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“I think it’s more that he wasn’t expecting to have to sell it, period,” Oliver clarified. “It’s a family business.”
“Much like our own,” William added with a knowing look her way. “It took a lot of time and effort for us to convince our father that we needed to do something as drastic as merging with your father’s company in order to save ours. He still isn’t happy about it, but I think he’s learning to accept it.”
“It’s always difficult to give up control, no matter what the topic,” Conner concluded. Then he reached out a hand and took Sabrina’s, lifting it to his mouth to place a kiss on the back of her knuckles. “Best decision we ever made though.”
She smiled, feeling that warm and fuzzy sensation in her belly whenever any of them looked at her like that.
“This feels like a polaroid moment,” William announced. When everyone just looked at him, he said, “Doesn’t it?”
Sabrina shared looks with everyone, gauging their responses. She didn’t want to be the one to say yes, especially after their discussions about keeping their relationship on the down-low. But she had to admit, she did like the idea of having some kind of physical validation that they were, in fact, in an active relationship. Otherwise, it felt like a dark and dirty secret, not to mention it leant more weight to it, as if somehow making it more real.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Oliver agreed, all smiles.
“What about keeping things secret.” Leave it to Conner to be the logical one.
William was already lifting out of his seat and readying his phone for the picture. “Who said it wasn’t going to stay between us? I just think it’s a nice idea to have some record of us, for us. It doesn’t have to leave this circle.”
Sabrina liked how he thought. It was logical too, but also less stringent. William understood how to work around constraints, thus making everyone happy.
Conner didn’t look too happy as Oliver got up and rounded the table, too, taking a stand behind her and bending down enough to rest his head on top of hers. William leaned in from her left, leaving a noticeable chill on her right.
“Are you going to join us or ride the sidelines like a ninny?” William taunted his brother.
With an annoyed glare, Conner grudgingly scooted his chair closer, until his body pressed against Sabrina’s.
William extended his arm, phone in front of them, the photo lens open and focused for a group selfie, and they all smiled when William commanded them to “say cheese.”
“Can you send me that?” Sabrina asked as they separated and went back to their original positions, Oliver lingering just long enough to drop a sweet kiss to her shoulder and whisper in her ear, “You’re beautiful.”
“Sure thing, angel.” William tapped a few things on his phone, and then she heard hers chime, alerting her to an incoming message.
Opening her instant messages, she found the picture and downloaded it with a smile. She already knew what she planned to do with it.
They kicked back a while longer, until the cool evening gave way to an even cooler night, and then retreated back inside.
“I think we should have a sleepover,” William suggested as everyone gathered in the living room. It was a posh decorated space, done up in reds, whites, and blacks, and glossy finishes everywhere.
Sabrina considered the stark difference in their personal tastes. Where she was more traditional, William was distinctly modern. While he did it well, it wasn’t her cup of tea, and she couldn’t envision getting used to all of the clean lines and museum quality feel.
“I have to be to work early,” Conner said dismissively. He’d been glued to his phone all night, and he still was. Whatever had his attention held it firm.
Sabrina approached him and hugged him from the side, choosing to ignore the way he moved his phone out of her eyesight. “Is everything okay? You’ve been distracted all night.”
“Everything’s good,” Conner said with a put-upon sigh and tucked his phone away in his pants pocket.
She wasn’t convinced. Conner’s body language was stiff and he didn’t seem at all connected tonight. “Are you sure?”
Leaning down, he pecked her on the forehead. “I’m sure.” Glancing up at his brothers, he said, “I need to head home. I have a few things to take care of before we head back into the office tomorrow.”
William and Oliver wore matching looks of disapproval and concern.
“Anything you can do there, you can do here, right? I have a computer you can use,” William offered.
Sabrina herself knew that Conner had the ability to access all of the corporate information relevant to him from any device, as long as he had the password. He did, and he had before. It eluded her as to why he wasn’t willing to do it now.
“No, that’s all right. It would be best if I work alone tonight. Less distractions.”
So now they were a distraction? Sabrina couldn’t help feeling a bit hurt by that.
