27. Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Branson
May the people in your life who love you treat you like treasure. Do the same for them in return.
M y thoughts had been focused a lot lately on when the other shoe was going to drop. When I was going to wake up from this delightful dream. After countless first dates, being ghosted, dumped and walked out on, some days I found it really hard to believe that this was my life now. That two gorgeous, generous, kind and attentive men wanted me. Me. They never gave me any reason to think this was all a dream, but there was still that little niggle now and then that I couldn’t shake. August would say it was because I had had so many bad experiences that I struggled to trust this good one.
“Branson? You okay, love. Do you need to take a break?” Realising I’d gotten lost in my thoughts, I shook my head and focused on Noel’s concerned eyes. Frown lines crinkled his handsome face and I brushed a lone finger along them, mapping the lines across his skin.
“No, I’m okay. A little shaky but doing fine.” He squeezed my other hand - the one he’d been holding since the moment I had sat down in Milo's chair at Saved in Ink . He’d been working for the last hour on my tattoo, which I had chosen to have on my ankle and not on my ass. The buzz of the tattoo gun was calming and the pain was actually more bearable than I had anticipated, only now starting to sting as Milo worked on the shading.
“Noel, do you want to grab Branson a drink? There’s a small fridge near the reception desk.” Something sweet, that’s exactly what I needed.
Before Noel could respond, a guy with a bald head and a handsome face and bright smile came over to where Milo was working. He looked up when the man approached, placing the tattoo gun down on the tray next to him.
“Morning, bud. These the boyfriends?” Smiley man tipped his head towards us and Milo’s lips lifted at the edges before he responded.
“Yes. Branson and Noel, this is my boss, Zachary.”
“Please call me Zach,” he said, reaching towards me and shaking my hand. Then doing the same to Noel.
Noel, being Noel, stood as he shook Zach’s hand. “Noel Bennett, pleased to meet you.” God, he was so prim and proper sometimes. I loved it.
Zach studied the partially completed tattoo on my ankle before addressing Milo. “Looking real good. That’s an incredible design you’ve put together.”
“Thanks boss,” Milo replied, and my heart warmed at the pleased grin on his face. Our boy loved being praised and hell, he deserved it.
“First tat?” Zach asked, his kind eyes meeting my own. I nodded. “And how’s it going? Coping okay?”
“I won’t lie and say it doesn’t hurt, but it's bearable. Kinda nice too in an oddly soothing way. Already thinking up my next one.” Zach laughed at that and then tipped his head.
“I need to set up - big back piece today - but it was good to finally meet the men Milo can’t shut up about,” Zach said then smirked playfully at the scowl on our boyfriend's face.
“I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.”
Zach shouted over his shoulder to a blonde lady currently working on a shoulder tattoo closer to the front of the studio. “Rosie, am I exaggerating or does Milo talk about his boyfriends constantly?”
Rosie winked at Milo then answered Zach. “Oh, all the time. I can barely get a word in.” Milo blushed, his cheeks turning the cutest shade of pink. Fuck, he was adorable. And this place? It was great. I could see that everyone here cared about him and treated him well. I wanted to thank them for it but didn’t want to embarrass him any further.
Once Zach had left and Rosie had turned back to her client, Milo picked up his gun, muttering under his breath something about his colleagues - a fond smile on his face - then resumed his work.
Noel disappeared and came back a few moments later with a soda and bar of chocolate. “Thank you. Can you take a photo for me please? I want to send it to my mum.” Noel placed the food next to me, then pulled out his phone and took multiple photos of me in the chair, and of Milo bent over my leg.
“She’s going to love it,” Milo said. My mum had been thrilled when we sent her a photo of the design. She’d video called me straight after I sent it and she’d cried. Thick hot tears running down her cheeks as I explained the significance. I’d told her about Noel and Branson and while she had been surprised, she’d accepted that I was in a relationship with two men, asking a few non-invasive questions which I was more than happy to answer.
“I think my dad would have loved it too. He had a really cool tattoo on his shoulder. It was a mountain with the sun above it.” I tried to recall all the details but couldn’t bring a clear image into my mind, deflating at the crushing realisation that I was forgetting parts of him. Like his voice that I now struggled to recall. It scared me how time had the power to erase parts of someone as if they never existed.
Reaching for my wallet, which I’d placed on the tall table next to me, I pulled out his letter, unfolding both pages and reading one of my favourite parts.
I have so many fond memories of my life. I lived a good, full life. But there are some that stand out above the rest. The day I met your mum, the day I married her and the day you were born. That day, my entire world changed - it got bigger and brighter because you were in it. My sweet baby boy, with the sparkling blue eyes and chubby cheeks. And as you grew, you continued to make my life shine - with your laughter, and your kind heart and your strong, unwavering ability to see the best in people. Never stop being that brightness in the world, Bran.
I won't dad. I promise.
