AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Are you trying?” He questioned. I hated the knowing look on his face.
“Yes,” I said stubbornly.
“That’s good, right? A little brotherly bonding time, eh?”
I thought back to our conversation the other day. How he had been insistent he wanted to get to know me. I felt guilty for thinking this, but reconnecting with my brother had been the last thing on my mind—even after finding out about the move to Denver. I thought our relationship was more than acceptable. Brothers didn’t have to be friends.
“We’ll see how it goes.”
Ben rolled his eyes, getting up. “Well, sounds like you’ve got a great attitude about it. I’ve got to go write up a few things before the end of the day. I’ll stop by before the happy hour.”
He walked through my office door and then turned around, pointing at me. “Don’t even think about trying to cut out early.”
As we walkedinto the trendy bar—the kind with neon lights covering the walls and mismatched furniture—every eye turned to us. Most tried to be subtle but it was obvious when every head turned in our direction.
Great. Just what I loved. Being the center of attention.
I would need a whiskey in order to tolerate this evening.
Next to me, Ben waved with a huge smile plastered across his face. He looked like a politician greeting a crowd of registered voters.
“Could you look any more eager,” I mumbled.
“Could you look any less approachable?”
“Yes.”
At the bar, we both ordered our drinks. The sales team sucked Ben into a conversation almost immediately. Everyone’s animated voice already had my head throbbing. People spoke to you differently when you were in charge. It never felt like an organic connection. They were always trying to slip in one of their accomplishments—or say some nuanced statement about company growth. The fakeness exhausted me.
“Can you make it a double?” I asked the bartender. He nodded and poured more amber liquid into my glass.
Ben tried to loop me into the conversation with the sales team, but I evaded any real small talk with short huffs.
“We doubled our numbers from last year,” one of the more talkative ones said for the third time. “I’m so passionate about being at a company with so much growth potential. We’re all so excited you two are here.”
I side-eyed Ben. He didn’t look at me but he raised an eyebrow—his way of saying,watch it.
“If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make the rounds,” I said, leaving before they had a chance to protest.
I detested mingling. But if it would get me out of this already miserable conversation, then so be it.
A few people from the accounting team stood in a corner. Surely, they must be a level-headed bunch. I lingered next to them, unsure of how to casually insert myself into the conversation.
“Nathan,” the manager—Adam, I think—said. “How’s the second week starting off? We’re a pretty fun group, eh?”
His bravado tone already had me regretting this migration.
“Your company stats are impressive,” I responded.
He snorted and smacked me on the shoulder. Wincing, I resisted the urge to glare at him for his unwelcome touch.
“We’re more than our stats. We know how to have fun. I know you’re the new boss, but don’t think that’s going to make us treat you any differently. You’re one of us now.”
“I’m still the boss,” I said, flatly. It’s not like I wanted to lord that title over anyone, but I didn’t like where this chummy conversation was headed.
“Right, right. Sure.” Adam winked and the rest of his team snickered. “We were talking about doing a round of tequila shots. Let me get one for you.”
“Pass,” I said.
