by Parker, Ali
It was creepy, and yet sexy as hell.
"Will do. Anything else?"
"Not really. You and Bethany okay? I know you made a big decision while you were in Jamaica. How is the aftermath of that?"
"Good. It's great. I gotta run, but we'll see you this weekend." He waited for her to say her goodbyes and pressed the button to end the call. He wasn't sharing his feelings with anyone, especially not another woman. He might have the reputation of a playboy with an open invitation to get hit on, but he was far from it. The day he'd found his mother in bed with some random guy from her work had changed everything.
Fucking around was out. Nothing could tempt him to change his mind, not even a ghost from the past.
* * *
"Damon, I'm not sure if you remember, but your father scheduled an interview for the open Senior Manager position we have. One of the interviews is today and the rest later this week. I do believe this one comes highly recommended from a good friend, and your dad was leaning toward giving her the job. He just needed to go through the motions to make it look legit." Linda stood just inside the office, her back to the door.
"Really? Damn." Damon reviewed his schedule and didn't find the interview anywhere. "Was the interview with him or me?"
"She's supposed to meet with him, but he's out of town, as you know. Can I show her in?"
"I guess. Cancel my lunch appointment with Bart Darren today and reschedule it. Get me a sandwich with the office order if you guys are ordering out."
"Ham and Swiss cheese with mustard?"
"Yep, and chips. Surprise me." He stood and pulled his jacket off the rack behind him as he walked toward the small circular table in his office. He needed the candidate’s resume, but hopefully, she brought it with her.
The woman that walked in behind Linda almost made his heart stop.
"Delilah?" He forced a smile and moved around the desk to give her a quick hug. She returned the gesture and laughed.
"I should have told Bridget to tell you, but you know she's in Jamaica. They turned off their phones just to get away from everything."
"I saw her there." Damon moved back and nodded to Linda. "Thanks for showing her in."
"I was supposed to meet with your dad, but he's still on vacation from what your secretary told me." She snorted. "I've never known Kent Bryant to take a vacation since I met your family in middle school."
"He hasn't. It's half the reason he's a grumpy old bastard." Damon pulled out the chair for her as he worked through how he was going make sure Delilah didn't get the job. Where she was a great lady, her little sister was the bane of his existence. Having dated Bridget through most of his high school years and college, he always thought they would end up together, but it never happened. There was little love loss, but having the blond bombshell back in his life would only create tension between him and Bethany.
No thanks. We have enough as it is.
"And you're turning out just like him, right?" She sat down and crossed her long, shapely legs before offering a sweet smile. "Well, you know I have to tell you that Bridget said hi. She's going to find it pretty funny that I had to interview with you instead of Kent."
"Why's that?" Damon took the resume she offered and leaned back in his chair as he unbuttoned his jacket. Delilah was the spitting replica of her twin sister, Bridget, her long blond hair full and shiny, her skin flawless, eyes crystal blue and tits as fake as the wrapping on his breakfast sandwich earlier that morning.
"Because when we were kids, I had a crush on you before you guys started dating. That little twit talked me out of asking you to the Sadie Hawkins dance at school because she wanted to ask you. She kept making fun of me because I was in the band and you were a football player. Such a bitch, right?" She shook her head and laughed.
"You were much more my type than Bridget, but I figured I’d cut my losses and say yes to her." He glanced down at the resume as foreign emotions raced through him. How many conversations had he had with Delilah about his suspicions about his mom when they were kids? He was too embarrassed to bring it up with Bridget, but her sister had always been so sweet, so inviting.
"Figures. We could have been married for six years with kids by now. Remind me to slap her when she gets back to the States." She leaned back and dropped her hands into her lap. "Anyway, let’s do the interview, and don't do me any favors, okay? If I'm not the best person for the position, don't hire me. Promise."
He nodded. "I promise."
Fuck. One hot mess after the next.
* * *
The interview went well, a little too well. She was beyond perfect for the position and would be a trusted ally in the office for both Damon and his father. The biggest issue wasn't having her around, but knowing that Bridget would be haunting the edges of the place now too. She would use Delilah's new job with M&B to get closer to Damon and see if she couldn't whittle her way back into his life. It was inevitable. The bitch had tried everything else. Damon couldn't stop himself from thinking this too was another ploy.
He finished up a few things and got up to walk down to Bethany's office only to find her gone.
"She's at UT for the afternoon. I guess she's a teaching assistant for one of the cost accounting professors up there." Sadie stood behind him, a shy smile on her pretty face. The girl was a lawsuit waiting to happen. Why they'd decided to hire the daughter of a senator was beyond him. Probably a favor to the girl's father, but fuck was she spoiled.
"Nice to know. Are you keeping tabs on everyone now for us? Should I up your salary?" He gave her a tight smile and crossed his arms over his chest.
"No. Don't be silly." She reached out and brushed her fingers down his arm before turning her head a little. "Like the new nose? I had to thank Bethany for being a lunatic. I didn't realize how much I hated it before."
"Interesting." He turned to see Ben walking down the hall and almost sighed in relief. "Hey, man. You getting everything together for Friday?"
