4. BODI
4
I f I could give all my money to never see Peartree Park pop onto my phone again, I’d be broke. But then again, the alternative is for them to not have any more reason to call me, and that thought isn’t much better either.
It’s a fucking nightmare.
“Good morning, Mr. McKay, how are you today?” The melodic voice of my father’s nurse flies in my ear, as soon as I answer the call.
“Good morning, Sheila.” I press the button for the elevator to ride up to the top, ignoring the slight pounding of my hangover. “I’m good. However, something tells me you’re about to ruin my day.”
She always ruins my day. I don’t have anything against her, she’s fucking amazing. All the nurses at Peartree Park are. But I don’t get calls from the Peartree unless something is up.
“Well, your father is okay, but I just wanted to inform you with my observation of the last couple of days, since I promised to keep you updated if anything changes. His state has severely deteriorated. We are trying to keep his day as structured as possible, but the clear days are becoming less frequent. He’s having a hard time voicing his wants and needs, and he can’t seem to dress himself anymore. I’ve suggested his doctor consider moving your father to a closed floor for his own safety.” She pauses while I process her words. A heavy feeling unravels in my stomach, and my chest deflates.
Everytime I think things can’t get worse, my fucking phone rings and my bubble gets burst allover again.
“I understand. Can you just give it a few days first?” The closed floor is something you don’t wish upon anyone. The people who are stuck there are nothing more than trapped souls in a vessel that doesn’t work for them anymore.
No one will get better from that.
Our senses are made to be stimulated.
I’ve been preparing myself for the natural course of my father’s deterioration, but every time his situation changes, it still feels like I’m hit by a ton of bricks.
It physically hurts knowing he’s sitting there, slowly fading away, and there is nothing I can do about it. Not unless I suddenly have the ability to bring back the dead like some Australian god.
“Thank you for telling me, Sheila.”
“No problem, Mr. McKay.”
“You can tell him I’m stopping by in the afternoon.” I know she won’t tell him anything, because it will most likely only confuse him, but I still tell her every single time.
She stays quiet for a brief moment until I hear the tone of voice that always comes with a kind smile. “He’ll love that. I’ll see you later today.”
“See you later, Sheila.” The elevator doors open, and I step outside with big strides.
I’m not going to let this fuck up my day. I just need a minute to myself, a very large coffee and some food to absorb the little alcohol that’s still blazing through my veins. As long as the day doesn’t throw me anymore surprises I’ll be— “what the fuck?”
My brows arch, my feet coming to an abrupt halt when my eyes lock with a set of baby blues that hit me in the chest like a damn arrow. Her chocolate brown hair shines from the sun glistening through the windows, while her beaming smile almost knocks me off my feet.
“Kayla?” I ask, confused.
My eyes move to the pastel pink suitcase standing beside her. “What are you doing here?”
She tilts her head with a thrown expression.
“Err, Rae said you offered me a job.”
Stunned, I blink. “I-I offered you... well, that’s one way to put it.”
I should’ve called in sick and stayed in bed like Jason suggested five hours ago when we came home wasted. Did the rum change the entire phone call in my head?
No, it didn’t.
Apparently Rae had a different conversation than I because, hangover or not, I’m positive I never said she can start tomorrow.
“I’m sorry. Were you not expecting me?” The disappointment washes her face, and I feel like an asshat. But no, I wasn’t expecting her.
In fact, I’d hope to be able to postpone this for a couple more weeks so I can figure out what the fuck I’m going to do with her.
And what’s with the fucking suitcase?
“Oh, damn. I’m going to kill her,” she mutters, her irises fierce and sexy as hell. “That lying little witch.”
I’m not religious but God, give me strength, because she has that look in her eyes that screams all the trouble I enjoy way too much.
“No, she didn’t lie.” I quickly stride forward, closing the distance between us while tucking my phone back into my pocket. “I told her you could work here.”
