by Tyler Grey
There was a bar just down the road where we liked to meet. We used to meet more often, but now that I was the CEO of the company, I was finding less and less time to go out. Shawn wasn’t there when I arrived, so I ordered two beers and waited for him to join me. I took a few grateful sips and let the cool liquid move down my throat. I felt instantly relaxed by it and took a few more sips. By the time Shawn arrived, I was more than halfway through my beer.
“Wow, someone is thirsty,” he said as he took in the bottle.
I laughed. “Sorry, today was a bit crazy. I needed it.”
“Oh, yeah? Work busy again?”
“Well, yeah, but it’s not that. There’s something else that is keeping me hot under the collar. Or should I say, someone else.”
“Oooh, tell me more. Who is it?”
I sighed. “Paisley Stevens.”
“Who? Oh, shit, your sister! Don’t say that! I really hope you’re not talking about her.”
“Stepsister,” I reminded him. “And yes, I mean her. Of course, I mean her. Trust me, if you saw her, you would understand. Not only is she gorgeous, but she’s also brilliant at work and the feistiest girl I have ever met in my life. She’s keeping me on my toes, and I honestly have no idea how I’m going to continue working with her.”
“You’re flirting with her?” he asked and pulled a face to show his disapproval.
“Oh, yes. I’m definitely flirting. Blatantly so. And, she’s giving me nothing back. But I’m not going to give up. I’m going to go after her until she is mine. Mark my words. This is one woman that is completely worth the chase.”
Shawn put his hands over his ears like a child who didn’t want to hear what his parents were saying to him. “No! Make it stop!”
I laughed. “You’re ridiculous, you know that? You do know that I’m an adult, and that she is an adult, and that what our parents do together is none of our concern.”
“No, I don’t know that. As far as I’m concerned, you’re mixing something that shouldn’t be mixed. You really not going to take my advice and leave her alone?”
“Since when have I ever taken your advice?”
He laughed. “That’s true. Well, I don’t know what to say then. Good luck?”
“Thank you!” I said. “I’m going to need it.” I’m also going to get her! The more beer I drank, the more determined I became.
Chapter Eleven
Paisley
I woke up late and stretched out in bed like a cat. I had slept fitfully the night before and was looking forward to the day ahead. It was Sunday, and Olive and I were going to spend the day together. After having spent so much time with her, it was strange not staying with her anymore. We were going to spend the day looking for clothes for the present and furniture for the future as I was now surer than ever that I’d have that new apartment soon. Then we were going to enjoy lunch together. She was taking me out, but I had promised to return the favor as soon as I got my first paycheck.
I climbed out of bed, showered, and made my way to the kitchen where the entire family was sitting having breakfast. I tried not to notice the way Henry looked like he had just gotten out of bed, too. His hair was a mess, but it suited him. I tried not to think about what it would be like to wake up and see his face every morning. I tried not to think about him in bed at all. I was grateful that I had changed because I’d slept in an oversized t-shirt the night before that was a little too revealing.
“Morning, darling; can I make you something?”
I shook my head. “No thanks, Mom; I’m going for lunch with Olive today.”
“Yes, but this is breakfast.”
“I’ll just have a coffee,” I said. “You know what Olive and I are like. We’ll make up for no breakfast with our lunch.”
“How about a chocolate muffin, at least? I made these this morning.”
“You already made chocolate muffins this morning?” I asked.
I watched as Duncan pulled her in for a kiss. A younger me might have pulled a face at that, but I was glad to see them so happy.
“I’m a lucky man.”
“And a soon-to-be fat man,” Henry said. I was about to scowl at him, but I saw he was joking. He was grinning at his father, and I could see that they had the sort of relationship where they teased each other to show their affection.
“Here we go, my darling,” my mom said and handed me a cup of coffee.
“Thank you. This is great, just what I need.”
“And, here’s the muffin. Freshly baked.”
I took a bite and sighed with happiness. It tasted more like a chocolate cake, but I didn’t care about the calories. Like Duncan, I was more than happy to get fat for her food. My mother had always been a great cook, but she only baked when she was happy.
When I opened my eyes, I saw that Henry was staring at me, and I quickly looked away. I could feel the heat rising to my face, and I cursed my pale skin for always showing when I was embarrassed. I breathed a sigh of relief when Henry said he was leaving for the day to see a friend of his. I didn’t realize quite how tense I was when he was around, but the moment he left the table, I felt my entire body relax again.
Thankfully, my mother and Duncan didn’t seem to notice. They were too busy looking at each other to realize what was going on. I wondered what they would think if they knew what sorts of thoughts I’d been having about Henry. I was doing everything in my power to fight it, but they were there regardless. They came to me when I least expected them, like now. I’d even had a dream about him the night before, which involved him and I making out on my desk at work.
I tried not to think about it. He’s your brother; he’s your brother; he’s your brother, I told myself over and over again. The whole thing would be too wrong, and I couldn’t do that to my poor mother. She’d finally found love, and I didn’t want to be the cause of ruin. I didn’t love Henry. It was just lust. I had to simply stop thinking of him in that way.
