Dangerous Daddy

by Sarah J. Brooks

  “So,” she said, shaking her head, “you have two billionaires fighting over you.”

  That would be the only possible interpretation she had to conclude, based on the information I’d given her. It felt like a lie; I wasn’t used to not being fully honest with Lisa and, though I’d lied by not telling her all of the information, it was still very much a lie.

  “Yes,” I said.

  “Two billionaires. You’re right, I did need a drink for that. Have you talked to either one of them since it happened?”

  “I turned my phone off,” I said. “It all happened right before I came here, so I have no idea.” I finished my glass of wine and signaled to Rico that I wanted another. “For all I know, they’re still beating on each other in Oliver’s office.”

  “So, what are you going to do? Who are you going to choose?”

  I looked at her and realized that was really the question it all came down to. It was muddied by a lot of other details, but that was it. I knew that Ethan wanted me as much as Oliver. All of my research was really to determine which one of them I wanted, because I didn’t know. I wanted them both. Of course, that wasn’t possible…

  “Earth to Becka,” Lisa said. “Come in, Becka.” She laughed and shook my knee with her hand.

  “Sorry,” I said, flying back into the conversation from my thoughts. “I have no idea which one I’m going to choose. Isn’t that crazy? Right now, they’re both being so weird about work, their jobs, I mean, and…” and that was all I could say. Unless I told her. “And… they’re brothers.” I finally admitted.

  “They’re what?” Lisa screeched.

  “Shhh,” I hushed her. “Keep your voice down.” The bar was still relatively empty, but everyone in the place, including Rico, had turned when she exclaimed.

  “I just found that out,” I said. “They’re related. I don’t know what their relationship was like when they were growing up, but it clearly isn’t good now.”

  “Billionaire brothers,” Lisa sang. “You’re practically living in a soap opera! Oh, you poor thing,” she winced for me but then also clapped her hands together gleefully. “I’m sorry, but this is the craziest thing!”

  “I know, I know,” I said. “It’s ridiculous. Maybe I should just cut them both loose.” That was a possibility as well, one that had just occurred to me. I could tell them both that they were too complicating, that I couldn’t choose, couldn’t deal with the drama of Neurotova, and then I could bail.

  And say goodbye to your career, a voice in my head said matter of factly. Which was also true. If I abandoned my internship, I would be putting a mark on my resume that would never come off. And the food science world is small; everyone would hear about it. It could even affect my own research and position with the college.

  “Well, you obviously can’t do that,” Lisa said. “That would be like tearing up a million-dollar lottery ticket.”

  “Lottery winners are cursed,” I reminded her. We’d watched this documentary on lottery winners once and vowed to never, ever buy another lottery ticket.

  “You have two billionaires chasing after you. No way you can come out a loser in this deal,” she said. “Just figure out which one you want, let them fight over you for a bit, then tell them your decision.”

  “Just like that,” I said, smiling and shaking my head.

  We finished our drinks and lined up an Uber driver for the ride home to our apartment. In the car, I turned my phone back on. Lisa smiled as my phone lit up with missed calls and messages. I had multiple texts from Oliver and Ethan. Missed calls from both of them, but also a missed call from Dr. Evans. I dialed my voicemail, confused. I quickly deleted a voicemail from Ethan without listening to it. The second message was from Dr. Evans.

  “Becka,” her voice said on the recording, “I need to talk to you immediately. Call me back.” Her voice sounded strained. I listened to the message again, then pressed 9 to get the time of her call. She’d called just a few minutes after I’d arrived at the wine bar. I clicked my phone off to end my voicemail before another message from Ethan or one from Oliver came through.

  I dialed her cell number; she answered immediately.

  “Becka,” she said, “I need to talk to you.”

  “Do you want me to come into your office tomorrow?” I asked. “I was planning to come to campus anyway.”

  “Are you involved with Oliver Weeks?” she asked, her voice steady.