Her smile slides back in place. It’s a smile that lights up the room. A smile that has the ability to make the clouds disappear on a bad day and make you forget all about your sorrows. And that scent. It’s a mix between honey, bergamot and I don’t know. Something sweet and fucking addictive.
“Oh, so you were expecting me?”
When I get closer, another whiff of some floral aroma attacks my nose, making it hard for me to respond with words.
“Rae called me yesterday ,” I explain with a brooding tone as I try to clear the fog in my head.
“Right.” She drags the word out, as if she’s not following.
Trust me, babe. Neither am I.
I sigh, my shoulders slumping and my head tilting toward her as I give her a critical look.
Why does she have to be so fucking pretty?
“I was thinking next week, next month, or something like, we’ll work out the details later. I wasn’t expecting you to be standing in my office with a suitcase first thing in the morning. When did you get to Atlanta, anyway?”
“This morning. First flight at five am.” When she notices my eyes growing wide, she shrugs her shoulders. “What? I had to leave those two. They were sucking face every single minute they were home. It was disgusting.”
She pulls a face, and a chuckle leaves my lips. I remember being on the road with them. The sexual tension was fucking intense. It doesn’t surprise me they live it out behind closed doors.
“Do they even know you’re here?”
“I left a note.” There is a carelessness in her voice that both annoys me and amuses me, loving how she still sees the world at nineteen.
Jason is gonna have a field day with this one when he finds out.
Last night, the bastard made it a sport to tell me I was fucked with each shot he brought to his lips. I fired back by telling him he was simping on his brother’s girlfriend, but two shots in and the bastard didn’t even deny it anymore.
Sucked the fun out of it, and he just doubled down on my misery for the rest of the night.
My eyes rake down her body, taking her in with a feeling of lust that has me forgetting I’m at work. She’s wearing a white shirt with high-waist jeans that bring out the swells of her hips. Her V-neck gives me a slight glance of her cleavage, reminding me of how perfectly her breasts fit in the palm of my hand. When I move my gaze up, she’s blinking at me, amused, a smile tugging on the corner of her pink lips.
I want to know if she still tastes like peaches by pushing my mouth on hers.
I want to kiss her senseless.
And she fucking knows it.
The sound of the elevator door snaps me out of my carnal thoughts, and I turn around as Agnes strolls in. “Good morning, sir.”
“Morning,” I mumble when I twist my body back to Kayla. She’s standing there, awkwardly glancing at Agnes while the woman moves behind her desk.
When Agnes notices the suitcase next to her, she gives me a confused expression before she offers Kayla a comforting smile, no judgment, like the classy woman she is.
“Who’s this?”
“This is Kayla.” I brace myself for the judging frown I’ve grown familiar with from my office manager. She rarely speaks out, but she’s a master at giving me looks that make me feel like shit whenever there is another girl walking in here, thinking they are my girlfriend. To be honest, there have been a few in the past few months, so I can’t blame her suspicion.
“She’s my new PA.”
She’s trouble is what I should’ve said.
Her mouth forms an O as she nods, then presses her lips together, though I can see the grin that’s dying to come out. “I didn’t know you needed a PA.”
“Neither did I,” I mutter.
Kayla rolls her eyes, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Look, I’m grateful for the opportunity, but if you’re going to be a dick to me, I’m just going to find another job, Bodi,” she sasses. “I’m sure there are a few more publishers in this town who are willing to take a chance on me. Or maybe I’ll just work in a bookstore or something.”
“No,” I bark, way quicker than I would’ve liked. “I told Rae you can work here, so you can work here. You can help me with the foundation for now. We have a charity ball coming up.”
“Charity ball?” Her brows knit together.
“Mr. McKay is organizing a fundraiser for the Ava McKay Foundation. He doesn’t just spend all his money on shoes.” A proud look travels on Agnes’s face, warming my chest. It reminds me of how my mother used to look at me when I was little.
Kayla turns her head back to me, playfully shoving my belly like we’re friends.