I was grateful when it was time to meet up with Olive. I needed a distraction, and a day of shopping would do just that. First, we started out looking for furniture. She knew all these amazing places. Some of them were second-hand shops, but the furniture all looked new. They were great and would fit a bit better into my budget.
“I cannot wait to have my own place,” I said as I trailed my hand over a bright red sofa. I could easily picture the sofa in my future apartment.
Olive smiled. “Soon. You’ll see, it’s going to happen very soon. And then I’m going to come over, and you’re going to cook me dinner in your new kitchen.”
I giggled. “Does heating something up in the microwave count as cooking?”
“Of course, it does.”
“Then you’re definitely invited. Oh my goodness! Look at this. I need this in my life,” I said as eyed a beautiful wine rack. “Who cares about furniture? I can sit on the floor. This wine rack is what I need.”
After furniture shopping, we went shopping for clothes, where I got myself a few new work outfits. It wasn’t that I had to dress too nice for work, but considering I’d never worked in an office before, I had very few clothes to wear. My mother had surprised me with some money that week and told me to treat myself to some new outfits. I was pretty sure it was just her way of saying that she was happy that I’d finally got a job, but I wasn’t complaining. I really needed the new clothes.
Once we were all shopped out, we found a little café to sit down and enjoy some lunch. “That counted as a gym workout, right?” I asked as we sat down.
“What? Shopping?”
“Yeah. I mean, we walked around a lot, and we picked up things. To me, that was the same as going to the gym. In fact, it was perhaps even a bit more strenuous than a workout would’ve been.”
“Oh, absolutely. I think we reward ourselves with a nice big lunch.”
I chuckled. “I’m glad we’re on the same wavelength.”
We ordered bowls of pasta, after some easy insistence by the waiter. The moment
he was out of earshot, Olive sighed.
“Oh, how dreamy is that man?”
“The waiter?” I said as I tried to recall what he looked like. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“You guess so? How can you guess so? He’s so handsome.”
I chuckled. “Ooh, you like the waiter?”
“How can I not? Wait, why don’t you like the waiter?”
“I don’t know. I just didn’t notice him.”
Olive broke out into a smile as she regarded me with knowing eyes. “Oh, yeah? Is that because your thoughts are preoccupied with someone else?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You don’t? So does that mean you’re not thinking about a particular handsome CEO?”
I sighed. “Well, I’m trying not to. I’m doing my best to stop thinking about him.”
“But why?”
“Uh, because he’s my boss.”
“You’re not planning on staying there very long. You said so yourself. This is just your gateway to another job.”
“He’s my stepbrother!”
“Exactly. Step. Stepbrother. He’s not your actual blood-related brother. I have no doubt in my mind that if the roles were reversed, you would be telling me to go for it. I don’t know why this is such a big deal for you.”
“I don’t want to upset my mom.”
“Your mom is super cool. Why don’t you go and talk to her? Maybe she’ll understand?”
I shook my head. “No. I don’t even like the guy. He’s far too arrogant and cocky for my liking. I just happen to find him super good-looking. That’s all. I can get over that.”
“Can you, though?”
“Yes, I can. I’m stronger than that. In fact, I think I should go on a date.”
“With Henry?”
“No! Not with Henry. Definitely not with Henry. With someone else. I don’t know who. Just someone who can take my mind off him.”
“Not the waiter. He’s mine,” she said with a grin.
I laughed. “Not the waiter. Maybe I should try online dating or something. Yeah, that’s a plan.”
“Seriously? I’ve been trying to get you to try online dating for years. I never thought I’d hear you say that. Wow, you must really be interested in this guy if you’re going to all this trouble to get your mind off him. Work must be torture for you. Actually, home must be torture for you, too.”
“It’s not easy,” I admitted. “Home is a little easier because I have the constant reminder of my mom and Duncan there. Work is a little trickier. I’ll be fine, though. I’m going to find another man to date, and I’m hoping in due time to stop seeing Henry in that way. I’m going to friendzone him.”
Olive did a bit more flirting with the waiter, and I was impressed when she left with his number. I needed to do something like that, but I wasn’t sure how. I was great at throwing out sarcastic comments, but not that good at flirting. I would try online dating, instead. The more I thought about it, the more convinced I became that it was the way to go.
Later that evening, I stood with my mother in the kitchen while she made dinner. She still wasn’t letting me help her, but she was happy for the company. I told her all about Olive and the waiter, and she seemed delighted. She was even more delighted when I told her that I was going to try online dating. I never knew how worried she was about my lack of love until then, although I was sure it was only because she was so happy herself. When you were happy and in love, you wanted everyone around you to feel the same way.
“Mind setting the table, dear?” she asked me.
“Of course. Is it just us three tonight?” I asked because I hadn’t seen Henry at all that afternoon. He walked into the room the moment the words came out my mouth and grinned at me.
“No way! Four people. It’s Sunday tradition, remember? We all eat together on Sunday.”