Early October brought with it cooler temperatures along with some unwelcome rain. All week, I’d worried that my date would be a bust thanks to the shit wet weather. As we climbed out of the car, waving goodbye to Ray, I sighed in relief at the bright blue skies, not a rain cloud as far as the eye could see.
Today was our third date. Technically, we had been on plenty of dates - dinners, dancing, the odd concert or two - but in sticking with our original agreement, this date was planned solely by me and was meant to encompass my favourite parts of the city. And even though our hotel suite had become my favourite place - my home - I had an awesome day planned for us starting with a trip to the Farmers’ Market.
“How have I lived in this city for so many years and never been here?” Noel asked. He was dressed casually today in blue jeans and a green Henley. His blonde hair was curly, not styled back into the usual sleek style he wore and his blue eyes were covered by dark sunglasses.
Despite me telling my guys that we were having a picnic after our trip around the market, both Noel and Milo were sampling everything they possibly could. Noel was already dangling three paper bags from one hand and was munching on a cinnamon roll.
“I’ve been a few times,” Milo replied, sipping from a takeaway cup of coffee.
“You've missed out, Noel,” I said. “They have the freshest produce, the best bakery treats and some real hidden gems. Look at this.”
We’d stopped in front of a pottery stand and my eyes landed on a handmade mug, decorated with not only a swirl of rainbow colours but textures too. Small grooves and dots added a dimension to the design. It was so pretty and would be such a unique addition to my collection.
“How much is-,” I started to ask the seller but was cut off when Noel handed his card to the lady.
“We'll take it.”
“Noel! You didn’t let me finish asking for a price!” I exclaimed, turning to the seller who was smiling warmly at Noel.
“Doesn’t matter. If it will make you happy, it’s yours. I’ll buy you the whole fucking place just to see you smile.” He was dead serious and though his money had never been a factor in how I felt about him, butterflies danced in my chest at how easily he acted to make sure I was happy.
The lady chuckled and wrapped the mug in bubble wrap before taking Noel’s payment. I kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. I don’t need a whole farmers’ market, though. For the record, the only thing I need to make me happy are the two of you.”
“And The Vampire Diaries ,” Milo joked, coming up beside me and taking my hand. He looked particularly scrumptious today in all black with a yellow ball cap backwards atop his dark hair.
“That too. Oh! And Juliet,” I added because we all loved that feisty tiger-kitten. We’d actually found another kitten that we would be collecting in a few days from the animal shelter - we’d named her Lena. She was a tabby and very fluffy.
“Why mugs?” Milo squeezed my hand as we walked down the lanes of the market, watching as Noel stopped in front of a seller with a display of wines and artisan beers.
“It started as a joke between my mum and dad, when I was really little. We’d go on holidays or he would go away on business and he would always bring back a mug. Usually, one from the place he'd been or from some historical site or tourist attraction. She would just laugh and comment about not knowing where to put them all.”
Mum had been right though, we didn’t have enough space so, she alternated them and used some for storage - coins, pens, bits and pieces. But she never threw them out.
“My dad told me once, ‘Memories, Branson. Every single one is a memory. Treasure them.’ I think I was probably seven when he told me that and I took it to mean I had to treasure the mugs. It was only much later I realised he’d meant to treasure the memories.”
Milo smiled, small creases appearing at the sides of his eyes and those dimples I adored making an appearance. “I love that. He sounds like a great guy, I wish I could have met him.”
“Me too. He would have loved both of you.”
“You know,” Milo added, “if we run out of space at the hotel, I’m sure Daddy Noel will buy you an entire house for them.”
“He’d buy us a house. You, me, Noel, Juliet, Lena and all my mugs. Somewhere outside the city. Oooh, with a pool and a garden for the dog we’ll get.”
Milo scoffed, shaking his head, “Sounds perfect.”
Noel rejoined us then, a bottle of red wine in one hand and an additional paper bag joining the others he had already been carrying, dangling off one arm.
“Don’t rich people like you have personal shoppers to carry your bags for you?” Milo quipped playfully.
“Sure, some do, but I have two boyfriends to help me,” he said as he handed the bottle of wine to Milo.
We’d just turned to continue through the market when a crash had me spinning to my side, where Milo was. The wine bottle lay shattered at his feet, liquid as red as blood pooled on the ground, some of it staining his white Converse. It wasn’t the wine that worried me though, it was the way in which he had paled that had me stepping closer and pressing my palm to his clammy cheek.
“Babe, what’s wrong?” Milo’s chest was rising and falling rapidly, and he was clenching his fists so that they were white from the strain.
Noel moved next to me, running a hand down Milo’s arm to take his clenched hand. Before any of us could say anything, a smooth, deep voice had us spinning around.
“Fancy seeing you here, Milo.”
