TAILSPIN

  “Make sure you come see me later,” Mandy finally says. “I haven’t managed to speak to this girl in the last two days. Mr Jackson likes to keep her busy.” She chuckles a little as Charlie looks down at me.

  “He’s not working you too hard is he?”

  I shake my head. “Nah. I can handle him.”

  I don’t want Charlie to get involved in this. If he knew the way Devon spoke to me sometimes, my brother would have a fit—best friend or no best friend. He would also flip if he knew Devon told me how to dress, called me at all hours of the day and night, and somehow managed to spring “emergencies” on me when I had plans. Take tonight for instance: I actually have a date for the first time in almost a year. I daren’t let anyone know—just in case Devon manages to find something for me to do tonight. It’s for this reason alone that I haven’t dated anyone since I started working here.

  “Look, we’d better be off. I’ll come speak to you later.” I glare at Mandy again. She smiles sweetly and walks off.

  “Call me!” she bellows, holding her thumb and pinkie to her face.

  As she rounds the corner, I look up at Charlie and take his arm. “So, why didn’t you tell me you were sick?”

  As he pushes the button for the lift, he shrugs. “I knew you would only freak out and want to see me. I didn’t want to worry you.”

  I give him my best unamused look as we step into the lift. “You still should have told me.”

  He pulls me into his arms and kisses my head. “I know. I’m sorry. Do you forgive me?”

  I glance up into those eyes of his. He’s aiming his signature puppy-dog look at me now—the one he knows I can’t resist. “Okay. Okay,” I manage, swatting him again. “I forgive you. As long as you buy me coffee of course.” I raise my eyebrows, making him laugh.

  “Done.”

  We walk the five minutes to the café, order our drinks, and sit down. Seeing as it is June, the weather has started to improve. In England, the weather can be quite unpredictable. I always expect the unexpected.

  “So, how’s my little sis doing? Got a man in your life who I’ll have to beat the living shit out of?”

  I laugh. Between Devon and my brother, any man who gets close to me has to be a brave one. These two are the most protective and annoying bodyguards. Despite Devon’s lack of respect, he always manages to show an interest in my affairs and always—and I mean always—has something to say whenever I mention anything to do with a man. He even helped my brother to warn off a nineteen-year-old boy who showed an interest in me. I was only fifteen at the time, so while I understand it now, I didn’t back then. They’ve always had something to say about my choice in men, and that still isn’t changing despite my age.

  “No. Between you and Devon, you never have to worry. I’m doomed to be a spinster all my life.” I roll my eyes.

  Charlie laughs. “Oh, Andi, you really don’t get it, do you? No one will ever be good enough for you.” He smiles sweetly. Charlie has this uncanny knack of making me feel ten feet tall at times. It makes trying to be irritated with him extremely difficult.

  “I don’t want to be alone all my life. Take tonight, for instance. I have a date for the first time in forever—”

  Charlie’s posture perks up. “Who?”

  Oh, for fuck’s sake!

  “Don’t, Charlie boy. Tom is nice. Leave him alone.” I give him the best warning look I can muster.

  “Tom, is it? What does Tom do?”

  I smile. “I think you would approve. He’s a doctor.”

  He raises an eyebrow. “A doctor, huh? Just like Dad.”

  I nod. “I know. Dad already approves, and so should you.”

  Charlie chuckles and shakes his head. “I don’t know him yet, so I can’t judge. Besides, I already told you: No one is good enough for you.” Taking my hand, he sighs. “You’re right, though. I need to let my little sis live for a change because you’re not so little anymore. In fact,” he glances at my attire, “you’re looking very conservative. It’s almost as though you should be working in a library rather than as a big CEO’s PA.”

  I laugh sarcastically. If he only knew the reason I dress like this is because Devon prefers me this way… He pays for everything, so I have to put up with it. He picks out my clothes. He even picked these stupid glasses I’m wearing. I hate them, but Devon says he likes them on me. I have to go with what the boss says. Once I get home, I always change into my more comfortable clothes.

