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“Sixteen. They were close.” I nodded as my face softened. I was close to my father as well and losing him was devastating. Maybe I could offer her some comfort as well. “I think that Ashley would gladly stay in her room all weekend but Mom is letting her boyfriend come over. We get to meet him for the first time. Can’t wait.”
We got to work and there was a shout outside that the food was here and Brandon rubbed his stomach with a wide smile. I didn’t know where he put it all as I laughed and ran a hand through my hair. Brandon walked out while Brent waited for me, walking behind me as we made our way to the conference room. I knew that he didn’t want me to feel uncomfortable I smiled as we walked together. Brent was a good man and sure to have made his father proud.
I wondered if he would be the one that would take my innocence gently while his brother ravaged me. My face flushed at the images and I coughed as I walked, making Brent look at me. The conference room was half full of people and the door wide open as Brent and Brandon walked to the front of the room, while I hung back. Brent smiled assumingly at me as he gestured for me to join them and I widened my eyes before I looked down and walked forward. They spoke about the great staff and their gratitude they felt for all of them with all the hard work. Brent said that he knew that his father would love to be here with everyone and I felt the emotions in the room as I pressed my lips together. “I realized that we hadn’t formally introduced our new assistant, Jane. She just joined us with a stroke of good luck and I’d like you all to welcome her to M&P.”
I was shocked when people stepped forward to shake my hand, welcome me to the company, and just say hello. Many of them were kind and cordial but there was the group of women that were icy and beautiful as they looked at me frostily from across the room. I knew that we would never be friends, feeling fine with that if they didn’t talk bad about me around the building. Breanna walked in just after the speech and came over to hug me as she smiled brightly. She always made me feel better with her positive attitude and I grinned at her. “Can you believe all of this food? It’s like Christmas dinner.”
We filled a plate with the meats and vegetables, grabbing a water before we went to her desk to eat. I’d had enough of being the center of attention and wanted to just relax. “They introduced me before you came in. It was so embarrassing.” My voice was low as I glanced around.
“That was smart. People gossip like crazy around here and I’m sure the lies were flying, so maybe knowing who you are will slow it down.” Breanna gave me a sympathetic look a
s she took a bite of turkey. “It’s a really good job, Jane. I swear to that.” She chuckled. “I can’t imagine being so close to those two all day, though. They’re so gorgeous.”
“They are but I’m me. There’s nothing impressive about that.” I shrugged as I took a bite of the mashed potatoes and gravy as she shook her head.
“Have you seen yourself?” Breanna asked me as I gazed at her. “That sweet, country girl look is gorgeous, Jane. The bitches here are jealous.” She leaned over to whisper to me as I giggled. We finished the meal talking about Christmas and what we were going to do, though I hid my plans to go to The Moyens. That was a tough one to explain in my mind and I was still making sense of what was happening with them myself. I told her that I’d be at the restaurant with Mama to meet her later and headed back to work after a tight hug.
We met Breanna and her boyfriend at a diner and Mama talked to them about the holiday. I told her not to mention our plans and she nodded slowly with a frown as she looked curiously at me. I told her that some of the people at the office enjoyed gossip a lot and I wanted to avoid that for the time being.
We worked a half day on Thursday and I went home to have Christmas Eve dinner with Mama. We enjoyed roast chicken and some of the same vegetables that I’d eaten today but everything that Mama made tasted better than anything else. We prayed for the family that was no longer with us and I looked at her across the table before taking a bite. “Would you move here, Mama?”
She looked at me thoughtfully before looking around the apartment. It was small but quaint and I knew that she was thinking about her house with the big front porch back home. “I don’t know, Jane. I’ve always lived there in that town. We have so many memories there.” She gave me a sad smile. “I want you to move back sometimes, but I know that you’re doing well here.”
“I like it here. If you came here, we could get a bigger place. Maybe a little house somewhere,” I pushed as she smiled. My apartment was a two bedroom but there wasn’t a lot of space in it.
“I’ll mull it over. It’s so busy here for me, Jane. I’m not young like you,” she teased me as I laughed.
