Wherever You Will Go

by Stephanie Smith

  Grabbing the takeaway bags, I head towards the offices. “Okay, I’ll take these,” I yell behind me. I’m already on my way out of the foyer.

  As I knock on Bill’s office door a huge smile lights his face as he looks up to see me.

  “Lunch delivery,” I say with a grin as I hold up the takeaway bags.

  “Even without the food, you’re always a welcome sight,” Bill says, making his way towards me to take the bags out of my hands, and setting them on the table in front of the couch. “I’m really going to enjoy seeing you every day, Brooke.”

  Smiling, I bend over to start sorting the lunches. Surely all this food can’t be just for Bill and me. Bill clears his throat and I look up to see him staring over my shoulder. Still bent over, I glance behind me to meet Saxon’s eyes. He stares for a second before gathering himself and stepping into the office.

  “No wonder I had to come looking for my lunch today. Harper is otherwise held up,” Saxon says with mock annoyance.

  I laugh. “Ummm, yeah, I got stuck between that too. Although it wasn’t a bad place to be stuck.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him.

  Saxon’s head whips towards me, his eyes wide.

  “What?” I ask, faking confusion. Did he expect me to mope all day? He should know me better than that. I wouldn’t have come here if I wasn’t going to give it my all. Besides, I can still have a joke, even though it feels like forever since I have. I remember meeting Will and smile; it may become more of a regular occurrence.

  Saxon looks towards Bill, who raises his eyebrows back at him, a small grin on his face.

  “Nothing, I just came to grab my lunch. Do you still want that tour after you’ve eaten?” I can tell he’s trying to hide his frustration. Wow, riling up Saxon is going to be easy, and fun. He wasn’t this uptight in college. I wonder if this change is because of Nate, or if it had happened prior.

  Smiling big, I reply, “That would be great, I’ll come find you.”

  He shakes his head and walks out of Bill’s office.

  “What’s up with him?” I ask confused.

  Bill just cracks up laughing.

  Storming past Ruth’s desk, her head flies up at my dramatic entrance.

  “Can you make sure my afternoon is clear?” I snap at her.

  “Already done.”

  I nod before slamming my office door. I shouldn’t take it out on Ruth. Although, if anyone can handle me, it’s her.

  Throwing my sandwich onto the desk I fall back into my chair, rubbing my hands over my face. I thought I would stress less about Brooke if she were here every day. I could keep a closer eye on her and how she was holding up. It seems it was easier before when she was at home.

  Sure, I knew she was living in her own personal hell, but at least that was all I had to worry about. I feel like I’m going crazy here today, worrying about her reaction to being here without Nate, how the staff is treating her, and whatever the fuck happened in the staff room with Paul. Walking in on the two of them made my hair stand up, but seeing the relief in her pleading eyes when they connected with mine just about killed me.

  I didn’t think I would be so overprotective of Brooke, but with Nate gone, I feel like she’s my responsibility. Who has she got to look out for her? Her dad? Mark? Rachel? God help her if she is relying on Rachel.

  What a load of crap. I’ve always been protective over her. Always cared for her. Stepping back from our friendship was for my own sanity, my own self-preservation.

  Paul Lucas is another ongoing issue I’ve brushed under the carpet to be dealt with later. He’s not fitting in here, and I need to let him go. It doesn’t matter how well he’s doing the job, this is a family business, and Nate would want to keep it that way. If someone doesn’t fit with the family then they don’t belong here.

  There’s nothing wrong with a bit of arrogance. Hell, I’m probably more arrogant than Paul is, but it seems something more with him. Something’s off, and it doesn’t sit well with me.

  Which brings me to Brooke. What am I going to do with her? I’ve never felt so many emotions as I did this morning when she stepped into my office. Happiness, shock, worry, and complete awe just to name a few.

  After seeing her on Friday, so fragile and weak, I never would’ve thought for a second she’d end up here this morning. I don’t know what happened since then, but I barely recognised her this morning.

