“No.” I drop my shoulders in defeat.
“Besides, who’ll know? I’m not talking.”
“Me either.” I shake my head.
“Bria?”
“Yeah?”
“Have you ever thought about going into business for yourself?”
“What do you mean?”
“Have you ever thought of running your own small business?”
“Well, no. Are you firing me?”
“No, Bria, nothing like that. Should I be?”
“No,” I sternly say.
He laughs and says, “Silly girl, I was thinking about maybe investing in a small entertainment business. Ya know, what you do for the missus and me. You’ll have full control, just a little something on the side, nothing major at first. Schedule appointments with clients. Get accustomed to what they like. Book, and set up suites for their fantasies. You have the financial background. You can submit a quote to me, start with a budget, and we’ll go from there. Oh, you can add in amenities also.”
“Okay, where would the clientele come from?”
“Well, that’s where the missus and I will come in; and of course, we’ll provide the startup cost. We will provide a few clients; and hopefully, word of mouth will help you grow your own clientele.”
I gesture a thinking motion with my eyes.
“What are your thoughts, Bria?”
“Well, it sounds exciting, but what if I can’t create what they ask for?”
“I’m sure you’ll find a compromising median.”
“Would my clientele be men or women?”
“Both, unless you have a preference.”
“No preference. I just want to know who I’m dealing with.”
“Sooo, are you game?”
“Do I have to give you a decision now? Can I give you an answer on Monday?”
“Today is?”
“Thursday, boss, Thursday.”
“Yes, okay. Do you need an entire weekend?”
“Well, I’d like to put together a budget portfolio. A few stipulations of my own. You know?”
“Ah, your compensation package?” He raises his eyebrows.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Don’t worry, Bria, you’ll be well compensated.”
“Boss, you know that’s not my concern.”
“Well, what is it?”
“How will you be compensated?”
“Well, present me your package; and I’ll fit the Wilke Industries Finance corporate touch to it.”
“Whoa.” I shake my head in disbelief. “You changed the name of the company?”
“Yes, yes, I did, sunshine. It will be official; what’s today?”
“Thursday, boss. Thursday.”
“Monday it will officially be W.I.F. Wilke Industries Finance.”
“SHUT UP!”
“Like yeah, shut up,” he mimics me. We both let out a hysterical laugh.
“Congratulations, Mr. Wilke; you really have been working hard. You deserve this; how is Charlotte taking it?”
“Better than I thought; she said it was time. I couldn’t agree more. My roots have outgrown the Wilke and Foster brand. It’s a good, no, it’s a great change.”
“Oh, I’m so happy for you, Mr. Wilke.” I get up to hug my boss because I am happy for him; he gives me a tight squeeze.
“Great things are happening, Bria, and I’m taking you to the top with us. Are you ready?” he says excitedly.
“I’m ready!”
* * *
I’m all smiles sitting in my office. My boss is probably the best boss I've had thus far. I've had quite a few in college, but he has taken a very strong lead. I check my cell and see I have two missed calls and messages. One’s from Bryant, and I'm nervous about opening it.
(Bryant) Hi, Bree. I'm probably the last person you want to speak to, but we need to talk.
I stare at the screen and I don't know if I want to talk to Bryant. Instead, I dial my voicemail to check the message. It's probably just Bryant before or after the text. It's from a number I don't recognize. I press the button to listen to the message.
“Huhhhhh?” I drop my phone and pick it up right away. I continue to listen. How in the hell did he get my number? Mr. Pool King. I press the button to listen again.
“Good afternoon, Ms. Watts. This is Mr. King, and it has been brought to my attention that you were unhappy with our health club services, which resulted in you cancelling your contract. If you would like to come to the health club to discuss other services and scheduling, I'm sure I can make it worth your while. I will be available today at six p.m. and Friday at seven thirty. You can ask for me at the front desk and one of the associates will escort you to my office.”