We came face to face with a man who looked to be in his mid-fifties. I examined him from top to toe but didn't recognise him. He wore well fitted chinos and a white linen shirt, with a green cardigan hanging over his shoulders. His hair was brown but greying at the edges and a woman about twenty years his junior had her arm linked with his. She wore a pink dress, flat black shoes and carried a bunch of flowers in her other arm.
“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends? Son .” He sneered the last word.
Son? This was Milo's dad?
I gritted my teeth, appalled that he had the audacity to even speak to Milo after what he'd done.
Milo remained glued to the spot, and I took his other hand, squeezing it and whispering in his ear, “Breathe, love. Feel my hand in yours. You’re okay, I've got you.” He gave a weak nod.
In the few moments it took me to speak to Milo, Noel had taken a step forward and offered out his hand. “Noel Bennett,” he said, shaking the man’s hand.
Recognition sparked in the man's eyes. “Noel Bennett? Ah, Mr Bennett, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Martin M-”
“Martin Montague, of Montague Security and Tech, I know who you are,” Noel said in his businessman voice. And not the sexy one - the one I had only heard him use when someone on the other end of a call pissed him off.
My mouth fell open, eyes darting from Noel to Martin then to Milo who was no longer so pale but looked as confused as I felt.
“Oh, you do? That’s great. I see you’re friends with my son.” This guy could not read a room, what with the way he beamed at Noel like they had suddenly become best friends.
Milo, my brave fucking boyfriend, gripped my hand tightly, then stepped next to Noel and addressed his father. “Noel is my boyfriend and so is Branson.” He gestured towards me and I nodded at his father, not offering him more than that meagre greeting.
“Two boyfriends? Huh.” The motherfucker grinned, one side of his mouth tipping up like some television villain. Blood pounded in my ears and I clenched my jaw so hard it ached. “Tell me son, if you have a Bennett in your bed, why do you need the other one?”
Holy fucking shit. Did this asshole just refer to me as “the other one”? And what the fuck was he implying? His words had intended to hurt and they did, leaving me feeling small and insignificant. I ran a hand over the back of my neck, briefly dropping my head to study my shoes. Is that how people saw me? Is this how he made Milo feel? Fuck, I hated it.
“Don’t speak about him like that.” My head shot up, taken aback by the venom in Milo's voice. “You know nothing about us. So fuck off. We’re done.” I didn't miss the quiver of his lips or the way he sucked in air as if struggling to catch a breath. I could see the toll this was taking on him. The last time he'd stood up to his father, it hadn't gone well, but we were here now and we'd never let this man hurt him again.
Mirroring the strength I saw in Milo, I straightened my posture and squeezed his hand.
At the same time, the unnamed woman stepped behind Martin, deciding not to get involved and instead stared down at her phone. The shit-eating grin he’d been wearing moments before fell and was replaced by a snarl. “How dare you speak to me like that! You rude, disrespectful little shit.” He wasn’t done though, turning to Noel. “He’s just going to bring you down, a well-respected man like yourself can do so much better.”
You have got to be kidding me. Was this man for real?
“Mr Montague.” Noel’s voice was cold as ice, demanding the man's attention. “I know who you are because I make a habit of knowing the names and faces of all the owners of companies I hire to work at my hotels. What I also know is that your contract with us has very recently passed my desk because it is due for renewal. On Monday, you will receive a letter from my legal team severing ties with Montague Security and Tech at the end of the contract period, sooner if I can arrange it. Consider this a polite notice that Bennett Properties will no longer be doing business with you.”
Fucking hell. I could only watch on as Martin processed what Noel had just said.
“You can’t do that! We’re the best security firm this side of the United States. We’ve been providing your hotels with security personnel and cyber protection software for years! It will take you months and be very costly to find someone to replace us. I’ll sue you for this!” Martin boomed at Noel, his tone snide and bitter.
“I can assure you, I will have no problems finding a new firm and I do not care how much it costs. If you want to sue me, fine, but be prepared for the fight that will come. Bennett Hotels, my family, will not be associated with a company headed by an abusive, manipulative man like you.”
Martin took a step forward, opening his mouth to respond, but Noel cut him off, venom and anger in his voice.
“And take this as a friendly warning. If you come near Milo again, if you say one mean, derogatory word about him or Branson again, I will make sure no one on this continent uses your company again. I will bury you. Do not test me, Mr Montague, you would not like the person I become or the effects it will have on your business if you do.”
Martin was speechless, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
“One last thing,” Noel stepped between Milo and I, taking one of each of our hands in his before continuing, “Mia doesn’t want to follow in your footsteps. Make things right with her, let her study what she wants, and for once in your selfish life, put your child first.”
Angry, protective Noel was hot as fuck, and I could not have loved him more than I did right then.
Noel's expression softened when he looked at me and then Milo, and all signs of the stern businessman evaporated as he smiled at us. A smile so adoring and open, one he reserved just for us.
“Picnic time, loves?”