  She was nervous, sure, but she looked like a bull ready to charge. So determined and strong. Nate would be proud. I was proud. I know she didn’t plan on coming in so soon, and I know this is probably the last place she wants to be, but she is doing it anyway, and for some reason about me wanting to leave. Did someone tell her I wanted to move on?

  Where would she get that idea? Yes, the plan was always for me to support Nate and then take my own clients and go start my own firm, but only if I wanted to. It didn’t take long working with Nate before I realised I had no interest in that side of things. Sure, taking on a few clients is one thing, but running a firm this large with this amount of staff? No thanks. I don’t have the patience or social etiquette for it. Another reason I’ve put off dealing with Paul. I fucking hate dealing with staff and their issues. Now I guess I don’t have a choice.

  Feeling as if I already failed Nate enough by avoiding Brooke for the past three months, telling myself I was looking after her by keeping Argo running smoothly. There’s no way I can leave her here to fend for herself. The fact of the matter is she can’t run this business without me. She has no idea about the business side of things, and I can’t give her a college degree in a few months. She majored in art, for fuck’s sake. She can’t trust the business in the hands of a stranger, and Bill will be looking at retirement soon. I’m her only option, and even though she doesn’t know it yet I don’t think it will take long for the realisation to hit that she can’t do this without me.

  Working with Brooke will be a fair change of pace from working with Nate. I’m sure it will take us a little while to find our bearings and see how we’re going to work together, but at least she’ll be a prettier date for business meetings.

  With her cheeky smile and sarcastic tone in Bill’s office, it was like seeing the old Brooke, the Brooke from college, young and carefree. I hope it was being here that caused it. That she feels it will be good for her here. She will be a breath of fresh air for us too, not only in the office but for the company image as well.

  The clients need to be swooned; they require it, and it’s just not my specialty. Nate was the face; he had a genuine and trusting personality. Brooke has the same. Add it to her sweet-and-innocent shell, and she’ll be client dynamite for sure.

  Picking up my sandwich, I throw it in the trash as I visualise Brooke bent over Bill’s table. Fucking Bill catching me staring at her ass. Fuck. I’ve never seen Brooke dressed like that before. She’s normally more subtle. I have no doubt whose sense of style is behind that outfit, because it screamed Rachel. Not that she didn’t look great, but her skirt was skin-tight and showed everything which was underneath, and what wasn’t underneath, like underwear. Either that, or a thong.

  I shake my head, trying to get the picture of Brooke standing before me in a thong out of my mind. The white blouse was loose but buttoned low, and I swear I could see the hem of white lace resting over plump breasts. Brooke bending over the table like that and looking up at me from under those long lashes had all the blood rushing to one place, causing my dick to stir. Fuck.

  I can’t be looking at her like that. I haven’t looked at her like that for years.

  Nate and I stand in the courtyard, waiting for Logan and Jake so we can go play some basketball. Nate goes on about our schedules, scrutinising every detail, and I notice a group of girls carrying on. There’s a tall, skinny blonde with a great rack, and a girl with auburn hair rocking a tight ass, but the girl who stands out to me is the brunette. She doesn’t have any obvious features, but there’s something that draws me to her. She laughs with abandon, loud and
sharp like a hyena, yet it’s so carefree, open, and truthful. I can’t look away.

  “What are you staring at?” Nate asks with annoyance in his voice, knowing I wasn’t listening to him.

  “See that girl over there, the brunette?” I nod in the girl’s direction.

  “She’s cute.” He stands to face their way.

  “Fuck, she’s more than cute. There’s something about her,” I state, still not taking my eyes off her.

  “She doesn’t look like your type.” I look at Nate, and he smirks at me.

  “You know me, Nate, I don’t have a type. I love all women, all types: blonde, brunette, redhead, tall or short,” I answer cockily.

  Nate laughs. “Exactly my point. She doesn’t look like your type.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” I sigh. Innocence pours from her. I’ve known my fair share of women, and she isn’t giving off the vibes I would normally look for in an easy lay. The redhead though, she’s a different story. “I don’t put in more than one date, and she is definitely a committed type of girl. She’s more your type.” I laugh.