I smiled tersely and nodded. “Of course. Of course,” I said and quickly walked away. I really needed to get to my computer and start setting myself up on a date. I couldn’t handle the way Henry made me feel with just one smile. His very presence made my heart skip a beat. He annoyed me, so it couldn’t be love that I was feeling. It was lust. It was definitely lust. I just wished it wasn’t so strong.
Throughout dinner, Henry shot me looks that made it clear he was feeling the same way as me. He even made a few comments that were so blatant I could feel my cheeks burning in response. He told my mother how impressed he was with me at work, and she beamed at me with pride. Dinner talk seemed to flow easily for everyone except for me. I was too distracted.
The only thing I could think about was how I was going to get through work with Henry around all the time. I was glad that it was an open plan office. I was glad that I had the watchful eye of the very jealous Jessica on me at all times. Otherwise, I wasn’t sure that I would be able to keep my hands off Henry.
It annoyed me that I felt this way about him. Nobody had ever made me feel the way he did, but the more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that it was a bad idea. Henry was a flirt and a tease. He was the sort of guy that would give you mindblowing sex, but not a relationship. If I did anything with him, it would be amazing, but it wouldn’t last. All I would be doing was causing awkwardness and embarrassment to the family. I couldn’t do that to my mother, no matter how strong my affections were.
Henry made another comment that made it seem so obvious that he was after me, and I crossed and uncrossed my legs under the table. He was very hard to ignore. Somehow, though, my mother and Duncan seemed oblivious to it all. I only hoped that it stayed that way.
Chapter Twelve
Henry
I was lucky enough to enjoy my work, but it was even better now that I had the lovely Paisley to mess around with.
I wanted to know more about her, but it wasn’t easy. She didn’t offer me much in return, and I didn’t want to ask Myra too much in case she caught on that I was interested in her daughter. I would have to work on it slowly and take my time figuring her out. In a way, that also made it quite exciting.
Paisley and I left for work at the same time, but we barely said a word to each other as we made our way to our separate cars. I noticed she wasn’t there when I arrived, and I wondered if she’d taken the long route on purpose so that we didn’t walk in together. I chuckled to myself when I heard her arrive moments later.
Later that morning, as I was looking through my emails, I saw that Paisley had already done most of the work I had set out for her. Not only had she done it, but she’d done it well. I was so glad that I had listened to my father’s advice. I didn’t realize quite how much I needed an assistant until now.
Although, I wasn’t sure if any of the other candidates would’ve been as good as she was. Paisley was a very hard worker, and she didn’t waste any time. Every time I left my office, I saw her working hard, her face furrowed in concentration. She’d only been there for a few days, but she had already figured everything out. She was a fast learner and very efficient.
I was very aware of the fact that she didn’t plan to stay with the company for long, but I was starting to hope she would change her mind. I could easily picture her moving her way up the ladder and taking on more responsibilities. If she was like this within her first week, I couldn’t imagine how she’d be within a few months. I’d held onto those applications in case I still needed to hire someone else, but it was probably safe to throw them right into the trash. I would do my best to make Paisley stay in the company for as long as possible.
Shawn had called me the day before, asking me if I would be interested in going on a double date with him. He’d met some girl, and she had a friend who was looking for someone. I told him I’d think about it, and he’d gotten annoyed by my answer. I would’ve usually jumped at the chance of a date. I loved meeting women, especially ones that sounded as nice as Shawn had made her out to be. He knew exactly why I wasn’t as interested as I would normally be, even though I hadn’t said why.
<
br /> It was Paisley.
I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Of course, there was a chance that I was going after someone who would never be interested in me, but I couldn’t help myself. I liked the chase. I liked the challenge.
I promised Shawn I would think about it — and I really was thinking about it. But I wanted to first try my luck with Paisley and see if there was a chance. If there really wasn’t, I could move on to other women. But I felt like I at least had to try. I wasn’t used to getting turned down like this. I had always gotten what I wanted out of life, and I wasn’t about to stop now. If I was going to get her, then I couldn’t be going on dates with other women.
I saw that I had a text waiting for me from Shawn, asking me about the date again. I replied and told him that I wasn’t interested at the moment and to go on the date without me. He didn’t reply, but I could imagine him rolling his eyes.
My father and Myra arrived at lunchtime. I thought we were all going to go down to the café, but Myra had made sandwiches for all of us. I walked out to greet them and chuckled as I received a big hug from her. Like, Paisley, she was short, but she was so full of life that she seemed taller than she really was.
“Why don’t we eat in my office then?” I said after she told me she’d brought lunch for all of us.
“Where’s Paisley?” she asked once we were all inside.
“Oh, she went to run an errand, but she should be back soon.” I picked up the phone and called Jessica.
“Hi, Henry. Can I bring you anything?”
“Actually, yes, can you please bring four coffees? Just put the milk and sugar on the side for us to sort out. And, please tell Paisley to join us when she is back.”
“Paisley?” Jessica asked in surprise.
“Yes, tell her to come as soon as she is back.”
Paisley arrived five minutes later, holding the tray of coffee. I jumped up to open the door for her and helped her with the tray.