Holy Sugar Honey Ice Tea! I will not! I end the voice mail replay. I look at the clock, and it's already 5:38 p.m. I'm leaving at six o’clock and going home to enjoy my take-out and a nice bottle of Sweet Red. Sorry, Mr. King, not happening. Ever.
Sorry, Bry, I chuckle to myself, not tonight.
CHAPTER 4
One more day, and I can relax the weekend away. I pull up to my two-bedroom home, thankful this day is winding down. I grab the take-out I ordered for dinner, along with the bottle of wine I picked up next door to the Mediterranean restaurant. This is probably the only food I can eat from a container; all others I have to plate. Food just tastes better on a plate. So what, I'm a bit picky and a bit OCD-ish.
When I walk through the door, I hear movement. Before I completely enter my foyer, I pull my pepper spray from my pocket. I drop my bags to the floor, and post up against the wall. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I'm scared out of my body. I try to make it back out of the door, without looking back when I feel hands grab me, and I scream. “HOLY HELL! BRYANT! WHAT THE HELL!”
“Sorry, Bree. You didn't answer me, so I decided to stop by.” He shrugs. “Sorry.”
“You could have called or texted me that you would be here.”
“Well I thought you would have stayed somewhere else or something. I don't know, Bree. Things have been weird with us lately.”
“Bry, we always talk no matter what.”
“Yeah, so why didn't you return my call?”
I shrug. “Busy?”
“Busy, Bree?”
“Yeah, with Mr. Wilke’s extra projects, his merger. You know… busy.” I want to congratulate Bryant, but I'll let him tell me about his news before I do.
“Mr. Wilke’s projects?”
“Yeah,” I respond. I don't want Bryant to know, all I do for Mr. Wilke. He pays too well, to let any of his business get into the mainstream media.
“Oh,” he simply says. I'm still trying to catch my breath, when he takes the pepper spray out of my hand, and looks at it suspiciously.
He shakes his head. “You were going to mace me?”
“It’s pepper spray,” I say.
“Same difference,” he responds, as he grabs my bags from the floor.
“What's for dinner?”
“Mediterranean chicken and vegetables.”
“Ugh, I thought it might be Thai.”
“You might like it, Bry.”
“Yeah, I might like ice baths, but I'm not trying it.”
“Huh?”
“Never mind, Bria; you go get settled. We have things to talk about.”
“I'll listen.”
“No, you will also talk.”
“Whatever.” I attempt to pass him, while I reach for my food. He pulls the bag away, and grabs my chin.
“You WILL talk to me, Bria.” Suddenly, I have an annoying sense of anger for Bryant right now. I snatch my face away, and grab at my bags again.
He moves them away once more. “I'll plate your food; go, get comfortable.”
I look at Bryant; he gestures for me to go. I shake my head, as I walk away. My nerves are shot to shit, and so is my bladder. I get to the bathroom just in time. My thoughts are on food and getting rid of Bryant.
“Dammit,” I say in a whisper. I don't want to have this conversation with him now; shit, maybe never. How can I get out of this? I'll tell him I don't feel well. No, then he'll offer to take care of me. He’ll never leave. Shit! I'd pick the one good guy to have as a best friend.
My bathroom is connected to my bedroom, so I go into the bedroom. Wait... why am I trying to be so quiet? This is MY house. I am way too distracted. I need to recuperate and focus. I get in the shower. I wash my hair to kill a little time, and then change into my comfortable weekend clothes. Maybe Bryant will forget about our talk by the time I'm out.
* * *
When I get to my sitting room, Bryant is on his laptop. I look around because I'm starving. He points to the counter where my food warmer is. I waste no time eating. I stand there with my plate in hand. “Have some?” I say, filling my mouth.
He scrunches his nose. “No, thank you. I ordered.”
“Let me guess, Thai?”
“No, Vietnamese. Yes, Thai,” he scoffs.
“Ha-ha, ass.”
“Yeah, well, would you come and sit please?”
“Sure can,” I say, as I make my way to the couch.
“Never thought I'd have to ask you to sit down in your own house, and you don't think things are weird.”