  “I only wear this at the office. Any other time, I’m in something better suited to my age.”

  Charlie raises an eyebrow. “I hope you don’t mean skimpy skirts and low-cut tops that show a little too much. I think I may have to be around tonight when this doctor comes to pick you up. What time is he coming for you?”

  I nudge his arm. “Never mind. Besides,” I sigh, “I think I should cancel now that you’re here. I want to spend time with you.”

  Charlie shakes his head. “Nah. I think you should go out and have fun. We have the whole weekend before you have to go back to work. How about it? Would you like to spend some time with your big brother?”

  I gasp. “Of course I do! You never need to ask. Although I think Mandy might want to steal some of that time from me.” I wink.

  Charlie smiles and shakes his head. “Family comes first. To be honest, I’m not looking for a relationship. If I started something with her, things could get complicated for you when I don’t call again.”

  I roll my eyes. “And yet you have the cheek to talk about me and my relationships? You and Devon are the ‘hit it and quit it’ types, but if I even have one date, you two start becoming over-protective goons. I’m twenty-six now, Charlie. I’m not fifteen anymore.”

  “Thank God for that!” His eyes widen. “Do you know how stressful it was for me to keep those fucking vultures away? Or how many times boys knocked on our door, and I had to tell them to take a hike? It wasn’t any fun, you know.”

  I laugh again, thinking how serious he is. I love him dearly, but his protectiveness goes overboard at times.

  “What am I going to do with you?” I ask, smiling as I take a sip of my coffee. “So, got any other plans whilst you’re here?”

  He nods. “Actually, yes. I’m meeting a few of my army buddies on Friday. Do you fancy coming along?”

  My eyes widen to the size of saucers, and I simply cannot believe my ears. “You're actually inviting me to meet all of your mates?”

  Charlie cringes. “Yes. I might regret it later, but I know they won’t touch you. They’ve already got strict instructions. If anyone goes near you, I’ll chop their fucking hands off.” I give him a look, making him narrow his eyes at me. “I mean it, Andi. My buddies are a lot like me, so they know not to touch family. It’s just our rules. I don’t touch theirs, and they don’t touch mine.”

  I smile, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze. “I get that. I’d love to go. It will be nice to meet everyone.”

  He squeezes my hand back. “Yes, it will. Just don’t make me regret it, please.”

  I immediately let go of his hand and sink back into my chair. “You’re such a jerk.”

  He winks. “Yeah, but you still love me.”

  I can’t stop a huge smile from spreading across my face. “It’s good to have you back, brother.”

  He leans forward, motioning for me to give him my hand. Once I place it in his, he says, “It’s good to be back.”

  After finishing our drinks, we walk back to the office so Charlie can meet up with Devon. Nearly an hour has passed, so I am certain he’s done with Slutty Long-Legs by now.

  Once we near the door to the office, Charlie tugs at my arm. “I’m just going to get some water. Be back in a sec.”

  I smile, nod, and walk through the door. The minute it shuts, Devon appears—looking really pissed off.

  “Where the fuck have you been?” I open my mouth to answer when he cuts me off. “I pay you to be here to work—not to take breaks whenever th
e fuck you feel like it. Where have you been?”

  I start to try to answer again when the door to the office opens. Devon glances up, seeing my brother. Immediately, his face softens.

  “Charlie? Fuck, man. How are you?” They give each other manly hugs and strong pats on the back. “When did you get back?”

  Charlie pulls away first, smiling. “Only a couple hours ago. I raced straight here to see Andi. I hope you don’t mind, but I stole her for a little while. You seemed, um, a bit tied up with someone else earlier.” Charlie hits his shoulder with a wink.

  Devon grins mischievously. “Yeah, well, what can I say? The girl can’t get enough of me.”

  When I groan out loud, their heads snap to me. “Oh, no. Please, go on. I just love hearing about your extra-curricular activities. Utterly fascinating.” I sit down in my chair, noticing that I was a little shorter with Devon than I should have been. I guess having my brother here makes me braver.

