Step Brother: Off Limits

by King, Jayna

“They’re really lovely,” I said, wondering what atrocities Tina would have committed in the name of being festive. “Where’s Dad?”

  “He’s in his study with one of the new guys on the campaign. Actually, he wants you to meet Stanford. He’s about your age, and he’s been such a huge help with coordinating everything. Why don’t you go in and let Donald know you’re here.”

  Thrilled to have any excuse to escape from Tina, I headed for the study, knocking on the door before opening it. “Dad?” I called as I stepped inside.

  “Tatum, honey, I’m so glad you’re here.” Dad folded me into a big hug and stepped back to look at me. “You look wonderful. Did you do something different?”

  “Just an overdue haircut, Dad. It’s good to see you, too.”

  “Tatum, this is Stanford Boyle, my new right-hand man. I can’t tell you what a godsend he’s been.”

  I reached out to shake Stanford’s hand and size him up. He was a little taller than I was, but definitely shorter than Reed. His sandy blond hair was cut short, and he reminded me a lot of my first serious boyfriend, Thompson, all moneyed good looks and casual charm that takes everyone for granted. His conservative suit was a clone of my father’s right down to the American flag pin on his lapel, and there was something about him that reminded me of an eager, excited puppy.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tatum,” he said, holding my hand a little longer than was necessary. “Donald has told me a lot about you, and he sure is proud of his baby girl. You’ve recently started with one of the law firms in town, right?”

  “I did. It’s exciting and challenging work. Exactly what I needed.”

  Dad sat on one of the leather couches. “Have a seat, Tatum. Stanford was just telling me about some of the big hitters we’re hoping to get donations from tonight.”

  “You don’t mind if we talk shop for a minute, Tatum? I wouldn’t want to bore you.” Stanford’s expression was all earnest intensity and sucking up.

  “No, it’s fine.” I certainly didn’t want to head back out and take the chance of being cornered by Tina.

  Stanford opened a manila folder. “So Judge Callaway is not a fan of the current mayor. He’s said repeatedly that the man’s an idiot and needs to be replaced. Donald, tonight is the night to convince him you’re the man to do it.”

  “A judge’s salary doesn’t get us very far,” Dad said, shaking his head. “I’m trailing Bowers by millions in fundraising.”

  “Don’t worry. My extensive research has showed it always takes a while to build up the war chest when you’re fighting an incumbent. We’re exactly on track according to my projections. This evening’s going to make a big splash, and once people see dollars flowing your way, you’ll see. Success breeds success, and I don’t ever lose.”

  I looked over at my dad, curious about his response to such bold words.

  “I’ve put a lot of faith in you, Stanford. I hope you’re right.”

  “I am. That’s why you hired me. And as far as Callaway goes, it’s not his pittance of a salary that got him invited. It’s his wife’s trust fund. She’s worth more money than you and I will ever see. And he loves to spend it.”

  “Now that’s what I like to hear. So I’ll make sure to spend some time with Callaway. Who else should be top priority?”

  “Make sure you talk to Jessie Sanchez, too, but make sure her husband is with her. He’s notoriously jealous, and we’re playing up your newlywed status to pull in female votes. She’s been known to ever so subtly trash candidates she doesn’t like on the air, and that morning news slot is still a powerful tool. We want her on our side, more for publicity than for the money. She’ll also help with the ‘ethnic vote.’”

  The air quotes seemed a little much to me, but my dad was nodding his agreement.

  “Got it. Now is there anyone you want Tina to focus on? She’s great with people, and she ain’t exactly hard on the eyes.”

  Stanford glanced my way, and I could sense that he felt uncomfortable. “I thought maybe we could have Tina and Tatum work together. Two gorgeous women can be a powerful thing, and I’m just concerned Tina will … um … slip up and fall back into her older speech patterns or make some sort of social error. While we want to play up her charitable work, we don’t want anyone poking around in her past, if you know what I mean.” Stanford bent down a bit, as if he were talking to a child. “Do you mind helping Daddy out, Tatum? We could really use your support.”

