by Parker, Ali
"Because I don't want to wear a monkey suit and put on a mask every day. I like who I am, and freedom is key to me." He pulled back and ran his hand through his messy blond hair.
"You're an artist, Matt. You should be sharing your talent somewhere. If you don't want to work in design with me, Damon and your dad, then start selling your art to galleries. Aren't we going to Seattle next week with you for that very reason?"
"Yeah. I want to see what the guy thinks. What he has to offer. I need options, or I'm going to fold under the rationale she presents." He turned and started to pace again. "It doesn't help that I would give my left foot to see her naked."
"Too much." Bethany held her hands to her ears. "We're not going there. That's you and Damon's talking moments."
"Got it. Sorry. I'll wait until Saturday evening when you're my sister to talk about the perfect curve of her..." He paused and laughed as Bethany let out a long groan.
"Look," Bethany removed her hands from her face and walked toward her brother, "talk to her. Just talk to her and see what she wants and what she's offering. Tell her that you have another opportunity as well that you're going to be checking out. We'll go to Seattle in a week or so, and then you can make a decision."
"You're right. I don't have to make a decision here."
"Exactly. This is about relaxing. If you don't want to talk business at all - tell her."
"Okay. I can do this. I can do this."
"I'm going to my room. I'm completely grossed out now."
"Tell me what color her panties are later." He winked and started to laugh as Bethany grabbed her suitcase, gave him a 'go to hell' look and slipped out.
Damon wasn't the only lustful one. Apparently, Matt was too.
Chapter 48
Bethany
Erica wasn't in the room when Bethany finally got the door open. Cold air hit her in the face as she walked into her room, the layout mimicking Matt and Damon's room. Erica had taken the bed far from the door from what she could tell. It almost seemed odd not to be rooming with her mom, but with her Aunt Patty coming later that day, she wasn't surprised. Her mom rarely got to spend much time with her younger sister. This would be good for both of them.
Bethany checked her phone and smiled, a message waiting on her from Damon.
Damon: Have fun for me. Text me when you get there, and I'll call you tonight.
Bethany: I'm here. It's beautiful, and you're sorely missed.
Damon: Matt losing his shit over Erica yet?
Bethany: How did you guess?
Damon: Welcome to my world. I'll call you tonight, baby. Be in your room by nine.
Bethany: So bossy.
Damon: I am your boss and your man. 9 on the dot.
Bethany: Yes Sir.
She shook her head and searched high and low for a plug for her phone. At least he was responding today. The audit had to be taking his full attention, so his willingness to give her a few seconds meant a lot. She needed to quit picking apart their relationship before it even began.
A knock at her door caused her to jolt. She turned and walked to it quickly, pulling it open and smiling as her mother turned in a full circle.
"Like my new sundress?"
"It's beautiful mom. Looks great on you."
The white dress with large yellow flowers looked really good on her mother, but the smile was what pulled it all together and left her looking beautiful.
"Aunt Patty here yet?"
"Nope. She will be here by two though. We're meeting at one in the large wedding hall on the south end of the resort. I just wanted to stop by to tell you to be there."
"Will do. I'm going to unpack, and I'll come find you guys. Make sure you tell Matt. He needs to get out and be around other people. He's a nervous ninny."
"Crazy how different he and Damon are." She glanced down the hall and waved, Erica walking toward them. "Speaking of, have you spoken to Damon?"
"We talked a minute ago. I told him we missed him and he told me to have fun."
"Great advice." Erica stopped in front of them and ran her hand down Bethany's mother's arm. "You look lovely."
"Thank you, ma'am. A gift from my beau."
"I want one." Erica let out a soft sigh and shrugged her shoulders. The blond was a bombshell. It was no wonder Matt was overwhelmed by her. Her white pantsuit fit her athletic frame exceptionally well. It accented her dark blond hair and vibrant blue eyes. She should be on the front of the latest magazine, not Damon's ex.
