“I hear you, I’ve done my share of messing up since my mama died, this is me trying to get my shit together,” I admitted, lowering my head.
Suddenly Brad leaned forward. “Does getting your shit together include shagging the boss?” he asked, throwing me completely off. My jaw dropped and my pasta practically came pouring out of my mouth. I dropped the plate on my desk and looked at Brad wide-eyed, but he had a playful grin on his face.
“What do you mean?” I asked, still in shock. Luc and I couldn’t have been that obvious.
“Ah, you are a real Andrews…” he grinned some more. “Come on, Vicky, I saw how Luc was watching you, and you were eyeing him,” he chuckled, leaving me speechless. “No worries, I won’t tell Uncle Bryce, besides Luc is valuable around here. As long as he doesn’t go breaking your heart…. anyway you seem like a nice kid, and the big French dude hasn’t gotten laid in far too long…” Brad went on leaving me in a continuous state of shock.
“For the record I have not slept with him….” I answered vehemently. I don’t know why it was so important in that moment but it just was. Then my tone dropped “You know about that?” I asked, flinching my head back with surprise. I remembered Luc telling me that his ex-wife’s boyfriend was close with Brad, but he never mentioned being close with Brad. Brad was like a whirlwind.
“I introduced him to my uncle, my best friend is engaged to his ex-wife, I’m sorry I don’t know how much you know. I should really stop talking,” he said, rising from his chair and placing his plate of pasta on the bottom shelf of the cart.
“I know about all that…” I admitted.
“I figured you did, if you got, uh… through,” he coughed, “to him,” he continued to mutter.
I shook my head but I couldn’t help but smile. “It’s not like that Brad,” I tried convincing him.
He waved me off. “Yeah right.” I figured there was no point in explaining.
“Don’t let him convince you he’s a bad guy. He’s become an asset to Tyson over the past two years and he’s my friend. Although my friend Dylan isn’t too happy about that…oh, well.” He shrugged, then continued. It was hard to get two words in with Brad. “Dylan is back in Boston and it was Dylan that sent him here in the first place…” he continued to mumble on. “Well, Vicky, it’s been a real pleasure… we will have to do lunch again cuz,” he said coming around my desk and giving me a big hug.
“Yeah, Brad… sounds great,” I said, really meaning it. He was like an active volcano of information on my long lost family and on Luc, and he seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
“Take care, Vicky,” he said, throwing his coat over his shoulder as he disappeared out the door. I fell back in my seat and let out a long breath. Wow, cousin Brad was a handful and he seemed to know everything about everyone. I forgot to ask him if he worked at Tyson. I couldn’t help but wonder why Bryce had to cancel our lunch without even a message or a phone call.
Deep down I was disappointed, even though I knew I didn’t have a right to be. I didn’t know what I was expecting from him but after giving me a place to stay and a job, I thought he would also give me his time. Thinking about it made me realize that it was easy for him to provide a place to stay or a job, it was his time that seemed to be the much wanted commodity around here, or maybe his other families are used to this from him. I wondered if Mama realized that staying in New York would have left her a lonely woman. Bryce would have been working all the time and she would have been alone to care for me. Back home growing up, my papa worked for a delivery company from nine to five, so he was always home in the evenings and we always sat for family dinners, we always did things together. Thinking of all the family time we spent together put a smile on my face.
“Well, that’s a nice sight to see,” Luc said, walking back into my office with a light grin.
“Do you always check up on your interns this way?” I crossed my arms over my chest and asked him with a chiding tone.
His grin widened. “Of course not, I came to see if your loud mouth cousin left…” he laughed.
Brad was talkative I’d give him that.
“What was causing that nice smile when I walked in here?” Luc asked, taking a seat in the chair Brad had just vacated.
“I was thinking of my family,” I admitted, feeling the pain of loss mingled with happy memories.
“It’s nice that you have good memories, Vicky, you should hold on to them,” he smiled softly.
“I know, Bryce stood me up for lunch and sent Brad instead. It was good to meet Brad, but I felt a little disappointed and somehow my mind drifted to my mother. She came to New York to tell Bryce she was pregnant, but after learning about his social status she never contacted him. I wonder if she knew so young that life with him would have been lonely?” I sighed thinking of my beautiful mother.
“Vicky… Bryce is a good man, he really is, but he’s a billionaire. He was born to one of the richest families in North America and he’s on the board of probably one too many Fortune 500 companies. But he also does a lot of philanthropic work, he supports a lot of organizations that distribute aid to those in need all over the world after natural disasters and the list goes on,” Luc explained, sounding like he was trying to sell me on Bryce. The thing was whether I understood it or not he was my biological father.
“What are you saying Luc?”
“That the man is one of the good ones, but he’s human and he has his faults. He is married to his job, which leaves little room for other things,” he continued to explain, and I could tell he really looked up to Bryce, like a father almost. His own father sounded evil, so I could understand why Bryce’s qualities appealed to him.
“I understand, I was just thinking that my mama may have understood that which is why she took me away from here….” I sighed as my mind drifted to my mother again. I thought of how much I missed her. “How about you, Luc? Are you married to the job like Bryce?”
Luc shook his head. “No, Vicky, I don’t even have half the responsibilities that Bryce has and I am happy with that. I don’t need to be a business mogul. I am passionate about my work and that is what is important to me, and right now I am passionate about you,” his voice dropped to a low husky tone sending delicious ripples of lust through my body.
My phone beeped but my eyes were glued on Luc.
“Are you going to check your message?” he asked, pointing his head toward my phone.
“What? Huh…ya…” I stuttered dreamily. I picked it up from my desk to see a text from Nessa. She had arrived.
Me: I left the key for the apartment with the doorman.
Nessa: Thanks babe.
I was excited to have her here. As I pulled my gaze from the phone, I noticed how Luc was watching me closely. He looked turned on.
“You’re beautiful.” He smiled.
“So are you.” I smiled back.
“Can I take you out later?” he asked and his eyes look heated, like he had only one thing on his mind.
“Is that a good idea?” I asked, knowing that he intended to rip my clothes off. Then chided myself for questioning such a delicious idea.
“I’m only offering dinner, Vicky,” he feigned innocence.
“Really?” I cocked my head to the side.
“No….you could be on the menu.” He grinned then he blinked his eyes and his tone became serious. “Let’s go to dinner. Your friend can come, and then you are mine for the rest of the night.”
My cheeks flushed from the promise in his words.
“Luc,” I breathed out as moisture pooled in my panties.
“I promised you professional, I should keep to it,” he said, standing from his chair and adjusting the front of his pants. Was he hard? I am drooling…