My Father's Best Friend

by Ali Parker

  "I think you should follow your heart, big guy."

  "You calling me fat?" I smiled and reached over to tug on her ponytail.

  "Never. You look great, and you know it. You're a Bryant. All you guys are good looking."

  "Right, but I look more like my mother."

  "Who was beautiful."

  "Who was a cheating bitch." I turned to watch the world go by outside the window closest to me and tried not to let my thoughts stray too far.

  "That has nothing to do with her looks. I think Seattle would be a good change of pace for you. I leave early next year for Dubai for a few months. Let's do this. If you're not with Erica or settled into a career, then you go with me. It will be fun."

  I glanced back over at her. Memories brushed past my vision, so many of them. We'd grown up like two peas in a pod, and yet we kept to ourselves. I was grateful for Bethany in my life as a new source of companionship, but Sophia would always be first.

  "Let's just get my ticket now. My only career option is to paint for Jonathan's studio. I can do that from anywhere in the world. I bet being in Dubai would just stimulate my creative juices."

  "Don't say that ever again." She laughed and pulled up to the coffee shop. "You want the caramel coffee with extra whipped cream?"

  "Yep." I pulled out my wallet as she lifted her hand.

  "My treat, and this conversation isn't over."

  "It's my treat. I'm a billionaire though I look like a pauper."

  "It's part of your charm, but true." She snatched my card and ordered a few things as I tried to think through the possibility of going with her to the Middle East. Taking a break at the first of the year would be great, but I wasn't leaving until Damon's life was put back together and all the ups and downs with Erica were settled. Everyone wanted me to work for McKenzie and Bryant, and where some part of me knew it was the best offer I would ever get, I just wasn't sure it was for me.

  "Here." Sophia turned and handed me a huge chocolate chip cookie and a frozen coffee drink.

  "This is more calories than I burned during our jog."

  "Stop being a girl and drink it." She lifted her light coffee in the air and smiled. "To you finally getting on with your life and not being a chicken shit with Erica."

  "To you becoming the crowned princess of the Middle East and losing your sickeningly white coloring."

  "Hey!" She turned and reached out to pinch my nipple. "You're just as pasty as I am."

  "I'm a delicate spring flower. Stop touching the goods or I'll charge you."

  "You let your sister touch them, I'm sure."

  "I knew you were spying on us. Bitch."

  "Always." She smiled and lifted her coffee to her pretty lips. If she was serious about traveling around the world, I had no doubt she would steal a million hearts.

  Her abilities weren't the problem.

  Mine were.

  Chapter 2

  Erica

  "You're late." I glanced up as my staff moved into the large ornate conference room where I sat. "The meeting was supposed to start five minutes ago. If anyone is going to be fashionably late, don't you think it should be me?"

  Mandy, my senior advertiser for the firm, glanced down at the floor and back up at me.

  "I'm sorry, Miss Hall. We had a training we were all trying to sneak out of to get up here. The guest speaker was right in the middle of making his point." She took her seat, and the rest of the staff followed suit.

  "Who was the guest speaker?" I forced myself to calm down.

  Being a bitch at the office was something I tried hard not to do too often. It would seem that the few times I let my guard down and raged angst across the advertising floor was more than enough though. I was labeled as someone to watch out for, and as a result of that, I was lonely in the midst of a crowd of people when I was there, which felt like it was most of the time.

  "Dr. Leonard Jalling. He was great." Tim spoke up and gave me a warm smile. His bright blue and gold tie left my lips lifting in a smirk. He was the artsy one of the group, and the most open. The combination didn't surprise me much at all.

  "I enjoy hearing Leonard too. He's got a great passion for life in general." I got up and walked to the white board at the front of the room. "Then the tardiness is acceptable. Just call ahead next time so I don't think my entire staff walked out on me."

  A collective laugh moved around the room as everyone settled in. Our weekly meetings weren't my favorite thing to do, but it was nice to regroup and get everyone back on the same page. My mind was a little scattered seeing that I was about ninety-nine percent sure I'd get to see Matthew Bryant later that week. He'd been a little noncommittal in setting up the late afternoon/early evening meeting, but I was willing to take anything he was throwing out.

  I cleared my throat and ejected him from my mind. There was no reason to have a hot-flash meltdown in front of my staff because of dwelling on the one man that did it for me when I shouldn't have been. Why he was the center of my desires was a bit of a mystery seeing that he wasn't like any of the men I'd dated in the past.

  "So let's get down to business." I wrote a few names on the white board and asked for the various members of my group to give me an update on where we were regarding the advertising projects related to McKenzie and Bryant's clients. We did some side jobs for Kent's close friends, which was a bit of a pain, and yet totally understandable.

  My phone buzzed as I handed the dry-erase marker to Mandy and took my seat across from Tim. I stifled a groan as I glanced down to see that it was my older brother, Daniel, calling. He was the last person I wanted to talk with - ever. His sense of elitism was off the charts, and he only got involved in family affairs when it behooved him to do so. Funny enough, my father's funeral arrangements a few weeks back hadn't been one of those times.