Remember to check that magazine out later.
"You want a sundress or a man?" Bethany's mom asked and chuckled.
"Both?" Erica smiled and turned her attention to Bethany. "You like the room? We can totally switch beds if you want. I just grabbed one."
"I'm good actually." Bethany moved back to open the door. "You guys come in here. I just realized I was blocking the entrance."
"I'm good. Just wanted to show you the dress. I'll see you at one. Bring Erica with you if she's done with her business stuff."
"Will do." Bethany leaned out the door and gave her mom a quick hug before the older woman walked off, twirling once more.
"Where are we going at one?" Erica walked into the room and sat down on her bed, tugging her heels off.
"They are decorating at one. You don't have to go if you don't want to. It's probably going to be a lot of me getting in the way. I can't color a picture right much less decorate for a wedding." Bethany shrugged and moved toward the large floor-to-ceiling glass doors at the back of the room.
"I love decorating. Anything artsy fartsy and I'm in."
Bethany glanced over her shoulder, smiling at Erica. Chances are, she was far more like Matt than even he realized.
"Good. You can come do my part then. I'll just supply us with endless wine and jokes."
"Endless wine is something I could go for." Erica flopped back on the bed. "I'm going to close my eyes for a minute. If I pass out, wake me when it's time to go?"
"You bet. Long morning?"
"God, yes. I swear working in Corporate America is a huge drag on my creativity. I'm glad that your dad allows me freedom to just be me. As much as he can, I guess."
"Yeah, he's a great guy." Bethany walked around the large room, fiddling with various things and checking out everything that seemed to be part of the deal. "I think that's the reason Matt runs so hard and fast from the idea of working for Kent. He's worried about being shoved into a mold."
"I get it, but with me protecting him as I do all of my staff, he'll have far more freedom than he thinks." She yawned softly, covering her mouth and apologizing.
"It's all good. Take a nap, and we can catch up later." Bethany opened her suitcase and pulled out a yellow sundress before heading to the bathroom to change. Her mother had the right idea. Wear very little, but remain classy and do it well.
She hoped she could pull it off as well.
* * *
Bethany woke Erica just before one. The pretty blond changed quickly, and they were on their way to locate the wedding reception room. The wind blew through the open ends of the hall, sweeping in behind and in front of them. The warmth caused Bethany's skin to break out in chill bumps. She wrapped her arms around herself and breathed in deeply.
"Oh man. I need this serenity so much. Everything has been moving far too fast in my world for my liking." Bethany glanced toward Erica, a flash of red catching her eye behind her.
"You'll have to tell me about it sometime."
Bethany nodded and turned, her eyes locating the source of the brilliant color. Matt.
"Hey, you. Come up here with us. We're going to decorate. I bet you and Erica could get it done in half the time of the rest of us." Bethany stopped and waited for Matt to join them. His bright red shirt had blue and yellow birds decorating every inch of it. It would have been tacky on anyone else, but on Matt it was fitting. He had it tucked into a pair of khaki slacks, which fit him beautifully. He was bigger than Damon, his physique more that of a
linebacker than a quarterback.
"I'm coming. Just didn't want to interrupt any girl talk." He moved up between them, offering his arm to each of them. "Erica."
"Hi, Matthew. You look great. I love the shirt. Did you get it here?"
"Sure did. They have a kick-ass gift shop. You'll have to check it out. Like an explosion of color."
"You can take her later this afternoon," Bethany suggested, glancing over at them.
Matt gave her a stern look and Erica nodded, as if thanking her.
"What's on the agenda for today?" Erica asked as they turned to the right, another large hall opening in front of them. The signs on the wall pointed their way to the wedding hall, but the trip was quite a hike.
"Decorating is as far as I was given insight into the future." Bethany smiled and pointed up ahead. "There's the room. Let's see what else we have to get done today."
"Dad mentioned something about a large family dinner tonight. I assume that's every night though."
