There was so much to do. I knew from my mother’s treatment, that I’d be weak and need help. Would he be willing to take time away from work to help me? Or would he prefer to hire help? Either way, he needed to be involved now.
“Mommy, Noah spilled his smoothie.”
I turned to find Noah using his hand to try and clean up a small puddle of his breakfast. “Let me wipe it up.”
I grabbed a sponge and began to clean up the mess. If only it was as easy to clean up the mess between Brayden and me.
7 Brayden
There’d been a moment when Terra wiped the peanut butter from my cheek that I’d felt a spark of something between us. That was followed by emotion, a longing to kiss her and get back what we’d lost. As I left, I wondered if I’d imagined it, so I turned back to look at her. For an instant, I was propelled back in time to when I met and fell in love with her.
Ten Years Earlier
I was feeling pretty full of myself, especially standing next to this douchebag who, like me, was starting his first day at the established Seattle tech firm. I’d just finished earning my MBA, after earning a joint computer science and business degree in my undergraduate studies. My reward was a sweet job with great pay at the tech giant.
Douchebag and I were waiting to meet our new supervisor.
“Someday I’m going to run this place,” Douchebag said with that kind of boasting that let you know he was compensating for a lack of confidence or talent. My guess is he had the talent, but clearly not the confidence or social skills. He probably had a tiny dick too.
“Good luck with that,” I said. Not that I didn’t expect to do well and work up the ranks, but I was smart enough not to be obnoxious about it.
“You don’t have plans to move up?”
“Sure. Right now, I’m focused on the job at hand. Can’t move up if I don’t do this one well.”
“Not me. I wanted the supervisor position. That’s what I really deserve. But I’ll take this shit level job to show I’ve got the goods to move up. Maybe I’ll do her too. Couldn’t hurt to please the manager, you know what I mean?”
See? Douche.
I turned to where he was looking, and my heart stuttered to a stop in my chest. I could see why Douche would want her; she was stunning. What caught my attention first were her eyes. They were an amazing green and behind them was intelligence and fire. She was tall and lean, wearing a skirt and a shirt that was professional, and at the same time sexy. Normally, I liked women with a little more meat, but I couldn’t deny the attraction of the sculpted calves and long legs.
“Mr. Burrow? Mr. McLean?” she said as she reached us.
“Call me Lyle,” Douche man said.
I nearly snorted at his name though I didn’t know why. I supposed it was because he seemed like a guy that would have a douchier name.
“I’m Brayden,” I said.
She shook Lyle’s hand and then mine. Her hand was warm and her shake was firm. She looked us both in the eyes. This was a woman who wasn’t intimidated by anything.
“I’ve heard a lot about you, Mr. Burrow. Graduating with honors. In two majors.”
I smiled, but a response seized in the back of my throat. I felt a nudge from beside me. I turned to look at Douche McLean who quirked a brow. Holy shit, I was tongue-tied by this woman. That hadn’t happened since I was a teenager.
“Ah, yes. I knew I was interested in the tech industry.”
“Shall I show you and Mr. McLean around?”
“You can take me anywhere, honey.”
I cringed inside at Douche McLean’s response.
“Perhaps now is a good time to explain that we have a no-fraternization policy here.”
Douche McLean grinned. “Rules are made to be broken.”
I frowned. Didn’t he know he was in a workplace?
“It depends on how much you want to risk your job.” She looked from him to me, and in that moment, I’d risk anything to spend time with her.
By the end of the first week, I’d finally made my tongue function when I was around her. She and I worked well together. She was creative when it came to problem solving and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. More than once I saw her outmaneuver Douche McClean and he had no clue he was being played.
The best times were when Terra and I worked alone. Like me, she was willing to stay late, and it was during those quiet work sessions alone that I knew I had to have her. I was adept enough in the language of sexual tension to know that Terra was intrigued by me as I was by her. The problem was that pesky no-fraternization rule.
One evening a few weeks into the job, we were working in her office. I was at the work table while she was at her desk.
“Come look at this, Brayden,” she said.
I went to her, standing beside her as I looked over her shoulder at her work.
“Could work,” I said of her idea. While I’d found my tongue, that didn’t mean her intoxicating scent didn’t fog my brain and leave me capable of only two-word responses.
Doing my best to keep from revealing too much of my desire for her, I leaned over, supporting myself with one hand as I pointed with the other.
“But what about this?”
She turned her head, looking up at me. It would have been so easy to close the foot-long distance to kiss her. And I wanted to. It would be worth
