Brother's Best Friend's Package

by Cassandra Bloom

  I took a deep breath, finding my center. And people say yoga is useless…

  The elevator dinged at its arrival and I stepped inside along with a few other people. Most of them were well dressed, surpassing my plain white blouse and black pencil skirt. Had I known the dress code was this fancy, I would have worn my pant suit. Feeling a little self-conscious, I stepped into the corner, trying to disappear.

  I was starting to think that applying to this job wasn’t such a good idea.

  On the way up, people got off at their respective floors until I was the only one left. It was a somewhat lonely experience, but luckily, I was almost there.

  As I approached the 32nd floor, I adjusted my posture and ran a hand over my hair, just in case there were any strands with their own opinion. I rolled my shoulders, mentally telling myself to relax. It was just an interview. Everything would be fine.

  The doors opened.

  Immediately to the left was a large desk cluttered with various papers. The printer rumbled as it spewed out more and more documents. With each new page it printed, it shook the entire desk, making the snow globes that lined the top of it shake ever so slightly. The sparkly snow was constantly jostling back and forth.

  I barely noticed the small woman hunched over the papers. Her beige-colored uniform practically made her blend in.

  “Um, excuse me,” I said, hoping I wasn’t interrupting her from something.

  At the sound of my voice, she jolted in her seat, a couple of sticky notes stuck to her cheek. “Oh my…” She patted the desk as if looking for something, her eyes growing wide. “They were right here…” She mumbled. “I just wrote it down… how could I misplace it already?”

  “Um… ma’am.”

  She looked up at me, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. She lifted her hand to scratch the side of her face. Doing so, she noticed the sticky notes and took them off, along with a bit of her foundation.

  I kept my mouth shut.

  She glanced at the colorful pieces of paper and then up at me before she finally clapped her hands together in understanding. “Oh! You must be Ms. Griffith! We’re excited to have you on board!”

  “What? I thought this was an interview? I already have the job?”

  The woman nibbled her lip. “Oh dear. Did I not make that clear during our conversation? I thought I explicitly pointed out that you’d be starting on Monday – today.”

  “You did… I just thought there’d be an interview or something…” I knew I should have just kept quiet and accepted that I had already gotten the job, but something about this whole thing seemed rather suspicious.

  “Oh… Well, in any case, Mr. Moore has been eager to finally meet you. Let me just check if he’s available and then you should be all set to go in and talk to him.” She emerged from behind her desk, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry about Mr. Moore, he looks tougher than he actually is… that’s not to say he isn’t tough… he is… but you know, don’t fret about it… sorry, I’m rambling. You’ll do great!”

  I was actually kind of glad when she disappeared behind a solid wood door. Curious, I stepped forward, my heart stopping when I noticed the gold lettering.

  Andre Moore.

  No. This couldn’t actually be him, could it?

  I glanced at the elevator, planning my escape. I could probably slip in there before the assistant came back. It would be like I had never been here. I could pretend that I still lived in a world where Andre didn’t exist, instead of trying to face a world where he was back and didn’t acknowledge me.

  It took a while for the assistant to return, so I sat down on a nearby couch, looking out the window. From this high up, all the people looked like tiny ants, trying to run back to their safe little hill. I watched them for a while before my mind brought me back to Andre.

  What was I going to do if it really was him, waiting for me behind that door? Did I pretend that everything was okay so I could get the job I wanted or did I leave and ignore him the same way he ignored me?

  Before I could decide, the woman came tumbling out of the office. Her cheeks were bright red and her glasses were on the very tip of her nose.

  She blew a puff of air out of her mouth before she patted her arms against her side, marching toward me. “Mr. Moore will see you now.”

  I lingered on the couch for a minute longer before I got up and headed for the door. Already, my palms were sweaty. My heart was beating faster than ever. I nearly stopped myself from turning the doorknob, but I was already here, I might as well go through with it. Who knows, maybe this was another Andre Moore.

  The second I stepped over the threshold, it felt like I was walking into his dorm room all over again. Even though the smell of expensive cologne lingered in the air, under it all was a scent that was still very familiar to me. His scent. Subtle mint, mixed with a hint of sandalwood, and unadulterated masculinity. Even after all these years, I still recognized that intoxicating combination.

  It caused me to stop, my hand still on the door, my eyes closed, reliving the few splendid moments whenever I woke up in his arms. I would nuzzle into his chest, feel his embrace tighten around me, keeping me safe. Those were the moments I cherished the most…

  “Please. Come in and take a seat.” A deep voice broke me from my trance.

  I looked up to find Andre staring at me with a fierce look in his eye. He had matured. Back then he was just a rowdy young adult – a boy, really – now, he was a man.