"Did Kent rent out one of the dining patios? They're beautiful here." Erica moved into the open room, Bethany following her as Matt held the door open for them.
"I'm not sure, but that would be awesome." Bethany moved toward her mother, a thin red-headed woman barking out commands to the poor guys running around with white and light pink flowers.
"What's awesome?" Her mother turned to her and gave a tight smile.
The other woman had to be Kent's sister, Allison. Bethany turned to her mom as Matt called out to the bossy chick. It was Kent's sister.
"There are large patios that you can rent to have dinner on. Did you know that?" Bethany reached out and tugged Erica over to join them, not wanting to leave the woman out of anything.
"Oh yeah. Kent's got one rented for the time we're here. Should be a lot of fun. It's right on the beach. They bring in the chef to cook for the crowd."
"I saw a few pictures on the Internet about it. Looks great." Erica glanced over her shoulder, a frown sitting on her face. "Who is that chick? She has about five minutes to stop telling Matt what to do before I light into her."
Bethany's mother reached out and took hold of Erica's arm. "Oh please go light into her. She's driving me crazy, and we just got here."
"Who is she? The wedding planner?" Erica asked.
"That's Allison. Kent's sister." Bethany turned back to her mom. "What else are we doing today besides decorating and dinner?"
"Nothing. Dinner is at seven, so after this, your afternoon is open." Her mom smiled and moved away from them, walking toward Allison. "The rest of the help is here. Let's get started so everyone can relax a little before dinner."
"Good." Allison turned and pointed to Bethany and Erica. "You two, we're going to weave the white and pink together, creating a lovely design that screams forever."
"No, we're not. Grab the lattice work and come help me. We're going to work together on a design for the opening of the room. People should feel the sanctity of hope and love when they walk in." Erica pointed to Allison and moved toward her.
Bethany stood in shock, her mom not moving beside her either. Allison's face shifted from demanding to welcoming.
"Are you an artist?"
"I sure am. So is Matt. You can simply follow instructions now. Nothing is on your shoulders anymore. All mine." Erica moved closer and put her arm around Allison's shoulders, turning her and walking toward the flowers.
"Wow." Bethany's mom moved toward them, leaving Bethany standing there.
Matt walked up and stopped in front of her, taking her face in his hands and tilting her head up toward him. "You see what I mean? Crazy intimidating."
"I'm impressed. Like really impressed."
Matt released her and turned, looking over his shoulder. "I'm scared shitless."
"Don't shit those pants. I like them. They look hot on you." Bethany patted his back and started to move toward the others. She wanted to get the decorating part over with quickly. The sooner she was on the beach and enjoying the serenity she was after, the better.
"You think so? Think Erica likes them?" He jogged up beside her and elbowed her softly in the side.
"I know she does. I can see it in the way she watches you."
"Do you think I..."
"Stop right there, buddy. Once again, I'm not Damon."
"Damn near close." He laughed.
She couldn't help but consider his words a compliment. Now, if only Damon were there. Then everything would be perfect.
Chapter 49
Damon
The make-out session the night before was just enough to set his nerves on edge. Maybe it was more than that. Maybe knowing that the whole family was flying out to Jamaica without him was part of it.
"Get over it." Damon leaned toward the mirror in his large bathroom and pulled the razor down the side of his face as he eyed himself. How nice it would have been to let his sexy girl sit on the countertop in front of him and help him get ready for work.
Knowing the two of them, it would turn into something hot quick, and he'd be calling in - every day. A smile lifted his lip, and he accidentally nicked his chin.
"Dammit." He set the razor down and grabbed the towel beside the sink to press it tightly to his face. He couldn't help but wonder what everyone was up to. The quick text to Bethany had him thinking more and more about his family than he would have before meeting her.
Matt was terrified of Erica, which was almost humorous. They were a perfect fit for one another, and if Matt chilled the fuck out for a minute, he would see that.
