90. Brendan
Chapter Ninety
brENDAN
T hey discuss financials with me staying put, like I’m listening. But I don’t hear a word they’re saying. Inside, I’m kicking myself for my fucking ego. Here I was dealing with Rebecca, and telling Annie I don’t have girlfriends. Never did it occur to me that she was probably seeing someone else, too. What an idiot I am! The more I think of that shirtless picture, the more I want to tell Mr. Donovan to take a hike.
“How long do you think this will take?” Annie asks, walking him to the door, finally.
“At least a month,” he answers. “It was nice meeting you.”
With my stomach churning with jealousy and irritation, I call over, “You too. Oh, Hey. What about having the security gate built first? That way the bar can be open while you finish the remodeling. You know, if the gate’s up, there’s a way to lock up. Would that work?”
Annie, looking hopeful, turns to hear if it’s possible. Mr. Donovan considers it. “We could do that. That’s a good idea.” He looks at Annie. “I could have the gate built in four days at the most, and you’d be back in business.”
Annie claps her hands once and hops into the air. “Are you serious?!”
He grins his first real smile, her enthusiasm infectious. “Could be open again by Sunday. I’ll get my guys on it. You should know though, working on weekends is time and a half.”
“Good to know. Thank you. You can work through this weekend, but after that, weekdays only, please. Oh my God! This is so great! You guys will rebuild during the days, and we’ll open the bar at night. Perfect timing!”
“Oh, and you wanted a number for a surveillance guy?” They both pull out their phones. As she inputs the information, I’m staring at her face. I don’t want her dating that Christiano guy. What the fuck kind of name is that, anyway? And this guy was no child. That chest had hair on it, and that smile he had for her… FUCK!
I look away, scratching the stubble on my jaw, thinking about what to do.
“Have a good day now.”
I turn around and nod to Mr. Donovan. “You too.”
He leaves and Annie walks over to me, floating on air. “What a genius idea! Thank you! I can’t believe we get to open by Sunday!!!”
I smile, still squirming. “It’s great.”
Her blue eyes flicker as she tilts her head. “You okay?”
Glancing to the ground and then over to a wall, I nod slightly, not able to look at her. Who am I to make a claim on her? After all the egotistical things I’ve been saying – I don’t have girlfriends – I’ve got no leg to stand on. What an asshole I am.
“I just need some coffee.”
“You wanna go to Philz?”
Shoving my hands in my pockets, I turn my head and look at her. Her eyes have a cloud hovering in them, and I did that. Here she is, getting good news about her bar, and I’m bringing her down. I walk to her, and kiss her on the nose. “Sorry. It’s just weird seeing everything.”
“Oh, right. Here I am so excited ---”
“---No! You should be excited. It’s just the coffee. I need some air and some java. That’s it.”
She smiles. The phone rings again and the devil is laughing in a cave somewhere, because it’s him; the shirtless man.
Without thinking, she lifts it up to look. We both stare at it. She looks up. “Um…”
I blurt out, louder than I want to, “Who is that guy?”
Annie blinks a few times and looks down at his picture. She sighs. “It’s my ex. He’s been trying to get a hold of me and I haven’t called him back yet.”
Relief relaxes my shoulders and I say on a deep exhale, “Your ex! Oh, thank God.”
Her ginger eyebrows rise and she cocks her head a little. “What?”
I take the phone from her, and turn off the ringing. “I thought it was someone you’re seeing now, as in still. An ex I can handle.”
She smiles slowly, figuring out that I was jealous. “You can handle an ex, huh?”
I grin at her, hugely relieved. “Yeah. An ex is an ex for a reason. He’s not really competition…” I wink at her. “…if I play my cards right.”
Her smile widens and she looks so beautiful, it’s like she’s glowing. “If you play your cards right?” She laughs.
More animated, I explain, “That’s right. I’ve got this. He won’t be but a memory. You just watch. That frown when he called? Gone.” Slicing my hand through the air like an escaping plane, I stick her phone in my pocket, and start walking to the door. Looking back, I see her watching me with a look that makes me stop in my tracks, like I’m some sort of hero. It makes me want to be one for her. My jokey cockiness vanishes and my hands fall to my sides. “Okay, Annie, I’m just going to come right out and say it.”
“Okay.” She walks up, waiting.
“I saw that guy and it drove me fucking crazy.”
She tucks a lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes on my lips as she asks, “It did? Are you normally the jealous type?”
On a sarcastic chuckle, I say, “Not at all.”
“Oh!” A small smile appears as she realizes what I’m trying to tell her.
“The way you look at me – no, it’s not just that. It’s being around you. I feel things I don’t think I’ve ever felt. Give me those lips.” She bends her head up and I kiss her smile, whisper against it, my voice hoarse. “I don’t want anyone else touching you. You got that?”
A thousand thoughts pass over her eyes as she pulls away from me, staring up with a sort of awe. Is it love? I wouldn’t know. She slowly reaches up and touches my bottom lip. Something strange happens in my head as I feel her gentle fingertips. A strong Déjà vu feeling comes over me like this has happened before.
“Then I won’t let anyone touch me, Brendan, if that’s what you want.”
Struggling to remember, I stare at her. “There’s that familiar feeling again, like I’ve known you before, like this has happened before or something.”
She frowns and blinks up at me. My phone interrupts us and even though I would have ignored it, Annie pulls away and laughs. “Well, at least we had one night without an interruption.”
I grin, happier than I’ve been in a really long time. “We did have that! I guess that’s all we get.”
“Let’s go get some coffee.” She walks to her purse.
I pull out my phone, see Rebecca’s name and the words: I have something to tell you . Quickly I shove it back into my pocket. “How about we go see a movie? I can’t remember the last time I didn’t have to be at work on a weekday.”
“Ooooo! Let’s! Who was that?”
“No one I want to talk to.”
We walk to the exit and she looks up, tilting her face for a quick kiss, which I’m more than happy to make long and slow. When I pull away, she’s breathless and her eyelashes take a second to drift up. “Wow.”
I walk out so she can lock the door. When I turn my head, I catch her looking at my ass. “I saw that.”
“I’m only human.” She smirks. “Philz, right?”
“Yup. Let’s walk. No, don’t even think it. I need the exercise and it’s just a few streets over.”
She holds up her hands after adjusting her purse on her shoulder. “I wasn’t making a peep!”