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"What the—" The words escape my lips before I can stop them. Genesis stands there, looking as stunning as ever, her presence sending a jolt through me. All the unresolved feelings from that night ten years ago, and the frustration of this morning, mix into a cocktail of emotions I'm not prepared to deal with. Not now, not here.
* * *
Genesis
As Robyn and I return from our coffee run, we nearly collide with Reece Forrester. He commands the office with just his presence, looking as dashing as ever, clad in a dark, tailored suit that would make any Fortune 1000 senior VP proud. His cologne, a mix of cedar and bergamot, permeates the air, making it hard for me not to get lost in the moment.
But then he snaps me back to reality, echoing his words from that night ten years ago, when he found me asleep on his couch, “What the hell are you doing here?”
My heart races, and I stammer for a response. Robyn starts to defend me, but we're interrupted as Rachael Forrester strides in, exuding authority in her sophisticated business attire. She reprimands Reece with a smack to the back of his head. “Show some respect. I invited her here. Now, let's go to the conference room before you make any more of a scene, Reece Alexander Forrester.”
A classic mother’s move, using the full name. I try to hide my amusement.
Knox joins us, chuckling, “And that, little brother, is why I don't question Mom.” He follows Rachael, with Reece growling and trailing behind.
In the conference room, the tension is thick. Rachael, addressing us, says, “Robyn, Genesis, thank you for meeting us this early on a Monday after the holiday. We appreciate your flexibility.”
Robyn and I mumble, “Of course, no problem.”
Rachael instructs, “Please shut the door behind you and come join us at the table. Boys, please have a seat.” Her voice is terse.
Reece, trying to assert himself, says, “Mother, I am 35-years-old. Knox is damn near 40. We are not ‘boys,’ for the love of God.”
Knox, with a hint of humor, warns, “Hey, easy with that '40' word. I have a few years still.”
Reece mutters, “Barely,” as he begrudgingly takes a seat to the left of his mother at the head of the table.
I take my place next to Knox at the right, noticing Robyn's haste to sit beside Reece. I'm unsure if that's more to do with her wanting to sit by him or that she doesn't want to sit next to Knox.
Before I could ponder it more, Rachael begins the meeting, dialing into the conference room call system. Jeron Forrester's voice soon fills the room, “Good morning, everyone.”
Rachael responds in a sing-song tone, “Morning, darling, thank you for joining us.”
Reece, clearly annoyed, mutters, “Really, Mom? You had to call Dad for backup?”
Jeron scolds him, “She shouldn't have to call me for your nonsense, Reece, if you’d grow up and know what was good for you and this company!”
Reece, visibly frustrated, leans back in his chair and keeps his mouth shut, but only momentarily.
Rachael outlines the Bachelor series concept, focusing on interviewing prominent, eligible men. Reece interrupts, “Mom, isn't that meddling in people's affairs?”
Rachael dismisses his concerns, “No one is holding a man's feet to the fire to be involved, Reece.”
Knox snorts at the insinuation, causing the conversation to shift to him as ‘Mr. January.’ He asks, somewhat resigned, “Did I have a choice, Mother?”
“You’ll do great, son,” Rachael assures him confidently.
Robyn fidgets, pretending to take notes, but I suspect she's drawing stick figures of Mr. and Mrs. Forrester for a game ofHangman.
The meeting takes a turn as Reece points out the lack of a staff writer for this ‘ridiculous project.’ Rachael reveals, “That is where Genesis comes in.”
“Seriously!?” Reece exclaims, taken aback. “She doesn't even work here!”
“Yes, I do,” I assert, feeling a mix of annoyance and determination.
Reece questions his mother, “Since when? Who did she interview with?Whohired her?”
Frustrated at being talked about as if I’m not present, I interject, “I'm sitting right here. You can ask me, Reece.”