  “Andre…” I couldn’t stop myself from saying his name aloud, feeling like I was caught in some kind of dream. What were the odds that I would apply for a position in his company and meet him like this?

  “Ms. Griffith. It’s a pleasure.” He flashed me a professional smile that felt cold and distant. So, he was trying to pretend that nothing had ever happened between us.

  Well, after ten years, I just couldn’t stand for that. I needed answers. Now.

  “Look. There’s no need to pretend. I was never some dumb bimbo and you know that. You obviously hired me because you wanted to see me again.”

  “You were simply the most qualified applicant. You can even ask my assistant.” He stated, his hands folded in front of him. Back then, Andre would have scoffed at the man he became. Would have said that business executives were too boring and stiff. Funny how things work out.

  “So, you want to tell me that seeing me does nothing to you? That you don’t feel an ounce of remorse for what you did? For abandoning me?” I stepped closer to his desk, my fingers shaking by my side. “Do you know how hard your disappearance hit me? I nearly filed you as a missing person until your mother told me you had run away to the Navy. Why didn’t you say goodbye? Why didn’t you tell me?” My eyes started to water as all the emotions I had been trying to keep at bay all these years began to surface. Anger. Depression. Disappointment. Heartbreak.

  He had to feel something, right?

  Chapter 4 (Andre)

  I thought that maybe we could go through this initial meeting without stirring up the past, but I should have known that was unlikely.

  Slowly, I stood up, remembering just how tiny Hope was in comparison to me. I had the urge to wrap her in my arms and wipe away her tears, like I had done so many times before, only, I had never been the one to cause them. As much as I wanted to ease her pain, there was nothing I could do.

  “Hope…” It was strange saying her name after so long. I stepped forward, reaching out for her, but she stepped back like I was a carrier of a plague.

  “Don’t touch me.” She snarled, her fists balling up in anger. “I want answers. Now.” She held her stance, her green eyes blazing. “Tell me why you left. Why you never bothered to call, or even write a letter. Did you think I was just going to forget about you if you were in the Navy?”

  “I never said that.” I made the effort to choose my words very carefully and keep my voice calm. “I just knew that you’d never accept my decision. I knew you would worry yourself s
ick thinking about me on the battlefield. At least, if I made you hate me, you wouldn’t get hurt if something were to happen to me.”

  She was silent for a moment before one of her fists came slamming down on my chest. “You selfish fucking idiot. Did you really think that if you died, I wouldn’t have cared? You might have disappeared from my life, but you never disappeared from my heart.” In a haste, she turned toward the door, about to book it out of the office.

  Before she could get to the door, however, I grabbed her by the wrist and reeled her back. I pinned her against my body, staring into those bright green eyes I had missed so much. I was a fool for leaving her, for thinking that either one of us could forget what we had.

  Without a moment of hesitation, I leaned down and kissed her. At first, we were still, like we had both forgotten the steps to this dance. But, once I pressed my hand into the small of her back and locked her hips into mine, it all came flooding back. My lips danced against hers, my head tilting to the left and hers to the right.

  Slowly, my tongue trailed along her bottom lip, waiting for her to grant me entrance. I pushed her body against the wall, the carnal need to be with this woman taking over. I always knew she was the one for me and I’d be damned if I ever let her go again.

  I kissed her harder, unable to hold back. A burning heat rose in my body.

  But, just before I could slip my tongue into her mouth, she shoved me away. “I… can’t… do… this…” She said through gritted teeth, her chest heaving in the aftermath of the kiss.

  I was stunned. In that moment, everything felt like it was falling back into place like I had finally righted my wrongs. Now, the look of hatred in her eyes broke the spell, leaving me standing there, knowing deep down, that I didn’t deserve this woman. That I had truly and utterly broken her heart and she should never have to take me back.

  With these thoughts, I watched her walk out the door, thinking that I would never see her again.

  ***

  A week later, her intoxicating scent still lingered in the room. I had done my best to just push her to the back of my mind and get on with my life, but now that I had been reminded of her sweet taste, I just had to win her back.

  “Cassidy.” I paged my assistant.

  “Yes, Mr. Moore?”

  “Get me Griffith’s file.”

  “But, I thought we were no longer hiring her.”

  “Just get it for me. Now.”

  The firmness in my voice must have scared her because she clicked off the intercom system and a second later, she was running into my office, folder in hand.

  “Thank you.”

  Once I was alone, I took note of Hope’s current address. If she was going to avoid me by not accepting my job offer, then I would just have to pay her a little visit.

  To be honest, I knew that the best course of action would probably be to let things go so she could move on with her life, but at this point, I was no longer thinking rationally. I had to see her, and nothing was going to get in my way.

  ***

  Her apartment seemed to be in a nice little neighborhood. The front lawn was well-maintained. The porch was decorated with a few pieces of lawn furniture. There were even flower boxes in all the windows. Whoever the landlord was, he certainly knew how to take care of the place.

