by E. L. Todd
“So, you were with him?” he pressed.
“That’s not what I said.”
“Well, were you?”
“Rex, it doesn’t matter. Maybe I was with another guy. I don’t tell you about my personal life, so you really have no idea who it could have been. Stop asking me stuff like that, and just drop it.”
He sighed like that was the most difficult thing in the world.
“Rex, I love you. I’ll always be here for you. You’re the only family I have left, and I’ll always cherish what we have. But I’m not going to budge on this. You need to back off. I mean it.”
His anger started to dwindle with every passing second. He sighed again, like he knew what I was saying was the truth. “It really hurt me when you lied to me. I don’t want you to lie to me ever again.”
“That’s fair. I won’t.”
“Okay.”
“And?” He better meet me halfway.
“You’re right. What you do privately is none of my business. I know you aren’t a kid anymore, so you don’t need me to look after you. I get it. I do.”
That was better than I hoped for.
“I meant well. I just want the best for you. Whoever you end up with needs to be the perfect guy in every way imaginable. I just… I took it too far. I’m constantly trying to protect you because I forget that you don’t need me to protect you anymore.”
“Thank you.”
“It’s just…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I had to take care of you when I turned eighteen. I didn’t know anything about raising a kid or being responsible for someone else. I could barely take care of myself. After I took you under my wing, I started to look at you in a different way…like you were my kid or something. I guess I’ll always have that mindset, making sure you are happy and have everything you need.”
It was hard to stay mad at him when he said things like that. “I know…”
“We really go at it sometimes, but I love you.” He didn’t look at me as he said it. “I’ll try to be better from now on. I’ll back off and just be your brother. It’ll just…take me some getting used to.”
That was all I asked for. “Thank you.”
He put his hands in his pockets and stood there awkwardly. “So, no more lies?”
I shook my head. “No more lies.”
He nodded and continued to stand there. “Should we hug or something?”
I smiled because the tension finally left. “I think we can hug…this one time.” I crossed the living room and hugged him around the waist.
He returned my embrace and rested his chin on my head. “It’s you and me against the world, Rae. And it’ll always be you and me.”
***
“The new guy started today.” Jenny made notes in her lab book before she shut it forcefully.
“What new guy?”
“The new CEO.” She rolled her eyes. “Let’s see how he demolishes this place.”
“You know, you’re awfully prejudiced against someone you’ve never met.”
She rolled her eyes again, dramatically. “His resume tells me all we need to know.”
“Mr. Price is so sweet. I can’t see him having a son that’s any different.”
“You just have a thing for old men.”
“Do not,” I argued.
“Whatever,” she said. “You think he’s the cutest thing in the world.”
“Well, other than Safari, he is pretty cute. He said goodbye to me the other day, and it was so sad…”
“You’ll be more sad when this guy puts you out of a job.”
Since she was set in her ways, I didn’t bother trying to change her opinion. Honestly, I doubted we would even know someone new was running the place. Jenny and I stayed in the lab all day, and we didn’t cross paths with other workers in the company. We were pretty much quarantined.
“He might get rid of the research program altogether,” Jenny said. “It’s not like we make the company any money.”
“That’s not true. We’re always finding ways to improve the system.”
“But he may not think it’s worthwhile.”
I eyed the clock on the wall. “Jenny, why don’t you take lunch?” Her negativity was starting to get on my nerves.
She put her hands on her hips as she considered it. “You know what? I could use a cigarette.”
“Those things will kill you.”
She shrugged as she grabbed her purse. “I’m probably going to die young anyway.” She headed up the stairs and left the lab.
I kept working on my titrations when the office phone rang. I took the call and put it on speaker. “It’s Rae.”
“Hey, it’s me.” Jessie’s bossy voice came through the phone. “Can you talk?”
“Yep. I’ve got you on speaker and there’s no one else here.”
“Great. So, what happened with Rex?”
“We got into a fight but we made up.”
“That’s it?” she asked. “It must have been juicier than that.”
I paused to do a quick calculation then I kept going. “He was pretty upset that I lied to him. He says he doesn’t want to have a relationship like that.”
“Then you told him off?”
“Pretty much. Thankfully, he agreed to back off. Then he talked about how daunting it was to take care of me when Mom died. That got a little emotional…”
“Awe.”
“We both apologized and agreed to move on. He even hugged me.”
“Wow,” she said. “That’s the first one ever, right?”
I laughed. “I don’t know about the first, but it’s one of the rare few.”
The door at the top of the stairs opened, and I heard it shut behind whoever came inside. It could have been Jenny because she forgot something or it could have been someone else entirely. “Jessie, I’ve got to go. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Bye, girl. Love you.”
“Love you too.” I hit the end button then ripped off my gloves so I could put on a clean pair. When I turned around to grab the box, I stopped in my tracks at the sight before my eyes.
