I start laughing. “What are we? Twelve?” I shake my head. “Devon’s not going to give a shit whether I’m flirting with someone else or not. He just likes control. He wants to be in control of everything. I think that’s why he interrupted my date last night.”
“He what?!”
In short order, I tell her everything that happened. Afterward, she just sits there, shaking her head.
“He has some serious issues. I’ve never known anyone like him. The only reason he gets away with it is because he’s got an arse Tom Hiddleston would be jealous of. He also has good dress sense, which is important in a man.”
“Not personality then?”
“Oh yes,” she snorts. “He simply has to have everything. Killer looks, killer body, killer personality, and he needs to make me laugh.”
“No wonder you’re single,” I observe, giving her a cheeky smile.
“Hey! He’s out there somewhere. He just needs to find me and sweep me off my feet.”
I lean toward her. “You’re such a romantic.”
“Of course.” She laughs and glances at Devon’s office. “Where is he today? He’s normally out here shouting for his coffee by now.”
“He’s in meetings for another hour, so I have a good break.” I point to the paper in her hand. “How’s work for you so far? Anything important to share?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing we can’t handle. An engineer hasn’t gotten paid, and he’s grumbling about it. We sent his money, but he hasn’t received it. Apart from that, it’s quiet. It normally is on Fridays. Monday is the manic day because it’s timesheet day. Fuck, I hate Mondays.”
“I know what you mean. Devon normally has a ton of work for me to do on Mondays because he doesn’t stop working on the weekend. He builds it all up for me.”
She rolls her eyes. “Where does he have the time with his relentless fucking?” she snorts.
“I don’t know,” I reply as the phone rings. I point to it. “I’d better get that.”
Placing a hand on my shoulder, she gets up. “See you around, kiddo.”
I pick up the phone and wave to Mandy as she walks out. “Worldwide Airways. How may I help you?”
“Is Devon Jackson available?”
Immediately, I pick up on the American accent. It’s sexy and gravelly, making me wonder what he looks like.
“I’m afraid he’s in meetings for another hour. Can I take a message?”
“Is this Andi Bellingham?” he asks tentatively.
I smile. “Yes. That’s me.”
“It’s Aaron Sutherland. I believe we’ll be meeting later this month.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m so sorry. I was supposed to call yesterday with all the details, but I had urgent business I needed to attend to. I did message Mr Jackson about it.”
I start booting up my laptop. “I believe it was about his CV and acquisition letter, correct?”
“No. I received that from him yesterday morning. I was calling regarding setting the dates.”
I go silent, completely stunned. If he received it yesterday morning, then why did Devon pull me away from my date last night? Was it simply a control issue again? Is he worried that if I start a relationship my work will suffer?
“Miss Bellingham, are you there?”
I immediately snap out of my thoughts. “Oh, yes. Sorry. I will let Mr Con—I mean, Mr Jackson—know as soon as he gets in.” I feel like I’m out of it all of a sudden. So much so that I nearly called Devon Mr Condom to one of our business associates!
“Thank you. And can you tell him that he needs to be quick. I’ll be unavailable in two hours.”
I look at my watch and see it’s nearly twenty past ten. “I sure will.”
“Thanks again, Miss Bellingham. It will be a pleasure to meet face-to-face. I’ve heard so much about you; Mr Jackson speaks very highly of your abilities.”
“Really?!” I practically screech.
Oh, my god. I sound more and more unprofessional by the minute. Mr Sutherland probably wonders how on earth my boss can speak highly of a waffling buffoon.
“I’m sorry. I mean, is that so? I’m glad to hear it.” I sigh as I hear a small chuckle over the phone. At least he seems down to earth—unlike someone else I know.
“It sounds as though this is the first time you’ve heard that. If you do well, he needs to tell you. How else will you know?”
Exactly. How else will I know? I always thought Devon found me only tolerable.
“Well, I’ve heard it from you, so thank you. It is nice to know.”
