They aren’t off work yet, so at least I won’t have to worry about seeing them in the hallway.
I left a little earlier than usual, just to be sure I wouldn’t run into Jett or Rand. When I came home Friday evening, I was worried about the prospect of losing my job and my apartment. After the way Saturday night ended, I wasn’t sure that I was as attached to Atlanta as I thought. I finally met two hot, attractive guys that seemed to be genuinely awesome, and I ruined things before the even began. If I had known there were issues from their past that would get in the way, I wouldn’t have let my thoughts get so twisted over which one I liked. Either one of them would have been an amazing catch, but I decided to be greedy and indecisive. I couldn’t hide my feelings—or the growing attraction to both of them—but I could have handled it better. It would have been a lot easier if one of them would have just asked me out on a date.
“Hey, Paul?” I walked up to one of the guys in the office when I didn’t see Dana at her desk. “Do you know if Dana called in sick again?”
“Come here.” Paul grabbed my arm and started walking away from the work area.
“What’s going on?” I stared at him in confusion once we finally stopped.
“Dana got fired.” He had a look of concern on his face.
“Fired?” My eyes opened wide in shock. “Why?”
Or do I even want to know? I might be applying for a new job before the end of the day.
“I don’t know.” Paul shrugged. “The boss was in a really pissed off mood when he got in this morning, and I heard him yelling at Mr. Dunkirk on the phone. I don’t think he’s happy about it, which makes me think it came from much higher up.”
“He was yelling? I’ve never heard him even raise his voice.” I blinked in surprise.
“You haven’t been here long enough, but it does happen sometimes.” Paul tilted his head to the side. “I don’t think we have anything to worry about, but I wouldn’t bring up her name anytime soon, especially if the boss is pissed.”
We might have more to worry about than you think.
“Okay.” I nodded and looked over at my desk. “I guess I better get to work.”
“Yeah, me too.” Paul nodded quickly and started walking towards his desk.
I was in stunned silence, but I didn’t know what else to do but start working. I still had a job to do, regardless of what happened to Dana. The sick feeling from the previous week was back, and I didn’t even want to be there. I just wanted to quit on the spot and start looking for a new job. By lunchtime, I was actually considering it. The only thing that kept me back was the prospect of losing my lease. Even if I was unhappy over what happened with Jett and Rand, I really didn’t want to have to move back to Cedar Grove as a failure. I spent the day going through my accounts, making sure my work was impeccable, and when the end of the day came, I rushed home to review my resume again.
I’ll just apply to a few firms. If something comes along, I’ll consider it a blessing. If it doesn’t, I’ll do my best to forget what Dana showed me.
The next day
I was so caught up with my own worries that I didn’t even think about Jett and Rand until I opened my door and walked into the hallway the next morning. Both of them were probably home, and on any other day, Jett might have been in the hallway—conveniently leaving his apartment at the same time as me. Those days were likely over. He didn’t have to pretend that we were casually meeting in the hallway anymore. If he did want to see me, he could have knocked on my door at any point the previous evening. I walked a little slower, keeping a little hope alive until I passed their door. No matter how much I wanted to try and talk to him, I wasn’t going to push things. If I had managed to ruin things with my ignorance, then I would just have to accept it. I had things to worry about that was more important at the moment anyway, no matter how much I liked them.
“Brylee, can you come into my office please?” My boss opened his door and motioned to me before I even got to my desk.
“Yes, sir.” I nodded and saw the concern on Paul’s face when I walked past his desk.
“Close the door.” He walked around and took a seat behind his desk.
“What’s going on, Mr. Smith?” I pushed the door closed and felt my stomach doing flips as I turned around.
“That’s what I’d like to know.” His tone was firm, and his eyebrows came together in an angry stare. “Why did I get a call from my buddy Hank over at Langston Accounting—asking questions about you?”
Oh shit. I submitted an application there last night. I didn’t expect them to check my references before I even got an interview.
“I—um.” I couldn’t even think of anything to say.
“How long have you been here? A month?” He folded his arms across his chest.
“Yes, sir.” I nodded, feeling my stomach doing, even more, flips than before.
“Did we scare you away that quick?” He exhaled sharply through his nose and a light growl rumbled in his throat.
I’m going to have to come up with something here, or else I might end up getting fired. “Well—um.” I stumbled over my words, then an idea finally hit me. “I was worried about what happened with Dana. She was with the company a long time and then gone—people say she got fired.”
That’s true and it’s reasonable—I hope.
“What happened with Dana was an isolated incident.” He blinked in surprise. “That has nothing to do with you. Fuck, do I need to call a team meeting? I think I need to call a team meeting.”
Okay, he seems to be buying it. I guess I can press my luck and see if I can find out anything more than what the rumor mill is churning.
“There’s just so much uncertainty. I talked to her last week and she was fine, but then she called in sick—now she’s gone. I don’t want to get fired because I come down with the flu or something.” I grimaced and it didn’t take much effort to put a look of concern on my face.