Ryker stood there in a black designer suit. He wore a gray tie that brought out the brightness of his eyes. The usual scruff on his face was gone because he shaved that morning. He seemed just as surprised to see me as I was to see him. “Uh, hi…”
He stood with his hands in his pockets, taking me in.
“You’re the new CEO?” How was that possible?
He finally came back to earth and stepped closer to me, retaining his coolness. “Yes. Unfortunately.”
I felt self-conscious in my lab coat and half-assed bun. The only person who ever saw me down here was Jenny. And she usually looked like hell too. “I…I didn’t realize that.”
“Well, I didn’t know you worked here either. I guess we’re both surprised.”
“Yeah.” Why didn’t Rex tell me that? He obviously knew. What was he thinking?
Ryker scratched his chin before he returned his hand to his pocket. “I’ve been going to all the departments to introduce myself. I know this change has been difficult on everybody. All I ever hear is how great my father is.”
“He is,” I said in agreement. “He’s one of the sweetest, most generous men I’ve ever known.”
Ryker stared at me without any reaction.
“But I’m sure you’ll do great too.”
“Hopefully.” He came closer to my workbench then looked around the lab. “This is where you do all your research?”
“Yeah. It’s a nice space. Your father gave us all the equipment and space we needed.”
He nodded. “He always said the research department was the most important one.”
He did? “That was sweet of him to say.”
Ryker stared at the titration equipment hanging in front of me, seemingly perplexed by the way it worked. Then his green eyes turned back to me, deep like the moss on the north side of trees. “On to anything I should know about?”
“I am working on a project right now, but I’ll tell you about it once I have promising data. There’s no reason to get your hopes up.”
“Are you the only one down here?”
“No. Jenny is here today, but she’s at lunch. There are two other researchers too.”
“I guess I’ll have to stop by and see them another time.”
“Yeah, that would be nice.” It was the first time I’d seen him in a suit, and he looked damn good in it. Memories of our night together played in my mind. He was an exceptional kisser, the kind that melted your panties right off your legs. And the way he felt inside me was unforgettable. That night was just a one-time thing, but it was still fun to think about.
He must have been thinking about it too because there was a slight smile on his lips. “Rex invited me to see The Wombats with you guys this weekend.”
“He did?”
“Yeah. Is it cool if I tag along?”
“Sure. I just have to warn you that I’m really loud, and I move around a lot.”
A knowing look was in his eyes. “Yeah…I knew that.”
My cheeks immediately flooded with heat.
He glanced over his shoulder at the door before he came closer to me. “Since we work together, and I’m friends with your brother, maybe we should talk about what happened. Is everything okay between us?”
“Of course.” Why wouldn’t it be?
He watched my face for a lie.
“It was a lot of fun, but when you try to do the same thing again, it’s never as good as you remember it.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“I would love it if we could be friends. I already like you, and I’m pretty sure you like me.”
“I do like you.”
“Then the past is in the past. It can be our little secret.” I extended my hand to shake his.
He eyed it without taking it. “And that’s it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You don’t want to see me again? You don’t expect anything?”
“If I did, this conversation would have gone much differently.”
He finally took my hand. The warmth of his fingers felt good on mine. I could detect the dryness of his skin. I remembered the way his palms felt as they squeezed my tits.
I pulled my hand away and broke the contact. “So, is there anything you want to know about the company? Something your father didn’t explain?”
“No. I think I’m good.”
“Well, I’m always here if you have a question. I know I work in the lab, but I know a few things.”
“I’m sure you do.” He continued to stand there even though it seemed like the conversation was over.
The clock was ticking, and I had my specimens to run. In addition to that, I had to report everything in my lab report. It was a lot of tedious work because it was time-consuming. “Well, I should get back to work. I’ll see you on Saturday.”
He rapped his knuckles against the counter gently before he stepped back. “I look forward to it.”
***
“Why didn’t you tell me Ryker was taking over COLLECT?” It was the first thing I said when I walked in the door.
Rex stood at the counter with a meatball sandwich in his hands. He was about to take a bite before he was interrupted. “Huh?”
“Ryker is the new CEO of COLLECT. Why didn’t you tell me?”
He eyed his sandwich, like he was sad he couldn’t eat it because he had to talk. “I thought you knew.”
“How would I know that?”
He shrugged. “You guys hang out. I assumed he told you.”
I wanted to slap him upside the head sometimes. “You didn’t even mention it in passing.”
“Sorry. Geez.” He finally took a bite of his sandwich, but the hot meatball and sauce melted through the bread and cheese and fell on the floor. He looked up at me, fire burning in his eyes. “I hate you.”
I grabbed a paper towel and picked up the mess. “Finish eating then I’ll yell at you.” I tossed the paper towel and the meatball in the garbage.
“What are you doing?” he screamed. “Don’t throw that away.”
“It fell on the floor. Safari lies there. That’s disgusting.”
“It’s still food.” He fished it out then shoved it back into his sandwich.
I cringed and felt the vomit rise. “That’s so gross.”