  I flipped the phone over and tried to focus on the reports Mandy was walking the group through. I dazed out a little and went to the same place I always seemed to land when my mind was free to wander. Matt.

  My conversation with Damon the week before had been less than helpful in the way of getting Matt to come work for me, but I would have to simply up the wager. He wanted freedom and a way to express himself, but he needed a paycheck. If I could figure out a way to put all the pieces together in one pretty package, I might actually have a chance of getting him on my stuff.

  But would he move? And what if he found some other woman to fall in love with?

  The thought made my stomach ache. It might have been best for me not to have him come work for me. I was borderline obsessed with the poor guy anyway. I needed to back off, but it wasn't going to happen until Matt turned me down for the job and put his foot down on my advances. I'd relent when I knew that's what he truly wanted, but not a moment earlier.

  I ran through the conversation with Damon one more time to see if I was missing anything.

  "He would be great working in the advertising department as a designer-" Damon's voice was tight with angst or anticipation. I wasn't sure which.

  "Lead designer." I wanted to offer Matt something special, a higher position than his peers.

  "Right, but Matt doesn't care about being in leadership or ruling Corporate America. He cares about being free to be and do what he wants to do. He doesn't need money, though I suppose he's trying to cut the ties from our father as I did just after college."

  "Then he can just come and be a designer for me. I think he would really love the city, the people, and he could grow so much as an artist here."

  "I agree. I'll talk to him and see where his thoughts are. I can't promise much as Matt has always been a free spirit, but I'll have the conversation."

  "Soon please. I need to fill the spot I have available, and I'd love to put his name on it instead of opening it up to the public."

  I'd already filled the position, but being the head of advertising had some serious perks, like creating new jobs. I knew without a doubt that Kent would have no problem with me trying to work out
the perfect position for Matt. He wanted him there almost as much as I did.

  "That's a wrap, Miss Hall. Did you have anything you wanted to add?" Mandy's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

  "Nope. Just have someone do a quick write up and lay it on my desk by tomorrow morning." I stood up and glanced around, smiling at everyone. "Great job, and if you have staffing needs or anything else that might help you do your job more efficiently, just let me know."

  Everyone filed out but Mandy.

  "I do need another designer. Celia is about to go out on pregnancy leave in the next few weeks. Did you decide on whether you wanted to just bring in a temp for her position or actually add a head-count?"

  "Let me chew on it and I'll get back with you. I'm meeting with a guy this weekend that might be the perfect fit, but he'd have to have special work privileges."

  "Why's that?" She put her hand on her hip, and I could tell from the subtle shift in her expression that she was working hard not to let her feelings bleed through her professional persona. No one enjoyed working with anyone that was awarded special anything, and I couldn't blame them.

  "Because he's Mr. Bryant's youngest son." I reached down and worked to gather my things. "I'll let you know how the meeting goes, and if he takes the job, we'll work through the details. You'll love him. He's a great guy."

  "Sounds good." She nodded and turned, walking from the room as I smiled. She didn't believe me, but then again, all she had to base Matt off of was his older brother Damon and his father. Both were strict businessmen that didn't put up with much of anything and seemed to have a stick wedged in their ass most days of the week. Nothing could be farther from the truth, but it was what they wanted people to think, and so people did.

  My phone buzzed again with another message from Daniel, and I forced myself not to listen to it until I was in my office. I closed the door and walked languidly back to the ornate desk that Kent had forced me to get when I took the job a few years back. It was a good job, and a great career move on my part, but it was draining me emotionally to be stuck in a concrete jungle. I couldn't even recall the last time I'd pulled out my paint and brushes and let myself go for an afternoon. There wasn't much time for that anymore.

  Did I really want to take that away from Matt too? Simply put - no.

  I dropped down in my chair and called my brother back instead of listening to the berating that was most certainly waiting for me on the phone.

  "Where have you been? I've been calling all morning." Daniel's voice was sharp and biting. It always was.

  "I was in a meeting. I run a large advertising-"

  "I'm aware of your position, Erica. You would think that if you saw me calling that you would pick up though. You know Mom's not doing good. It could have been something to do with her."

  "We pay for the best care available to her, Dan. I can't jump every time you-"

  "Anyways." He huffed loudly, as if I was the biggest pain in the ass ever created. "They're wanting to move Mom to a new room on Saturday, and they weren't able to get ahold of you. Seeing that she's non-responsive since Dad died, can you please skip your art class or whatever silliness you have planned this weekend and be there? I'm flying out of town for an important business meeting."

  "A business meeting on Saturday?" I was fuming over him cutting me off every time I spoke. He'd always been an asshole and finally settling down and marrying someone half his age didn't seem to be helping that much. Instead of growing her up, she was pulling him back down.

  "Yes. Some of us work twenty-four seven."

  "That's because you bought a ring for the price of a house. Most expensive piece of ass you'll ever get, hm?"

  "Very mature, Erica. Just be there. She's your mother and she needs you."

  I scoffed, but didn't get a chance to blast him back. He dropped the call and left me standing there, shaking in my anger.