  Smiling, Charlie walks toward my desk and sits on the edge. “No worries, sis. Remember who’s got the hot date tonight.” He winks. I almost fall off my chair. This is unlike Charlie in a big way.

  “Date? What date?”

  Uh-oh.

  This is the exact reason I wanted to keep it a secret. Now Devon knows, and he doesn’t look happy.

  “Andi has a date with a doctor. Apparently, he’s really nice. I think I may stumble by her place tonight to see for myself.”

  There goes the eye-rolling again. I guess some things never change.

  “But your brother just got here.” He gives me that look—the one people give when they want you to feel guilty as shit.

  “Andi said she would cancel, but I told her not to.”

  Devon gives him a horrified look. “Fucking hell, Charlie. Is that army of yours turning you soft?”

  Charlie laughs. “No, man, but my sister’s not little anymore. I think I need to learn to cut her some slack. She’s an adult and can make her own decisions.” Charlie glances toward me with a smile. I can’t help but beam back at him. He has definitely changed.

  Devon, looking indignant for a moment, seems to compose himself. “Come into my office for a bit and we’ll catch up. How long has been it been? Six months?”

  Charlie nods. “Yep, and we’re not getting any younger.”

  I huff. “Oh, please. How old are you guys now? Thirty-four? You’re not exactly old.”

  Charlie gets up, leaning over my desk. “It’s still six months closer to being thirty-five. Once past thirty-five, you’re almost forty.” His eyes bug out of his head.

  I laugh. “Well, at least you’ve got your health.” I glance down and then back at him to see his expression. It’s just how I thought it would look.

  Laughing, Charlie shakes his head before turning toward Devon. “Right, mate. Lead the way.”

  I manage to get to the end of the day pretty unscathed. After Charlie left, Devon kept himself in his office. I was glad. Sometimes, I hate his constant distractions. He can be a good boss at times, but others? Well, let’s just say I’ve had to have an extra backbone handy. In fact, it sometimes takes all my strength not to snap. I know he’s my boss, but there is no need to be an arrogant prick.

  As the clock strikes five, I gather my things so I can get home in time to get ready for my date. I am actually looking forward to it. My social life seems to consist of Devon Jackson, my father, my brother, Devon Jackson, Ritchie, and did I mention … Devon Jackson?

  “Going home?”

  I jump, looking up. He’s actually smiling.

  Why did my knees just wobble?

  “Yes, unless you need me for anything else?”

  He shakes his head. “No. If I think of anything, I’ll call you.”

  I’m sure you will.

  “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I walk away as fast as my legs can carry me.

  I hate the fact that he has this kind of impact on me. No matter how many times I try not to think about him running his hands all over me, it just happens. Sometimes, I even dream about him, and when I wake up in a cold sweat, clasping my legs together in blissful agony, there’s only ever one thing left to do.

  I have been consumed by him since Charlie brought him home from school. That’s right; I’ve spent nineteen years obsessing over Devon Jackson. Of course, he wasn’t always around in those nineteen years. There were a few years when he’d fallen off the radar—eventually taking over his grandfather’s business after he died. By the time I saw him again, he was thirty-three, and boy did age look good on him! He just looks better as he gets older … if that is even possible.

  In those nine years he was absent, I grew older, dated boys—whenever my brother wasn’t around—and lost my virginity at the age of nineteen to a college professor. And, no, I wasn’t his student. We actually met at a party through a friend of mine who was, though. We hit it off straight away and started dating. A month later, I lost my virginity to him. A year later, we broke up.

  I often think that was my fault. I think all those years of obsessing over Devon have taken their toll. If I hear any news about him, my heart rate picks up. When I see his photo in the newspaper—usually with some leggy blonde—my heart sinks a little bit more. I’ve never truly gotten over him. When he asked me to be his PA, I knew it was my punishment. I still accepted the position, though. I can never escape the need to be with him, which I now know is stupid and adolescent. I’m a grown woman, yet I feel like a kid again when I’m in the room with him. It’s crazy, I know, but it’s true.