  Nate is known for serious relationships. He had one girlfriend after the other in high school. I don’t think he has ever hooked up with a girl just to do it. Me? That’s all I’ve ever done.

  “I’m not even going to give a fuck that you are taking the piss out of my faithfulness. For her, I’ll take it.”

  “Well, on you go then.”

  Nate slaps me on the back before heading over to the girls. I laugh and shake my head as I watch Nate chat to the beautiful brunette with her shy smile and innocent eyes. I idly wonder if I could’ve tried the boyfriend thing for once. Nah, fuck that. I shake my head as I head inside the gym to wait for Logan and Jake.

  I won’t lie: my dirty thoughts of Brooke didn’t stop there. They had ceased, or at least slowed down, once Nate and Brooke got serious. Let’s be honest: all guys have a few fantasies about their mates’ girls. Once Brooke and Nate moved in together, and then got married, she became like family, and I didn’t look at her in any other way other than Nate’s. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a dirty thought about Brooke, and I can’t start now. She’s my best friend’s wife.

  I decide to spend some time returning my phone messages, answering some emails, and adjusting some spreadsheets while I wait for her to finish lunch with Bill. I look at the clock on my computer and see it’s been nearly two hours. I hope she’s all right. I thought she would’ve been here by now.

  Standing from my desk, I make my way out to Ruth. “Have you seen Brooke?”

  She looks up from her computer. “Not recently.”

  “She was supposed to meet me in my office an hour ago.”

  “I went down to drop some papers off to Harper, then went for a coffee maybe forty-five minutes ago and she was in the staff room.”

  “Who with?” I say through clenched teeth.

  “Chatting with Sue about the kids. What’s going on, Saxon?”

  My heart slows, and I feel like a fucking idiot. She is a grown woman. I can keep an eye on her and I can try to protect her, but I can’t wrap her up in bubble wrap.

  I drop my head and let out a deep sigh. “I feel responsible for her. I feel like I let Nate down by not being there for her for the last three months. I feel like if she changes her mind and goes home and never returns, it’s because I failed her.”

  “Saxon.” Ruth’s voice draws my gaze and her eyes are soft. “No one knows what she’s going through. No one can predict how she’s going to cope. We can only be here for her, if and when she wants us. If it makes you feel better, when I entered the staff room she was laughing so hard she was snorting,” she says with a fond smile.

  I smile thinking of her in Bill’s office with her smart-ass comments and attempts to provoke me. “I’m going to try and find her and see if she’s going to work today.”

  Ruth smiles at me as I head towards the elevator. What would I do without her?

  As the elevator doors open, I hear the familiar hyena laugh. I can’t help but break out in a wide smile of my own.

  Exiting the elevator, I see Brooke leaning back in an office chair that normally belongs in the staff room, her feet propped up on the front desk.

  Harper and Brooke are laughing so hard they don’t hear the elevator open or me approaching the desk. “Working hard, ladies?” I ask, cocking an eyebrow at them.

  Harper sits up and straightens her face, places her glasses back on, and shuffles some papers on her desk. Brooke, on the other hand, tries to sit up and ends up leaning back further and tilting the chair, her arms flying about trying to gain some balance while her feet are still propped up on the desk.

  I move quickly to get behind the reception desk and push the back of her chair back up. Brooke goes flying forward and suddenly stills. Her breath hitches, and I know she just shit herself. She places her feet on the floor and straightens her skirt. “Fuck,” she breathes out. I raise an eyebrow at her, and she covers her mouth. “Sorry,” she says with a guilty look on her face.

  “Shall we?” I say as I hold my hand towards the elevator, while using everything I have not to laugh.

  She stands, straightening her outfit again, and makes her way to the elevator. I look back to Harper who looks away abruptly and pretends she’s typing something on her computer. I shake my head as I follow Brooke.

