Chapter 18 Xavier
Declan’s Instagram is interesting. People use it for several different reasons.
I mostly think people post to feel validated in their everyday, mundane lives.
His social media consists of pictures of places he visits or special events he attends.
There aren’t many pictures of people or of him.
I rarely post and only have a handful of followers.
Declan, on the other hand, has almost half a million people who want a glimpse into his life.
It’s just one more thing that shows the gap between us.
Scrolling back to the top of his feed, a new picture pops up.
It’s a selfie of Declan in his office. Declan doesn’t have selfies on his feed.
I click the pic, read the caption, and then reread it.
“I would rather be having lunch with X.” Did he really just post that?
Is it true? Does he want people to know about me?
I go to take another bite of my sandwich when I hear Brian.
I’m so startled that I slam my phone down on the table.
“Hey there, handsome.” The sound of his voice is like nails on a chalkboard to me. It isn’t that he has done or said anything to me that’s really inappropriate. It’s how he says things. I have been flirted with before, but Brian flirting with me is just wrong on so many levels. It’s so cringe.
“Oh, hey, Brian. If you are looking for Brad, he’s not here. He said he had some errands to run and should be back soon.”
“Actually, I came by to see you. We didn’t have a chance to talk yesterday since you were in the middle of your shift.
But you’re on lunch break now, so it’s the perfect time to get to know each other.
” He positions himself where he’s almost hovering over me.
I fight back the urge to recoil, but just barely.
I know better than to give him a reaction.
“Oh, um, that’s nice, but I’m done with lunch, so I need to get back out there.” I don’t care if I lose most of my lunch, and I’ll work through it at this point.
“Nonsense, I checked before I came back here, and you still have twenty minutes.” Fuck me sideways.
I want this jackass to leave me alone. But he’s my boss’s little brother, and I don’t want any drama at my new job.
He leans his hip on the table, positioning his crotch in my direct line of sight. Fuck, it’s uncomfortable.
“So, how do you like working here?”
“It’s great. I’m thankful for the job.” I try to turn so that I’m not facing him. I pick up my sandwich just to have something to do.
“Yeah, the job market is tough right now. Is my brother treating you well?” If this asshole leans over any more, he will be lying on the table.
“Brad is a great guy to work for.”
“If he ever gives you a hard time, you just let me know. I can usually get him to do what I ask. Sometimes it pays to be the baby of the family.”
“I wouldn’t know. I’m the oldest.”
The conversation continues, and I keep giving short answers to his questions. I hope like hell he either gets the hint or runs out of them. He laughs at something I’m sure isn’t funny and grips my shoulder with his hand.
“I suggest you remove your hand if you want to keep it attached to your body.” Holy fuck, that’s Declan’s voice.
What’s he doing here? How does he know where I work?
That’s a stupid question; he knows everything about me.
Right now, I don’t give a shit. I turn toward him.
I really need to stop sitting with my back toward the door.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“Xavier’s boyfriend. And you are?” Declan seems calm, like a giant panther’s stillness right before it pounces on its prey.
“Brian. A friend of Xavier’s.”
“No, you’re not,” Declan says firmly.
“Look, I don’t know who you think you are, but it’s employees only back here, so you need to go back up front.” Brian stands to his full height, which is still several inches shorter than Declan’s. It’s almost comical.
“Do you work here?”
“That’s none of your business. Now leave.”
“Xavier, let’s go.” At this moment, I don’t care that Declan is once again trying to boss me around.
Something about Brian sets my teeth on edge.
Just his presence makes me uncomfortable.
I rise from my seat and quickly grab what’s left of my sandwich.
Brian’s hands are fisted at his sides. As soon as I step close to Declan, he pulls me into him and kisses my temple.
With his arm around me, we walk out and don’t stop until we are outside the café.
He leads me to one of the tables at the far end of the patio.
“I only have a few minutes left on my break. What are you doing here?” I ask. I only have about ten minutes before I have to clock back in, so I start eating my lunch again.
“He shouldn’t have touched you.”
His words from last night come back to me. “If they decide to touch you, I’ll kill them.” Is he implying that he will go after Brian?
“He put his hand on my shoulder. That was all.”
Declan grabs my chair and pulls me closer to him.
“No one touches you but me. No one.” To make his point, he wraps his large hand behind my neck and kisses me hard.
I kiss him back. He’s my black knight again.
The fact doesn’t escape me that he once again has shown up right when I needed him.
He breaks the kiss and leans back in his chair.
“Finish your lunch, Xavier.” I can’t help but smile at him.
“You still didn’t tell me why you were here.”
“I wanted to have lunch with you, so here I am.” A strange feeling washes through me. He wants to have lunch with me, so he came to me. And even though his half a million followers don’t know who X is, I know, and he’s posted it out there for the world to see. That has to mean something, right?
“Does that guy work here?”
“No, he is my boss’s brother. I met him yesterday.”
“I won’t tolerate him messing with you.”
“Please don’t do anything crazy. I need this job until I find something else.” I know as soon as the words leave my mouth what he’s going to say, and I’m not wrong.
“You can always take the PA job, or I can see what else we have available.”
“Declan, we have been over this. I am not working with or for you. I need to stand on my own. It’s crazy enough that I said I would stay in the apartment.” I’m still coming to terms with that in my head. “You told him you were my boyfriend.”
“I am, so why wouldn’t I?”
What? Did he seriously think that was how it worked? When did he ask me? I have no fucking clue why I’m asking myself these questions. Declan hasn’t asked me about any of the decisions he made so far, so why would this be any different?
“It doesn’t work like that. I have a say in it too. It’s not like you take my opinion into account or anything. We technically aren’t even dating.”
“Sure, we are. I told you that last night. I provided dinner. We ate together, so it was a date.” Oh, to be inside his head. Is this really how his thinking works? “You look surprised, I think. Are you?
“I’m surprised and a little stunned.”
“I don’t see why you would be.” I decide to leave that part of the conversation here. I realize that I need to pick my battles with him. Right now, I need to keep my job, so that’s the hill I’m willing to die on.
I’ve just taken the last bite when the alarm on my phone buzzes, letting me know it’s time to go back to work.
“I have to go back in. Thank you for keeping me company.” I stand to go back inside.
Declan stands at the same time. Before I can even take a step, he pulls me to him and kisses me.
My legs turn to jelly. Now that I’m not fully fighting our attraction, the feeling of him holding me and kissing me turns me to mush.
“I’ll be here to pick you up when you get off.”
“No, I need to get my car.”
“It’s not there.” I’m just about to ask where it is when my last alarm goes off. I have two minutes to clock in, or I’ll be late.
“We’ll talk about that when I get done with work. I can get a rideshare to get back to your place.” I place a kiss on his cheek before I make my way to the door.
Brad’s behind the counter when I enter the café. I quickly get back to work and start filling orders. I don’t see Brian, so I assume he left through the back.
“Brian said your boyfriend showed up,” Brad says with an edge to his voice.
“Yeah, he wanted to surprise me at lunch. I promise it won’t be a habit.”
“Just make sure that he stays in the customer areas.” Brad seems a little pissed off about the whole situation.
I don’t know where the hostility is coming from.
I’ve seen plenty of the other employees’ partners come in.
Is it because I’m not interested in his brother?
I planned to ask him to tell Brian to knock it off with me, but I think better of it because of the mood he’s in.
Hopefully, Declan’s appearance and declaration will do the trick.