“Look, the matter is confidential.” He sighed and stared past me for a second. “Let’s just say that she made a serious mistake and it isn’t one that Mr. Dunkirk can forgive because she botched one of our biggest accounts.”
Botched? So—was it not what it looked like?
“Oh no…” I swallowed hard.
Have I been worried about something that was her mistake?
“Yeah.” Mr. Smith pursed his lips. “I wish I could say more, but just understand that what she messed up could have had serious implications on Dunkirk Accounting. She—she did… Fuck, I can’t say anymore, but a mistake is a very generous term.”
“It was—intentional?” I tilted my head, trying to read between the lines.
“You didn’t hear that from me.” He shook his head back and forth. “You arrived at that conclusion on your own. Trust me, I was the first one to come to her defense, but disgruntled employees can be quite vindictive. Dunkirk Financial has to hold itself to a high standard, and letting her go was necessary.”
“Okay.” I tried to process what he said. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”
“So, can I tell Hank to go pound a sack of bricks and keep his grubby hands off my best new accountant?” Mr. Smith tilted his head and forced a smile.
“Yes, sir.” I nodded quickly.
“Good, go get the rest of the team and tell them we’re having a meeting.” He motioned toward the door. “I need to head this off before I get calls about anyone else.”
I tried to shake the sick feeling in my stomach after talking to my boss, but it didn’t want to pass as easily as it came. Mr. Smith talked to the team briefly, but he didn’t go into as much detail with them as he did with me. He basically told them that as long as everyone worked hard and did what they were supposed to, there were no other terminations being handed down. He finished by reiterating that the company was in great shape and looking to expand, not downsize. That seemed to ease the stress that had been lingering the office since Monday morning. Dana didn’t seem like the type of person to do
something vindictive or downright illegal, but I truly didn’t know very much about her. I decided to reach out to her on social media. I figured that if she was innocent, she would respond.
Chapter Ten
Jett
Later that day
“I guess we’re about to find out if this is going to work, or if we’re going to get our hearts crushed.” I looked at Rand and sighed.
“Yeah, she should be getting off work any minute now.” Rand looked towards the door and started to stand. “We should probably wait by the door so we don’t miss her.”
“Because that’s not going to creep her out.” I chuckled and stood. “But you’re right.”
Rand and I talked about Brylee a lot on our way to and from our Mom’s house the previous day. We were both a little nervous about proposing what we had in mind, but I didn’t see any other way to approach it than with absolute honesty. I almost went to see her after she got home from work the previous night, but I still hadn’t worked up the courage. After another day of dwelling on it, I realized that we needed to act quickly if we were serious about her. I was the one that walked away when she was begging for a kiss, so I couldn’t very well expect her to make the next move. I waited until she passed our door, and then slowly opened it. She paused in her tracks and slowly turned around.
“Hey.” I stepped into the hallway and lifted my hand to wave.
“Waiting on me?” Her eyes narrowed.
“Yes.” I nodded solemnly. “Can I talk to you—actually, Rand and I both want to talk to you if you’re willing.”
“You don’t have to say anything else to me.” She shook her head back and forth. “You said what you needed to say. I get it.”
“We’ve been doing a lot of thinking the last couple of days. Please—I know I upset you the other night. I’d like a chance to talk to you about it.” I pushed the door open.
“Fine.” She nodded and walked towards my apartment.
Brylee’s entire demeanor reflected hesitation. I was a little worried that approaching the subject we wanted to talk to her about was not going to be a good idea if she was already having second thoughts about us. I hoped that wasn’t the case. I hoped her expression was solely because I walked away when we were so close to a kiss. Rand greeted her with a nod and grabbed three beers. Brylee didn’t seem to be in the mood for a drink. She took it, but she didn’t open it. All of that growing attraction I saw in her eyes when we were hanging out had been washed away. We walked into the living room and Brylee chose to sit in one of the chairs, which meant neither one of us could sit next to her.
“If you just asked me to come over so you could scold me about liking the both of you, then save your breath. I’ve had a shitty day at work, and I really just want to go home.” She stared at the beer for a moment and then put the unopened bottle on the table.
“That’s not it.” I shook my head back and forth.
“No, not at all. I promise.” Rand twisted the top off his beer and took a drink.
“We really like you.” I opened my beer and took a sip. “Probably more than we should be considering we just met you, and trust me—this is really complicated, but I just need you to hear us out.”
“Okay…” She nodded and pressed her lips into a thin line. “I’m listening.”
“I made a mistake the other night. I got tangled up in the past and that blinded me to what was right in front of me.” I sighed and took another sip of my beer. “I don’t want that to be how things end.”
“You made it pretty clear, and I’m not going to apologize for liking you both. You’re both great…” She shrugged and reached for her beer. “Maybe I need a drink after all.”
“We shouldn’t have put you in that situation.” Rand exhaled sharply. “I should have just stayed home and let the two of you go to the storage auction alone.”
“I would have probably ended up in the emergency room if you weren’t there.” Brylee took a drink of her beer and chuckled slightly.
There’s a laugh—maybe this isn’t a complete lost cause—yet.