I hear him sigh. “I wish I could speak more, but I have to go. It was nice talking to you. When we’re not doing business, maybe I can take you to the Empire State Building and a couple other places I know.”
I bite my lip, smiling. “That would be so kind of you. Thank you. I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Good. Well, I'll see you in a couple of weeks then, Miss Bellingham.”
“Thank you. Please, call me Andi.”
“Very well, Andi, as long as you call me Aaron.”
My smile grows wider. I’ve not even met this man, but I already like him.
“Okay, Aaron.”
I hear a slight chuckle on the phone. “You have a good day, Andi.”
“You, too, Aaron. Bye.”
I hear him hang up, so I do the same. Just as I do, Devon walks in and spots my huge smile.
“What are you smiling at?”
Immediately, I stand. “Nothing, Mr Jackson.” I feel flustered. He was supposed to be gone for another forty minutes. “I got you the things you asked for,” I say, picking up the two bags.
“Good. Bring all that stuff in and fetch me a coffee.”
“Yes, sir,” I answer. I scurry in after him and place the bags on the table. Once that’s done, I hurry back out before he has a chance to shout at me.
In the kitchen, I get to work making him his coffee, and it’s then I wonder why on earth I’m worried about how pissed he is. I should be the one who’s pissed. He took me away from a date last night for what seems like no reason whatsoever—other than he felt like it.
As I think on this, a frown forms and stays with me all the way to Devon’s office. I shut the door, place his coffee on his desk, and sit opposite him with my pen and paper ready. He doesn’t even acknowledge me as he types on his laptop.
“Aaron Sutherland called. He wants you to call back as soon as you can. He said he’s going to be unavailable to speak to in less than two hours.”
Snapping his head up, he snarls, “Why didn’t you tell me this the minute I walked in?” He snatches his phone up aggressively. “Wait outside. I’ll call you in when I’m done.”
I don’t say anything as I get up and quickly hurry out of his office. I feel I need some breathing room anyway. No matter what I do, it’s never enough. As I sit down at my desk, I breathe out a sigh and think about what Aaron said to me. Maybe Devon only said what he did to him because he thought it would sound better. I never know what Devon’s logic is. He told me he needed me urgently last night, and that turned out to be a lie. Then, I hear he’s singing my praises to somebody else when all he does is shout at me. I think about what Mandy said and she’s right. One of the reasons he gets away with it is because he’s so hot. It certainly isn’t because of his personality.
Actually, now that I think about it, I haven’t heard from Tom. I guess I should be the one to contact him. I should at least apologise again for what happened last night.
When my father enters my thoughts, I sigh. It’s almost payday, which is a constant reminder of why I need to stick with this job. Other than Ritchie, my father and I are the only ones who know about our little arrangement. The second I get my pay, half will disappear. I never grumble about it. I’d hand over all my wages if it meant keeping our family home.
My phone rings, and I automatically know it's Devon. When I pick up, he asks me to come back in. Dutifully, I get up and w
alk back into his office. Once I sit down with my pen at the ready, he looks up at me.
“I’ve got some dates for you to book.” I give a slight smile. “I need you to book our flights for two weeks from tomorrow. Book the hotel for a week. If we need to come back earlier, we will. Also, you will need to book seats for Mark and Anthony. They will join us for at least the first few days of the trip, if not all.”
I furiously jot all this down. I had a feeling they’d be joining us. Mark is the company lawyer, and Anthony’s the accountant. They work on the floor below us and are completely different from Devon—especially Mark. He likes to flirt, but I know he doesn’t mean anything by it. I think he does it because he knows it winds Devon up.
“Get the best hotel you can find and book the best room. I don’t want the Sutherland’s thinking we’re cheap. If there’s enough room for all of us together, then that would be best. I need to make sure we’re all on board and ready for anything.”
I finish writing before looking up. “Anything else?”
He taunts me with that smouldering look he likes to give. “Yes. Find the best bottle of scotch and send one to Mr Sutherland and another to his son as a thank you.”
