“This father and daughter team is the best, aren’t we?”
“Of course, dad.” She smiled at him and Laura. Andi turned her gaze at Hunter. “Hi. How was your day?”
He appeared surprised to have her attention on him, but Andi knew that it was important to maintain a normal relationship with him in front of Laura and Justin. “It was great. And yours?”
“Ok.”
“I will set the table,” said Laura.
“No need. I’ve already done it,” said Andi. “I want to make iced tea and then we’re all set.”
Andi was grateful when Hunter went upstairs. Laura chatted with her and Andi answered her questions without betraying her feelings about Hunter. It was going to be very hard to maintain this façade day after day, but there was little choice. Hunter had made his point clear; he wasn’t interested in her anymore. After the scare that they had, she quite agreed with him. They simply couldn’t afford to make a mistake like that anymore. What was done was done. It was time to move forward. Maybe she would find another guy who could draw her interest. It would be a relief to focus on someone other than Hunter.
They settled to eat. Laura said Grace. It felt as if they were a normal family who was settling down for a nice, hot meal. Andi had to agree that even for a blended family, they were pretty messed up. The poor parents were quite unaware of the sexual tension that oozed between Hunter and Andi. It was a miracle that they managed to maintain this secret for so long.
“So the good news is that Andi has agreed to do an internship,” said Justin. “She will start day after tomorrow. I had a talk with Cole, the administration manager, and he said that he would find a place for her.”
Hunter’s fork clattered out of his hand. Hastily, he picked it up. “Sorry.”
“Andi, I am glad to hear this, and it’s good that Hunter would be there so it’s not like you wouldn’t know anyone,” said Laura.
“Yeah, that would be great,” she managed to say.
“Hunter, would you please show Andi around on the first day?” asked Justin.
“Of course, I would.”
“You know what happened in the parking lot today,” said Laura. “There was a fight between two clients. Can you believe in? Two grown men, battling over a parking space, as if they were Neanderthals warring over territory.”
“Men will be men.”
“They don’t have to silly about it,” she said. “It’s a good thing that the guard called the security officer and everything was settled. I really think we should expand the parking lot.”
As they both began to talk about the benefits of expanding the parking lot, Andi glanced at Hunter. He studiously avoided her gaze. She could tell that he was rattled by the news that she would be joining the firm as in intern. Andi wasn’t particularly concerned. Surely, they would be able to figure out a way to chart their own place. It would be nice to be surrounded by people her age for a change. Maybe she could find someone else to obsess over. In fact, Andi was determined to find a new love interest. That would save her. She desperately needed to shed this obsession she had over Hunter.
When she was back in her room, Andi called her mother to tell her the news. “That’s great, darling. I am glad that you’re not wasting time. It would be a good experience.”
“Yes, mom.”
“Darling, you’re ok, aren’t you? Here lately, I’ve been having this feeling that you’re not happy. If you want, you could come back.”
Andi was amazed that her mother could detect the false note in her voice, although she’d made such an effort to hide it. She wanted to confess it all, but Andi was quite sure that if she did so, her mother would call her father and the Pandora’s Box would explode. No. It was better to bury this secret deep within her heart. “No, mom. I am totally fine. Don’t worry about me.”
After she assured her mother, Andi put the phone down. Now she felt a little better. Just as she was thinking that it might not be a bad idea to go out and watch a movie, there was a knock on the door. Her heart hammered. She opened the door, and as expected found Hunter just outside.
She didn’t let him in. Whatever he had to say he could do it from that spot. If he thought she was rude, she didn’t care. It was time she looked after her feelings. But by God, he was gorgeous. She kept her hands clenched into fists because if she didn’t do so, she might tug his collar and yank him hard against her. Her pussy hummed with need since he was so near, but ignoring the call of her hormones, she stared at him. “What is it?”
“Why the hell did you agree to an internship?”
“Why the hell not?” She matched his tone and attitude. “It’s my choice.”
“Are you actually trying to spend more time with me?”
“If your head was any more inflated, it would explode,” she told him. Temper roiled in her heart. How dare he think that she was chasing him? “It was dad’s idea, and the only reason I agreed to it was because it would be a good experience for me, and plus I am getting bored sitting at home.”
He glared at her as if he didn’t believe her. She met his gaze and didn’t even blink. Finally, he turned and went inside his room. Andi stuck out her tongue at his retreating back. The petty gesture made her feel better. She slammed the door and settled on her bed. The nerve of the man! Did he really think she was so desperate to be near him that that she would hatch up a scheme? Well, she would show him. Andi intended to find a guy in the firm and then have a torrid affair right under Hunter’s nose. That would show him.
Two days later, when she reached the office with her dad, Laura, and Hunter, Andi was prepared to have a marvelous time. Unfortunately, it was Hunter who was assigned to show her around. When Laura sent them off, she could actually see the consternation on Hunter’s face, but he didn’t say anything.
“Come, Andi.”