  “Um, involved?” I asked. Lisa glanced over at me. I felt a surge of energy—anxiety—move through me. “How do you mean? I mean, I work for Neurotova, you know that.”

  “That is not what I’m talking about,” she said. Her voice was becoming more strained. “I mean, are you two…”

  “No!” I said sharply. I took a deep breath. “Maybe. Look, what is this about?”

  “If you’re involved with him on any other level than professionally, you need to tell me.”

  I was getting a little annoyed. I adored Dr. Evans, but it was, quite frankly, none of her business who I was involved with non-professionally.

  “Actually,” I said, “I don’t need to tell you anything about my personal life… do I?” The words coming out of my mouth started confident but ended in the tone of the college student I’d been talking to her professor.

  “Becka, this is serious. The college has received word that there are allegations against Oliver Weeks for criminal misconduct relating to animal experimentation. Your name was also mentioned, though there are no charges connected to you. But, if you are involved with him, you are sure to be investigated, and the college is demanding our—yours and mine—full cooperation in the matter.”

  Ethan. He had called the college trying to get Oliver in trouble, and now my name was getting dragged into it.

  “Dr. Evans,” I began slowly, “I can assure you that any relationship I have with Oliver, with Dr. Weeks, is purely professional. And I certainly have not been involved with anything criminal! You know me well enough to know that.”

  I heard her sigh on her end of the line. “I do know you very well,” she said. “How about if you come to the office tomorrow and we can talk. I wanted you to be aware; you will be under investigation as a part of the police looking into Oliver Weeks. Do you have a lawyer?”

  “No,” I said, and now I could hear the fear in my voice. “Do I need one?”

  “It might not be a bad idea to have one who can give you a consult and hopefully represent you in case the police do decide to file charges. I can see if the college can help you, or if that’s a conflict of interest.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I have to go.” Lisa was staring at me now and I felt sick. I wished I’d only had one glass of wine; the second was threatening to explode in my stomach.

  I hung up and looked at Lisa. “I didn’t tell you everything before,” I said. “Oliver is under investigation for criminal activity relating to experimenting on animals at Neurotova. I’ve been doing some research on my own to try to determine if he’s doing it or not.

  Somehow the cops found out. That was my advisor on the phone. She said that my name has been brought up in the case and now I’m under investigation because of my involvement with Oliver.”

  “Holy shit,” she said.

  “Exactly. Holy shit indeed. I have to call Oliver.”

  Chapter 18

  Oliver

  I looked at my phone again, frustrated. I’d called Becka countless times, sent messages, and she wasn’t responding. I knew she was furious about what had happened in my office, and about my admission that Ethan and I were brothers. I shook my head. Of course, I hadn’t meant for her to find out that way; it was a disaster.

  While I stared at my phone, it lit up suddenly with Becka’s picture and her name.

  “Becka!” I answered. “Becka, are you okay?”

  “They’re going to arrest you!” she said, her voice panicked. “And they’re going to go after me, too, because we’re involved with each other.”
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br />   “Wait wait, slow down, who’s going to arrest me? What are you talking about?” I had been expecting her to be upset about the encounter with Ethan, and I felt my mind clicking quickly to connect the dots to what she was talking about. “Slow down and tell me everything from the beginning.”

  “The college called me. Well, Dr. Evans called. She said that the college received word that you are under investigation for criminal activity. Then, she said that my name had come up in connection to yours, and that I was going to be investigated as well.” She was crying; I could hear it in her voice. I sighed and closed my eyes.

  “You’ve done nothing wrong,” I said, trying to reassure her. “Where are you right now?”

  “I’m at home,” she whispered.

  “Is Lisa there?”

  “Yes, and she knows everything. I told her tonight after… after I left your office.”

  “I’m coming over,” I said. “I need to see you. I need to know you’re okay.” I was somewhat expecting some resistance from her, but she agreed right away.

  “I’d like to see you too,” she said. “Thank you for offering; I wasn’t going to ask.”