Getting up, I say, “Consider it done.”
I desperately want to ask him about last night, but I hold my tongue. I doubt I will get a proper answer from him anyway.
As I push in my chair, Devon starts typing on his keyboard again. Once I’m at the door, he calls out. “Andi?” I turn to face him. He doesn’t even look up. “Don’t forget to type up those letters to Bradbury, Colston, and Neville.”
“I will get on it as soon as I’ve booked the flight and hotel.”
He doesn’t answer; he just waves his hand in dismissal. As I close the door, I shake my head. Immediately, New York enters my mind, making me skip a step. If he wants the best hotel, I will find it. There’s no doubt we’ll be flying business class, too. He won’t tolerate anything less.
Once I sit down and start looking at the dates, I realise my father’s birthday is three days after we leave. I hang my head and sigh. I know he won’t mind me missing it because he’ll have Charlie with him, but it still doesn’t stop the guilt. I guess I will just have to make him the best Sunday dinner he’s ever had this weekend.
The rest of the day is going by relatively well. Devon mostly keeps to himself, which allows me to get on with booking our trip. The flights are astronomical, and the hotel is an eye-watering three thousand dollars per night. That’s because it’s the presidential suite with four bedrooms and unparalleled views of Central Park. I wasn’t looking forward to spending every minute of my day with Devon so close, but I can’t help the little spark of excitement that ignites when I see the pictures of the hotel we’re going to be staying at.
“Mmm, mmm, mmm. Is heaven missing an angel? Because I think I’ve found her right here.”
With a smile on my face, I look up from my mirror to see Ritchie leaning against the doorway of my bedroom. “I could have sworn I closed that.”
Pushing himself away, he walks toward my bed, sitting on the edge. “I think your subconscious wants to leave the door open, so I can spy on you when you get changed. You know you secretly want me. Let it all out. You’ll feel much better for it.”
I can’t help but laugh and play along. I place one hand over my heart. “How can I possibly show you how I really feel? I’m way too unworthy of you, Lord and Master.”
Ritchie smirks. “Say that to Mr Condom, and he’ll have you on your knees within seconds.”
I shake my head, snorting. “Is everything about sex with you?”
He laughs as he stands. “Hey, my girlfriend’s a ballerina. Everything is always about sex. You should see how high her—”
I put my hand up, stopping him. “I don’t want to know about it.”
Smirking, he shakes his head. “Jealousy is an evil thing, Andi.” As he reaches my door, he turns around. “What time are you heading out?”
I check my watch and see it’s already seven thirty. “In about thirty minutes. Charlie’s taking me for something to eat before we hit the bar.”
Ritchie points his finger toward me. “Good thinking. You need something to soak up all the alcohol you’ll consume tonight.”
I turn around to face him. “Speaking of which, will you grace me with your presence tomorrow morning for our usual greasy hangover cure?”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you, darling, but I think I’m going to be pulling an all-nighter.” He winks at me, making me roll my eyes.
“I don’t want to know. Just give me a call if you change your mind.”
“Will do.”
“When are you going to leave?” I ask.
“Not until ten. She’s performing again tonight and has the rest of the weekend off.”
I nod as he leaves and then get back to putting on the rest of my make-up. As I place my mascara down, I glance at my work glasses. If I could accidently step on them, I would. In fact, nothing would give me more pleasure.
Looking back up, I inspect my make-up once more and then brush my mass of wavy light-brunette hair. Once done, I get up and inspect myself in the mirror. I don’t want to look too slutty, but I certainly don’t want to look too virtuous either. That’s why I opted for a slim, v-neck red jumper with a somewhat short, black zip-up skirt. I wondered whether to wear my ballerina shoes, but opted for my black three-inch heels instead. I won’t be walking much tonight, so at least I know my feet won’t kill me too much.
Needing reassurance, I walk out of my bedroom and into the living room where Ritchie’s watching an episode of The Simpsons. He turns to look at me.
