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“Wow, I hadn’t realized. Uncle Ben would be proud of the both of you.” They both nod their head solemnly.
“We wanted to make sure his company flourished with us at the helm,” Miles interjects.
Our meals come quickly and we dive right in, talking and carrying on about our lives. Both Miles and Sebastian have settled down. That’s not something I think will ever be in the cards for me, but I find myself yearning to have that connection with a woman. Well, not just any woman, but a special one. The only problem with that is I keep people at arm’s length, never fully letting them get close to me. The military fucked up my mind and even with the therapy visits, I may be a lost cause.
Sebastian clears his throat, wiping his mouth on the napkin and placing it back in his lap.
“We are planning a little celebration for Marcy Hillary; remember the PR rep you told us about?” Hearing her name makes my head snap up. Of course I remember her. If only they knew to what extent. How could I ever forget the red headed vixen that plagues my mind daily? I nod so Sebastian will continue.
“She has done so much for us over the years and we want to show our appreciation. Marcy is an exceptionally bright woman, now with her own firm, Big Apple PR,” Sebastian explains. Yes, I know all about her company. She decided to start her own firm right out of college and when she struggled, I worked tirelessly under the radar to make sure it was a success for her. It was the least I could do.
Hearing Marcy’s name uttered from another man’s mouth, even my happily married cousin, ignites something deep within me. Matthew always adored his sister and that’s why it was his dying wish for me to make sure she was taken care of. A pit in my stomach forms when I think about those last words Matt spoke to me. I haven’t taken care of her like I should have. I haven’t been present in her life. I have been on the sidelines watching at a distance for when she needed help. Although she doesn’t know it, I have been a presence in her life long before I returned to the states.
It was too hard to face her after everything that happened to Matt, but I still had a promise to uphold. I’ve blamed myself for his death since that day. In my opinion, those few seconds I hesitated could have been the difference between life of death for Matthew.
“Sammy, where’d you go?” Sebastian muses with a concerned look on his face.
“Sorry about that. You were talking about Marcy?” I try to push the topic away from me and back on what they were talking about.
“Yes, we are throwing a birthday party for her and we would love it if you could make it. If I remember correctly, you served in the military with her brother? Anyways, since they shared the same birthday, we were thinking of a celebration of life in remembrance of him but also a birthday party for her. Are you interested?” Both of my cousins look at me with something similar to pleading in their eyes.
“Yes, I knew the Hillary family very well and I went overseas with Matthew.” I can’t deny that I’ve wanted to approach her in person but I figured it was always best to hide in the shadows. I’m unbelievably proud of her for accomplishing so much after she lost her brother and then her parents as well. I know the toll that can take on a person.
Would she even recognize me? Would she even want to see me? I can’t deny the temptation to see her gorgeous long curly red hair and her sultry green eyes up close again. She could make any man fall to their knees.
The last time we spoke was at her brother’s funeral and I couldn’t believe the agonizingly stunning woman she had become. She had grown up so much since we went overseas. Her young, deliciously curvy, eighteen-year-old body had me thinking things any grown man shouldn’t. I knew she was too young for me and I was still in the military at the time but fuck, if i didn’t want to make her mine. I was only on leave for a week before I was expected to be back in uniform. That still didn’t deter my thoughts of her, both good and bad. A lapse in judgment had us both suffering the consequences.saturday
“Great! I knew we hadn’t mistaken the connection. Will you be able to attend? It’s this Saturday at eight on The rooftop of Hotel Chantelle. Lizzie and Stormy are taking care of everything.” The question looms in the air as my cousins look to me for an answer. This isn’t my usual scene, but I can’t help but to be intrigued at the thought of being that close to her.
“Sure. I’ll be there.” The words are out of my mouth before I have time to think of an excuse not to attend.
“Perfect. Would you like us to send you a car so you can relax and enjoy the evening?” I think about their offer and I can’t deny the appeal. It’s been so long since I let loose and enjoyed an evening out.
“Actually, yes. That would be excellent. Thank you both for the invite.” I down the rest of my whiskey and wipe the corners of my mouth. Since we have finished our meals, there isn’t much more of a reason to hang around unless they have something else they want to run by me.
“I will make the arrangements and send you the details.”
My phone pings in my jacket pocket. As I retrieve it I see that there has been a breach in one of my client’s security. This matter has to be taken care of immediately. Unfortunately, I can only do so much from my phone before I need my computer and software in front of me.
“Forgive me. I need to get this,” I apologize to my cousins, motioning to my phone. “Thank you for the lunch. It was great to catch up and I look forward to the party.” Rising from our seats, we embrace and then I’m on my way out of the restaurant.
Jumping into my car, I connect my phone and call my second in charge.
“Philip, where are we on the Worthington’s breach?” Pulling out onto the street I speed to the other side of the city where my condo is.
“I’m localizing the main threat and trying to isolate the spread. I really need your algorithm on this. This hacker seems to actually know what they’re doing,” Philip replies.
“I’ll be at my computer in ten. Make sure to hold off any other threat until I can log in.” Ending the call, I switch lanes back and forth in order to get to my condo faster.
Once I pull in, I jump from the car and jog to my private elevator. Time comes to a standstill while I wait to reach the top floor. Flashes of Marcy spring into my mind, reminding me that I will be seeing her at the end of the week. Nerves, both good and bad, shoot through my body causing me to need a serious distraction once I reach my home. It’s a good thing I can drown myself in work for the next couple hours or I might sit fantasizing about my best friend’s little sister.
Chapter 3
Marcy
I lie there for a moment listening to my alarm, a wave of exhaustion washes over me. I extend my arm, moving it slowly toward the device. With a sense of resignation, I delicately press the button, silencing its incessant noise, bringing a moment of quiet reprieve. Glancing at the window, I see the sun streaming in. It’s time to get up, but the urge to lay here longer overwhelms me. I stayed up late last night looking through old memoriesof Matthew and me in a scrapbook. He’s been on my mind a lot lately. As our birthday approaches, I’m missing him even more.
After swinging my legs over the bed and stretching, I get up and head to the shower so I can get to work on time.The bathroom fills with steam as I step in. The hot water washes over me, further waking me up. I bathe quickly, dry off and dress for the day. Coming back to the bathroom, I free my hair from the towel and watch as it cascades in wet ringlets all around. A chuckle bubbles up from my chest seeing the sight in the mirror.
