But this wasn’t a beatdown nor was I trying to humiliate him. We needed to clear the air. “I’d prefer we address this before you get removed. Nick clearly loves you and I don’t want to take that away from him. I’m not a predator looking to hook up with Nick. Whatever you heard about me, it’s not true.”
“You being an organizer of the White Party in Miami isn’t true?” He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow at me.
The mention of my old life didn’t cause the pang I’d have expected when Uncle Michael gave me the assignment. I filed that away to unpack later. “I’m not sure the point you’re trying to make. Organizing the party doesn’t make me a man whore. Let me shut this down now. I didn’t show up expecting to sleep with Nick, but I won’t deny I’m attracted to him. I’m also aware of his interest in me.
“The trip to Frederick is exactly what I said it was—a way to get to know him.If,something more come from our spending time together, it won’t be so I canwet my dick. I won’t use him and cast him aside. That’s not who I am. Also, if you believe nothing else I’ve said, understand I won’t let my dick interfere with my mission.”
Grant didn’t uncross his arms, but his body lost its hostile tension. He looked away and nodded. “Understood.”
I didn’t know which part of my little speech got through, but I was glad I didn’t need to take drastic action with him. “Are we good now? Or at least not hostile?”
“Yes. Thank you for explaining.”
He didn’t smile and I didn’t expect we’d become friends in five minutes, but it was a start. We needed to work together, and I didn’t want to be at odds with my number one operative. “You’re welcome. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
Nick
I stared into my coffee, tilted my head back and drained the cup. It hadn’t helped. My brain felt like it had shut down right after Henry left the night before. I’d cleared the table dreading Trevor’s return and the lecture I’d get for hitting on his cousin. Instead, he came in, helped me clean up, and chatted like he hadn’t been glaring daggers at Henry, and to a lesser extent me, the whole meal.
Had I misunderstood the situation entirely? I thought Henry flirting with me was what had upset Trevor. Now, I wasn’t sure anymore.
Whatever they talked about, Trev was no longer mad. Did Henry laugh at the idea he’d been hitting on me? Logically that made more sense than the super-hot, rich, nice guy was interested in me. It would also explain Trevor’s one-eighty attitude change. Trying to sort things out kept me up most of the night.
My morning didn’t improve things. I woke up late, missed my Metro stop, the same one I’d gotten off at for three years, and was nearly late for work.
“Damn, you look like you need a nap.”
The hits kept coming. My co-worker/supervisor slid the only other chair in my cubicle closer to me and sat. Given I hadn’t been working when she came in, I couldn’t even pretend to be busy. “Thanks Brenda. Happy Friday to you too. Isn’t your job as my hag to be supportive, not insulting?”
“I…am…not…your…hag!” She punctuated each word with a slap on my shoulder.“I’m your boss, even if you don’t treat me like one.”
I swiveled around to face her. A few years older than me, Brenda had helped me get settled when I started this job. She was also one of my true friends; at work or otherwise. “You look nice. What happened to casual Friday wear?”
“Thank you. I’m glad you approve. I’ll even forgive you for usingthatword.” Smiling, she straightened her suit coat. “I’m having lunch with Ian.”
Pretty and athletic, Brenda attracted her share of hot guys. Most of whom missed how smart and funny she was.”Lucky guy.”
“Um no.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s the perky HR director from the eighth-floor. I’ve been trying to meet with him to talk about the expansion of personnel in our department. He suggested a ‘working lunch’ meeting.”
Why did managers always think they could hit on junior people without any repercussions? “Well at least he’s paying, right?”
“So naïve.” She reached over and patted my cheek. “Why are you tired? Did you go out last night or something?”
Or something. “No, nothing like that. Trevor’s cousin Henry came over for dinner, he left around 9:00 pm and I was in bed at my usual time.”
“Is he single? A hottie like Trevor? Does he like strong, empowered women?”
I stifled a snort. Leave it to Brenda to put me in a better mood with her antics. “Yes, yes, and he’s gay.”
“I see.” She gave her, ‘give me all the juicy details’ smirk. “And?”
How could I answer her when I had no idea why Henry made me so unsettled? “And nothing. Even if he wasn’t Trev’s cousin, he’s way out of my league.”
“We’ll come back to the who’s in whose league in a minute, but if that’s true, why are you so tired today?”
Damn, I wasreallytired if I forgot the agreement I made with Brenda. I promised to believe I was more desirable than I was, and she promised not to pummel me. “At first I thought he was just being nice to me because I was Trev’s roommate, then I thought no, he was definitely flirting and feeling me out. Especially when Trev got all growly and protective. But then he and Henry talked outside, and Trev came in like nothing had happened. Whichthenmade me think I’d imagined the whole thing.”
“Andthenyou mind fucked the entire time you spent with Henry all night. Got it.”