  I parked my car and got out, the sickening feeling of nervousness bubbling up inside of me. I hadn’t yet decided what I would do if she asked me to leave her alone. I guess I would cross that bridge when I got to it. For now, I just had to see her again, to find out if a second chance was even remotely possible.

  With my chest tight, I knocked on the door. Soft footsteps sounded from the other side. My heart quickened slightly, anticipating her wrath.

  The door opened.

  Hope was standing there in a cute pajama set. The shorts showed off her long, silky legs, while the tank top made it obvious that she wasn’t wearing a bra.

  I pressed one of my nails into the palm of my hand to keep back my lust, an old trick I learned in the Navy when it was critical to control my emotions.

  “Hope.”

  “What the hell do you want?” She asked, her hand already on the door, ready to slam it in my face.

  “I just want to apologize. For everything. I know that I can never quite make it up to you, but I just want you to know that I only left because I thought it was the right thing to do at the time, that it was my only option.” While I still had her attention, I pulled out my wallet. Tucked in one of the flaps was a picture of her that I had taken while I was still a photography major. “I carried this picture with me everywhere I went. Sometimes, you were the only thing keeping me sane when I was cold, hungry or had gone days without sleep. In times like that, all I could think about was you.”

  Hope listened to my words, her eyes softening ever so slightly, but her fingers were still wrapped around the door. She was starting to open up, but she wasn’t fully convinced just yet.

  “I was happy, in a way, to know that if something did happen to me, you would be free to move on with your life. That you wouldn’t have to always live your life waiting for me to come back.”

  “But, don’t you get it?” She whispered, her voice soft. “That’s exactly what happened. I never stopped waiting for you…”

  “Hope! Who’s at the door?” A voice I didn’t recognize boomed through the apartment. A minute later, an average-looking brunette stomped up to the door. Her eyes narrowed the second she saw me. “You? What the hell are you doing here? Don’t you think you’ve caused enough harm already?” She snatched the door from Hope, about to slam it in my face, but Hope stopped her.

  “Darla, don’t be rude…”

  “You’re telling me not to be rude when this guy up and ditched you without a word. Now, that’s what I call rude. Besides, can’t you see he’s just trying to sweet talk you into taking him back so he can hurt you all over again?” She turned in my direction. “Sorry, asshole, but she’s not interested.”

  Just before the door could slam shut, I noticed Hope pound her fist into her outstretched palm. She then held up two fingers before she disappeared from sight, but it was all I needed to get the message.

  ***

  It felt strange waiting by our old hangout, especially at two in the morning. I leaned against one of the bridge’s support beams, keeping my eyes peeled for any movement, a habit I had developed during my years of service. If I was ever still, then I was always on the lookout, no matter where I was.

  Even back in college, this place used to be a breeding ground for crooks, drug dealers, and of course, druggies. Now that I think about it, I have no idea why Hope and I loved to come out here so much. Maybe it was the unhampered view of the stars, or just how soothing it was to listen to the water lapping against the shore. Whatever it was, I missed those days. I missed them badly.

  Suddenly, one of the bushes rustled. I tensed, my hand already reaching for the weapon I didn’t have.

  To my relief, however, Hope emerged from the foliage, having changed into a pair of jeans and an old t-shirt. She had also put on a bra.

  “Never thought I’d be back here again…” She said with a nostalgic tone.

  “Neither did I. I’m surprised you even asked me here. I thought you’d want nothing to do with me.”

  “That probably would have been the smart thing to do, but I’ve never been able to stay away from you, have I?” She said before she stuffed her hands into her back pockets, walking past me and onto the bridge.

  It was still mostly intact, but every now and then, a few of the wood planks went missing. Back in the day, Hope and I used to be able to navigate this thing with our eyes closed. Now, seeing Hope walk along the rickety surface filled me with a sense of dread. I didn’t even want to think about what would happen if she fell through one of the many gaping holes. The water underneath us definitely didn’t look inviting. Plus, at this altitude, it would feel like concrete if either one of us slammed into it.

&n
bsp; “I’m surprised you came to my house.” She said, balancing on the bridge’s leftmost truss, her arms outstretched like she was a trapeze walker. I swear, she was just trying to make me nervous.

  “What did you expect? Did you really think I could stay away from you?”

  “You managed for ten years. It’s not like anything has changed.”

  “Of course it has. I saw you. Came face-to-face with the biggest mistake of my life. Walking away from you.” I said, catching up to her. “You don’t know how hard it was to keep away from you. I was scared that if I came back, I’d be ruining your life. And, to be honest, I didn’t want to know if you had moved on. At least, if I didn’t keep in touch, I could always maintain the fantasy that you were still mine.”