She followed him. The firm was imposing. The building was lavishly decorated and very comfortable. “The interns generally gather on the third floor during their break. There is a kitchenette there where we can grab a bite to eat, coffee, or tea. If you want to bring your lunch, you could put it in the fridge over there. If not, you could buy it from the cart. They have some good sandwiches and the Shwarma isn’t half bad, although it is a bit spicy.”
“Right.”
He showed her the first floor which contained open cubicles. “These are all the brokers. It’s better not to disturb them unless you have been given an assignment. Cole, the administrative manager, is the one who assigns work to the interns. Be sure to check your email first thing in the morning and before you log out. It’s better to actually check it in the middle of the day as well because sometimes emergency assignments crop up.”
Now she was a little intimated. Andi saw the brokers who were already talking on the phone, pointing at the big screen that lit up one wall, and conversing with each other, screaming more like it. “Are the assignments difficult?”
“It’s mostly just research work. You can do it on your computer most of the time. Sometimes you will be required to go out and meet someone in person. In that case, another intern will be sent along with you. I like the work,” he admitted. “It’s not that difficult, and it’s fun.”
“Great.”
He turned to face her, almost as if he could sense the discomfort in her voice. “You will be fine. Don’t worry about anything. If you get stuck somewhere, ask me and I will help you.” For a moment, something flashed in his eyes. She actually felt as if he intended to take her in his arms and drop a kiss on her lips. Andi so desperately wanted him to do it. She desired to feel his arms around her and his lips on her. Her skin hummed to feel his against her but then the moment was gone and he looked away. “Come, I will show you the second floor.”
They climbed into the elevator. The moment was perfect. If he so wanted, he could take her in his arms now. There was no one around, but he didn’t as much as flinch. Maybe she was the one who was thinking about such things. It looked as if he was over her already
.
Well, good. That was exactly what she wanted.
“Who works on the second floor?”
“The directors have their offices here,” he explained as the elevator came to a stop. “You won’t have any reason to come here. The directors don’t really deal with the interns which is a good thing because some of them can be very intimidating. We don’t need to get off on this floor so let’s just go upstairs.”
“Ok. Great.”
He pressed the button for the last floor and they whooshed upstairs. “Here is where the interns and other administrative staff are located.” They got off the elevator. “Most of the people are pretty friendly so you will have a good time. There are some girls your age.”
So had he flirted with them already? No. She wasn’t going to think along those lines. “How many interns are there?”
“Including you, now seven. Three girls and four boys.” They entered the kitchenette. “Here is one of them, Wesley.”
The boy who stared at her was gorgeous. He had thick, dark hair that flopped over his forehead. His chin jutted out and there was a dimple on his cheeks. She couldn’t help smiling back at him. Wow! Things suddenly began to look up. Now she was excited to be here. Andi thrust out her hand at him. “Hi. I am Andi.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Wesley.”
Hunter cleared his throat. There was a strange note in his voice as he stared from one to another. “Andi is the new recruit. She is going to be working with us.”
“Well, we do have something to look forward to now, don’t we?” said Wesley with a smile.
Andi could tell that he was used to women falling all over him. Just this once, she didn’t mind being one of them. At least, it would take her mind off Hunter. So rather than give him a steely glare, she actually titled her lips in a flirtatious smile and cocked her head.
This was going to be a big change. Rather than obsess about Hunter, she could enjoy Wesley’s attention. That would be a vast improvement on her current state of mind.
“We should get going. Cole doesn’t like it when we’re late.”
“Loosen up, Hunter. Come, Andi. I will take you to Cole or the Emperor as we call him.”
She laughed as she followed him. “And why is that?”
“Because he likes to lord over the interns so this title was bestowed on him by an enterprising genius about two years ago. It’s a well known secret among interns.”
Andi didn’t even as much as glance back at Hunter. Let him be the one to stew in misery now because she was with some other guy. That would show him that she didn’t join the firm to be near him. Coming here was the best decision that she had made, and Andi looked forward to the days once more.
CHAPTER THREE
Working in the office was a good idea. She was glad that her father pushed her into it. Three days later, she felt far more comfortable as she worked with the other interns. Much to her delight, she was paired with Wesley and they were due to work on a project all this week. While Wesley was good-looking and charming, he was no match for Hunter. And yet, Andi was excited to turn her attention towards him. A light flirtation would certainly take her mind off her problems with Hunter.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. She tried hard to turn her heart towards Wesley, but it continued to throb for Hunter. Her body refused to cooperate. Every time Wesley glanced at her, smiled at her, she expected to feel butterflies in her stomach. She wanted to feel that fluttering in her heart that she felt for Hunter, but to no avail. Sure, he was a handsome guy, but he failed to captivate her.
Her heart belonged to Hunter, and despite Andi’s pleas, it refused to shift its allegiance. Fake it till you make it. This was Andi’s new mantra, and she stuck to it with a great deal of resolve. When Wesley made a joke, she laughed. When he glanced her way, she batted her eyes, and when he touched her hands, she pretended that it made her squirm.
“You have a great eye for detail,” he whispered as she tried to find some information on a company they were researching. “I can see that the directors are going to be really happy with you.”
