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“Nothing in particular. Just one of the guys.”
“It’s about time you got back out there and found yourself a girlfriend.”
Turning his head to look at me, the corner of his mouth tips up in a smirk. “What if I said I had one, what then?”
“Then I’d be happy. I hate to see you upset. I know how much Penny leaving hurt you.”
“Do you have to mention that bitch’s name?”
And there you go, that’s how much his break-up destroyed him. “Hayden…” I say softly.
“Reagan…” he mimics me in a high-pitched voice. “What do I need another woman in my life for when I’ve got you. You’re enough of a pain in my ass.” He rolls his eyes. “Anyway, how’s Mr. Big Shot? It’s about time you brought him to meet Mom, don’t you think?”
Now it’s my turn to roll my eyes, but that means using muscles that are already exhausted, so instead, I give him the finger. “Maybe.” Hayden knows the situation with Everett and me, and he’s just trying to get a rise out of me to take the attention off him. Asshole. His arm goes around me and locks me in a headlock, pulling me into him.
“I don’t think Mom would approve if you told her you were just fucking,” he whispers, laughing under his breath at the same time.
“Fuck you, dickhead.” Removing his arm from my neck, I get up and take my cell from my purse. “I’m going to give Mom a hand in the kitchen.”
The sound of his laugh follows me into the kitchen. I don’t know why I even bother.
Ten
Reagan
“Did you have a nice time with your family last night, Ms. Quinn?” Margie asks as she places some paperwork on my desk for me to sign off on.
“I did, thank you, Margie.” I can’t help the smile that creeps onto my lips. Not one of my employees has ever even asked me about the weather, let alone my family. Then again, I suppose I’ve never given them a reason to.
My brother and I are so different it’s scary, if we didn’t look alike, you could say we were from an entirely different gene pool. Whereas I’ve always been a little closed off, Hayden is way too trusting. I told him years ago it would come back to bite him in the ass.
I was right.Penny, that bitch, she literally took him for everything he was worth and left him with the bank loan she had taken out to pay off her gambling debts.
Margie brings me back from remembering my brother’s darkest days with her soft voice. “So, if you could just sign those, I’ll get them scanned over to Mr. Hicks.”
Pushing the papers toward me, I take my pen and one by one sign my name on the dotted lines. I gather them up neatly and pass them back to her. She’s shifting from foot to foot like she’s nervous. “Are you okay, Margie?”
“Um, yeah.” She nods as she nibbles on her bottom lip.
“Are you sure?”
“Well, I just wanted to say that if you ever wanted to have a coffee anytime, I’m around…” I feel my eyes widen with surprise at this offer. “I was thinking at the weekend or something, of course, you don’t have to, but the offer’s there if you ever do.” The words rush out of her mouth and she holds the papers against her chest, wrapping her arms around herself. She spins on her heel and leaves the office. My mouth is still open as I watch her through the glass partition. She uses a finger to push her glasses up her nose and tucks loose strands of hair behind her ears before turning her focus back to the computer.
There’s absolutely nothing I could have in common with this woman except that she’s the same age as me.
I have one girl friend, and that’s Ruby. I can’t see myself extending that circle anytime soon. If I compare Margie to Ruby, there’s completely no comparison. I don’t even remember how to make friends.
Margie must feel my eyes on her because she looks right at me but quickly turns her face away. I feel like a bitch for not answering her, but I have no idea what to say. Maybe I’ll wait and see if she brings it up again.
The hours have sped by, and while I’m deep in concentration, the chatter rises in the office, making me look up to see what’s happening. With a scowl on my face, I stand and go to the window and push back the vertical blinds. Strutting through the office is Everett, casually nodding to my employees. What the hell is he doing here?
I sit back down and wait for either the phone to ring to announce his presence or a knock on the door. Everett isn’t one for rules unless they’re coming from him, so it’ll be interesting to see how this plays out. Will he just come barging in, or will he obey protocol and go to my assistant first? With a single knock on the main office door, he walks in and up to Margie’s desk. He rests his hands on the desk, leaning over, and I just know he’s working his charm on her. Margie stands from her chair and holds out her hand, forcing Everett up to his full height as they shake hands. She glances into my office more than once and I feel the need to rescue her. Going to the door that adjoins our offices, I pull it open and lean my shoulder on the frame, folding my arms across my chest.
“It’s okay, Margie. I’ll take it from here.” I turn my attention to Everett. “Mr. Brooks. To what do I owe the pleasure of this little visit?”
He smirks as his gaze runs over my form more than once, then turns back to Margie. “Thank you…Margie, is it?” She nods her confirmation. “It’s good to meet you, Margie.”
Standing away from the door, I open it wide so he can waltz through. “Can you hold my calls, please, and make sure I’m not interrupted?”