  I leaned back. The guy was fucking ridiculous. Was he really talking to me like a child? Had he really referred to his boss as my daddy?

  “Got it.” Dad turned to me. “Mind keeping Tina company, sweetheart? You know what campaigns are like. She doesn’t, at least not yet.”

  Even though I was dreading an evening of making small talk with wealthy people just to get them to write my father a check, and even though Stanford made my skin crawl, I knew it was important to my dad.

  “Tatum, having you here is really going to poll well,” Stanford said, flipping through another folder. “My extensive research has shown one of the concerns voters have raised about Donald’s candidacy is their perception that he’s … well … had some ethical issues. Showing voters that he’s a family man will go a long way toward repairing his image.”

  “When you put it that way, I feel all warm and fuzzy,” I said, not bothering to conceal my sarcasm.

  Dad reached out and put his hand on my arm. “Tatum, I want to tell you something. I’m glad you’re here to support me, but mostly I’m glad you’re here because I love you, and I missed you when we didn’t see one another much. You’ll never know how happy I am you moved back here and have given me a second chance. I know you don’t like the spotlight, and that makes it mean even more when you come to things like tonight’s event.” He covered my hand with his. “Thank you for being here, Tatum.”

  I felt like I was going to melt. I promised myself I wasn’t going to cry and make my mascara run. “You’re welcome, Dad. I’m glad to be here.” Strangely enough, I realized the words were true, and for the first time since the Reed photograph fiasco, I felt like I was taking charge of my life and moving in the right direction. I stood up. “I’ll go see if I can give Tina a hand.”

  As I left the room, I could hear Stanford’s voice.

  “She’s a gem, Donald. She’ll be great for your numbers.”

  3 -- Reed

  “What’s wrong?”

  I could hear the concern in Marla’s voice, but I had no intention of going into my troubles with my father over the phone with her. “Nothing. I’m fine.”

  “Well, then why’d you call?” She didn’t sound convinced.

  “Um, I have every reason to call. You’re in charge of the business I built out of nothing, and I want to make sure you’re not running it into the ground, or that it’s too much for you to handle in your delicate state.” I knew my reference to her pregnancy possibly preventing her from accomplishing anything would piss her off.

  “Yeah, Reed, I haven’t been able to do much other than grow this fetus, you know. I canceled all the appointments, and I’ve been using the corporate credit card you left me to order baby clothes and shit.”

  I laughed. “God, I can’t believe it, but I’ve actually missed you, Marla. Seriously, how are you feeling?”

  “Well, I puke a couple times a day, most days. My boobs hurt, and I’m always hungry. Other than that, I feel pretty good.”

  “That sounds awful.”

  “Nah, it’s not that bad. We scheduled another sonogram in a few weeks, and we should be able to tell the baby’s sex. Butch is all excited, and to be honest, so am I.”

  “You guys are gonna be great parents.”

  “Thanks, Reed. And the shop’s in great shape. The new guy’s booking up just like you hoped he would, and it’s been pretty smooth sailing.”

  “Any complaints about my being gone?”

  “A couple of people were disappointed they had to book so far out, but they
’re fine. It’s not like anyone’s going to die if they don’t get another tattoo.”

  “It ain’t like I’m a surgeon.”

  “Exactly. So when are you coming back? I saw the pictures of you the other day. Looks like you were having some fun with that French chick.”

  “What?”

  “Haven’t you seen the pictures?”

  “No. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh. Well, there are pictures of you and some girl. Looks like you’re about to have sex on the street.”

  “Jesus, I guess I should have known those weren’t just tourists.”

  “Yeah, anyway, your recent features in the tabloids have been great for business. I get calls every day asking about the guy who had sex in the car. All the callers are women. When you get back, you’re going to be stuck doing tramp stamps and butterflies on bikini lines for the rest of your life.”