"That, I am, Sir. Everyone has the client files, and we're locked and loaded to go clean this shit up for you." Ben slipped his hands into his pockets and glanced over at Sadie. "We'll get you on the next traveling engagement. This one just filled up."
"Yeah, no problem. Well, see you, gentlemen, later." Her eyes lingered a little too long, but Damon ignored it and turned to face Ben.
"Did you get to talk with Bethany?"
"Yeah, why? She seemed good with going with us. It will be a great experience if nothing else."
"No, I think she's fine with it. I just didn't know if she mentioned anything about us."
Ben's eyebrow lifted. "You guys, as in the fake relationship you've created to thwart off these other crazy girls?"
"No, we are dating now."
"What? She's your sister."
Damon pressed his friend with a hard stare. "There's no blood relation, and the last time I checked, I'm free to date who I'd like to date."
"Of course, but damn..." Ben ran his hand through his thin brown hair and glanced around. "What happened to the busty blond?"
"She's an old friend from college. Nothing more. We dated back then."
"Set me up with her." Ben chuckled.
"Happily. Look, her twin sister, Delilah, just interviewed for the Senior Manager position we have open on the team. I need to talk with my father, but I'm pretty sure she's getting the position. Just watch out for her and Bethany, okay? Delilah is a sweet girl, but I don't want anyone messing with Bethany for the sake of messing with her. Got it?"
"Of course, boss. I wouldn't let anyone mess with anyone." He shrugged. "I got it under control. We'll figure it out."
"Good. The situation with Beth and me is confidential until I say otherwise."
"You bet. Thanks for trusting me with it."
Damon nodded and turned to walk back to his office, reaffirmed in his decision to keep the information about the engagement hidden. If Ben, who thought a lot about Bethany and was one of Damon's college buddies, had a negat
ive reaction, then the rest of the firm would act ridiculous about it, and their board of directors would flip their shit.
It wasn't worth all that, not yet at least.
Chapter 66
Bethany
The rest of the day was a blur, and after watching the late night show, she fell asleep on her couch. Damon not calling or texting was something that would bug her all day no matter how badly she tried to shake it.
"Everything is fine." She leaned over the bathroom counter in the coffee shop beside campus the next morning. Dr. Tarrington had been out the day before when she finished making preps for his first day of school but wanted to meet the next morning to go over a few things. She couldn't deny him, even though meeting him meant getting up an hour earlier than she planned.
She walked out of the bathroom and brushed her fingers through her hair as he waved from the counter at the front of the restaurant.
"Bethany. Over here." His smile was warm, his face incredibly handsome. He had his glasses perched on his nose, which only seemed to make him more attractive. It was a dangerous position for him, and yet he must have loved his job enough to deal with the friction it caused.
"Hey, Dr. Tarrington. How are you?" She moved up to stand beside him, leaving a good bit of space between them. Kendal didn't need any drama related to possibly dating a student, and she was aware of how people talked when given a reason to.
"I'm great. Let me buy you a coffee and a muffin or bagel?" He adjusted his glasses and glanced back up at the menu.
"Sure. I'll take a tall vanilla latte and a blueberry scone."
"Nope. Only muffins or bagels." He winked at her and shook his head. "Just kidding. Give the woman what she wants."
She started to pat his back in a friendly manner and decided against it. She'd only heard a little of his story but wanted access to the rest. It was none of her business, and wouldn't do her any good, but after hearing him talk about his life being ruined a few years back, she had the odd sense to help protect him for the year she'd be working beside him.
Maybe it was because he was Damon's best friend.
She took a seat near the back of the coffee shop and pulled out her phone, checking for a missed message from Damon and coming up empty again.
"Waiting on someone?" Kendal stopped beside the table and handed her a cup.
"No. Just wondering why Damon hasn't called. We didn't talk at all yesterday. I had a message from him on the counter that could have been taken as controversial or even hurtful, and then nothing." She huffed. "I'm not bringing this up with you. We're here to get you ready for your first class this afternoon, not mull through my insecurities."
He chuckled and set his coffee down. "Let me grab our scones, and we'll chat about all of it."
"Fine." She took the top off her coffee and glanced up to find several of the girls around her focused on Kendal. She turned her attention back to the steaming caramel-colored liquid in her cup and blew softly. There was no saving the poor man from his stunning good looks. That was his momma’s fault. She smiled at the thought.
"What's so funny?" He sat down, his green eyes studying her as if waiting for some revelation to occur.
"I was just smiling at your situation. It's not funny, but maybe you should just change professions, or hey..." She reached across the table and squeezed his forearm, thinking nothing of it. He tensed under her touch. "Maybe you should find someone off campus to date." She pulled her hand back. "Sorry. I keep trying to make sure I don't act too comfortable around you."
"That's much appreciated." He leaned over and pulled his bag strap over his neck before digging out a folder. "Dating isn't as easy as it seems. You guys are still in college and surrounded by people your own age who are looking for a connection. That's not how the rest of the world functions, as I'm sure you already know."
"Very true." She took a tentative sip of her coffee. "Maybe Damon knows someone he can set you up with."