“I never said they weren't. I said we are still able to talk.”
“Right, so why haven't we?”
“We've both been busy, Bryant.”
“Okay, still text or something.”
“Well, Bry, you went all Gerard Butler on me.”
He laughs. “I went all Gerard Butler on you? You went all Pretty Woman on me,” he says with a smirk. I drop my fork and look at him.
“What?” It’s like he isn’t aware of what he said.
“I'm not a hooker or prostitute; nor am I a whore,” I say sternly.
“Didn't mean it in that way, Bria. Look, I don't want to argue with you. It's been hell, not talking to you this week. I'm not sure if I can take not talking to you any longer.” He leans over and nudges me.
“It's been horrible for me too,” I say lightly.
“I couldn't tell. You didn't annoyingly text, or call me fifty times a day to see how I was doing.”
“I knew how busy you'd be. We did just go over your new business plan. I understand those things take time.”
“They do, if they’re worth it.”
“What do you mean?”
“I'm not sure I want to do this; my social life will suffer. I'm not sure if I'm ready to lose any more people in my life.”
“Bryant, Cass is a bitch. A money hungry, shopping addict bitch… turned whore,” I say, as calmly as I can. I’ve never liked Cassie. She didn’t deserve my best friend. Her selfish ways destroyed their relationship. He laughs a belly laugh, and I just stare at him. God, he's freaking beautiful. I just want to jump him.
He looks at me, wiping his eyes from laughter tears. “You're mean.”
“No, I'm telling the truth.” My bell buzzes.
“Great, real food's here.” He jumps to his feet.
“Whatever.”
He comes back with two bags, and I look at him with curiously. “Who's eating all that?”
“Me, if you don't want any.”
“No, I'm content,” I say with wide eyes.
Guys are just greedy. They don't worry about over-eating and feeling bad afterward. They hardly gain any weight most of the time. Women, we eat a salad and feel the need to over exercise, just by ingesting rabbit food.
Bryant and I laugh and talk for the rest of the night as if nothing ever happened last week. We talk about his plans for his new business. I assure him I will be behind him whatever he decides to do. Bryant shares with me his great news I've known about since earlier. He also tells me about Mr. Wilke's merger, and the role his new company plays in all of this. I express how proud I am of him, and I am. I guess that's why I give him a blowjob on my living room couch. Yeah, call me confused; it doesn’t take much effort to push aside our non-relationship feelings for sex. He carries me to my spare bedroom and repeatedly shows me how appreciative he is for my support and the BJ, of course. Bryant fucks me into the early hours of the morning with, and without protection. The last time is a mistake, I think. We are spooning after our third turn of the mattress. His cock starts to harden against my ass. We’re so close he becomes erect right at my opening and slightly pushes his way in. It’s so lazy, I barely move. I couldn't if I wanted to. He fucks me so deliciously, my body is limp. I just allow him to have his way with me. His thrusts are slow in and out of me, as we lay sideways, as he picks up his rhythm. “Bryant,” I moan; he moves his hands around my throat and adds pressure.
He lifts up on his shoulder then pushes his free hand under me, at my waist. He palms my pussy with pressure to my clit.
“Ahhh, Bryant.”
“Mmmh,” he responds sleepily.
“Don't stop, please.” He licks the nape of my neck and kisses it tenderly.
He rolls us both over, so I'm flat on my stomach. His front to my back, as he lifts my hips slightly from the bed. His hand still palming me at my center, I feel a build of sensation as my pussy throbs in his hand.
Bryant’s thrusts are hard and slow. I can hear his breathing picking up; and if I'm not mistaken, I think he just asked for my permission to come.
“Bree-baby.” He's breathless. “Bree come on my cock.” He growls those words as if he's holding back his orgasm. “I can feel how close you are, Bree; you're throbbing around my cock.” His voice still has a gruff, sleepy sound.
“Ahhh, Bry. I'm… I… I'm coming.”