  I sighed, knowing exactly the kind of girl Marla was describing. “Great.”

  “If I were you, I’d up your hourly rate for these chicks. They’ll pay whatever you ask.”

  “You are a brilliant woman, Marla, and if you ever want to leave that loser husband of yours, you just let me know.”

  “He would kick your ass, and you know it.”

  “Whatever. So everything’s okay, then?”

  “Yup. No problems. You sure you’re okay? You sound like you have something on your mind.”

  I figured I might as well talk to Marla since I didn’t really have anyone else at the moment. “I kinda had it out with my dad last night. I blew up and told him how pissed I was that he never tried to see me when I was younger.”

  “How’d he take it?”

  “I think he felt pretty shitty.”

  “Well, he should.”

  “He apologized. Said he wants to try to make it up to me now.”

  “That’s better than nothing. You know, you have a right to be mad at him for what he did.”

  “I know. I feel better that I told him I was pissed, I just don’t know exactly how to move on.”

  “It’s okay to be pissed, but you can’t let it consume you. Try to shake it off and enjoy the time you have with him now.”

  “You’re right. I don’t guess there’s any chance you’ve heard from Tatum?”

  “Not a peep.”

  “She won’t answer my calls or my texts.”

  “Her loss, honey.”

  “I wish I could believe that. I miss her, though, to be honest.”

  “She’ll either come around or she won’t. You can’t make her decisions for her.”

  “Don’t I know it. I really should have told her about who my dad was before those reporters took the pictures of us. I knew how important privacy is to her, and I should have been up front.”

  “Can I be honest with you, Reed?”

  “Of course.”

  “I think this obsession with privacy is a little overblown, to tell you the truth. I think Tatum’s kinda acting like a spoiled brat, and I think you should move on.”

  “Goddammit, I wish I could. But it’s like she’s worked her way into my head, and I can’t quit thinking about her.”

  “Jesus, Reed, are you in love with her?”

  That was a question I did not want to answer, not to myself, and certainly not to anyone else. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  “I don’t think I am. If you’re really that hung up on her, then go get her back, Reed. It’s not like you to be a big pussy about a woman. Either move on or go get her.”

  “I hear you. I’ll decide something one way or another.”

  “And I need to know when you’re coming back. I’ve put off a bunch of people who’ve called for appointments, and I need to know when I can start booking you again.”

  “I guess I need to decide when I’m going to come back to real life, huh?”

  “You think?” Marla’s sarcasm was clear, even across the ocean. “Thing are running fine, but you’re the reason people come here, rather than all the other tattoo shops in town. We need you back.”

  “I got it. I’ll talk to my dad, and I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”

  “I can’t wait forever. In a few months I’ll be waddling around this joint, and I won’t be able to do open to close every day.”

  “I hear ya. And I can’t let a fat chick ruin my image,” I joked, hoping Marla wouldn’t really take offense to what I’d said.

  “Whatever, asshole. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Right now, I have to go pee for the twentieth time today.”

  I ended the call and scrolled back through my recent calls to see the last time I’d tried to call Tatum. It had been a week. I wanted to call again, but if Marla had seen the pictures of Marie and me, chances were good that Tatum had as well.

  “Fuck it,” I said as I tossed the phone onto my bed. If Tatum didn’t want to be with me because of the publicity, then that was her choice. My choice was going to be to move on. I couldn’t waste any more time acting like a lovesick teenager.

  I thought about the box that held the Christmas present I’d intended to give Tatum before she’d freaked out and left. Fishing the box out of the bottom of my suitcase, I turned it over in my hand. I knew I could probably still return it, and I knew getting my money back would probably be the smart thing to do, but it just didn’t feel right. I slid the box from its pale pink sleeve and opened it. The necklace was just at stunning as I’d remembered. The glittering eighteen-carat gold chain looked like it had been carved out of diamonds, and the flawless, pear-shaped Swiss blue topaz that dangled from the chain was the exact color of Tatum’s eyes. When I saw the necklace, I’d known just how perfect it would look on her. I closed the box. One more text, and then I’d write her off.