Kendal chuckled. "No, but thank you. All the women in his past have been bitches, pardon my French. You're the exception to the rule, I think."
"Thank you?" She laughed and put the top back on her coffee before taking a bite of the scone he pushed toward her.
"What was the note about yesterday morning?" He leaned back and crossed his legs in a manly fashion.
"This." She held up her left hand. "He wants me to leave it at home when I'm at the office, but anywhere else, I can wear it. It cost more than a car. I hate the thought of taking it off, even for a second."
"Because you might lose it?" He lifted his eyebrow, questioning her motive.
"Yes, among other reasons. Why are you not asking questions about this? Did he tell you already?"
"Yes. We had lunch yesterday. After seeing each other for the first time in a long time at your friend, Jake's, apartment, we decided to start having lunch once a month. It just happened to fall on Monday this week." He shrugged and took a bite of his scone. "These are awesome."
"Yeah, I love this place." Bethany pinched another piece off of hers. "And what do you think? Too soon? Too much?"
"Do you want to know?" He licked his lips as someone sighed close by.
Bethany turned to try and discern who it was, but Kendal tapped the table between them, pulling her back.
"What? Yes, of course, I want to know. I asked."
He chuckled. "Most people ask lots of things they don't want the answer to. It's prudent to ask, but it takes courage to receive the response."
"Wow. That's a lot of mental mumbo-jumbo you got going on there this morning, Dr. Tarrington."
"Right? I do my best thinking first thing in the morning. It's disturbing." He cleared his throat. "It's too soon for something as big as an engagement. You guys have loads of hurdles to climb over, and you both know it. The note asking you not to wear the ring shows that Damon is starting to consider some of them."
"The hurdles?"
"Yes." He lifted his hand. "That doesn't mean that he doesn't think he's in love with you, or that he doesn't want a future, but you guys aren't a normal couple."
Heat brushed up the center of her chest. "And who has the right to judge what normal is?"
"Exactly." He let out a soft sigh. "Her name was Ana, and she was so beautiful. Sweet and kind and only four years younger than me, but none of that mattered. Our situation wasn't at all what you might call normal. She was my student, my best student, and the university, my friends, her parents, fuck, everyone threw stones at our budding relationship. You don't get to define normal, Bethany. They do." He pointed to the restaurant and waved his hand about as his words deflated her.
He was right. They had far too much stacked up against them to simply walk into the office and announce their engagement, but something about hiding it felt wrong too. The worry that Damon wasn't proud that she belonged to him tried to creep in, but she pushed it back. It was stupid. He'd told their families, the people that mattered most that they could all take a hike if they didn't want to support their budding relationship.
He wasn't ashamed of her.
"That sucks." She glanced around and wrapped her free arm around herself as she nursed her coffee. "It's unfair. Not right."
"Agreed, but it is what it is." He shrugged.
"What happened to Ana?"
"She transferred to A&M in College Station and is probably the head of some big four firm right now. She honestly was one of the most brilliant accounting minds I'd seen at the time, or since. She made me think." He chuckled before letting out a soft grunt. "I would say that I miss her, but it's been six years, and after making the decision to walk away, I didn't turn back."
"And the university just popped you on the hand and let you go?"
"Sort of. They knew how close our ages were and that the relationship was consensual."
"I thought you said that the girl finally pulled back the charges. What charges?"
"That wasn't Ana. Another girl in my second year of teaching stayed after for tutorials l
ate one night and came on to me. I told her no. She got pissed and filed a claim with the university that I'd raped her in the fucking classroom." He pinched the bridge of his nose between his fingers and shook his head. "I kept thinking that I should just leave this place, that nothing was worth all of this shit."
"But after being in school for six years for your doctorate, you decided differently?"
"Exactly. I fought hard as hell to get it. I had them check the cameras, and they did and counseled the girl to pull back the charges, but word had already gotten out on campus. They asked for my resignation, and I refused. I threatened to sue them, and that shut them up. I've had a TA or two ever since, and all of my rooms are monitored with cameras, including my office. I'm not sure what they think they're going to find, but they're full of shit. I never touched that girl or anyone else since Ana. She was my one and only mistake." He lifted his eyes and pressed her with a hard stare. "I'll never, ever make the same mistake again."
"Can't say that I blame you." Bethany nodded toward the folder. "Let's go over your syllabus for this week since classes start in an hour. We can finish up this lovely conversation another time if you're up for it."
"Good plan. I like a girl with focus." He smiled and pushed the papers across the table. "Tell me what you worked on yesterday and we'll go from there."
"One more thing." Bethany let out a soft exhale. "Matt mentioned to Damon while we were on vacation that he needed to be careful in throwing around the idea that he was in "love." I guess he told Bridget that he loved her too-"
"Yeah, on the third date. We still give him shit over that, though we really shouldn't. The poor guy hasn't dated much due to some family stuff he's still dealing with, but I'll let him tell you about that when he's ready." Kendal shrugged. "I would assume he means what he says, Bethany, but like any of us, he's looking for a relationship that probably doesn't exist. How nice would it be to find someone where you don’t have to think about anything but them, but it just doesn't work that way. Not in this world."