“Let it go, Bree. Mmmm, you're so tight. Can I, Bree? Let me come in your pu—”
He lets go and collapses on my back.
“Fuck Me!” he grunts. He jerks, when I purposely tighten my muscles around his cock. “You're dirty,” he says breathing erratically.
“You made me this way.”
“And I love it, every bit of it.”
The room is quiet for a few seconds.
“Bria?”
Maybe he'll think I'm asleep if I don’t say anything.
“Bria, you're not asleep.”
Damn…
“Hmmh,” I respond softly like I was.
“You know I love you, right?”
“I love you too, Bryant.”
“No, Bria.” He pulls out of me, and my body relaxes. I know one part of me that isn't happy though.
He lies beside me. “Open your eyes, Bria.” And I do; I'm looking right into his.
“Bria, I'm in love with you. I can't do anything about it.”
I want to ask why, but I don't care. I don't want to be in a non-relationship. I don’t want to be in a relationship period. They're messy, and best friends won't survive. However, the stupid girlie me asks.
“Why?”
He shakes his head. “I love you too much. It's scary how much I do. I'd rather have our friendship; see you whenever I want, or all the time. We have a disagreement; we watch movies to resolve it.” He laughs a little. “That’s our thing; that’s us. A relationship means jealous hearts, wandering eyes, fighting then not seeing you. Make up sex, wait, I like that idea.” He chuckles as I slap him on his back.
“I thought you were asleep?” he sarcastically questions. “Seriously, you know? It's too much to lose. You, Bria, you're too much to lose. What I have with you, I don't want with anyone else. You encourage me, my life decisions. You kick my ass when I go M.I.A. on you, or when I get out of line. You. Are. It. For. Me. I don't want to lose that. I think a relationship will jeopardize all of that.” He pauses. “Unless you want to try. I love you, and our friendship so much, nothing matters to me if you aren't a part of my life. Not now, not in the future.”
Shit, how did he just turn the fucking tables on me?
“But I know you, Bria; you don’t want any complications of a relationship.”
“Exactly,” I say.
He looks at m
e with disappointment in his eyes.
“Bryant, you know me. I can’t lose you to bullshit. We respect each other totally, and I don’t want to lose you. I lost you once to that bitch whore. She was such a waste.” He laughs again. “I don’t know if it’s what you really want to do? Start a relationship, why the hell not?” Whoa, I did not just—
I can’t think logically when my girlie parts have just been ravished with such gratifying actions. I just made a decision that will break us.
“Bria?”
“Bryant?”
“I love you.” He kisses me on the forehead.
“I know, Bryant.” I rub his back for comfort.
“Things will be weird,” he says.
“At first, maybe; but how weird could they be? We’ve already seen each other naked.”
“Yes, but—”
“But what, Bryant?”
“We don’t have to, Bria.” A silence falls upon the room; it’s that way for several minutes. It’s so silent I think I’m asleep… I am and so is Bryant.
CHAPTER 5
I wake up in a panic. It’s later than I expected. I vaguely remember wine and lots of Bryant the night before. A smile forms over my face, but slightly disappears as the tenderness of my body reminds me of last night’s events. I rush to my bedroom for clothes. As I enter the hall, I can smell coffee and bacon in the air. I use the bathroom before I cover myself with shorts and a tank. Heading toward my kitchen, I hear Bryant humming the melody to The Newbeats old song. It makes me chuckle because he’s actually buttering bread.
“Morning.”
“Morning, you know I don‘t have time to eat, right?”
“This isn’t for you.” He smirks.
“Oh, really, and do you plan on replacing any of this?”
“Maybe,” he laughs.
“Maybe?”
“Yeah, only if you have a normal breakfast with me.”
“Bryant, I can’t; I’m running late as it is.”
“You’ll be fine, Bree.”
“No, Mr. Wilke will kill me.”
“No, he won’t. Now sit, eat.”
“Okay, how about I have lunch with you today?”
“Sit!” And I do.
What They Don't Know (Won't Hurt Them Trilogy #1) Page 4