  I told her I would see her shortly and I hung up the phone. I grabbed my keys and my wallet and left the house, not bothering to contact my driver. I started the car and drove quickly to Becka’s apartment.

  When I got there, I knocked and she answered immediately. She had been crying; her eyes were red and puffy and she was holding a Kleenex. She threw her arms around me and I held her. Lisa was sitting in the living room and she looked at me, sadness and empathy on her face.

  “I’ll let you two have some privacy,” she said, and got up. She walked to her bedroom and closed the door.

  I broke away from Becka so I could look at her.

  “I’m so sorry about all of this,” I said. “I promise that I’ll take care of everything. This is all Ethan’s doing, and I’m not going to let him get away with any of it.”

  She shook her head and I led her to her couch. “They’re going to connect us even further,” she said. “And everything is going to come out. People are going to think the only reason I got the job at Neurotova is because I’m sleeping with you. My career is over. And that’s if I manage to not get arrested. What could they possibly have to connect me to the investigation? I haven’t done anything!”

  I sighed and held her. “Who knows what lies Ethan fed them,” I said. “I’ll take care of everything in the morning. I have a very good team of lawyers, and of course they will protect you as well. As an employee of Neurotova, not as my girlfriend.”

  She looked up at me and I realized this was the first time I’d called her my girlfriend out loud, though I had, I guessed, been thinking of her in that way for a few weeks now, at least.

  “Am I your girlfriend?” she asked.

  “You are,” I said, and I kissed her. Her lips were so warm and soft, and I felt myself growing aroused as we kissed deeply.

  “Then why did you lie?” She pulled away and glared at me. “You should have told me Ethan was your brother from the onset, and you chose not to. You absolutely lied to my face, and now look at the mess I’m in!”

  “I’m sorry I lied about that, honey; I truly am.” She was furious; I could see it in her eyes, and her body was rigid. “I had no idea that Ethan was going to become such a part of this. I thought…” What had I thought? That he would just go away? She would never believe that. “I thought I could convince him to back off. I’ve been able to do it in the past.”

  Her expression was dark. “You got me involved and lied to me, and now my ass is on the line both at the college and with my career. Why would you do that?”

  “I swear to you I didn’t know what he had planned. I didn’t know he was going to go after me like this—and by extension, go after you. I’m going to get him, though; I promise you that.”

  “Oh my God, just stop.” She stood up and began to pace her living room. “Just stop going after him. Stop trying to get each other. You already had a fight like two children on a playground. You both need to grow up and get your shit figured out. If you’re doing something wrong, admit it and fix it! If he’s doing something wrong, call the police on him so they can start going after the right person. Either way, I want to be left out of it!”

  She walked to the door and opened it, indicating I should leave. I stared at her, my mouth open.

  “Becka,” I started, but she interrupted.

  “I don’t want to hear it!” she yelled. “I’m done! I’m done with all of this.”

  I stood up and walked to her. “Don’t say that,” I said. I couldn’t believe the emotion I felt; I’d never felt this way about a woman before. The idea of her ending our relationship eclipsed my rational thought.

  “I need some time,” she said, more quietly.

  I leaned in and kissed her on her forehead; it was warm, flush with her emotion.

  “I’m so sorry this happened,” I said. “I’m going to make it right.”

  “I hope you can,” she said, and she closed the door.

  Becka

  I closed the door with Oliver on the other side of it, and leaned my forehead against the door. I felt sick. I couldn’t believe I’d just ended our relationship. Or put it on hold, whatever.

  “Are you okay?” Lisa asked. She had come out of her bedroom after undoubtedly overhearing our entire conversation.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “This was how things were originally supposed to be; we had talked about me working for him and we’d agreed that we wouldn’t be in a relationship while I was working at Neurotova. We blurred that line, and look at what happened.”

  “Couldn’t you just stop working at Neurotova?” she asked.

  “Give up my career? Not a chance. No man is worth that. I care about him a lot, but I need to think about myself. He’s thinking about himself plenty.”