  It takes me an hour to get home from work. The first two trains on the underground were packed, so I have to stand around waiting for another. By the time I walk through the door, I’m frazzled and in need of a drink. I only have two hours to get ready for my date.

  “Andi, what took you so long? I thought you had a hot date with Doctor Lurve?”

  I smile. At only twenty-six, Ritchie’s as handsome as they come. He’s tall, athletic, and has an arse that looks like it could crush a melon. His eyes and skin are dark because his father is black, but his mother is white. He doesn’t see them often, but he likes the fact that he has freedom down here. He loves London—especially the girls. All the giggling I’ve heard coming from his room over the last few months has been phenomenal. I don’t mind it, though. We have a pact to stay out of each other’s way when we have company. Not that he needs to worry about that. Thanks to my brother and now Devon, I have been a virtual virgin for most of my life.

  As far as Ritchie and I are concerned, we hit it off straight away, but there was never anything sexual. We both acknowledged the fact that we found each other attractive, but it never went beyond that.

  Ritchie fell victim to both my brother’s and Devon’s assaults as soon as he moved in. They calmed down when they realised he had no interest in me. I think they frightened the life out of him that day. Gradually, though, they have accepted him. I think it helps that they saw him with a few girls afterwards.

  “The bloody tube was awful. I swear it gets worse and worse on that underground every day.”

  Placing my bag on the counter, I take my stupid glasses off. I’m not at work anymore, so no more glasses that make me look like “Betty” from Ugly Betty. It’s going to be contacts from now on. I’ve been told they emphasise my brown eyes more anyway.

  “Shall I get you a drink?” he asks.

  Exhausted, I sigh. “Yes, please. I’m just going to jump in the shower.”

  Ritchie nods as I walk off. Every day, I can’t wait until I get home to rip off my boring, conservative clothes. My skirts are always long, my trousers unflattering, and my blouses frilly, but Devon makes me wear them anyway.

  Once I’m clean, I pick out a figure-hugging blue dress that hits just above the knee. I like it because it isn’t too tight. It’s just enough to show off my curves without making me look slutty. I want to be daring for a change. All these months of being repressed by Devon “Arsehole” Jackson are taking their toll. The r
eal me wants out.

  As I walk back into the living room, Ritchie looks up. “Damn, woman. Look at you!” He whistles as I turn around for him. He leers at me and licks his lips. I know it’s all for show, but I like the compliment nonetheless.

  “You’re going to give that doctor a fucking heart attack.”

  I snigger. “Oh, shut up, Ritchie. Where’s my drink?”

  Ritchie smiles, bends over the coffee table, and hands me an ice-cold gin and tonic. “Just how you like it. Lots of gin, but not much tonic.”

  We both laugh as I take the drink. I almost drown it in one go. Ritchie just gawks at me. “Thanks. That hit the spot.”

  His expression changes from surprise to realisation. “Don’t tell me. Mr Fucking Holier-than-thou had another slut in his office?”

  He can see right through me.

  “No. It’s just been a stressful day.” I smile. “My brother’s back from Germany.” I hope he’ll pick up on that and change the subject.

  “Really? That’s cool. I’m glad for you, Andi. I know how much you’ve missed him.” He takes a sip of his drink.

  “He said he might pop by in a bit to check out my date. I hope he was kidding because that would be rather embarrassing.”

  Ritchie’s about to answer when my phone chimes, alerting me to a text message. I walk over to pick it up, groaning when I see the name. Devon.

  Don’t forget my package tomorrow.

  I roll my eyes. Ritchie must have seen me because he steps closer. “Let me guess. The devil himself. What is he asking for this time?”

  I show him the message. “He wants me to pick up his usual box of condoms I get him every Friday. Maybe I should write back.” I type, showing it to Ritchie when I’m done.

  Yes, master.

  He scrunches up his eyes, takes the phone, presses something, and then hands it back. “Done.”

  My eyes widen when I realise he’s sent the text. “Ritchie, what the fuck?!”