetie, groggy sex is best,” I said.
“You think every kind of sex is best. Sex in a corner is best. Sex on the kitchen floor is best. Sex in the shower is the best. Groggy sex is the best.”
“Your point?” I asked.
“Nothing,” she said.
“Hey, I want to show you something,” I said. “I kind of had a late night.”
“Okay…,” she said.
I walked her to the table and pointed to the folders.
“Found those and went through them all,” I said.
“You did what?” Callie asked.
“You passed out and I was awake. I noticed the folders and started looking. Your mother’s business isn’t all that bad.”
“You went through my mother’s folders?” Callie asked.
I put my coffee down. “I didn’t do it to be an asshole. Look, Callie, I see what’s going on. I’ve been noticing it here and there. Last night I finally put it all together. I’m seeing who you are.”
“And who am I, Jackson?”
“You’re a good person,” I said. “Taking care of your mother. And I’m assuming you’ve done it your entire life. And there’s nothing wrong with it. But we can make it so she can survive on her own.”
“We?” Callie asked.
“Yeah,” I said. “Look, I dug through everything here. I matched up all the orders to purchase receipts. I have it all organized now. What products are selling and what aren’t. And what prices they’re selling at. She’s been losing money on a lot of items, but that can be easily fixed. I even came up with a payment plan for her biggest vendor so she doesn’t lose them. If that happens, she’ll-”
“Why did you do that?” Callie asked.
“What?”
“Why, Jackson? You really spent all night doing this?”
“Yeah. Why not?”
“No, no, it’s not why not… it’s why… that’s the question. What is this?”
“I can’t just do something for you, Callie?” I asked. “Are you getting defensive?”
“Since when are you nice?”
“Really? Come on. After all we’ve been through here…”
“Been through? You mean our fake marriage for money? You mean the sex so we don’t lose our minds because of the fake marriage?”
“Okay then,” I said. “I put something together. Maybe it’s time to have a talk with your mother. Tell her she needs to survive on her own. You can’t keep paying her bills, right?”
“Who says I do that?” Callie asked.
“Don’t lie, sweetie. The bank statements have pictures of the checks.”
“Fuck,” Callie said. “That was not for you to look at, Jackson.”
“Okay. Sorry. I just noticed it and started flipping through it. She’s got a decent business going. She just needs to get organized.”
“I didn’t ask you to do that. I didn’t ask for a hero.”
“I’m not trying to be a fucking hero here,” I said. “I’m just trying to help.”
“Which I didn’t ask you to do.”
“Callie…”
She stepped back. “I didn’t grow up like you, Jackson. Everything perfect and handed to me. I have my ways of living. Sorry if they’re different from yours. I know how to take care of myself and my mother.”
“Don’t assume anything about me,” I said. “You don’t know how I grew up.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Callie said. “What would you be doing right now if your father was alive? Huh? Would you even be working? My guess is you’d probably be traveling the world on his dime, fucking hundreds of women, without a care in the world.”
“Wow,” I said. “You really just went there.”
“You went there first,” she said and pointed to the folders.
“I could see it in your face how much it bothers you,” I said. “When you’re near your mother. You treat her like an embarrassment. Only because you’re angry and don’t know what to do about it. I was just helping. I respect it. I appreciate you, Callie. I wanted you to see that. I guess I missed the mark this time.”
“Do me a favor, Jackson,” Callie said. “If you’re looking for a target, keep it between my legs. That’s all I need from you, okay?”
“Noted,” I said. “I’ll just show myself out. Unless you want me to make you come again.”
“I’m suddenly not in the mood,” Callie said.
She sipped her coffee.
Her bitch face was only a front.
She wanted to cry.
But you know what?
I wasn’t going to stick around and argue with her.
I left her apartment and went back home to mine.
I slammed my door and punched it.
“Fuck,” I growled.
I went too far.
We went too far.
I was fucking in love with her.