  I miss you.

  I tossed the phone back onto the bed and was about to walk out of the room in search of my father, when I heard the phone ring. Figuring it was Marla calling me back about something she’d forgotten, I answered without looking.

  “Yeah?” Silence. I looked at the screen to see if maybe the person had hung up, and I nearly dropped the phone when I saw who had called me. “Tatum? You there?”

  “Hey.” Her voice sounded small, uncertain.

  “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m fine. I just called you when I got your text. I guess I didn’t really expect you to pick up.”

  “Why wouldn’t I pick up? Do you know how many times I’ve called you?”

  “Well, when you answered, you sounded so abrupt, like you were angry. I guess it just took me off guard.”

  “I thought you were Marla calling me back.” I sat down on the edge of my bed. “That doesn’t even matter, though. I’m so glad you called. How are you?”

  Tatum sighed, and I looked at the bedroom clock to see what time it was in Las Vegas. It was nine in the morning where I was, so it was midnight for her.

  “I’m okay, I guess.”

  I couldn’t tell if she was being honest or not. “How’s the job?”

  “It’s going well.” She paused, and I wondered what she had been doing when I texted her. “I shouldn’t have called, Reed. I’m sorry.”

  “Wait a minute. Don’t you dare hang up. Do you know how much I’ve wanted to talk to you?”

  “It’s just … I didn’t expect to feel this way when I heard your voice.” She sounded sad.

  “What way?”

  She sighed again, and I could hear her shifting her position. I wondered where she was.

  When she finally spoke again, her voice was so soft I could barely hear her. “I’ve missed you, Reed.”

  My smile could have lit up the room. “I’ve missed you, too, Tatum. More than you know. Why didn’t you answer any of my calls or texts?”

  “Well, according to Garrett, it’s because I’ve been a spoiled rotten brat.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, he just read me the riot act. Told me I was being ridiculous about shutting you out. He th
ought I was overreacting to the media attention, and he thinks I need to get over myself.”

  “Wow. He said all that? Remind me to thank him when I see him next.”

  “Jesus, Reed, do you have any idea how I felt when I saw those reporters in the restaurant in Tahoe? It was like high school all over again.”

  “You have no idea how sorry I am about that. I should have told you about Gordon sooner, but I knew you’d be upset. I guess I was afraid the prospect of publicity would scare you off.”

  “You’re right. You should have told me.”

  The silence stretched out between us.

  “If I could change things, Tatum, I would. I would have told you right away. I’m sorry.”

  “I believe you. I just feel like everything’s out of balance, like my life should be great, but I feel like it’s all fucked up.”

  “All fucked up?” I wasn’t sure what she was talking about. “Is everything okay with your dad and my mom?”

  “They’re fine. I was just at their house last night for a fundraiser.” She got quiet.

  “And?”

  “And I hate to say it, but I spent half of the evening trying to ignore the catty shit Tina said, and I spent the other half wishing you were there with me.”

  “Tatum, I know you don’t like publicity, but this doesn’t have to be that hard. If you want us to be together, then why haven’t you even answered a fucking text?”

  “I don’t know.”

  I was starting to get pissed. It was like she was pushing me away and pulling me back in all at the same time. “What do you want from me?”

  “If I knew, I would tell you.” She sounded defeated.

  “Jesus, this is simple. You’re making everything way more complicated than it needs to be.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Tatum, I like you. I think you’re the smartest woman I’ve ever met. I think you’re gorgeous, and I think you’re sexy as hell. I want to be with you more than I’ve ever wanted to be with anyone. I want to hang out with you. I want to get to know you better, and more than anything right now, I want to strip you naked and fuck you. I want you to feel my cock inside you, and I want you to scream my name when you come for me.”