  "Unbelievable. A business meeting on Saturday?" I set the phone down and paced the floor in front of my desk. Where I didn't mind helping my mother at all, she would much prefer Daniel to be there. I was a daddy's girl, and my brother was my mother's pride and joy. After losing my dad a month or so ago, everything had shifted in Mom's life for the worst. Sometimes I felt the weight of that shift in my own.

  "Just make it to Friday and you'll get to see Matt." I brushed my hands down my face and tried to slow my racing heart. I didn't need Matt to love me like I loved him. I just wanted to feel like I mattered, like someone could see me. I hated the fact that he was the only person I felt that around, but I couldn't deny the truth. I craved his attention and just hoped like hell I might get to experience his affection before it was all said and done.

  Chapter 3

  Matt

  "So my little brother here has started jogging." Damon patted my chest at lunch the next day, a big smile on his face as our father joined us across the table. The restaurant was far too fancy for my liking, but it was close to their downtown accounting firm and incredibly tasty.

  "Did you really? Who are you jogging with? Sophia?" My father picked up the menu and perched his glasses on the tip of his nose.

  "Yeah. She finally talked me into it. She's getting a promotion at the station and wants to be in better shape for some of the places they’re sending her."

  "Such as?" Damon picked up his water and took a quick sip. The dark circles under his brown eyes let me know quickly that him and Bethany were still not speaking. He slept like a baby when life was good and suffered like crazy when it wasn't. He was exhausted. The tone of his voice was even off. It usually boomed with confidence and drive, but it was barely more than a strained whisper. I wanted so fucking bad to ask what was going on, but I knew better than to bring it up in front of Dad. Damon was forever private, even from me at times.

  "Dubai in the spring. She wants me to go with her." I shrugged and turned my attention to my father as he glanced up from his menu and pulled his glasses back off.

  "You can't go with her to Dubai. I thought you were seriously considering moving to Seattle. Was that just another passing thought for you? You're twenty-eight, son. You need to seriously sit down and figure out where your life is headed."

  "Dad." Damon lifted his hand and leaned back in his chair. "I've been through hell lately with the Zarpeth nightmare in Seattle. Let's just have a good lunch together and talk about hot women and billion-dollar deals. Hell, we can even talk about Matt's painting and great places to go on vacation, just don't start in on the future or life-planning right now."

  "All right. Fine, but it's a conversation that needs to happen sooner than later." My father glanced back down at his menu as concern stuck to his features. I knew he meant well, but I was glad for a mulligan from having to go over all the options he felt would be best for me. None of them resonated with me in a way that left me wanting to agree, which meant a fight was sure to follow. We loved each other, but whatever steps I took next had to be ones of my own choosing.

  "Agreed." I picked up my menu and ordered a burger when the pretty waitress stopped beside me. After everyone ordered, I turned my attention back to Damon. "I'm going up to Seattle this weekend to meet with Jonathan."

  "Did you meet with Erica the last time we were up there? I know you planned to, but did you actually follow through with it?" Damon's eyebrow raised sharply. The bastard already knew that I made an excuse and denied the pretty advertising executive my time. She was too much, and I wanted to know just how much of her I could handle. There was no way to have a professional relationship with her when she made my heart palpitate by just hearing her name. It would be a Bethany and Damon situation all over again, and from what I could tell, that shit didn't work.

  The issue wasn't them being related, but that they worked together. Damon was her boss, and Erica would be mine. Nothing good could come of it.

  "You know I didn't see her. Don't be a dick."

  "Matt," my father glanced up from his phone, "you know she's got the best opportunity that you're going
to get outside of working for us. She's a fruity artist just like you."

  "Fruity artist?" I snorted and laughed. There was no reason to get upset about it. I was who I was, and crazy enough, I was comfortable with just being me. Whatever the fuck that meant.

  "You know what he meant." Damon tapped the table. "She already filled the position she had open, but she'll open another one for you. You're going to see her while you're up there this weekend. I've already made arrangements for it. Just some time during the weekend. She's expecting your call."

  "Fine. Whatever." I rolled my eyes and picked up my fork and knife to use them to beat out a rhythm on the table in front of me.

  Damon chuckled as my father glanced up.

  "This seat taken?" Bethany moved up beside me and smiled down at me, surprising me a little.

  "Hey Sis. Your timing couldn't have been better. I was about to get tied up and thrown in a three-piece suit no doubt." I stood up and reached for her, pulling her into a tight hug. Her long brown hair was down over her shoulders and green eyes filled with worry. She was hurting too. Damn.

  "By these two guys? No. They're harmless." Her eyes moved from me to Damon, and over to my father quickly. The tension in the room elevated, but it was a healthy response to their situation. They had to figure their shit out or move on. We were family and would be for as long as all of us pulled air into our lungs.

  "Hey, Bethany. How is the new team? Damon tells me that you're doing a great job of pulling your own and then some." My father smiled over at Bethany and offered her a basket of bread.

  I snatched a piece of it and noticed the way my brother watched the poor girl. She didn't have a chance if he finally got his head pulled out of his ass. He was the kind of guy that took what he wanted, and the fact that she wasn't trapped beside him was all by design. Either Damon was growing up, or Bethany was far stronger than I was giving her credit for.