“It’s not that difficult.” He was a bit lazy and didn’t like to put in the effort. She could tell already that Wesley spent most of his time flirting with the girls and watching YouTube videos whenever he got the chance. It didn’t matter to her. She was here to learn and to keep herself distracted. “Do you want to try?”
“You’re doing such a good job. I don’t want to disturb you.”
She rolled her eyes. Did he really think such words would work on her? “Sure, sure.” She organized the information, changed the font and style, and put in the references. “Here we go. Do you want to go and deliver it? In the meantime, I will grab a soda from the kitchenette.”
Even though he didn’t like to put in that much effort, Wesley was delighted to run to Cole and submit the work. She didn’t think that Cole bought his act. Since she wasn’t doing it for credit from her seniors, she didn’t much mind that he liked to hog all the limelight. He ran off with the papers and she stood and stretched. The other interns were all working in different sections of the floor. She was currently sharing a cubicle with Wesley. Sauntering forward, she made her way to the kitchenette. There was a plate of donuts on the counter. She grabbed one and then opened the fridge to take out a soda.
“Hi.”
The sound of his voice made her heart slam against her chest. Damn it! Did he have to sneak up on her? She hated it when he did that. Andi turned around slowly. “Hey.”
“How is your work?”
Was he really interested? Or was this his way of making a conversation? As yet, he didn’t give any indication that he wasn’t happy to see her with Wesley. Of course, she wasn’t spending so much time with Wesley in order to make him jealous. Andi was only trying to mend her broken heart. That’s all she wanted, and young as she was, she was quite aware that it wasn’t likely to happen until she actually got far, far away from him. That wasn’t really an option, and hence she was going with Plan B.
“It’s good. We finished half of our project.”
“That’s great.” He ran his hand over the edge of the door. She could tell that he was looking for some safe topic to discuss with her. She hoped that he would stop making the effort. There was no way they could ever have a normal relationship. They had fucked too hard to achieve that now, and there was too much water under that particular bridge. “So you like it here?”
“What’s not to like? The people are great, the work is easy, and it keeps me busy.”
He nodded. “Yeah, yeah, I suppose.”
The can of soda was cold in her hands. She really wanted to sit here and enjoy it, but if Hunter continued to linger, she didn’t think it would be a good idea to remain here. “I should go.”
He made no move to shift from the door so she took a few steps forward with the intention of sliding past him. As she neared him, her skin hummed. It felt as if something momentous was about to happen. She could feel the anticipation building inside her. If he grabbed her hand, if he touched her, and if he tried to kiss her, she didn’t think she would be able to fight him off. She wouldn’t want to. Although they both got the scare of their life when she thought she was pregnant, the truth was that she never quite got over him.
As she reached him, Andi made the mistake of looking into his eyes. What she saw made her freeze; there was a yearning there which was hard to miss. She could tell that he longed to lay his hand on her but was stopping himself by sheer effort of will. The realization made her halt.
Should she make the first move?
Dare she?
How would he react?
“Hey,” said another voice and broke the spell. They both looked at Wesley who was staring at them with a puzzled expression on his face. “What’s going on?
“You want a soda?” she asked him the first thing that popped in her head.
“Sure, thanks. Where is yours?”
“I already h
ad it,” she lied. Andi kept her gaze firmly away from Hunter. “What did Cole say when you delivered the report?”
He opened the can and drank deeply from it. Wesley smacked his lips together. “This is great. Cole. Oh yes, he was happy, and I promised that we would deliver the second part of the report right on schedule.”
“We should start working on it.”
“Ok.” He shrugged and then smiled at Hunter. “She is quite a busybody, isn’t she?”
“It’s important to deliver the habit of working hard,” said Hunter.
“Sure, sure. Hey, that reminds me. I’ve been working hard on something. A party.”
Andi wasn’t sure she heard him right. “A party?”
“Oh yes, it’s my birthday in three days, so I am throwing a party. My parents have cooperated and are going out of town for two days…so it should be marvelous. I’ve already told all the other interns so now I am inviting you. A lot of people are coming. Some of my Uni friends are here, and also old school people. It would be a blast.”
“Sure, that should be fun.”
“So you both will come?”
They exchanged a glance. Andi sighed. Of course, they would have to come together. It would look suspicious if they didn’t. “Yes, we will.” said Hunter in a quiet manner. Suddenly, he departed.
Wesley stared at him. When Hunter disappeared around the corner, he scratched his head. “What’s wrong with Hunter? He was perfectly normal until last week, and now he has turned into the world’s biggest grouch.”
So he was as affected by their break up as she was. Or perhaps he just didn’t like working in such close quarters with her. “No idea.”
Wesley grabbed her hand. “Hey, listen, I was thinking…” But whatever he was thinking had to wait because Cole strode out from a nearby office and Wesley dropped her hand. “We should get back to work.”
Cole stopped. His gaze settled on Andi. “The report is done well. I am quite happy with the work that…you both have done.”
“Thank you.”
Secrets with My Stepbrother, Vol. 2 Page 2