“Mom, you’re forty-seven. That isn’t old,” I told her as she grinned and laughed with me. We exchanged gifts by my small tree in the corner before watching an old movie on television, falling asleep on the couch under a blanket.
CHAPTER 22
Brent
I dressed the next morning in dark jeans and a green Henley for breakfast, knowing that people were already arriving. We’d had a small family night last night, opening gifts and just being together. Mom was emotional but she held the tears at bay for the most part.
I knew that today was going to be busy and distracting, thinking of Mom as I ran a hand through my hair. It was longer than I preferred but I would deal with it later as I thought about Jane arriving in a few hours. Something had changed between her and us; both Brent and me. With other girls, it wasn’t as intimidating but I didn’t think that she could handle us both. I didn’t think she could handle one of us with her glaring innocence, but she was beautiful and attracted to both of us.
I knew that we’d be busy with all the guests and I wouldn’t have too much time alone with her, but she was going to be here. I was curious to meet Jane’s mother and see if they looked alike, or if she might take after her father more. I wondered if her sweet nature was more like her mom and I grinned at the impending arrival. I slipped my feet into some black socks and headed downstairs, insisting on comfort over formality. I didn’t want to wear a suit all day with uncomfortable shoes, so I got away with this for now. I dressed more for dinner later, something that Dad gave in to when we were young and argumentative.
I headed down the stairs to find some aunts and cousins running around as Mom finished the breakfast casseroles. They were still in the oven and Ashely cooked some bacon and sausage on the stove, since we gave Monica the weekend off. She did a lot of the prep for us throughout the week. I went in and poured some coffee, offering to help as Brandon walked in dressed like me. The difference was that his Henley was a darker red, and Mom smiled at us. “Toast would be great,” she said before I grabbed some bread and started sliding it into the toaster. Brandon got his own coffee and we got all the food together and set up buffet style on the counter.
I felt the absence of Dad at the table as we started to pray. It wasn’t a habit other than holidays, something left from Mom’s strict Catholic upbringing but I listened closely today. I wondered if he knew that we missed him. I wondered if he could see us as I let the idea of the driver that killed him enjoying his holidays cross my mind briefly. He was facing some charges for driving drunk but we all knew that it wouldn’t make up for our loss.
The kids lightened the mood, chattering about Santa and their presents as I watched them. There were two more sets of twins on my mom’s side of the family and it always made me pity her and Dad as I took in how much fucking energy they had. I had to pour another cup of coffee to get whatever I had back from when I woke up this morning, as we sat with our uncles and talked about the company. Everyone was supportive of us taking over and there were pats on the back and hugs from everyone that arrived.
I was on the back patio with my older cousin Nate when I glanced up to see dark curls and a wide smile. There was a woman that looked a lot like Jane standing beside her as Mom hugged them both and introduced them to the relatives that were all over the house at this point. Jane was wearing what looked like black slacks and a red blouse and her hair was loose around her shoulders as she shook someone’s hand. “Who is that? She’s gorgeous.” My eyes snapped back to Nate, fifteen and full or hormones as I remembered being that age.
“Calm down, Romeo. She’s our new assistant Jane and way too old for you,” I told him as I ruffled his hair, making him step away from her and tell me to stop.
“Damn, you hire girls that look like that?” He asked as I nearly choked on the beer that I was sipping. He had no idea what shit we pulled at the office.
“It just worked out that way. I’m her boss, Nate. Chill out.” He looked at me with wide brown eyes as I shook my head. “I’m going to go say hello.” I walked in and Jane looked up to see me as our eyes locked. She looked beautiful with a dark liner on her lids and a nude stain to her lips as she smiled and I stepped up to her. “Jane. Merry Christmas,” I told her as she introduced me to her beautiful mother, Chelsea. They both looked a little bit flustered and I knew that the crowd was intimidating.
“Your house is gorgeous,” her mom told me as I smiled and thanked her.
“I think my place would fit into the kitchen,” Jane quipped as I smiled at her. Brandon stepped into the kitchen and took in Jane with a hungry gaze before she noticed him, introducing her mom to him. The woman looked from him to me as she fanned herself.
“My word, you are handsome,” she said as Mom laughed.