“Honest opinion,” I say. “Does this scream sexy, but not too sexy? Or do you think I should change my skirt? Something longer maybe?” I bite my lip.
He rolls his eyes. “Andi, no matter what the fuck you put on, you’ll still look sexy. Even that fucking schoolteacher shit Devon makes you wear looks sexy as hell. No wonder he needs condoms every Friday. He probably uses them all up because he can’t get the image of you in those sexy round glasses and long skirt out of his head. Shit, even I’m getting a hard-on thinking about it.”
I sigh. “A simple yes or no will do.”
“Andi, you look great. Stop fussing.”
I smile. “Thank you.” I curtsy and giggle as the doorbell rings. I skip over to the door. “That’ll be Charlie.” I open it to see him standing there holding a box of Thornton’s chocolates. “Ooh, my favourite.”
Smiling, he hands them over. “Why do you think I bought them? Nothing but the best for my little sis,” he says, looking me over and frowning. “But you don’t look so little anymore. Are you sure you want to wear that?”
Shaking my head, I move in to kiss him on the cheek. “Thank you for the chocolates.”
“You’re welcome, Andi-Pandy.”
I roll my eyes. “You haven’t called me that in years.”
He laughs. “It’s funny how you forget things, then they just pop into your head.”
As I smile, I look over his attire. He’s wearing a pair of jeans and a white v-neck t-shirt. “Have you been working out?” I ask, squeezing his bicep. “When did you get so buff?”
He laughs. “I’m in the army. I have to be fit.” He nudges me. “Plus, all the girls dig it.” He winks at me, causing me to groan.
“On that note… Come on in,” I say. “I’ve just got to grab my bag. I know Ritchie wants to say hi.”
Charlie follows me through the door, and Ritchie jumps up from the sofa. “Charlie, my man, how are you?”
They shake hands. “I’m good, thanks. Glad to be home.”
“I bet.”
“How’s the girlfriend?” Charlie asks. I know he’s only asking to fish for information. Even after all this time, I still believe he doesn’t trust Ritchie to be under the same roof as his little sister.
“Good,” Ritchie replies with a smile. “I’m staying with her this weekend. I??
?m just waiting for her to finish work.”
Charlie nods and turns to me. “Are you ready? I told my lot we’d meet them at nine. Plus, I have an Uber waiting for us outside.”
As I grab my cardigan and bag, I almost salute him. “I’m ready.” I turn to Ritchie. “Have a great weekend with Monique.”
He raises a thin eyebrow at me. “I’m sure I will.”
My brother chuckles. “Lucky bastard,” he whispers under his breath, but not soft enough for Ritchie and I to not hear.
As we walk toward the door, Ritchie scratches his head with a smile. “Oh, I know I am.”
I place a finger in my mouth and pretend to retch. “Oh, please.”
“See you later, Ritchie,” Charlie hollers. “Enjoy your weekend.”
“Oh, I will!” he shouts back just as we walk out the door.
As I close it behind me, Charlie offers me his arm. I take it with a smile and look up at him. “It’s so nice to have you back,” I say, leaning my head against his shoulder. I miss him so much when he’s gone. I have no idea how families used to do it in the days when there were only letters and the occasional phone call for communication.
He leans down to kiss the top of my head. “It’s nice to be back.” I look back up at him with a goofy smile. “There’s just one thing I ask of you tonight,” he says, a pained expression on his face. I frown. “Don’t go flirting with any of my mates. I like them too much to spoil their faces.”
Shaking my head, I tug at his arm. “Let me get this straight,” I say as we start heading down the stairs toward the Uber. “If I flirt with your friends, you’re going to take it out on them?”
Charlie opens the car door for me to get in. “Yes.”
He swiftly shuts the door, halting any response I may have. I let out a frustrated sigh before he climbs in the other side of the car.
“Latino’s on Brent Street, please.”
The driver nods, pulling away from the curb. I take a moment to look out onto the busy street as passing pedestrians hastily make their way to their destinations. That’s the thing about living in a city. Everyone’s always rushing.