Chapter Forty
Callie
I wore my lucky dress and twirled in front of the bathroom mirror a few times. For some reason I felt different. My eyes seemed to be playing tricks on me, showing maybe a hint at another curve or two. That pissed me off. That meant I had been getting too close and comfortable with Jackson. Since we weren’t the type to go out and parade our fake marriage around town, all we had been doing was eating, drinking, and fucking.
I figured the extra sex would have easily burned off the calories.
Jackson knew how to cook a good meal. Big and filling. Generally healthy. I was just used to lounging around with him, probably eating second and thirds like I normally wouldn’t do. Or maybe it was the midnight snacks after our hot sex. Eating snacks like we were cuddled up in a college dorm, wanting to stay up all night and forget about the world.
It bothered me to see those subtle hints at new curves in the mirror, so I changed.
My chest felt heavy and it had nothing to do with my breasts. It was inside my chest that felt heavy. Very heavy.
I didn’t have much time to process the feeling because someone was knocking at the door. I was in my bra and panties and had no choice but to grab a robe and rush through the apartment.
The constant knocking was driving me insane.
I ripped open the door and saw Jackson standing there.
I hadn’t seen him since yesterday.
After he stormed out of the apartment, I called Misha and we met up and spent a few hours together going over ideas for a work project. Then I went to work-out for way too long. I ended up feeling dizzy and came home to shower and relax. Mom called and she sensed my voice sounding weak so she came over with Sunny, Lake, and Joni and brought me some kind of lentil soup and lit a few candles to help me relax. I told them I was stressed about work, but knowing them, they knew the truth, that something had happened between Jackson and I.
They didn’t say anything, which I did appreciate.
Back to reality, I looked up at Jackson.
He extended his left hand. “Coffee.”
“Thank you,” I said.
My voice was cold.
“You’re not ready yet?” he asked.
“Unless it’s Pajama Day at work, no.”
“I’ll wait.”
“You don’t have to do that, Jackson,” I said. “I’m fine. I have a long day ahead of me anyway. So I might be a few minutes later than normal.”
“So we’re showing up separately,” he said.
“It’s not the end of the world.”
He nodde
d. “Okay. I’ll see you around then, Callie.”
He turned and walked down the hallway.
I inched my way out of the apartment and felt my mouth moving.
Like I wanted to yell to him. Like I wanted to talk to him.
Instead, I bit my lower lip.
I backed up into the apartment and shut the door.
I shook my head.
I had nothing to apologize for.
At least that’s how I felt at the moment.
Could that change?
Maybe.
But I wanted to be angry.
Plus… Jackson had no business digging in mine or my mother’s personal life.
Right?
I sat behind my desk with folders opened, switching my glance from the paperwork to the computer screen. Back and forth, even though I wasn’t reading or looking at a thing. It was my mind that was working.
Trying to find a logical way to step back and get behind the line that had been crossed.
When I looked at Jackson’s office, my heart raced. Only just a little.
When I saw him, that was a whole other story.
Finally, I put my hands to my desk and stood up.
So what? So what if I like him a little? So what if I like him a lot? So what if I may think I love him? It’s not… real… you know? It’s the progression of what we’re doing. We’re comfortable together. Jackson took it too far. I set the line. Now we work around that line. Simple as that. Is it going to be annoying for a little while? Sure. That’s just what it is. Oh well. Who cares?
A knock at my open office door took away my thoughts.
It was Vince, with a big smile on his face.
“There she is,” he said to me.
“Vince,” I said. “Since when do you walk to this part of the world?”
“Only to see you,” he said and pointed. “How are the numbers looking?”
“They’re terrifying,” I said.
“But…?”
“You know me, Vince.”
“You can never say no to me, right?”
“Not exactly,” I said with a grin. “I’m just doing my job.”
“And your job is to make me happy. I’ll check in a little later. How late are you staying?”
“I’ll be here until I’m done,” I said.
“Good answer, Callie.”