He ate half of it in one bite. “Mmm…tastes delicious to me.” He sat at the kitchen table and kept eating.
My brother was so disgusting. I didn’t understand how he came home every weekend with a different girl. I mean, did they talk to him? Did they know how weird he was?
I sat across from him and waited until he was finished with his sandwich. “Can you talk now?”
“There’re no more meatballs so the floor is open.” He had sauce smeared across his face.
I waited for him to wipe it off.
He opened a bag of chips and started eating, oblivious to the shit on his face.
“Rex.” I pointed to the corner of my mouth. “You have sauce everywhere.”
“Eh. I’m still eating. I’ll get it later.”
Why did I bother?
“What were you saying?”
“Ryker said you invited him to the concert.”
“Yeah. Is that cool?”
“I don’t care.” It didn’t seem awkward between Ryker and me, so there shouldn’t be any problem.
“So…are you seeing him?” He looked into his bag of chips and avoided eye contact with me. “I’m just asking out of curiosity so I know what to say when I’m around him.”
“No, I’m not seeing him.”
He didn’t hide the relief on his face. “Okay.”
“Ryker and I are just friends. We’ll probably get closer since we work together. But that’s about it.”
“All the girls like him.”
“Yeah, I’m not surprised.” He had it all. He had money, looks, and smarts—the whole package. Not to mention, he was amazing in bed. And when he let his walls down, he was actually pretty funny.
“And he’s a heartbreaker. That guy has never had a girlfriend since the day I met him. They just come and go.”
“I figured.” I understood it, but I couldn’t help but feel bad for him. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with one-night stands or casual sex but to avoid relationships altogether was downright lonely. Guys had come and gone in my life, but just because they didn’t last forever didn’t mean those relationships meant nothing to me.
“I’m glad you get the gist. He’s no good for you.”
I gave him the stink-eye.
“I mean…do whatever you want.”
***
I wore dark jeans and a shiny black top to the show. I curled my hair and left it down so I could fling it everywhere as I rocked out. The Wombats were a new favorite of mine, and I was excited to shake my ass at the concert.
I opened the door to see Zeke on the other side. “Hey, are you excited?”
He looked me up and down. “You look hot.”
“Oh.” I glanced at myself automatically. “Thanks. You look tasty yourself.”
He wore a short-sleeve gray t-shirt that showed off his nice arms. Zeke was like a brother to me, but I wasn’t oblivious to the fact that he was good-looking. Anytime we went anywhere, girls cast their looks his way. And sometimes, they asked if I was his girlfriend before they put the moves on him. “Is the beauty queen ready to go?”
Rex shouted from his bedroom, “Shut the hell up, bitch.”
Zeke chuckled. “I guess that’s a no.”
Safari came to the door wearing that same sad look on his face as every time I left the house.
“Sweetheart, I’ll be home later.” I gave him a good rubdown so he would feel loved.
He whined quietly.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be sleeping with you tonight.” I kissed him on the nose.
He whined again.
Zeke watch
ed our interaction. “It’s like he understands you sometimes.”
“He does.” I stood up then shoved my cash and ID into my pocket. “Rex, hurry the hell up. I’m not going to be late.”
“Shut up.” Rex came down the hallway in jeans and a hoodie. “I’m coming. Geez.”
“Let’s head out.” I gave Safari another pat on the head before I walked out with the guys.
“Got the tickets?” Zeke asked.
“Yeah,” Rex said. “I’ve got them in my pocket.”
We left the apartment then took a cab to the stadium. It was just a fifteen-minute drive, and when we got out, we saw the line.
“Jessie and Kayden are already here,” I said.
“Sweet,” Rex said. “We can cut in line.”
“I knew those girls were good for something,” Zeke said.
We located the other two then joined them in line.
“Oh my god.” Jessie jumped up and down. “How excited are you?”
“Super duper.” I clapped my hands excitedly.
“I’m going to get a Wombat hat,” Kayden said. “I’m going to look so cute.”
“Ooh…maybe I’ll get one too.” I’d look like a weirdo but whatever.
Rex eyed his phone before he answered it. “Yo, where are you?”
He must be talking to Ryker.
“We’re toward the front of the line,” Rex said. “Some of our friends got here early. Just keep moving up until you see me.” He hung up and shoved the phone back into his pocket.
“Who else is coming?” Jessie asked.
“Ryker.”
“Ooh…interesting.” Jessie had a devilish look on her face. “So, does the girl code apply here? You slept with him so he’s off limits.”
“Not really,” I said. “He’s a player, so I don’t think it matters.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yep,” I said. “You can have him.”
“Sweet,” Jessie said. “Now this concert just got better.”
Rex waved when he spotted him. “Yo, over here.”
Ryker joined our group. He wore dark jeans that hung low on his hips with a black t-shirt. He looked good in anything he wore. And he looked particularly good naked. “Hey, thanks for letting me tag along.”