  “I think you need a good night’s sleep and tomorrow you’ll probably be thinking much more clearly about this entire situation.” She hugged me. “I promise I won’t hold you to anything you’re saying tonight. Maybe give Oliver a call in the morning. Just so he knows you’re okay.”

  I shook my head. “I won’t call him, but you’re right about the rest. I’m exhausted.”

  I went to bed, my mind reeling with everything that had happened that day. Being at work that morning seemed like a thousand years ago. I thought about Ethan coming into the office, how drawn I was to him. How attracted.

  Then, Oliver coming out of his office and seeing the two of them side by side, worrying that Oliver would find out that Ethan and I had been flirting with becoming involved. Oliver’s admission that they were brothers, followed up by their fight, by them threatening each other’s lives. Then… everything else. I closed my eyes, knowing that I wasn’t anywhere near sleep.

  I tossed and turned all night, and I finally gave up trying to sleep and got out of bed at seven o’clock in the morning. The sun had risen and it felt surreal to be awake without having slept. But, I was no longer tired; the routine of the morning had apparently convinced my body that we had slept.

  “How did you sleep?” Lisa asked. She was in the kitchen making coffee. She looked me up and down. “Did you sleep? You look terrible.”

  “I’m fine,” I said. “I’ll be even better after a cup of coffee.”

  “Or ten,” Lisa said, pouring a cup for me and bringing it to where I was sitting at the kitchen table. “Are you going to work today?”

  “I don’t think so,” I said slowly. “I want to go talk with Dr. Evans about what the police know, and what they’re thinking. I want to make sure my doctorate isn’t in jeopardy. Oliver blamed everything on Ethan.”

  “Well, it’s all Ethan’s fault, right?”

  I thought about that. Of course, Oliver had blamed Ethan; he blamed Ethan for everything. But what if Oliver had let some of the news slip, drew the attention onto himself so that he could attack Ethan without Ethan suspecting? My
brain felt like it was a punching bag for my thoughts. I rubbed my eyes in exhaustion and frustration.

  “Yes, it’s all his fault,” I agreed. “I just need to get things figured out before I go back to Oliver’s office.”

  “Are you going to call him to tell him you’re not coming in?”

  I debated which would be worse for me, going into the office or calling him and having a conversation. They both seemed equally terrible.

  “I thought you’d call for me,” I joked, smiling to let her know I was kidding.

  “I would totally call him for you,” she said, arching her eyebrows suggestively.

  “You’re terrible!” I said. “But you’re a great friend; thanks for keeping things light. I should probably just go in. After all, he doesn’t even know how to make his own coffee without me around. He’s lost without me.”

  Truthfully, I wanted to get back to my research. I knew that if I could prove that Ethan was responsible for everything, it would get me off the hook and clear Oliver in the process. I just needed to figure out what was happening within Neurotova.

  And, the best way for me to do that was to go back into the office, regardless of what was happening with Oliver. As I’d told Lisa the night before, I reminded myself, this was how we had originally intended things to be: me working for Oliver and not dating him.

  I got dressed and ready to go into work. I texted Dr. Evans to let her know that I would come to campus when I was done with work and we could talk then. I rode my bike to the office; I needed the time to clear my head. When I got there, I walked into one of the staff bathrooms and changed out of my leggings and T-shirt and into more professional work attire.

  I walked into Oliver’s office area and sat at my desk, feeling anxious and jumpy. I wished I hadn’t had any coffee that morning; the caffeine was making me jittery.

  Oliver’s office door opened and I jumped. I looked at him. He looked as terrible as I felt. It was obvious he hadn’t gotten a lot of sleep either. He had taken off his suit coat so he was wearing only his dress pants, a white shirt, and a black tie with gold diagonal streaks. His shirt was wrinkled, and his tie looked as if he had put it on very quickly and maybe realized it was off a bit but didn’t care. He hadn’t bothered with his contacts, but wore his glasses instead.