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ChapterThree
“You and I need to talk.”
Gage looked up as his older brother Matt stormed into his office.
“Knock, knock. Come in,” Gage said sarcastically when his brother walked straight up to his desk. It didn’t take a genius to figure out Matt was pissed. Not that his brother’s disposition ever stopped him from poking the bear. If Gage waited for Matt to be in a pleasant mood before making jokes, the two of them would never speak.
“I think it’s time you and I had a come-to-Jesus meeting.”
Gage pretended to look at his calendar. “Sorry, but I don’t have the next come-to-Jesus meeting scheduled until next Tuesday at ten thirty.”
“Goddammit, Gage,” Matt said, sitting down in the chair across from his desk. “Can you try to be serious for a minute? We’ve got two issues to resolve, and I need you to listen to me andreallyhear what I’m saying.”
Gage waved his hand. “Fine. What’s bothering you?”
“You gotta stop shitting where you eat.”
Gage sighed, suddenly aware this apparent issue they were having was the argument he’d been expecting. “Lovely expression. People just don’t use that one enough, which is a real shame. What else is on your mind?”
“I mean it, Gage. I just spent the last hour breaking up a damn cat fight between your two girlfriends.”
Gage frowned. “First of all, I don’t have a girlfriend, and you know it. Secondly, there was a cat fight and you didn’t call me? Where’s the love, bro?”
Matt lifted his gaze heavenward, as if discovering religion and foolishly believing that praying to God was going to help. “Gage,” he started.
“Who was fighting?”
“Marjorie Douglas from accounting and Connie Raymond from HR, who, as far as I’m concerned, should have known better than to date the fucking boss.”
Gage sighed. “I went out with Connie last week. Just for dinner and drinks. Nothing more. That woman’s a billionaire hunter, which I figured out about five minutes into the evening. It was a one-and-done date, something I explained when I dropped her off that night. Didn’t even kiss her good night. I haven’t talked to her or replied to a single one of her fifty-seven texts since then.”
“Well, she seems to think the two of you have started something really special, and Marjorie is stealing her man.”
“Jesus. Went out with Marjorie a couple of nights ago. She’s a sweet little thing.”
“Did you sleep with her?” Matt asked.
Gage let his grin answer that question, to which Matt closed and rubbed his eyes wearily. Before his brother could say anything else, Gage let him off the hook.
“Marjorie was cool with the one-night stand. Something we established before I went back to her place.”
“She alluded to the fact she wasn’t planning on seeing you again, but Connie is going to be a problem if you don’t intervene.”
“I’ll talk to her.”
“And…” Matt persisted.
“No more company hookups.”
Matt looked up, surprise evident in his expression. No doubt he’d expected a fight, but Gage had already made up his mind to stop putting his USB in the company computer.
It was Beaumont who’d planted the seed, made him realize he’d been flirting with disaster. He hadn’t lied about not pursuing women from work, that it had been the opposite, but he was now wondering—given this morning’s cat fight—if Penny hadn’t been right about how a scorned woman might seek revenge. Marjorie was cool, but Connie could be potentially problematic.
“You’re not just saying that?” Matt asked, suspicious that Gage was lying to escape the argument.
“Nope. I’ve seen the error of my ways.” He raised three fingers. “Scout’s honor.”
Matt snorted. “Like you’ve ever been a Boy Scout.”
