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I have embarrassed myself enough to Mitch. There is no need to add another pile to the growing list. I can just prove to my brother that I have in fact gotten over his friend, can’t I?
* * *
When the doorbell rings, my heart hammers so hard that I’m afraid for a second that I will hyperventilate. Mitch does not know I find him insanely attractive, nor that I surreptitiously watched him from my bedroom window as he had nailed something on the wall, torso bare. He does not know that my dreams consiste of him seducing me with waxed candles and tickly feathers.
“Hey man,” Mitch grins when he answers the door.
Those laughing brown eyes switch to mine. I hold his gaze for a fraction of a second and look away from them, blushing slightly, which, of course, does not go unnoticed by my grinning brother, who is trying to prove a stupid point.I know I sound childish at this point, but---
“Come on in,” Mitch says, and I find myself genuinely curious. When I do step into the foyer, I gasp, taking in the beautiful setup of the living room. It looks nothing like their old home because Mitch has redesigned it to suit his tastes. I realize that this room screams... him. The walls are painted white. The upholstery looks very expensive but not in an outlandish manner. My perusal is cut short when Mitch leads us to a more private living room, which looks cozier. “We can have conversations here without feeling like there's a hidden camera somewhere,” he says with a coy smile. “What would you both like to have?”
Aaron requests a bottle of beer. “A glass of water is fine,” I tell Mitch, who gives me a look. I hope my brother hasn't noticed. It's a strangely affectionate look in a way I cannot describe.
Mitch goes to fetch our drinks, and Aaron and I both look around. The setup is quite impressive, and I am extremely impressed with what Mitch has done with the place.
Mitch is back with our drinks. We talk a little about the past, and I find myself joining in and having a good time. Even though Aaron and Mitch both tease me about my toddler days, Mitch's eyes still burn with heat when they lock on mine. I’m wearing shorts due to the slightly warm weather and I caught Mitch’s eyes trailing my legs a couple of times already. I try not to blush, but I feel it climbing up my neck into my ear and toward my cheeks. And when Mitch's eyes move over my body once more, I swallow hard.
Is it hot in here?
Mitch finally catches us up on his progress on setting up a workstation for the app development, and I find myself filled with excitement as Mitch's eyes light up as he describes how far he's gone. That much is obvious. Mitch is currently doing what he loves. And as I continue to watch him, I realize that his actions inspire me, and I am going to give this job my best.
* * *
I look around the whole floor I have rented, feeling satisfied with it. The walls and doors are all glass, except the one to my office, of course. I can just picture how I want it set up and I feel excited at the prospect of executing all the plans I have for All4One.
For someone who understands how wealth allows others to perceive offspring like us, I know what I am creating will be great. I wonder for a second if my parents would have approved of something like this, but I’ll never know since I now let their phone calls go to voicemail.
My brothers haven't even bothered to reach out which is completely fine. I know Roscoe is probably running his empire, and Harrison might still be a little upset at me for leaving so abruptly. He and I were always close and not just because of our ages. We always got along and received more attention from Mother as Father groomed Roscoe to be his spitting image. Better him than me, I guess.
I walk the expanse of the whole space, picturing where I'd like everything set up. Beth's office will be close to mine since I'll have to work constantly with her anyways. I look around the little area that'll be her office, wondering if she will like the view from up here. I'll ensure that her chair is positioned where she gets the best view, just like I would in my office.
Will she approve? Will she look as impressed as she did when she visited my home with her brother three days ago?I shake my head at my thoughts. Why am I even wondering if Beth will approve of her workstation?
Even though I can tell that Beth is insanely attracted to me, because damn, the girl's jade green eyes hide nothing, I don't think it would be a good idea to mix business and pleasure. Her brother is my best friend who watched me go through women faster than I go through shirts, and I know he wouldn't appreciate it if I sank my claws into his sister.
Shaking my head, I walk toward the elevator. I need to stop thinking about Beth in my bed. She is about to become my employee, and I don't think it would be ideal to give off the idea to the rest of my employees that I am playing favorites, even though that is exactly what it’s going to be.
Beth is beautiful and amazingly smart. She had been a straight-A student in high school, and I'd witnessed how much she'd invested into ensuring she was good enough to earn a scholarship. Beth is going to do well here, and I have to keep it in my pants to ensure I don't ruin this.
Getting into my car, I shut my eyes for a moment and then fish out my phone and dial the interior designer I'd hired.
"The office will need a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf."
"Of course," my designer replies, paper shuffling.
Even though my request for a mini library is almost weird, the designer does not ask why.
“Are there any books you’d prefer to be there?”
I mull it over. What sort of books had Beth liked? I know she had loved to read classics, curled up on the sofa right in her parents’ library. I wonder whether she still does that, and I want to see it for myself. I know that I want to see Beth curled up with a book in hand and those cute glasses perched on the bridge of her nose.
“I’ll have my assistant send over a list,” I tell her. There’s furious stroking of pen against paper.
“Would that be all?” he questions.
I nod until I realize that he cannot see me. “That will be all,” I inform him, hanging up and putting my car into gear after thanking him.
I don’t question why I am doing certain things to make Beth more comfortable in the soon-to-be office.