We are not friends . The fact that my dick is saluting her inside my pants proves as much.
“You have your own charity?”
“I do. It’s named after my mother.” The death of my mother is a glum memory, but I take comfort out of the foundation that my dad and I created in her honor. We couldn’t help my mother with her drug addiction, but at least we can help others.
Her face turns serious, giving me a tentative look. “Yeah, Rae told me about her. I’m sure she would be proud of you.”
“Thank you.” I don’t know why, but her compliment feels good. “I like to help wherever I can.”
“I didn’t know you were such a do-gooder?”
“I’m really not.” I dip my chin, my eyes narrowing as they tangle with hers.
She bites her lip, and the tension rises. Heated, like we’d be able to make popcorn from the air between us. I know she senses it too, her cheeks slowly growing more flush as the seconds pass. Red flags pop into my head, but I have a hard time ignoring them.
Fucking get it together, mate.
Act professional.
Fuck, if this is how it’s going to go while she’s working for me, this is going to be a pain.
Kayla startles when Agnes eventually clears her throat, and I slowly twist my head to the scowling gray-haired woman.
“Is Kayla going to be sleeping in your office?” She glances at the suitcase.
No, but I don’t mind spreading her out on my desk?
Fuck . Shut up.
I empty my lungs like a deflating balloon. “Right. Where are you staying?”
Kayla looks at me with big eyes, offering me an innocent smile that I’m not buying.
Oh, shit, here comes trouble.
She’s cute, but this little sassball does not get away with sweet glances and fluttery eyes. I’ve already witnessed the mouth she has on her, and there is nothing sweet about it.
“I don’t know?”
My face falls when I realize what she’s saying and my eyes snap shut as I let my head hang. “You don’t have a hotel?”
“I kinda hoped I could stay with you until... well, you know, you pay me money, and I can afford to find my own place?” Her blue eyes widen some more as she stares at me expectantly.
“Kayla.” My tone is growling and reprimanding, not even slightly aligning with the thoughts running through my head. Having this girl in my personal space is not a good idea. When I stayed with Rae’s family last summer, it was only a weekend and I had a hard time keeping my hands to myself. Translation; I didn’t.
The only reason I went there was because I knew I wasn’t going to see her much after that. It was safe. She wanted some fun. I wanted some fun. But then Thanksgiving came around, and the hard muscle between my legs was more than eager to have some more fun . It was freaking torture.
It’s hard enough I agreed to this dumb plan, and that she’s going to be running around my office every single day. How the hell am I going to keep this professional if she walks around my house every morning too?
“Oh, come on, Bodi. I won’t bother you. You won’t even know I’m there. It’s not like we’re strangers. Maybe we can even become friends.”
“Friends,” I scoff.
“You’re friends with Rae,” she counters, a little offended.
“Different situation, babe, and you know it.” Why the hell did I just call her babe? I give Agnes a side-eyed glance, and she now has a brow quirked up in question.
Shit.
“Please, Bodi. I’ll be good. I promise.” I stare into her pleading gaze, knowing it’s a lost battle. My dick twitches in my jeans, not happy about either way I’m going with this. I’m not gonna send her back out to fend for herself in a city she doesn’t know, but taking her home will be a disaster waiting to happen.
I’m so toasted.
“One month.” I point my finger at her chest. “You can stay with me for one month while you look for a place of your own.”
I’ll let Agnes help her to hopefully speed up the process.
She lets out a shriek, clapping her hands. “You won’t even know I’m there.”
Yeah, I highly fucking doubt that. “And don’t be late to work because I won’t hesitate to sack you off.”
“Yeah,” she begins, carefully. “How do you feel about me catching a ride with you every morning?”
“Let’s go, Kayla.” I grunt in frustration, rolling my eyes before I spin on the spot to carry myself to the elevator.
I give this girl an inch, and I have a feeling she’ll be able to swallow me whole if I don’t watch out.