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Kevin blinks and then laughs nervously. He sobers up right quick when I lean down to better glare at him.
“Uh, okay. Maybe this will help. Why don’t you sit down, uh, sir?” he squeaks as he queues up a video on the monitor and quickly abandons his chair. I’m not an idiot. He’s escaping out of my reach before I get even more riled up.
It’s a clip from earlier in the day when I came back from yet another meeting. Fuck me if I know which one. They all run together by the end of the day. But I’m striding through the front doors on the way to my office. Nira is off to one side. I never noticed her there, but she’s watching me with longing in her eyes. Then she averts them and squares her shoulders in a now familiar gesture and I feel my anger turn inward. I’m the idiot.
“Delete that,” I snarl at Kevin as I stomp to my office. I can see in the reflection of the shiny marble walls that he’s back to grinning like an imbecile.
3
Joe
The first thing I do after locking the door to my work cave is check the security cameras at the Anderson estate. Nira’s car is neatly parked to the side of the garage and from the camera mounted on the main house I can make out her movements when she passes in front of the windows. Good, she’s safe. I leave the cameras up on screen but turn my attention to my feelings.
Nira is the sunshine in my day. I’m used to that, expect it even. So when the sun suddenly disappears like it has the last few days, I get grumpy. But I didn’t really take note of the fact that she grew up in the middle of all that. I’ve never let myself think of her as anything but a kid waiting in the wings for life to start. Until she announced she was walking out on stage anyway, now.
I try to imagine her living somewhere else, like Portland, and dating some slick young executive. My fists clench involuntarily. I want to smash that guy’s face in. I haven’t felt rage like this since I was a teenager. And I’d better handle it more maturely this time, or I don’t deserve to have what I’m about to go after.
The gym. I turn off the security screens and head home via the no frills boxing gym. I’m adequate, not good, at boxing, but the controlled discipline of it is what I need right now. By the time I’m sweating hard, I have a plan. A crazy one, but it’s a plan.
Nira
I wake up abruptly from a fitful sleep. I’m sure it’s because I no longer have Joe’s jersey. The poor man looked so guilty taking it back, I almost kept it. But then I remembered my list of rules for myself and I knew I had to let it go. No hanging on to things that remind me of him. It’s not like I’ll never see him again in my life — it will just be as a long-time family connection and not the love of my life. I sniff slightly and then freeze. There’s an unfamiliar whisper of sound somewhere in my apartment.
Then a big hand covers my mouth before the bed dips heavily. I’m no longer scared. This is Joe. Why, I haven’t a clue, but I’m not in any danger. I tug on his arm so I can ask, but he keeps it firmly in place. Then his low, growly voice is mouthing words in my ear.
“No talking, baby. You can write what you want to say on my arm, but keep it short. I need you to make some decisions with me.”
I draw a question mark and he snorts softly, more a puff of air than any real sound.
“Yes or no, Nira. Am I the guy who’s not been giving you what you need?” I freeze again, not sure if I should bare my soul at this point. He convinces me when he adds, “I’ll know if you’re lying, Short Stack, and there will be consequences later.”
Hesitantly, I write outyesand then cringe, waiting for him to disappear. He doesn’t though. Instead, he gathers me close with his other arm, that hand sliding under my regular t-shirt.
“You positive this is what you want? My big hands on you, touching you everywhere?”
I shiver with delight and stick my tongue out to give his hand a little lick before drawing an enthusiastic exclamation point on his arm.
“Got it. So this is how it’s going to go down, baby. We’re getting married. Non-negotiable. When you pack up for Selena’s wedding, I want you to pack an extra bag with anything here you can’t live without. You won’t be coming back — certainly not to live, but your dad is going to be furious for a very long time.”
My brain works frantically. I knew my dad wouldn’t like it, but I’d been silly and selfish and hadn’t thought how it would impact Joe’s job when I fantasized about eating breakfast with him naked. Furiously I write outI don’t want you to get hurt or lose your job?Are you sure you want to do this?My heart is in my throat while I wait for his answer. It comes as a soft kiss on the side of my neck.
“I’ve been holding off on plans to move on, Nira. This will simply move those up. But you’re done with event planning for a while.”
My enthusiasticgoodmakes him chuckle silently. I can tell he’s about to leave as we sit there quietly for a moment, so I write outHow will I know in the morning this isn’t just a dream? If it is, that could get embarrassing.
Joe hesitates and then shifts me in his arms, his hand still firmly over my lips. Guess he really doesn’t trust me not to make noise. His lips land on the soft, loose skin below my ribcage. He licks the spot lightly and then he’s sucking gently. Fiercely. It makes my toes tingle, and I mutter something incomprehensible against his fingers. Apparently, he knows me pretty well, after all. He releases my skin from his mouth and gently kisses the spot before moving back up to my ear. He bites down on my lobe briefly before whispering. “There’s your proof, Short Stack. You’ve got my mark on you now.”
Then, with no further warning, his hand and the rest of him are gone. I listen with all my might and I don’t hear the alarm re-engage or even a hint of sound on the stairs. I wait breathlessly, trying to process what happened before getting up and wandering to the front door to check the alarm.
It’s not that I’m worried about security way out here, but more because I can’t figure out how he did it. The alarm is fully engaged. I didn’t bother turning on any lights. Somehow, the dark is keeping the romance alive, and I don’t want to risk him getting caught by an odd patch of brightness. He’s better than that I know, but in the end I wrap a blanket around myself and curl up on the couch, suddenly filled to bursting with hope and excitement.
4
Nira
I won’t even let myself think about last night when I get up in the morning. It feels like a dream, but I’ve yet to check that spot at my waist in the mirror. Mostly because I think I might melt into a puddle of disappointment if my skin is unblemished.
So instead I pack and clean simultaneously. Selena’s wedding is in three days, but we’ve been planning it for six months — all via video conference due to her busy schedule. She may be my half-sister, but we’re virtually strangers and I don’t expect that to ever change. She’s not mean to me, but other than some DNA, we have virtually nothing in common.