“Yes, and I’m glad Rand was there to catch you.” I nodded quickly. “Regardless of how we ended up here, we’re all adults. We can figure this out together.”
“I do like you guys and I’m not going to lie about that…” She hesitated for a moment and took a drink of her beer. “But it’s probably best if we just admit this is too complicated. I wouldn’t feel right dating either one of you at this point.”
“What about both.” Rand leaned forward and smiled.
“B—both?” Brylee nearly choked on her beer and her eyes practically bulged out of her head.
“I told you that we were both in love with the same girl once.” I leaned forward a little more as well.
“Yes.” Brylee cleared her throat and swallowed hard. “You said it didn’t end well.”
“It didn’t.” Rand shook his head back and forth. “We swore we would never even consider it again, but you’ve made us question that decision.”
“So much so that even though there’s a risk, we want to take it.” I stood and walked over to Brylee. “I’m going to start by doing what I should have done the other night.”
Brylee didn’t respond. She looked at me with a stunned expression on her face. I extended my hand and she slowly took it. Once she was on her feet, she looked at Rand for a moment and then looked back at me. I wasn’t going to hesitate again. I wrapped my arms around her back and pulled her close. My hand moved up behind her neck and I crushed her lips beneath mine. Our lips seared together immediately. There was no hesitation on her part. She might have been confused by what we said, but there was no confusion in that kiss. I kissed her so long that I had to pull back to draw breath and my head was spinning. Her lips begged for more. There was a need in her eyes, and Rand was right there to satisfy it.
“Those lips aren’t going to be lonely for long with two of us to make sure they never get neglected.” Rand pulled Brylee into his arms and started kissing her.
“We’re going to worship your body—show you how amazing you are.” I leaned forward against Brylee’s ear. “You’ll beg for more.”
Brylee looked like she was in shock when Rand’s lips finally pulled away. I wanted another taste—I had to have one. I turned her back towards me and started kissing her with even more ferocity. My hands moved along her body until they were both squeezing her ass. I felt her body melt into our kiss and Rand’s lips were on her neck—teasing and making her whole body sizzle. It had been a long time since I kissed someone and felt that kind of immediate connection—none of those compared to what I felt with Brylee. It was like fate melding with destiny. It felt like I lived my life blind and could finally see. When I pulled back from the second kiss, Brylee’s lips trembled as she tried to speak.
“You don’t have to say anything.” I put my finger to her lips. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I—I can’t…” Her eyes filled with fear and she pulled away from us both. “I can’t do this.”
“What?” I blinked in surprise.
“I’m sorry.” She turned and ran towards the door.
“Brylee, wait.” Rand moved quicker than I did and made it to the door before she opened it. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head and opened the door. “I’m really sorry.”
“Please, talk to us.” I walked to the door, but she was already running down the hallway.
“Fuck!” I slammed my hand into the wall as I watched her push her key into her apartment door and disappear behind it.
“Well, that didn’t go as I expected.” Rand exhaled sharply and pushed the door closed. “Sorry, man. I guess that was a bad idea.”
“No.” I turned away and growled under my breath. “There was nothing bad about that kiss. She was there—she wanted it.”
“Maybe she just needs time to think.” Rand walked over and picked up his beer. “It wasn’t easy for us to figure it ou
t either.”
“I hope you’re right.” I sighed and walked towards my bedroom. “I’ll see you tomorrow, I’m going to bed.”
“It’s still daylight.” Rand’s tone echoed concern.
“Yeah, we have to be up early for work tomorrow.” I pushed my bedroom door closed and started peeling off my clothes.
I was torn. I felt the passion resonating on Brylee’s lips. I felt the heat between us. There was no mistaking that. I wasn’t sure what caused her to run, but I hoped things weren’t completely ruined between us. We took a big risk, and I still believed it was the right choice to make. Maybe Rand was right. It wasn’t easy for us to come to terms with it the first time we were with Hannah. It was even harder for us to come to terms with the prospect of sharing Brylee. If the whole thing blew up in our face, then I would just have to live with my regrets. I could still taste the kiss on my tongue when I laid down in bed. I wanted so much more than a kiss. There was a whole lot more I wanted to do with those beautiful lips. One kiss had set my whole world on fire.
This is one fire I can’t put out—not without having Brylee in my arms.
I tossed and turned for hours before I was finally able to get a little peace from my own thoughts. I heard the television for a while, and then I heard Rand go to bed. I wondered if he was fighting the same war in his head that I was. His attraction seemed to be as fierce as mine. The way he kissed her—there was no denying that it was more than just lust. He had a real connection with Brylee just like I did. I hoped it would be enough for her to take the risk we had finally come to terms with. She was just so fucking incredible. I was willing to share her if it meant I got to have that gorgeous woman in my arms. Those curves were so tempting, and I was ready to just dive headfirst into every bit of temptation swirling inside me. She just had to be willing to take a chance.
Quiver & Burn: A MFM Firefighter Romance (Surrender to Them Book 5) Page 6