  As soon as the doors shut, she starts, “Saxon, I am so sorry. I was just saying hello to everyone. I feel I can’t just start working without saying hello to the staff.” Raising my eyebrows at her, she begins to backtrack. “Fine,” she sighs. “I was really enjoying seeing everyone and having a laugh. I can’t remember the last time I laughed like that. It felt so good being with people and just talking nonsense.” She’s rambling on, and I can tell she’s sorry and elated all at once.

  “Brooke, you don’t have to explain yourself to me. I am not your boss; you’re the owner, and this is yours. If you want to sit and chat with the staff all day, sit and chat with the staff all day.” I smile down at her and she looks up at me, face scrunched and eyes narrowed.

  “Well, what was all that back there then?”

  “I just wanted to fuck with you,” I say bluntly, no humour in my tone and a blank expression covering my face.

  “Saxon! What the hell? You scared Harper, you know,” she says seriously. I laugh loudly as she scowls at me.

  “Good. I am her boss, and she was totally out of line. We’re not paying her to lounge about with her friends.”

  Brooke laughs. “Seriously, though, I’m sorry. I know you cleared your afternoon for me, and I do really want to see the place and get onto work.”

  The elevator doors open. “Well come on then, Willis, you’ve got lots to learn.”

  My first week at Argo flew by, and I can’t believe it’s Friday already. I spent my morning the same as I have all week: chatting to the staff, sitting and gossiping at Harper’s desk, having lunch with Bill, and sporadically meeting Ruth in the staff room for coffee. And this is exactly how Saxon finds me just after lunch.

  “Why do we have the staff room upstairs if everyone comes down here to get their coffee?” Saxon interrupts as Ruth and I are bent over laughing about the delivery guy leaning down and showing us his man thong.

  I try standing to answer him while still holding my belly. Saxon raises his eyebrows as he waits for a response. “I don’t want to segregate myself from the other staff. Whose idea was that anyway? Alienating staff members like we are too good to come down and have coffee with them.” I look to Ruth and can tell she’s trying to hold in her laughter.

  “It was my idea,” Saxon says with indignation in his voice. “I didn’t do it to alienate anyone. I thought it would be easier and more efficient if you could grab a coffee and go back to work, rather than having everyone trying to stop you and ask you something.”

  “I see,” I say with a sarcastic smile.

  Saxon sighs deeply and rolls his eyes at me.


  “Are either of you going to be doing any work this afternoon or are we already in weekend mode?” I hear the frustration in his voice. I smile as I hold my head high and walk past him to leave the staff room.

  Out of the corner of my eye I see him shake his head and smile before he follows me out. Ruth doesn’t follow because… well, let’s be honest, no one tells her what to do.

  Saxon steps into line with me. “Do you have any plans tonight?” There is hesitation in his voice, and it causes me to glance over at him. His face is blank, but I can see the uncertainty in his eyes.

  “No. I’ll probably just crash like I have every other night. I’ve barely made it off the couch to my bed all week.”

  Saxon chuckles. “Gossiping takes that much out of a person, does it?” He gives me a lopsided grin.

  “Hey! I went from sitting home every day for three months to being here full-time. And yes, putting a smile on my face all day is quite exhausting.” I feel bad for over-exaggerating.

  Saxon’s face drops. “I’m sorry, Brooke.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I was trying to make you feel bad.” I look down sheepishly, unable to meet his stare.

  He narrows his eyes, as if it’s something he really needs to think over. I’m embarrassed and decide to lead him back to the conversation. “Why were you wondering?”

  “Hmmmm?” he asks, still studying my face.

  “Why were you wondering what I was doing tonight?”

  “Oh, I wanted to see if you wanted to grab dinner, celebrate your first week and all?”

  “Ummmm,” I mumble in thought. “I’ve kind of enjoyed crashing on my couch every night. Plus it’s Friday night, the perfect night for pyjamas, ice cream, and movies.”

  “It’s just dinner, Brooke. It’s not like I’m taking you out drinking and dancing.”

  “Maybe now I want to go drinking and dancing,” I tease.

  “Who’s going drinking and dancing?” Harper chimes in as we pass her desk.

  “No one,” Saxon and I say at the same time.