Erica was a creative type, just like his brother. Too many meetings or a long night of working in the office, and her eye would start to twitch. She had a reason for being an executive at McKenzie and Bryant, but Damon wasn't sure what it was. Wasn't his place to ask.
After he had finished shaving, he dressed quickly, packed the rest of his stuff for the trip, and drove to the office in silence. It had been a long night of poring over reports and records, but he had an idea of how to fix the issue. The trip to Florida that he had scheduled in two weeks would allow for him to get some much needed face-to-face time with his staff and with Zarpeth's CEO, who was a long-time friend of his father’s.
"I just need to close up the gaping holes, and I can get to my family." He parked and checked himself in the mirror before getting out of his car. Several familiar faces smiled, and a few waved as he made his way up to his office.
Everything seemed dull without Bethany there to add excitement to life. What in the world did I do before her?
"Morning, boss." Ben walked down the hall toward Damon, a smile on his face. "What are you doing here? I thought you guys were headed out for Jamaica."
"Everyone else left this morning. I'm supposed to head out tomorrow early, but I'm thinking I might be able to get out of here in a couple of hours. I spent a long night up here last night."
Linda stood from behind her desk and smiled. "I moved all of your meetings to next week. I have a flight that's headed out of here in two hours. You want to try and catch it?"
Ben cleared his throat. "None of my business, but I think that's a great idea. There isn't too much that you're going to be able to do on Zarpeth until you get out there in a few weeks."
"Very true." Damon glanced down toward his feet, trying to determine if there were anything else he could do before leaving that would help them with the inventory issue. "I just feel like I should be able to lock this up before I go. I'm not sure I'd be able to relax if-"
"One or ten margaritas and you're going to be great, boss." Ben patted Damon's chest. "I'm here if you need anything, and from what I hear, your dad has opened up a few positions to try and get some help in here."
"Really?" Damon's eyes widened a little. "Not sure why he didn't discuss that with me first."
Linda leaned toward them. "Probably because you're busy running the show around here, Damon. He knows how many hours you put in and all that you do."
"True." Ben smiled and walk
ed toward the elevator, turning to speak over his shoulder. "Get out there to your family."
"Yeah, soon." Damon ran his fingers through his hair. "What were you doing up here anyway? Smelling the leather? Dreaming of the day when you have an office up here with the big boys?"
"Something like that." Ben smirked as he pressed his back to the far side of the elevator as the doors closed.
"He said he wrote up your report for you." Linda sat back down at her desk. "You had notes all over the place. Took him half the morning."
Damon lifted his wrist to his face to check the time. "Half the morning? I left here at four, and it's just now ten. When did Ben get in?"
"Around five from what he told me. He came up to help you wrap things up, but when you weren't here, I guess he just gathered your notes and wrote the report."
"Excellent." Damon turned on his heel and moved into the office to look for the report. It was typed up and professionally bound in a black folder on his desk. Catching the flight to Jamaica wasn't going to be hard to do at all, thanks to Ben being a team player.
"So... does this mean you want me to call a driver to take you to the airport?" Linda leaned against the doorframe and smiled.
"Yeah. Do that. I'll be ready to go in fifteen minutes."
* * *
Damon sat down in first class on the plane and let out a soft grunt as he stretched his legs out. The older woman beside him glanced over and smiled.
"I love it up here. I never thought I would be able to afford this, but my Fred finally made it big just before he passed." She shrugged and leaned back in her seat.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Damon buckled his seatbelt and pulled the blind down on the window. "What did he do for a living?"
"Oh, don't be sorry. He was a mean old bastard."
Damon smiled, unable to help himself. Would Beth tell a similar story when he died of old age? Always sweet and loving to her, but a cock and a half to everyone else.
The woman crossed her arms over her thin frame and chuckled. "He worked in the shoe business. Built up a small chain of shoe stores around the nation."